mattp

Mr. Bob is in for a rude surprise if he thinks his or her insurance company is going to fairly reimburse him for his car and pay for any health care he needs without his having to sue them! Let's see: Your car is totalled, so we're going to value it at half blue-book, depreciate it a little more, and then charge the "salvage fee." Didn't you know your injury coverage expires after one year, even though you still need treatment? Our expert says that if your trunk was only smashed in a foot, you can't be that hurt. Oh yes, and the arm problem? That was from climbing not from the accident. Etc. Etc. Claim denied!

F'in weather report threw you a curve ball. It was pretty damn nice over there, actually, and I'll vouch for your hospitality! Looking forward to the Fall.

The Forest Service crew repaired a major washout below Jumbo Mountain, but they then declared the repair "unsafe." There is a concrete barrier about one or two miles in from the Mountain Loop Highway. We need to voice our concerns here, and we may be able to get it fixed. Does anybody have any heavy equipment and a truck to transport it up there to help with the road repair? WCC web page

I don't know about this year but I skied it last year, about mid April, and there was already a place where we had to take skis off to climb down over some rocks low in the couloir. Otherwise it was fine, and we got to camp on dry ground at the bottom.

Does anybody have E's phone number over there?

I'm not so sure about Bonanza, but I agree with Klenke about Index and Phelps. All those other peaks in #2? A curiosity, for sure, but most of us will never want to go there.

Northwest Mountaineering Journal

The North Ridge of North Howser is number 4 on my list.

1. W. Ridge, Pidgeon Spire (5.3?) 2. Standard Route, Snowpatch Spire (5.8?) 3. E. Buttress, Bugaboo Spire. (5.7?) In that order.

Today, I received the following via e-mail: MIDNIGHT AND NOONTIME ROCKS AND VICINITY CLOSED TO ENTRY APRIL 1 TO JULY 31 To Protect Nesting Raptors. By Order 36 CFR 261.53 (a). Violations are punishable by fine and imprisonment. Attention Climbers Raptors have been observed on and between Midnight and Noontime Rocks. To protect these birds during the nesting period these rocks and the area immediately above and between them is closed to all entry. During the nesting period, the site will be monitored and if conditions warrant, some restrictions may be lifted. Climbers are not the only creatures drawn to Leavenworth's rock faces. The walls are also crucial breeding areas for birds of prey. They are sensitive to human disturbance during their nesting and roosting cycle. People who stray too close to a nest can scare off parent birds or elicit an attack. Even if the nest is not abandoned, disturbance can cause nest failure. Eggs need to be constantly incubated so they do not become too hot or cold. Newly hatched raptors can not regulate their own body temperature and frightened juvenile birds may attempt to fly before they are ready. It is critical that everyone abides by posted seasonal closures in order to protect the birds. Thank you! Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests, Wenatchee River Ranger District, Leavenworth Ranger Station (509)548-6977

And Kurt's going to go out and buy all of the CD's he can find of String Cheese Incident.

I'm having a problem with my scanner, and can't seem to get the TWAIN software to reset so I can scan some slides. My show and tell offering will have to wait. You got a picture of the London Tower or sumptin?

I may have some cool pictures to share. Anybody else got something for show and tell? Gary?

If you can, I'd go to the store and try them on. Ask them to let you actually hang in the thing and see how it feels. Padding and wide webbing are probably going to be big plusses for you but I think you'll find that the actual "fit" or the length of the "rise" or other factors that pertain to just how the harness fits your body are going to be quite significant. You also get to check which ones have some clumsy buckle or something.

Sorry to misunderstand you, Undermind, but your original post said nothing about using it inside a tent or under a tarp, either. In these settings, I think you may find that the addition of a goretex sleeping bag cover will cause moisture to condense inside the shell and it may sometimes actually makes your sleeping bag wetter than going without --- assuming you ventilate your tent and set a tarp well. If it is water coming in from outside the perimeter of the tarp that is getting your bag wet, the extra pound that your sleeping bag cover will add would probably be better spent in carrying a slightly larger tarp.

I've said this before on this site, but please forgive me for repeating myself: what you want is a tent or a tarp. Seriously: I don't use a sleeping bag cover or bivy bag, but I've always used a down bag. I've done most of my climbing and hiking in the ever-wet Northwest, and I've been on dozens of trips lasting three weeks or more. For eight years, I worked for Outward Bound and spent over 100 days each year sleeping under a tarp or in a snow cave. I know everybody uses bivvy bags, but I don't really see the utility. Two bivvy bags weigh no less than a tarp or lightweight tent, and the tent or tarp are far more comfortable. It takes a little bit of care to keep your down bag dry in wet conditions without a waterproor cover, but it realy only takes a LITLE bit of care.

Pentax is coming out with a new waterproof pocket-camera. There are no user reviews that I can find yet, but if the image quality is good this would be a pretty sweet little toy. Pentax Optio WP: 5 mp with 3x optical zoom, a super small body with the zoom internal, and waterproof.

Vandeman's view is shared by a large number of conservation minded people here in Washington. Where we see a recreation area, many people would like to lock us out in the name of "preservation." I'd argue that the current human impact is pretty small on, say, the Glacier Peak Wilderness. I'd also say there is a heck of a lot of wilderness area and land otherwise managed as wilderness in the Cascades. Does that make me part of Fairweather's "right wing horde?" I agree with him on some issues, and I agree with Vandeman on some issues too, but I think its a question of balance.

Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday Do we get to have our burgers delivered by train?

Would that be this place? It sounds worth a visit.

I think the yellow pads are supposed to be higher density than blue foam - as in smaller cells, not as in heavier. I think this is supposed to render them less likely to compress to a thinner dimension under a hip or shoulder, thus providing slightly better insulation for a given thickness.

I don't think any anchors are missing on Westward Ho. Safety man and friends rapped that way last week and he said it was all in good shape.

The Trust for Public Lands seeks to purchase some property in Icicle Creek that contains several popular climbs, including Ski Track Cracks, Groping Oprah’s Naval, Don’t Forget Arete, and Fridge Boulder. The land will be developed and climbing access will disappear if they can’t raise the needed funds. YOU can help. The Washington Climbers Coalition seeks to raise at least $8500 toward the purchase. If just 350 climbers contribute $25 apiece, we can reach our goal. That’s less than many climbers spend on gas and food for a day of climbing! There's one hitch: we must raise the money by April 28th or the deal they've cobbled together will fall through. For more information, go to www.washingtonclimbers.org. There’s a pointer on the front page.

I'm not sure you can see the Norwegian Buttresses from there. The way I heard the story was that he said "the hardest route in Washington is accross the street."