Jens

He's pretty cute!

Kings is big and cool and kinda trendy but not "dress up" trendy. A little bit pioneer squarish but not to bad. Lots a guys wearing retro trucker hats and puma jackets. I had something come up but I still think I have a 50% chance of making it.

I had one friend try a day trip to Strobach. The roads were icy and he had to drive slow. His drive time was 4 hours. He and his partner ran into lots of deep snow on the approach to the climbs. The approach on snowshoes was 4 hours. His total time from Seattle to swinging tools was 8 hours. I know a dude that made it from Seattle to roadside Banff ice in 9 hours from Seattle.

Thanks ade for the valuable info. I had two buddies in their this weekend also.

It is not the weight I have an issue with. On a hard alpine route or approach, you have to be able to pound water when it shows up. More than you would care to carry. You can't do the 30 minute wait time. Or stop for a break a few minutes later. You also ideally pound water and then don't carry any.

I'd be game for Tuesday night. I haven't seen most of you posers since the fall roundup kegger. We'll have a fingertip pullup contest on the door jam at the bar and loser picks up the tab. My vote is 8pm. There is a new bar called Kings? on Ballard Ave that is pretty cool. It is just a dash north of second ascent on the same side of the road. I've only been in it twice. That place we went to called Kangaroo and Kiwi on Aurora seemed to have a decent turnout because it was convinient for a lot of folks that were driving from around the city.

Wow, I had no idea what the numbers meant.

"I remember one of the first Kramar guides giving low quality ratings to some of my favorite pitches while showering numerous 5.10 slab climbs with 3 or 4 stars, routes that didn't seem special or unique. I remember being irritated by this but later learned to enjoy the fact that routes with few or no stars never seemed to get traffic, and if I happened to like such climbs, I could count on not having to wait for traffic to clear. If you know of a stellar pitch that isn't given glowing reviews in a guide book, consider keeping it private. Develop your own list of "obscure classics" and enjoy the solitude. Amen to that. And I agree wholeheartedly

I'll take that bet. If they win you can pick either: Carry and stash my alpine (lift skis) at Liberty Cap for me or Spend 7 hours scrubbing my next project with a wire brush while I sit at the base and drink a margarita.

Thanks Mike for the valuable post. I am trying to sort this out right now and I don't know much about it.

Only since you are soliciting comments..... just to help you out...uh, no offense but editing or deleting the above post will give you a lot more credibility.

Does stretching forearms in between redpoint attempts do anything? Or is it counterproductive? When I was a 5.13 whippersnapper 12 years ago, I'd stretch for like an hour a day while watching Jerry Springer and other nonsense on TV.

Slightly off topic, but about 15-20? years ago I saw a short feature on TV that had a twosome climbing ice in Leavenworth. I would love to be able to see it again. The focus was "ice climbing in Leavenworth" It isn't the segment that aired with Jim Nelson climbing ice in Leavenworth. This one is much older. Anyone know anything about it? The ice was hugely fat and wide and I don't think it was hubba hubba. Anyone?

I am a complete weight freak but rucsacs are the only single item I don't pay much attention to how it much they weigh. Hands down, probably the best ruscacs made are the Millet line of packs. I've owned two in my lifetime and for technical alpine, they leave every other company churning in their wake. Nothing comes close. Plus they are desinged by some of the best climbers in the world. Black diamond sacs have to long a torso and inhibit high steps, danas don't climb well, mountainsmith and gregory have to many straps, I could go on..... --------- If you've been passed on an alpine route, they were wearing a Millet.

His speech last night didn't really propose anything we haven't tried already except more troops. Man- this guy has no clue.

Kevbone, Inifinite Bliss on Garfield was done without bolts originally. And from what i've heard, the bolts are gonna get removed. (not by me). I have no desire to ever climb that route.

A biologist told me that peregrines are everywhere now and the population is booming. Perhaps we should readdress some of the closures due to the number of pergrines being threatened. Midnight Rock in Leavenworth comes to mind. With the closure, you only have about a 6 week season for the crag to send anything hard. July, August, and Sept. are to hot. We only rock climb on about .001% of the steep clifs in the state of Washington.

My head must be higher than the highest chunk of rock or snow to "summit" (cornice or not). --- By this definition, about 30% of the Everest summitters didn't.

Any ideas for how to make a silencer for a powerdrill? --For drilling in areas that power drilled bolts are legal but somone or another would freak out if they heard they were going in. How about a milk carton cut out at both ends?

Ultimately the dollar goes to Japan. GM kicks ass. I can think of a number of little towns that you wouldn't want to stop in with your Prius and Hillary 08' sticker in.

My buddy ChrisS. has climbed the waterfall on the Coors can!

The couple of dudes that are throwing the registers off and or stealing them are gonna rot in hell forever. That is the most heinous grievance known to man. Karma Karma

Off topic but, +11C in Lillooet today!!!!#*&@ (warmer than Seattle!). What the heck is going on with that place? Lillooet used to be money for ice climbing from Dec. 1 through mid march.

Where you park is helpful. At 38, I park right on the road by the old bridge instead of tucked back into the trees. Also I took my bumper stickers off. "Where you guys going climbing?" ...... "Oh that's a great climb".....10 minutes later........bam! That was a classic line at snow creek parking lot for a while. Squamish is hands down the worse. It is kinda sad when I'm coming back from skiing at blackcomb I don't climb their anymore with all that expense ski gear in the rig. Oh well, smith is better than squamish anyways.

Colin is the man! Man mike, the wind is whippin' in that photo.