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At Rainier: Housing is not free. Seasonal quarters at Longmire run over $200/mo for a shared room. Also, as of a few years back there was no per diem stipend.

Have to agree with Mattp- I think the Index Traverse is kind of a must do for the dedicated Cascades climber. The climbing itself is admittedly not very aesthetic for most of the time (wear pants!), but where the climb is worthwhile is for the exposure, position, and the commitment. Halfway along the traverse, on the Middle peak, there's the road seemingly right down below you, yet you feel very committed and 'out there'. The rock is loose, you're on this sharp, exposed ridge, and retreat options are poor, especially after the north-middle traverse. It's a wild place to be yet so close to civilization. The pitch out of the north/middle notch does seem harder than 5.6 (especially in tennis shoes) but mainly it's just steep and loose with not the best protection. The only other area of any concern was this horrid dirt/choss gully on the Main peak which we crossed probably a bit too low- this involved surprisingly hard downclimbing on very loose rock and then picking carefully across steep, orange mud and dirt with a lot of exposure, and sparse protection. Going very high before crossing this gully probably would have avoided the worst of it. It looks like it is continuing to erode and only will get worse. Colin and I went 15 hours r/t from the car. There was no water until a beautiful pond near the top of the descent gully. And then, the best part- handful upon handful of plump,ripe blueberries just above Lake Serene, to ease the sting of the B5 bushwhacking. A classic outing!

Colin and I climbed this route last sunday. The spring was still dripping enough to moisten the top 25 feet of the big corner but I'm not surprised it is now dry. We did not free or even pretend to be freeing the hardest bits of the route, but two guys behind us appeared to be giving it a good go. I don't know if they actually got it clean but it did look from above like the guy nailed the 5.12 section. A word on the last pitch: the chimney itself is not harder than 5.8 in my opinion, but definitely agree that the entrance moves into it seem far harder- very awkward, in any case. Feels more like hard 5.10. At least pro is bomber. Overall, awesome route and position.

yeah right. the "other" side is always worse because you disagree with them, but the behavior from your side is "OK" because the ends justify the means. This whole business of "well your side did this too once" is a tool of distraction keeping people from looking at the issue objectively. It may very well be questionable whether an actual crime was committed, on the other hand, Bush is on record long ago saying anyone involved would be dismissed. By this, I would reckon that the implication is that whether something illegal actually took place, such behavior would be considered at the very minimum, unethical, and therefore worthy of dismissal. So, is what occurred here unethical? That is the question, and not whether conservatives "would do the same thing if it was a liberal administration" or whether "liberals have done this before". If it's wrong, it's wrong.

For you, I recommend the omelettes.

A) It was early April- Roadhouse is not open daily until May 1. B)Back then (1996)I'm not even sure the Roadhouse was doing breakfast regularly anyway. Trisha bought it right around then and completely revamped the place.

Drink there if you must, but don't eat the food. I was poisoned at the Latitude about 9 years ago- Ham and Cheese Omelette. Sick for 2 days, nearly unconscious 6 hours after ingestion. A year after that, a friend of mine went there and ordered a steak. It looked and smelled funny, and one small bite confirmed it was rancid. She sent it back to the kitchen, and the waitress returned a moment later stating: "yeah, he's gonna cook you another one, he thought that one was kinda marginal..." Several other people I know have been sickened by the food there since then. This March, with few other breakfast options open, my climbing partner and I went there (reluctantly for me; I figured it's hard to get sick from pancakes). After I told him the above stories, he promptly found a hair in his orange juice, and his silverware was crusted with chunks of old food. Just say no.

The word is that it is not one single incident but an entire series of events, including several drunk driving incidents initiated by the bar serving inebriated customers who then got into accidents (and the lawsuit is apparently from the people who were hit by the driver, not the driver). Also the Fairview having served underage customers on more than one occasion and getting caught. Not 100% on all the facts because it is being kept under wraps and not even those close to the Fairview seem to know or are willing to divulge what is going on. But the common word is that it likely will not open this year.

You mean like three of my friends getting ejected from the Rib last week for getting into a mustard fight?

Good times. I haven't tried Crack of Doom, but I did try to do Entrance Exam once...Pitch 1 is reasonable, but pitches 2 and 3 are a more or less unprotected chimney. We got an 'F' on our Exam.

No knock to Russ Mitrovich, but I'm fairly sure that it was Jimmy Haden was on the sharp end for that pitch. Name dropper! Sorry, it fell out while I was cleaning up after you!

No knock to Russ Mitrovich, but I'm fairly sure that it was Jimmy Haden was on the sharp end for that pitch.

I have made it to the top of the Big Hill in a front wheel drive vehicle w/o chains and have walked to a number of climbs from here. Make sure to carry chains, however, and be aware there is one overflow creek about 1/3 of the way in that could be a problem if temps are warm. From the Big Hill, you can walk to the GBU area in about one hour and a little change. House of Sky isn't too far from there. If you have a 4WD, you can drive to the foot of GBU. Other approach times from Big Hill: Sorcerer: 2:45 Wicked Wanda/Malignant Mushroom: 1:20 Weathering Heights/Anorexia Nervosa: 2:00 +/- The latter four climbs, if you have a 4WD, are 45 minutes or less from the farthest driving point.

-20 bag in early June should be fine, and should prove to be far more versatile in the long run for other objectives. I've used a -10 on Denali in June, and it was more than adequate, not to mention lighter and cheaper.

