mattp

Yes, it'll be a bunch of folks. The Everett Mountaineers are using it as a service project that fills their requirement for such endeavors as part of their basic or intermediate program or something like that. Because it is a Mountaineers event, you are asked to go to their website at www.mountaineers.org and scroll half way down the page and sign up under "national trails day work parties" or whatever it is. You don't have to be a Mountaineer to sign up, and this will help project coordinators. If you wake up tomorrow morning and just want to come on out, we can handle that, too, but pre-registration would be helpful. We'll meet at 8:00 am at "Old School Park," on the right a couple blocks after you turn right in front of the Mini Mart where highway 530 makes a left. The trailhead, up Clear Creek, looks like this: Come on out and find out what Darrington climbing is all about, or just show up and help with the trail. Wear boots, long pants, long shirt, and bring a helmet. Work gloves are a good idea. Bring climbing gear too: there will be time to climb after we knock off.

Don't I remember that, not long ago, there seemed to be some fairly broad admission that supply side economics was bunk -- even from economists associated with the Bush administration?

No secret hookup, weekend. I had right clicked the pictures and copied the url for the actual picture itself rather than the gallery page -- just as we alawys have to do when using pictures from the cc.com gallery. Thanks for pointing this out; I"ll fix it.

There are plenty of plants that are edible, but also can be harmful. Take nettles, for example. Plenty of people staem and eat those nasty stinging leaves. While we are talking about toxics, check out the list of highly toxic plants identified by MacLean County, Illinois, Extension service. #3 on the list will surprise some cc.com regulars. scroll 2/3 way down

Giant Hogweed is not NEAR as invasive as English Ivy or Himalayan Blackberry, in my experience. Now, maybe that is like saying Mussolini wasn't as bad as Hitler, but I had the stuff my yard for two years, thinking it was Cow Parsnip or some kind of relative, and when I pulled it out we never saw it again. Of course (Mr. K.) your idea of landscaping is wall-to-wall woodchips. You don't belong in any "gardener's" discussion, that's for sure. Woodchips is what I used to KILL ENGLISH IVY. I thank you for the chips, by the way, and I'm happy with the fact that I accomplished my mission without herbicide. But I sure don't aspire to a woodchip "lawn." Even beauty bark is more attractive.

What made it attractive was the fact that it grows over ten feet high and the flower heads spread as much as three feet. I think it is getting a bad rap. It is not English Ivy or anything - and that is only listed as a "weed of concern" by King County so some nurseries still sell it! So what if you kids might get blisters from it. The little darlings ought to stay out of the landscaping anyway. Giant Hogsweed is cool!

A friend of mine got busted for growing this plant in the side-setback outside his office building. Apparently, they have people who drive around looking for criminals who grow this stuff. The enforcement guy came into the office and left a notice stating that if the plants were not removed within ten days, there would be a fine. I thought it was such a cool plant that I had taken some home and put in in my sideyard, too. After my supplier was taken down, my wife instructed me to quietly go pull ours up under the cover of darkness and hack it into little bits so the weed patrol wouldn't bust us, too.

And I kinda like this one: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/37111545 Both are not so much "I wanna climb this route" photo's as they are shots capturing what John is doing up there: flying.

Not bad: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/35562112

Better hurry. The weather radar shows rainfall steadily advancing toward us. It has engulfed Olympia and closing in on Tacoma right now.

It'd help if you said what kind of climbing you like to do but in general, if the weather is poor at Mount Rainier you are likely to want to head to the east side of the range for cragging. Leavenworth, Vantage, Mazama, and Tieton are the more established areas and offer a variety of climbing styles within three+ hours of the Seattle area.

Rain or shine, this trail could use some help.

In all the excitement, we are forgetting about THE TRAIL. Come out and help, folks: We'll meet in Darrington Saturday morning. Send me or Catbird a private message if you are interested in helping with a trail project and seeing this great area.

Do you like this one better? There'll be time to make the second ascent of this soon-to-be classic, too. You can get on it before it gets crowded.

Look again, Dru. One party is passing another. And they are using the same bolts. Oh the horror.

There will be plenty of time to climb this route, for example: According to Eric and Lucie, it is the "Crimson Chrysalis" of Darrington.

With or without Dave, we'll have a good time working on the trail to 3:00 rock. It needs it. And, weather permitting, we'll probably do some climbing, too.

Thanks. I'm heading to Darrington on Monday.

Summit or plummet. Climb it or slime it. Red point or dead point. Cool or tool.

I'm not sure sending the pack to Asia is a good idea. I once lent a sleeping bag to a porter in Nepal for one night at 15,000', and it thereafter stank for - literally - ten years. You might prefer the ode de marlboro.

Yeah, forecast is looking poor at the moment.

My partner bailed. Wanna go?

Let's hope GW and pals aren't wearing their beacons. We want these guys buried and not dug up.

Ken, you could probably do a hand wash in the bathtub without risk of destroying the waterproofing - unless the Miracle product contains some compound that destroys the waterproofing. If a simple rinse in the bathtub ruins the waterproofing, I would guess a wet weekend in the Cascades would do the same -- certainly a drop in the creek.

I think you are right, ChucK. I have been wondering all week why they are choosing to take this stand. Yes, separation of powers has been an emerging issue recently and, yes, many Republican candidates are going to want to separate themselves from the Administration in advance of the coming elections, but the facts of this case would seem to make it an odd one to choose for their first real stand against the President. Could it simply be that, even with all the partisan politics, there is some sense of comraderie amongst members of Congress? Maybe they think it is OK to take shots at each other all day long in front of the news cameras, but then they have some deep seated respect for each others' office space.