mattp

I believe it is a fact that, within not many more than a "few" years, the entire central California valley will be infertile. The plain fact, recognized since the times of Mesopotamia, is that irrigation causes salinization of the soil. As a direct result of current irrigation practices, pretty much the entire central California valley will be a desert. And we're growing crops there that we could grow elsewhere, like back (south) east (cotton, rice, oranges, etc.)

Sounds If I didn't already have friends (I mean plans), I'd join you!

There was a thread on this in the "Access Issues" forum.

Toast- Did you descend directly off the summit, or first follow the ridge to a sub-peak perhaps a quarter mile to the south? I looked at it from a commercial jet once, and I think there may be a good ski run there (though cliffy at the bottom).

No RobBob, my post did include some sarcasm but I genuinely do think, like you perhaps, that it is unfortunate that word has taken such a negative connotation. The fact is, however, if you look up dictionary definitions of lots of words you will see very clear descriptions of not only the literal meaning of the word but the connotations it carries. That is part of language. I haven't kept track whether you ever called anybody that or any other vulgar name. This thread is not about Rob Bob, but about this board.

RobBob - Since when did I accuse you of calling anybody a vulgar name? I said that is what I like to do. In the future, please do me a favor and read my post.

I feel your pain, RobBob. I too would like to be able to use that word because it is such a rich and wonderful part of our lexicon and because it is so much fun to call people "names." I have gotten nowhere when I've argued that it should not be seen for the offensive term that it is, though. For now, I'm afraid you'll just have to learn to live with the fact that many people, mostly women, have a deep-seated reaction to it.

Sorry. I've been a little too busy to closely follow the spray part of the board lately.

Anybody read the article in yesterday's New York Times about the accusation that Messner abandoned his brother on top of Nanga Parbat in 1970 in order to promote his own climbing career? And that he came back to lie about it and then steal the expedition leader's wife? I don't have the NYT cite, but you can read all about it here: http://outside.away.com/outside/news/200311/200311_buried_1.html

To get off old wax, I hang them up against a board and hit 'em with the plumbing torch and a broad knife. The stuff comes right off, real quick and clean. I haven't lit them on fire yet.

Dru, is that one of those things standing right above the Silver-Skagit road?

Parker, you made your point. To really know the conditions on a mountaineering route, you have to actually go try it. However, if you've been around the range for a while and particularly if you are familiar with the way conditions evolve on that mountain, you can indeed tell a great deal by looking at it and considering the last week or two's weather history. Ev was clear that he had not actually been on it, but that it LOOKED like it was in awesome condition -- and I bet he was right.

Yes, this thread cries out for spray. If you want to make a joke of it, start a spray thread. If anybody has any comments regarding access issues, or suggestions of topics that might be past on to Inslee, post here.

They called me a "left liberal." I am so ashamed.

What Retro said

It is a good tour, but be careful of a couple things: (1) Yodelin Lodge and the housing area accross the highway are private. I don't know what the legal or property issues might be, but keep in mind that we probably don't have an absolute right to go or park here. Be considerate. (2) The SW slope of Lichtenburg is a huge avalanche slope, and much of it funnels into a very narrow gully, many hundred feet high. The upper slopes are often cross loaded or otherwise subject to confusing avalanche conditions because of their proximity to the pass.

Here is a postcard showing Mt. Shuksan, backward. I have often wondered if the boat may have been cut and pasted into the image - how deep is that lake? The woman in the beer and postcard store in Maple Falls insisted this postcard was real and accurate.

I think you are asking for a picture or pictures taken from Excelsior Mountain or Church Mountain, both standing to the NW of Shuksan and Baker, so the view of Shuksan would be roughly similar to that you are comparing to. Or maybe somebody took a panormaic from Artist Point that does the trick. Run some google searches and you might come up with something. Alternatively, how about a copy of a picture from Fred's guidebook? I think he'll have the caption right.

As I understand it, he is not actually stepping down as the Washington rep. He is stepping down from membership on the national board or something like that.

I don't believe there are any ropes out there that are 8mm and rated for use as a single line, Toast. That was the assumption underlying the original post, I think. Some people will carry a full length rope rated for twin or double rope technique, and travel on the single line when on a glacier but then double it up on steeper rock pitches (so they can lead on two ropes, up to one-half of the ropelength), and I often lead easy or low-angle rock on a single 9mm stratos (not rated for that purpose). However, the discussion here is about a rope that is to be used strictly for glacier-travel. Nobody here has suggested you need a rope rated as a single rope for that purpose (or are you?).

In Nepal, yellow "boat rope" is commonly used for fixed lines - and pretty small diameter, too (certainly no more than 9mm). Standard jumars work OK on it.

Actually, Paco, first the climb has to appear in Nelson's "Select Climbs" volume III before somebody can go up there and report that it is "in"

If I were, do you think I would I have handled it this way? Shipping something to spray or deleting a post is the #1 way to draw attention to anything these days, it seems. Can you read? Just about everybody agrees with you and the point has already been made. Unfortunately, niether TTT or I have the ability to do that until we get the attention of a spray moderator and this afternoon they have had other things to do but to log on to cc.com and respond immediately to somebody's whining that some moderator made a mistake. Once it is moved, there may be some lag time before we clean up all the BS and it reappears. Hold your horses.

Cavey - where's your picture of him eating dinner with a stick?

The east wall of Three Fingers also comes up briefly in the trailer to some Channel 9 production -- an aerial shot that is real cool. I can't remember which show.