bobinc

Yeah, I don't think we have the classic slots here like Brimstone, Death Hollow, Wild Horse, etc because of stratigraphy. But... for a real thrill, how about getting some caving gear and heading to Dynamited Cave out near Trout Lake? It has multiple levels, pits, big chambers, and running water. True, it is 38 F and underground, but that's the nature of the beast.

In general it helps what I do, especially for stuff way out in the future, but I agree it is probably overkill for many people. Having the phone list is convenient, especially if your address book gets older and packed full of obsolete addresses. Plus some of the add-ins are extremely useful, depending on your needs. In my line of work, it's handy to be able to access some calculation programs from such a compact platform. Unfortunately, if you get too dependent on the thing, it can let you down. I had one go dead for no obvious reason; even though it was backed up, I couldn't reset it through any means and had to get another one. A second one turned up with a cracked display, so it, too, was toast. Backing stuff up on pencil and paper is always a good idea...

The quick answer is to lay the incoming rope over the small piece you use to tie into the anchor. There are also "rope hook" gadgets you can buy, but this seems unnecessary. Other tricks are described in readily available books such as "How to Rock Climb" or "Climb On" etc.

Juan -- what are you suggesting?

Anytime after 7.

I think he was caught up in war fever and was frustrated he couldn't torch something in the Iraqi desert with full approval from the feds. Southern CA is a pale substitute.

W Ridge of Forbidden isn't that big of a deal; the main issue is the condition of the approach gully. The E Ridge or NW Face of N Ridge are more interesting, in terms of variety and difficulty of climbing. The N Ridge of Stuart is more of an endurance test than a technical challenge if you do it the standard way. Climbing the Gendarme is more sporting, but it's a long way to carry the big gear for a limited number of moves. Haven't done the other ones...

That last brain cell fights REALLY hard...

Ginger Cracks (much less crowded than CChrysalis) Eagle Dance (3 hr walk so no crowds)

Why don't you go around to the west side (Sheep Creek) and miss all the crowds?

Even more fun if you take you skis.

Sounds like a poorly paid guide...

To all concerned: I have spoken to my friends who were involved in this terrible event and hope to have some information posted next week which will be useful to many people who come to this site.

Glad you had a good outing. It's hard to answer the question posed by Dalius objectively given I've just heard of the avy accident near Slocan Chief and know one of the victims quite well. Be careful.

Frontpointed many hundreds of feet down from C-J col on one occasion with no problems. I wouldn't necessarily recommend depending on them for this all the time, but no failure in that case. If you don't expect much serious stuff, they are an excellent choice because of their weight and ease of use.

Gambled on Hurricane Ridge road being open and lost. ("blizzard conditions and 60 MPH winds")

If you're going to look at Rubicon, you should also look at Bird of Fire.

Heading up to Hurricane Ridge and hoping for a little new snow on top of the "consolidation."

Hall of Horrors area has two classic 10a's: Diamond Dogs and Exorcist.

You need to get in on the drive-an-SUV-into-a-roadless-area series to bring home the meaty bounty...

I stumbled onto an 11 yr old issue of Climbing that showed Forrest on top of Bugaboo Spire modeling Feathered Friends gear (at least by implication; it could have been he was wearing an off-brand). What are you doing with all the royalties, Forrest?

Pugilist at Rest is by Thom Jones...

Just tweaking you, Forrest, since you had the great luck to buy a house near Grady's... We should all be so lucky.

You have to take Forrest's vote out since he lives really close to Grady's. But I will place a vote for it. My favorite Puget Sound bumpersticker says, "I moved to the Eastside because I'm an idiot." Seen on a SUV in Redmond a couple years ago...

jon said: Huh? Audioslave is probably the best album of the year. Perhaps. But just find it amusing how the old whine (Soundgarden, which was yet another rip off of LedZep) in new bottles sells just fine. Such is the nature of pop.