slothrop

I talked to someone today who tried for a route up the Easton Glacier (I think) with the WAC. Her party turned around because of high winds. She said the Mounties were up there, too.

quote: Originally posted by Dru: What happened to scott's "friend" that he was jogging down the trail solo. Did the guy ditch him as a loser or what? Was he running to get help cause friend got stuck in a tree? Huh? huh? A cougar et him, of course. Scott, watch out for tigers, too. Why do you think they call it TIGER Mountain, eh?

What is David Bowie doing there?

quote: Originally posted by jc_climber: Unfortunately in this "microwave/DSL" culture people just want the shortcut. This has probably been true for ever and ever when public glamorization of something happens, as with climbing. The trouble is, it's easy to be misled into a false sense of security by building up "knowledge" about climbing through reading Freedom of the Hills, reading this board, studying guidebooks, etc. Book-learnin'. I have suffered from this tendency -- I'm the kind of guy who reads everything he can about something before doing it, because I want to be prepared. But studying does not equal being prepared. It's a shortcut, too. Guides, for their seeming purpose of being mentors, are nowhere close, either. The most satisfying, safe experiences I've had while climbing have been with more-experienced, patient, thoughtful partners. Having a mentor is by far the best way to avoid being a gumby and to learn to be safe through experience. But finding a mentor can be hard for someone who does not get into climbing *because* of the mentor (say your Dad took you climbing since you were a kid), but whose interest in climbing is piqued by all the hype, or by living around lots of other climbers. So, not surprisingly, people try to take the shortcut and get cut short. To me, "respecting the mountain" means being humble before the danger and uncertainty of the mountain. It has nothing to do with bolting or not, or alpine- versus siege-style. Those are separate issues. I guess I'm in a philosophical mood after taking a 20-foot fall today and getting my leg caught in the rope, ending up upside down and with some nasty rope burn. I'm going to go take some advil and build a shrine to my Ecrin Roc now... [ 06-07-2002, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: slothrop ]

Perhaps you don't see the same *kind* of bias on "Frontline" or other TV or radio shows, but there will always be bias to news coverage. Sure, NPR is biased, no doubt about that. I don't see why "they should just say so", however. You can't always believe what you hear, but there's no reason to say, before every radio program, "this show is biased in this way" blah blah blah. If you want to hear both sides of the story, find (at least) two sources of information. I like having a publicly funded radio system, it at least makes an attempt to balance the commercially-funded programming that otherwise dominates the airwaves. "Rev." Fred Phelps is the "God hates fags" guy from Topeka, Kansas. He believes that AIDS is sent from God to kill homosexuals or some bullshit like that. He's known to picket the funerals of AIDS victims. A real frenzied zealot. PS - Could one of the moderators move the post about Chair Peak to the right thread?

Looks like he's prepared for the first ski descent of Mt. Si.

quote: Originally posted by Fairweather: Slothrop, Rush Limbaugh readily admits his conservative bias. Additionally, he never claims to be a member of the "news media". His show is purely entertainment and opinion. NPR however denies it has ANY political tilt and passes off its soapbox editorials as "news". I prefer to leave it up to free-thinking people to decide what is news and what is opinion, as well as what is liberal and what is conservative. The lines between those things are thinner than you think, and engaging in pigeonholing is just oversimplification. Limbaugh practically invented the demonization of the label "liberal". quote: I do enjoy some of NPR's programing...if for nothing else than to provide me with balance and keep me abreast of what the "other side" is up to. Wasn't it NPR's Nina Totenberg who wished on-air that Strom Thurmond's children and grandchildren would be stricken with AIDS? ...So much for the "tolerance" of the left. Well, that would make Nina Totenberg an asshole, just like Fred Phelps. Note that the entire "left" did not wish AIDS upon anyone. Please learn to distinguish between gross generalizations and actual events.

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: My impression/understanding is that the NPS doesn't actually "screen" with the intent to allow or refuse access...but to inform climbers and hikers of the dangers, the conditions, and of the need for equipment and training when applicable. I saw a Mt. Rainier ranger inform a Russian guy very thoroughly after RMI guides convinced him to come back down to Muir. The fellow looked fit, but was wearing only a tank top, shorts, and leather hiking boots. He had one ski pole and a small backpack, and was seen at Ingraham Flats around 11am, heading up. The ranger was very cool, but pretty firm with the guy, and eventually convinced him to abandon his attempt at the summit. It seemed like the responsible thing to do.

quote: Originally posted by erik: npr is liberal media, and of course they are going to use the most emotional/less then intelligent sounding people...makes for better news.... Big media is big media. There is no correlation between liberalism and sensationalism (ahem, remember Rush Limbaugh?).

Sweet! Thanks for the info, Dru. So the harder 11a section is the only part that's bolted? What sort of gear do you need?

