bobinc

Thre are lots of options for multi-pitch moderates at RR. December means shorter days and sketchier weather but you can plan accordingly for at least one of those issues. South-facing climbs are the best bet so look at Solar Slab area and the mouth of Pine Creek and Oak Creek Canyon. Others will be doing the same so if you want to shed the crowds, buy some hand warmers at Big 5 and you can hit up north and east-facing routes. Do a search on this site and you'll find a number of threads with specific route options.

Bonnie Springs is especially convenent if you are climbing more at Black Velvet/Windy Peak. Prices are on the order of $60 for weekdays and $10 more on weekends (although they may have increased a bit from these rates). Also, the bar/restaurant at BS is entertaining! What I've done in the past for hotels closer in is to book a night or two at Suncoast then check Travelworm, etc. once in LV for subsequent nights. You can sometimes find better rates (even 2 for 1s) this way. Only risk is that occasionally you could get shut out (but this seems less likely in more recent years given better overall availability of LV rooms).

Jim Nelson and I climbed part of S. Cruise in about 1998. I do recall thinking the name was ironic. We were sufficiently unimpressed with the dirt filled cracks and decided to head elsewhere after (I believe) 2 pitches.

There's conflicting info on which patch kit to use on NeoAir. (Full disclosure: I've only done the "research" at REI.) That is, Cascade Designs sells a "universal" repair kit that is said in one place to work on NeoAir and in another, to not work on it. I have a Prolite, and it has seemed somewhat flimsy (2 small leaks already despite being handled carefully) and it would seem the Neo has perhaps sacrificed too much in the weight vs durability equation. You might consider sending it back to Cascade, as well. They used to have a flat fee of $20 to fix mattresses; also, you coudl explain it seems to pick up holes easily and they might send you a new one gratis if they decide yours was brand-new defective.

If conditions are good (that is, well-frozen) getting down CS is straightforward. There have been some fatal accidents (and near-misses) on thsi route over the years. Typically what has happened is that a party has descended later in the day on softer snow and lost their footing due to balled-up crampons. Rope teams have gotten badly banged up on the rocks close to the summit and/or some unfortunatel souls have taken a long ride onto the top of the Eliot Icefall and perished.

Jeff Lowe posts as Jello over on supertopo.com

Very, very sad. The man was the alpinist I wish I had been. Priceless written stuff. The stories are just pouring out over on ST.

I have a Highlander I would sell; it is in very good condition. I'm unsure of the Advent's features.

If I had that timing option, here's what I'd do: 1) spring skiing in eastern Sierras for conditioning/beauty 2) cragging at Red Rocks 3) Valley routes in starting late April then into May 4) depending on your cragging interest, think about Tetons, Devil's Tower, City of Rocks for early summer 5) mid-summer you have many options: Bugs, Tetons, Rockies, Cascades 6) later summer continue more of 5) and think about going back to Eastern Sierra for longer alpine routes

I still use iodine tabs. Note you can save some $ by getting ascorbic acid in bulk at the nat. food store; this is what is in the second little bottle often sold along with the iodine tabs. Only need to add a little bit to preciptate out the iodide ions.

The last excerpt is also found in Egan's book, The Good Rain, which is IMO the best of his books on the NW.

It needs a comma after 1971.

Should have called it The Splurge.

The last steps of W's political suicide are now complete. Note Condi Rice is still trying to build her legacy by talking tough to the Russkies.

I kinda like the socialist scheme to invest in alternative liquid fuels research. Even if we fail we can say we tried. We've wasted several hundred $billion in Iraq as far as I can tell (on a per gallon basis, we're paying twice what we did when the occupation began) and I'm ready for a Plan B. BTW: TARP-- awesome choice by the Feds! Almost as good as CREEP.

Way sick. Recall, too, that in the 30s many more people lived on farms so at least could feed themselves. Also, back then we had factories that could make products the rest of the world wanted to buy. Now we have factories of debt.

Only after I complete my final transformation to a Black Socialist will I be prepared to answer your question.

probably tent caterpillars

I have a feeling Palin wasn't McCain's first choice, too. What could that mean if she does bail?

Yeah-- get it tested first. High radon homes are relatively rare around Puget Sound. Not saying you don't have a problem but based on the field studies I've been involved with, it is pretty rare on the west side. if you do have a problem, there are several options.

Thanks for posting this; we will revise our plans accordingly.

Nice job!

These shoes have only been used twice; they are a bit small vs the street shoe size (so should fit street shoe size of 9.5). They are really climbing shoes but are comfy enough to wear for other uses (at least if sized right...) Take a look at the Acopausa website for more details. Sellng for $50 and I'll pay shipping.

Thank you for posting. I am sorry to hear Don has passed. It was great to see the recent postings re: Steins and St Peter's Dome. Also, Don authored many books and articles on SW US geology. He will be missed.

Is that Monika of TurnsAllYear fame?