For you, I can offer a cut rate price on capilene boxer briefs...only used once...for 32 days in Alaska! What can I say? I'm employed again.

Putting this back to the top. The bivi sack is sold. All other items available. Make me an offer!

For Sale: ****OR Advanced Bivi Sack. GoreTex, Removable Mosquito Netting, Poles w/Hoop set-up. Well used but fully functional. $35 ****Patagonia Expedition Weight Top. Hunter Green. A little pilled but good Condition. Size XL $25 ****OR Windstopper Balaclava. Black. L/XL. Good Condition $5 ****Trango #1 4-cam Unit. (Size Equiv=Green Alien). Used twice, like new, no falls. $30 Girlfriend has the following used women's items: ****Mountain Hardwear Snozone FleeceJacket, Polartec Wind Pro, W's Size 8 Grey/Yellow Good Condition $50.00 ($125 New) ****Patagonia Brushed Ridge Pants, W's Size 10, organic cotton, Chocolate color. Like new, worn 3 times. $40 ($75 new) Living in Bellingham; buyer pays shipping. Possibly coming to Seattle area this coming weekend- if so, will meet. PM if interested or with questions.

Pack is sold.

Mike- Selenium is a fun climb. Pitches get progressively steeper- WI3,WI4 then WI4+ or 5. Crux is cranking from a cave out onto a curtain (nice and exposed) then about 70 feet of 85-90 degree, high quality ice. Definitely avoid it if the snow is bad or avy hazard is up.

The following are sold: Helios #2 Friend Rope Bag Stove base Stuff sacks Windstopper Hat VBL Windshirt Backpack VE 25 Tent 1991 AAJ 1990 AAJ Inverno Shells

Except where noted, all prices are negotiable. Send me a PM if you are interested in any of the following: Gregory Expedition Backpack. 6000+ cu. in. Shoulder straps are new. $50 Feathered Friends Helios Down Jacket. Nylon outer. Includes Hood. $25 Sleeping Bag VBL. Used once. $10 Patagonia Exp. Weight Capilene top. Forest Green, Size XL $10 Mountain Hardware ultra lightweight windshirt, size L $15 #2 Wild Country Friend. $15 #1 Trango Cam (equal to Green Alien). Used once. $35 FIRM 1990 AAJ, Brand New $10 FIRM 1991 AAJ- Brand New $10 FIRM OR Windstopper hat with ear flaps. $5 OR Windstopper Balaclava $5 OR Rope Bag $2 Various Stuff sacks, many sizes- FREE Folding metal stove base- FREE The following gear falls into the "One man's trash is another man's treasure" catagory, maybe someone has a strange random need and/or can match the missing parts. They are too functional to toss away: North Face VE-25 Tent, BODY ONLY. Good condition. Fly is dead and gone. $25 (TNF sells the fly, last I checked) Scarpa Inverno Plastic Boots, Shells only, size 11. Looking for a pair of beaters? $5 First Need Water Filter. If you have a replacement filter it should work fine. FREE

"You Nexus, huh?...your eyes! I made your eyes!" "Sure...if only you could see what I've seen with your eyes."

I left the valley yesterday (wednesday) afternoon as the helicopter and SAR teams were conducting operations. They were hovering in front of the wall and communicating by bullhorn with parties on the wall. Dave Turner (or a rescuer?) was visible jugging lines to the rim as we were there. Apparently he is fine. Apparently several parties indicated a desire to keep climbing despite more rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future. I did not hear there were fatalities until today, but I must say I am not in the least bit surprised, especially if as reported the Japanese did not have a portaledge. Survival would have been impossible without it for so long. This storm was very intense. It began raining saturday night, poured sunday, abated somewhat on monday, but then all hell totally broke loose on Tuesday and it got much colder. Wednesday morning the temperature dropped about 10 degrees between 9AM and 10AM, snow began falling on the valley floor, and it snowed about 2-3 inches in less than 90 minutes. Although it's not unheard of for winter storms to hit in October, this one was quite strong for being so early and more like something you would see mid winter. There are reports of 4-5 feet of new snow above 6000 feet. 8 hikers still missing down south last I heard. FYI, those of you asking about Lambone; I met Matt several years ago briefly, although I can't say I remember his face exactly, I am quite sure that I saw him sitting in the Lodge cafeteria yesterday morning. I am also quite sure I didn't see anyone on the NA Wall yesterday.

Matt, It's the most popular and obvious, but might as well go hit the Torres del Paine Circuit. You won't be disappointed. If it's still too snowy or you're not up to the high winds and such, there are infinite shorter hike possibilities in the park. Check out the Valley of Silence, and definitely hike up to Glacier Grey and to the Torres del Paine lookout. But the whole circuit is awesome and not to be missed if you can manage it. It will take you anywhere from 3-5 days. Allow a full week for weather days and for taking side trips to the various valleys along the way. You can get great maps of the park in Punta Arenas and in Puerto Natales, where you will have to bus (3 hrs) to get to Paine. There are a couple of sea kayaking outfits in Punta Arenas, but I didn't check them out. Puerto Natales might be a little better for kayaking. Also, if the penguins have returned, go check out the Penguin Colony near Punta Arenas. Cool way to spend a day. Keep your rain and wind gear handy at all times. Have fun- but then, it is impossible not to in Patagonia.