freeclimb9

I'll add an unsolicited comment that pyramid tents have to be staked out; IMHO, that limits their adaptability. Also, in snow they tend to be wet, so you'll then carry a bivy bag --at that point, weight savings become moot. I've got a Megamid thinking it would be the shit. It isn't what I'd hoped it would be. The ultralight backpacking crowd are coming out with some freely shared designs that might be of interest.

quote: Originally posted by lizard brain: Yer missin' out, dude. I feel like I'm revealing a deep secret by saying that you should join the 5:00 to 7:00 BEFORE work crowd - or lack thereof. Best time to go. [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: lizard brain ] A better time is 9:00AM to 11:00AM when you work out with the dissatisfied housewife set. They usually stick to the conveyor-belt machines and stationary cycles, so the weights are free.

Crack of Doom in The City of rocks (who cares if it's not 10b). First pitch of Cripple Creek on Mt. Lemmon (try it on a Summer afternoon when it's slicker than slut on Saturday night). The other pitches are icing on the cake. The Split Pillar on the Grand Wall. Supercrack in Indian Creek. T-crack above Santa Barbara. And so many others.

quote: Originally posted by danielpatricksmith: I doubt it will be cold or rainy. I was there in January '95 and we climbed in T shirts. It rained for about an hour one evening and the event made the front page of the newspaper. Joshua Tree in March is notorious for having clear blue skies with winds blowing gravel across the campgrounds. These winds are common across the region and into Mexico. Recent weather in So. Cal. has featured 40 knot winds along the coast.

How about this one?

There's a t-shirt appropriate for everyone:

There's a t-shirt appropriate for everyone: [ 03-14-2002: Message edited by: freeclimb9 ]

quote: Originally posted by Zenolith: UIAA says that they've done confirmed tests that show the marker method (even the marker made for that purpose) weakens the rope by as much as %50. I call bullshit on that claim. A rope's primary tensile strength comes from the core, not the sheath. So even if the sheath were totally compromised, the rope wouldn't be weakened by 50%. What in a marking pen would react with nylon? Nothing (unless it contains xylenes, and I know of no marking pen that does). It's only adsorbed. That's why the mark rubs off eventually.

quote: Originally posted by verticalturtle: Weight is a factor, price is not, features are good, useless gadgets are just that, thinking 4500ci 65-75L. Since price is not a factor, check out the offerings from Arcteryx (sp?). They really do have nice stuff --it costs less in Canada, I believe. I've got a Chaos pack, and it's okay. But I was on a budget when I bought it, and would look elsewhere if I had the cash.

The AAC has rescue insurance as part of its membership fee as does the BMC. Check out their websites for more info: http://www.americanalpineclub.org/members/insurance.shtml http://www.thebmc.co.uk/services/insure/iinfo.htm

For dark ropes, white fabric paint works well, but will wear out. The fabric paint can be found in hobby shops, and is used to decorate t-shirts and the like. For light colored ropes, use a Sharpie ink pen; it, too, will wear out. Replace when needed is about the best you can do.

I've used a bowline to secure a rope around large immovable objects (like trees and rock horns) for belay anchors. It's also a handy knot --in its modified version with the double "holes"-- for sport-climbing since it is easier to untie oafter enduring a fall. I've also used the bowline on a bight for tieing into the rope when top-roping, or going superlight on mountaineering-type routes. It is a useful know to know.

I stumbled onto the www.mountainweather.com website which has a page of western US satellite image links --some of the better ones I've seen. The "US/PAC IR" offers a great perspective on storms lined up over the north Pacific. Maybe they'll be useful to you all. http://www.mountainweather.com/Satellite%20Radar.htm

Donner Summit is probably within 3 hours.

quote: Originally posted by mr. happy: littering is for sh!t-for-brains and morons. Unless you're setting a push record on McKinley, then jettisoning heavy gear like empty GU packs is okay. Or not.

Thanks for all the comments. Now for the great adventure of shopping!

quote: Originally posted by willstrickland: I tried out some Kayland Spiders, and they seem to be the bomb. From where are the Kayland Spiders sold? Their website, www.kayland.com, isn't helpful in finding dealers.

I'm contemplating a do-everything shoe for summer alpine scramble climbs. If I could use a shoe for walking and climbing, that would keep my pack small and light. La Sportiva fits my feet well; does the Mega Dru work okay as a walking shoe? Do the 5.10 shoes like the Guide Almighty, Calfornian, or Mountian Master climb well? How about offerings from other manufacturers like Scarpa, Boreal, Garmont, others?

quote: Originally posted by Tad: Freeclimb9: What's Ullfrotte made of besides wool? Is it at all scratchy when moist? Stretch factor could be a bit of a problem especially when you pay so much for this stuff! . . . SO, has anyone tried LIFA? The Ullfrotte top I have is 60-25-15% wool-polyester-polyamide. The inside has a texture like terry cloth and doesn't itch at all when wet, moist, or dry. I also have some old Ullfrotte bottoms that are 52-33-15% wool-fibro-nylon, and they itch a little. The torso length stretched a little upon wearing, but retracted when I washed it. LIFA is Helly-Hansen's first layer, and they make good stuff. But it's still polypro which needs a bactericide to kill the funk. It is possible to revive polypro funky clotes with Mirazyme brand enzymes. BTW, the SmartWool is supposed to be great, but I went with Ullfrotte because of lower price.

quote: Originally posted by dan e: I am glad you all seem to like it more than me, at least you are getting your moneys worth! I've got the MEC Ferrata jacket and tights, and they make a great first, or second layer, IMHO. But they don't make a great outer layer if much precipitation is falling, or if wallowing through and over frozen water (again, IMO). I think the fabric is well suited as an outer layer for summer alpine climbing and winter aerobic sports (if it's not snowing, or raining). Though, I carry a cagoule if there's a threat of summer rain. my 2 cents

I'm slowly re-replacing all my synthetic base layers with wool blends. Same brand of stuff I used back in the eighties (and I wonder why I ever used the polypro stinky layers). The Ullfrotte brand (http://www.ullfrotte.com/) works great. I recently did a bike tour in southern Utah, and wore the same clothes for eight days --the smell was comparable to about two days in polypro.

Tollhouse rock is close to Fresno (http://www.climbingsource.com/LocalBeta/California/tollhouse.html). Besides that Valley place, there's also great climbing to be had in the San Juaquin river valley, around Courtwright resevoir, and in the Sequoia Natl. Forest.

Try a Good Morning lift if you want to really toast your hamstrings.

quote: Originally posted by trask: What the hell is wrong with being a gun nut and having family values? Nothing. The latest stat is that 40% of households have guns, so odds are the two mix here in the US. But nobody was promoting Ted as the bastion of family values when he was screwing every teenage girl he could back in the 70's and 80's. That would be irony. [ 02-26-2002: Message edited by: freeclimb9 ]

That letter was attributed to George Carlin late last year. It bummed him so bad, he went out of his way to deny writing it. Now it's been pinned to the Motor-City Madman. I doubt that it's his either. Besides, the Nuge has gone off to be a self-declared Gun Nut and Republican poster boy for family values (what a reversal of fortune). I wish he'd have stuck with banging the jail-bait and rocking stadium's of rednecks. (BTW, lest anyone think I'm Nugent-bashing, Stranglehold is one of my all-time favorite songs.)