Perhaps the mountain is closed so that the Air Force and others can pick up all the pieces of the helo that crashed there. I think it's reasonable to allow for a little time to do that, to investigate the crash site, to show some respect for the people who died on the mountain. And like someone else said, Mt. Hood is due for a break from the swarms of climbers. Cool down, Polish Bob, and be careful before you jump to unreasonable conclusions. I'll see you at the Fee Demo protest on the 15th, right?

Thanks, Sharon.

quote: Originally posted by CleeshterFeeshter: Retried in June 98 (same weekend RMI killed that dude on the slide on the DC). How did RMI kill someone?

Do you mean Mt. Baring on Hwy 2 on the way to Stevens Pass? I'm pretty sure access is completely open by now, don't know about snow conditions in the south side gully or anything... Uh, nice sig. Why do you include your bouldering/jumping resume?

At least you know Britney's going to be "climbing" in one of those skimpy Prana tops. BETH: Oops, I did it again! I left my sleeping bag in the other haulbag! TOMMY: Oh, that's alright. Why don't you just use mine? BETH: But you're using it! TOMMY grins. BETH: Oh, Tommy, I know what you're up to! I'm not that innocent! BETH snuggles closer on the portaledge. BETH: I saw some funny men with guns and towels on their heads staring at us today, Tommy. Are they terrorists? I'm scared! TOMMY: Hush now...

I guess I would have thought that the wider part of the V should go first, to catch more snow, but the cross-section *is* the same. I have a snow fluke whose cable is arranged to that the sharp end of the V is oriented toward the load. That's two votes for pointy-end-first...

How are the climbers on Mount Hood being irresponsible? Perhaps there were too many people on too few ropes, all queueing up to cross the bergschrund, and a simple slip caused a huge fuckup. So what? They still needed help. I know this thread is about what happened on Rainier, but... RedMonk, your statement seems to imply that the people who died on mountains this past week are to be blamed somehow for some unspecified harm that their misfortune caused. Fuck that! Rescuers voluntarily put themselves in a risky position -- that's their job, they never get "dragged" into a rescue. Rescues happen because incompetence, bad luck, poor decision making, and bad weather combine to create an out-of-control situation. Even very experienced climbers have been in a position where they've needed a rescue. Have some compassion, man. Who are you to decide whether someone has taken enough responsibility for themselves to warrant a rescue? If you're in deep shit, you're in deep shit, no matter how skillfully or courageously you tried to fight your way out of it. And TG, I hope you feel good to be alive to take care of your daughter. There's nothing you should have done differently on the mountain. [ 05-30-2002, 10:42 PM: Message edited by: slothrop ]

ANAM is going to be a very interesting read this year

That story's ripe for a movie. They'll probably throw in a few explosions, too, just for effect, and cast that guy from Vertical Limit as Tommy Caldwell. Play up the Muslim terrorist angle, have Jerry Bruckheimer produce -- instant blockbuster. Where's the "retch" gremlin?

Was this a guided group? It sounds like a lot of people traveling close together. What a shitty week.

poptart does refer to herself in the third person, though. You realize that Amber (like all "hot young women" who dangle a saucy photo on the Internet) is really some 40-year-old hairy pervatar. Trask?

A two-speed hand crank, eh? How 'bout you just crank it fast or slow? I can see someone getting this for their road-trip-mobile, just bolt it to the dash and have fresh peanut butter/banana/ice cream/rum shakes all the way to Yosemite.

Naw, the guy who hurt his shoulder wasn't with us... I wonder what happened to him? There were much fewer people there than I expected. We got to the parking lot at noon and only one other car was there!

Yeah, the town was nuts. It was my first time there, and we didn't even go near the gingerbread and lederhosen shops. There's nothing wrong with wurst and beer, but this was a bit much. The tourist crowd clogging the rest stop just after Cle Elum was creepy, too. Some chick in the parking lot of the gas station told us we should come river rafting "if we're bored" . There were a couple kayakers in our party, and they went nuts over the whitewater. Anyone know of a good swimmin hole in Tumwater Canyon? It would have been nice to soak my smelly feet after a day of climbing.

Went to Castle Rock for a day with my girlfriend, partner, and his two friends. We climbed Midway (really the shallow corner to the right of the offwidth on the 2nd pitch), Jello Tower S. Face, and Saber, and the other two guys got on Canary, too. There is a big block waiting to be pulled off a ledge halfway up the 2nd pitch of Saber Weather was perfect and raptors whirled in the thermals above us. My girlfriend kicked ass her first time climbing a multipitch route One of the guys in the party who beat us to Canary wrecked his shoulder on the move out around the roof and the guys we came with had to retrieve their gear, as the leader was in no condition to belay his partner up to clean it. My partner took a short fall on the S. Face route and pulled a badly placed Alien, only to be caught by a brand-new Micro Camalot... his next stop would have been the ground. A fun day, but for some reason no one wanted to stop for a beer and chow in town. Where's a good place to eat at 10 o'clock in 11worth? [ 05-27-2002, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: slothrop ]