bobinc

One of the Bukowski's I have I bought for .25 at yard sale; later realized it had a library pocket/card in the back! Yes, Neruda: "Is the rose naked? Or is that her only dress?"

The 10b crux is a couple of moves, as I recall. It's definitely steep, but the fat bolts are reassuring.

Too much experience with Bukowski. But a modest dose is advised, DFA: Novels: Factotum, Post Office, Women Poems: Love is a Dog From Hell Short Stories: South of No North Recently, Black Sparrow has published at least one or two books of his letters, as well, which are certainly worth a look.

Merely sending an indirect compliment your way; I am glad to see someone's floors groaning under the weight of too many books.

So it appears true that, in fact, Canadians never "work" but instead lie around reading good literature and occasionally availing themselves of state-supported medical care (but rarely any need since very few smoke or drive given the high prices on tobacco and petrol).

But White Noise is worth a read.

Guns, Germs etc is written by Jared Diamond, who is always worth reading for his slant on evolutionary biology. Essay recs: Alexander Cockburn, Corruptions of Empire Fiction recs: Life, A User's Manual, by Georges Perec. Pynchon -- Gravity's Rainbow. Junk fiction recs: anything by Mark Leyner except his first novel.

The extendable poles seem to take abuse just like the fixed length ones. The garden variety BD poles are better, IMHO, than the expensive Lifelink poles with the internal cams: less to go wrong and cheaper.

It's a matter of degrees. The problem with phones is people become used to them, then they can't seem to live without them.... It's merely annoying when they are using them for a social call from a summit; it's also annoying when they use them instead of their wits to get out of a marginal situation (darkness falling, weather deteriorating, etc). However, if you have EVER been in a situation where "just one phone call" could have saved a whole bunch of trouble and angst, you will see the usefulness of the damn things. My guess is that you haven't yet been there, Cletus. (Hope you will never be in that situation, but I'd like to see if you change your tune if you end up in such a fix.)

Steve and his cousin, Boyd, were inspired by the early 70s film "Solo" to do a number of climbing short films; I think they also did one that included footage on Baker.

One issue to consider is the presence of a 'shrund at the bottom of Hell's Highway. If there is a shrund, it will obviously take longer to deal with it, whether you climb through it or around it on the slabs to the right If you camp at Lake Ann and get an early start, should be no problem to get down at a reasonable time, even if there is the 'shrund to deal with.

It's possible it never moved. I know a guy who "lost" a rental car for nearly 5 days in Sacramento because he parked it in an obscure parking garage when he was in a hurry to get to a meeting. But maybe it was aliens.

That's right, a diet fit for a King: brick cheese and Percodan (and HC).

Yeah -- they have a bike and stairmonster. It's really true what Courtenay says; overall conditioning helps out a great deal in recovery time of specific injuries. You have to be careful, of course, but assuming you are, it will pay off in the long run with the injury.

Garfield isn't a bad rec, Juan, but are ya going by yourself? It gets exposed on the upper part, although you can make it less so by choosing the brush to the right. There's also some exposure on the traverse down low. It's not as obscure to find your way once up on the route, since someone seems to have made it their project to brush it out once a year. More confusing is the lower part. Thompson is another one; that's a long hike in but the W Ridge is kinda fun. Some mid-5th here and there (like Forbidden) but mostly 4th class.

Outstanding thread. Jonathan -- how much does hard alcohol figure into your enjoyment of ramen? There must be a sympathetic relationship there. That is, if you have sufficient Wild Turkey, you might consume an entire $1 worth of ramen (perhaps ten noodle bundles and flavor packets, if you shop where the LG shops). Just a thought. I've noticed this sort of calculus at work in my own forays into ramen cuisine.

Right on, Chuck! Can't believe REI didn't make all the spaces big enough for the Ford Explorers all of the sensitive environmentalists seem to drive these days.

This is good stuff, Erik. You are right that there is a "bottom line" to all of this and that is presumably where both the customer gets good enough service/information that they leave happy and the store stays in business. I guess part of my feelings on this have to do with my own experiences at FF over the past 10 years or so. I'd say the staff is above average; most people really know their stuff, they keep obscure parts lying around in the back room, they stock high quality gear, etc. I haven't known any of them as friends for a long time, but I don't get the cold shoulder when I go in (and I don't look like some sort of hardcore climber/skiier). I think I ask as many questions as the next prospective buyer, and I haven't felt as though I was being ridiculed for doing so. And my last comment stands: the retail sales floor isn't the right place to look for love.

I've heard similar stories from other folks; most of those who have had bad experiences seem to be in the less experienced camp. This is a hard place to be, since how do you get out if those in the know won't share their knowledge? On the other hand, the reason FF and other places of their ilk are so useful is that most of the people there actually know most of what they're talking about and this saves time for those who have some clue what they're looking for. Contrast this with the Evil Empire across the street: occasionally you might find someone with some idea of what's going on, but the typical interaction with staff is only good for comic relief. My advice is to take advantage of the knowledge of the salespeople who are in the know, call them on shit when they seem to be giving you 'tude, and look for self-validation in places other than retail shops.

Wish I could but I have different pain planned: wisdom teeth out that day. Climbed Dreamer last yr on Sept 11. Got out there early so didn't know the full news until we returned...

All that should be added (to make it totally Euro) is that a minimum number of cigarettes must be smoked during the assault.

A (belated) second to that. I went to their warehouse recently as I was in the area and the service and price (since they treated me like an on-line customer) were outstanding!

I've only done the NW FAce of the N Ridge, which does require the rappel onto the Forbidden Glacier. My impression on the regular route is that the rappel is not required. I seem to recall some amt of confusion in the guide on this issue, as though the route descriptions for both routes were muddled together. Juan, what do you think?

For over 20 years, the level of knowledge/service of the average REI employee has consistently degraded as they have taken the Costco approach to promoting and selling outdoor gear. That being said, it is always possible to find helpful, knowledgeable people there, especially in the repair dept. Too bad there is so much confusion one must normally wade through to get something simple done. That is why, for the most part, many of us have stopped going there (for anything other than very basic gear such as Lexan water bottles, topo maps, etc.)

Oops -- bad geography. I always seem to mix up the N and S Santiam. Thanks for the backup, Iain. We climbed Hen and Chicken Rocks years ago and friends have done the Turkey Monster (which is much more of an undertaking). Pretty good rock, for the most part. Good, cheap camping at Fernview Campground near there; nice spots to hang at near the river after a day on the crags.