mattp

I use 600 x 800 for trip reports. For gallery photo's, 1024 x 768 is more ideal and the software automatically creates a mid-sized photo for the trip report.

The "rules" regarding first ascents and projects are just another set of made up rules like much else about rock climbing. It is not really a matter of ethics so much as whether you want to play the game. I'm not saying these traditions are trivial; they are not. The taboo about poaching lines is based on the assumption that somebody has put a significant investment into the line - time, sweat, and maybe $. Sure, you could argue that this doesn't mean they own the line and you'd be right. But all other things being equal, you’d be kind of rude and selfish to jump on it. You could go out and find some other new line but somebody else has done the initial exploration and development and you would be depriving that person of an expectation that most who climb in the area would say they had a right to. Also like other rules in rock climbing, there are other considerations. How long has the route sat idle? Is there reason to think the original party has given up? Last time we had this discussion on cc.com there were time limits and other factors discussed but it seemed to boil down to some kind of sniff test because everybody had different criteria and applied them differently. Still, the basic idea that we ought to let them give it their best shot at the first send if someone is putting the effort into a new line is not a bad one, in my book.

If you tried my test with a Cascade snowpack, Korup, I bet you are right. Once the snow goes isothermal and then sets up, you don't have the same structure alternating low density snow with crust layers or whatever.

Say huh? To be sure, the word "change" is bandied about by all the candidates without much substance behind it, but what are you talking about?

You must be against CHANGE.

Experience may be exactly what we DON'T want. Look at the resumes of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld!

Go find yourself an old windscoop sometime and test your pickets. Place them and then you and a buddy or two try to pull them out. In summer snow, at least, I pretty well convinced myself that deadman style is WAY stronger. For what its worth, the only conditions where I've ever really thought pickets placed in their "intended" position were something I actually wanted to depend on were where the snow is bullet hard - approaching neve - such as I've found on Mt Cook in NZ but not often around here.

I've never been much for the gym but always thought the Exits were pretty good for an after-work workout. At 32 there are even a couple of crack climbs.

I more or less agree with Fern about the Bugs, but I don't think I'd plan to do a route on the west side of the Howser Towers or one of the longer routes on the other spires (s or e face of Snowpatch or, say E face of Bugaboo) without two ropes. The Bugaboos are an unusual climbing area in that it offers almost a cragging experience in a spectacular setting.

You must be a more inspiring scout leader than I am. I've gotten kids up some significant hikes but mostly I've chosen extremely easy hikes if there is a significant uphill component and even then I've seen kids or their parents pull the plug.

Dosewallips State park has some tent cabins that take the camping out of camping and nearby Mt. Walker offers a hike where you can drive to the top and hike down. Most 4-year-olds don't want to hike up hill, but they do just fine hiking down.

If you can climb 5.8 at Grand Ledge, you can climb 5.9 or 5.10 around here.

I cleaned the kitchen, does that count?

Another from that era:

Of my Zappa albums, I've always liked the cover of Weasel's ripped my flesh.

It used to be on the 27th, but I changed it. No kidding.

Wow. That's a big story! Good thing this earth shattering news came out on the friday before a holiday weekend!

At least you didn't send me the kitty litter cake! jokesite

Yup. Thnx.

Earlier today I heard that they'd be talking about Mtn Climbing ethics at 2:50 pm. I just turned on the radio and Dan Mazar is talking about helping somebody on Mt. Everest. Check it out.

That means I get all the cake!

Hospital Corner is EXCELLENT!!! I only climbed there one day, and didn't have the chance to do any of those moderates over on the east wall, but I understand there's almost not a bad climb in the place. My guess is that ericb should bring the rack that he is comfortable with, and I don't remember thinking that hex's would be any special tool there the way they can be at Tieton.

I bet not if Pink Chalk announced that she was going to show her movie.

The fact that Bonnie and Clyde died on this day doesn't count either, I suppose. Or that Hornbein, Unsoeld, Jerstand and Bishop made their way down from the big E...