Beck

.. I think Tele's going to be a demo sport in the next olympics, and it will have both uphill and downhill legs to the race- I think there's a tele race official FIS version that's already done in Europe. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong... I'm giving up Teleskiing to take up Curling, I found the competition fascinating.

I think it's a blanket rule in ALL national parks that prohibits pets in ANY backcountry- pets on leashes in parking areas only

...recouping after a weekend from hell...I'll still go drinking tommorrow if it's biking distance to my house, call the pub someone!

Beta on the Bibler tripod suggests they pole/bivy connections are NOT that burly, also prone to blow out. If anyone's tried to set one up, the mothers' are TIGHT- I was worried I was going to blow out the corners on the floor model- I went with the bigwall by Bibler and have found the hoop provides plenty enough room to eat, drink and read in there, the long model is 6'10" or something like that and broad at the bottom- plenty or room to store gear boots etc.

Pink slips? Pink slips... I'm getting my around May first so I'm salting the money away, get to be a travelling dirtbag for the first time in 7 years. I'm totally looking forward to having a summer free of work constraints, collecting a small amount of unemployment and bombing around the American west in a beat up station wagon, rolling thirty minute spliffs out of Great Basin HG and taking my upcoming unemployment in stride!

... Dave, you used to ski jump? you're NUTS,man... how big a jump did you get to? I bailed after trying twenty meter jumps for a while as a kid, then settled for a safer sport, luge. Both get you totally FLYING, that's for sure.

"Touque" I Beleive is the spelling on that, all, and not a new slang word at all

Skeleton is to luge as demolition derby is to formula one races, or more appropiate, lugers are to skeloteneers as fencing is to WWF.

(skier response, over 25,)"freshies"-skiing ungroomed fresh snow of a delightful light n fluffy quality, inspires emotions of great pleasure witn it's emphereal nature

Come on all you Olympic naysayers, the Olympics are about international competitions of the best atheletes a country has to offer- it's not about the commercialism,or how cool a sport is- these atheletes are some of the most dialed in humans on the planet in their respective disciplines- Rebalagiti exceptions occur in every sport though. Sure, TV coverage of the Olympics degrades the competition, but doesn't TV kind of do that with everything? And Allison, BTW, skeleton sledders are absolutely INSANE. I rode a skeleton in Lake Placid and found luge to be a calm, controlled sport in comparision. Skeleton sled runners don't even have edges and the sleds are 90 pounds of steel and lead.

Cavey, if you're not stashing food use 5gal pickle buckets or go buy some bigass ammo cans.

...I had a chance to check out all the new MSR tents before Christmas- a lot of their new tents are Moss or Walrus designs reworked with some ultralite fabrics- their plan is to offer top quality tents with Moss tent features- Their copy of the Black diamond Betamid is worked a little better, it has a vent opposite the door for good cross flow ventilation, but IMHO it's not worth buying the MSR unless you can get it on Prodeal. 2nd to Mattp about the tarp, BUT these new two pole "duex teton" style tarp tents hold up in hella high winds, are extremely taut in the pitch, AND are sweet to dig into the snow for an easy standup height winter abode.

Mount Rainier is in a "Trial" or "exploratory" (not official but being exercised to some degree, some rangers more than others) procedures on their chain requirements- the SOP's going to be changed at some time in the future to require all vechicles to have chains OR YOUR VECHICLE WILL NOT GO TO PARADISE. When they actually enact it, or if, is yet TBA.

...licking your partner's Patagucci longjohns!

...if your golf partner is in the habit of selling your ass for a couple packs of smokes!

Isn't the unofficial management plan for the Olympics something along the lines of"let mother nature close it?"- Now they won't EVER have to fix the bridge on the approach to Mt. Anderson, right?

No doubt on the skins need to NOT be wider than your edges-when you switch over to Randonee having a few mm of ski bottom uncovered isn't going to be that much of a performance issue. you'll be much more secure on traverses on your current DH skis with skins not overlapping your edges.

Dwayner, i think the club might be in Monroe- does anyone remember enough about last night to post a report? I left early to ride my shwinn sled home all drunk like.

I think he was trying to get his a-- sponsored, and push his soon to be written book/articles/slide shows. I'ts the "Return of Great American Adventure"-what a hoser!! At the same time, I don't fault him for having that goal for HIMSELF, and not make it all big puffery-if he was doing it for a charitable cause and was going to raise funds for "Climbers without Egos" twelve step programs or something

Road gets gated just past the Silverstar drainage, just on the North and East side of Valskivi(sp?) Ridge and Wine Spires, if I'm remembering things correctly.

I don't remember the name for sure but it's probably The Chopping Block- I'm thinking of the bar that has a biggish rock in the middle of the floor before you get to the actually bar, guess there's some dude buried underneath it- Bronco, if you're close enough , wanna check it out?

...I think they send out a warning whan an avalanche is about to occur and you set them to how good of a skier you are, like DIN bindings.

Buzz on Inn in Monroe sounds good but isn't the "bar" section kinda small? Much better would be across the tracks, the bar with the dead guy buried in the floor? Right down from Tijuana, IMO serving the best, most authentic Mexican food this side of the Cascades. Where I'll be having dinner, not one of those 2.99 "steaks" you get at the Buzz

Rich n Rare makes a smooth cheap sipping whiskey for out there, I used to just buy the Jim Beam travellers flasks until Lisa Garcia turned me on to this R&R stuff on a trip up in the Chiwawas. You can always try to slip the twelve pack in with your buddies "group gear"

Come on AlpineK, You'd probably fit in with all those uptight f**ks on Mercer Island- obviousily, you've not been to the Roanoke Tavern, the oldest business on Mercer Island and not uptight at all. More like a very rustic clubhouse kind of place, with the Scrolling Oly beer signs and pickled eggs for sale- But, what does everyone else think? We did north of the ship canal last week- Downtown? or a foray to poverty rock to drink up at the Roanoke?