Pencil_Pusher

Thank you for passing yet another law that protects me from myself. In the interest of 'public safety', I think we should ban all motor vehicles and go back to riding bicycles and horses (with appropriate headgear of course).

Colin Powell would have my vote for president. Maybe he could ride on a party ticket and then do whatever he damn well pleased once in office. In which case, he's the best ticket.

Well Old Man, I'll agree with you some there. I think Cytomax is awesome, it really does an insanely good job rejuvenating me. The flip side is why/how? I know these food products escape FDA approval by being 'dietary supplements' and that is exactly what's typed on the side of the Cytomax jar (Dietary Supplement). I worry sometimes that there is some sort of drug/steroid contained within and that had I known about it, I would not have used the stuff. Someone told me to look up the ingredients in some "PH" book, I think it's one doctors have that can tell you exactly what each ingredient is.

Umm... I consider this an important point. Okay Kiwi, I'll hold your hand. Why don't you tell us which peaks cannot be reached one way. Then (hold your breath) tell us which peaks cannot be reached car to car. Or... this may be tough... tell us some of each. Hope that helps.

As far as 24 straight-in or car to car? Either, both, whatever. It might be easier to first stipulate what cannot be reached within a day by 'alpine ninjas'. I'd thought of asking this before, but forgot about it until reading Wayne's death march up Logan and JayB(?)'s death march up Glacier. I'm not listing any peaks because I think they'll all fall. But I would like to see a list of those which others think cannot be done.

I think all peaks within WA can be reached within 24hrs from the trailhead. Correct me with their names, if you think I'm wrong.

Good job Wayne. You're one, sick puppy! Good luck with your 9,000 trio. Is there any peak within WA which cannot be done in 24? (Not by a specific route, just any peak.) I emphathize for that run out you did. Doesn't it make you feel like anything is possible, pulling that big of a rabbit out your ass? Again, good job man!

Good job! Hilarious and informative trip report!!

No doubt. Legalizing drugs to a certain extent would relieve quite a bit of pressure on the prisons. Side track, of the 'add more prisons' or 'add more cops' themes, we should first beef up the court system to allow for speedier processes and, in the long run, less screw-the-victim-or-surviving-family through plea bargains. But back to drugs. Who's that governor in some Yuper state who said he'd prefer to legalize pot? Minnesota or something? Some bald ex-wrestler dude with a moustache. No, no, that is far too unethical an idea for our country to support. This from our great politicians and religious right(eous). Hey, when the president smoked pot in his youth, just how bad of a drug is it? Yeah, didn't inhale whatever... his subsequent lies of Lewinsky and then getting caught red-handed were hilarious. Especially when the republicans started screaming all these ethical concerns and then that dude from Hustler mag (the dude in the wheelchair) offers some exorbant amount of moola for dirt on either dem or repub senator/congress folks who have a mistress and guess who takes the next fall? Yup, some high ranking republican who screamed how unethical it was for Lewinsky/Clinton, was caught bopping his own little chiquita aside from his wife. I think that's about the time both sides realized maybe it was better to drop this issue from the hot press. But I digress as does this thread. Walmart and other stores like it will prosper as most people (except those who can afford to) don't give a rat's ass about buying a more expensive product for 'ethics'. Just look at us and climbing gear... everyone's looking for the best deal. The REI/Pro Mountain Sports thing doesn't really compute because REI makes their killing off clothing and Jim's got the whole local alpinist thing going (if this were Topeka, Kansas, probably no climbing shop would survive if REI did). If a miracle happens and alpinists start popping up faster than tennis players (and the NR of Stuart becomes via ferrata) then REI will probably think more towards the climber. Jim will be making money hand over fist in the meantime and probably open up several other shops; or sell the business and get a beer gut. Maybe the old man already has one... does he climb anymore? Well, he's found his niche to survive in the face of REI Good websites, AlpineK. Walmart is as screwed up as you said it was. I think there was mention in the news a while back of gender discrimination too... some class action suit being brought against them for discriminating against women. Hopefully the L&I or whomever takes away that self-insurance option from them.

After driving back from yet another popular fee area without a ticket this weekend, it came to me. That 261.15 you were cited for, JJA, says nothing about the proper display of the parking pass. All it says is bad stuff about those who do not pay the required fee. Essentially the FS dude that wrote you that coupon is trying to incorporate his own interpretation (Failure to display park pass, whatever) into the 261.15 law. Otherwise the law would read something to the effect of: Failure to display a park pass will result in.... Forgetting to take the pass out of the glovebox is an affirmative defense as you did already pay the fine (the pass) and nowhere in 261.15 does it stipulate the display of such. It sounds like whomever posted about faxing in the park pass copy did so from experience...

A long time ago a friend who had a Jeep told me he had glued razor blades to the backside of his stereo so that if anyone reached back there to disconnect cables... I suppose it could make a bad situation worse. One where the thief goes a little bonkers trying to get revenge on the damn car for cutting him. Better yet, the owner/victim would get sued and lose everything as a result of the harm done to the thief. But the best case scenario is the thief gets hurt (you keep your shirt and stereo) and then turns to a better job without such risks.

Smith and Wesson makes a nice airweight 38 revolver that holds five cartridges and takes +P ammo. ~$300 I don't pack heat, be careful if you do.

Interesting question there. Hmm... is it yours or someone else's. Back to your topic. Yes, I think suicide is an option for some people. There's more to it, but it's lengthy philosophy stuff. Suicide has never been an option for me, I think there's too much to live for in my life. But I had an uncle that chose that route and I think he was brave for making that decision. A good book to read on death is: "Death, The Trip of a Lifetime" by Greg Palmer, ISBN 0062508032

No mtn bike ideas here. Do stop by Beaver Liquors while you're in Vail! Also, there's a cool cave call Fulford Cave, just outside of Eagle. Or Hanging Lake headed towards Glennwood Springs and the hotspring pools as well in that town. Colorado rocks. Oh yeah, take the "short tour" at the Coors Brewery in Golden. All visitors enter a main area to wait in groups for their tour guide. BUT it's also right next to the entrance for the bar there so guess what...? Yep, three free beers from Coors, your choice. Hence the short tour. If you enter the main waiting area, just continue on to the end of the room and go through the double doors on your right, into the bar area. It's a totally acceptable tour, just not one they advertise (the regular tour ends at the bar and it's sorta on the honor system whether you've had your three-beer limit or not). The Colorado Mountain Club is nearby the Coors factory and might offer some mountain bike tips although I'd bet you could get some good beta from the local bikeshop wherever you're going. Dare I say 'have fun' for this 100 mile bike ride?

Take the cell phone, it does double duty thereby allowing you to skip bringing the GPS. You can call and ask for directions if you get lost.

[Title 36, Volume 2] [Revised as of July 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 36CFR261.15] [Page 336] TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PART 261--PROHIBITIONS--Table of Contents Subpart A--General Prohibitions Sec. 261.15 Admission, recreation use and special recreation permit fees. Failing to pay any fee established for admission or entrance to or use of a site, facility, equipment or service furnished by the United States is prohibited. The maximum fine shall not exceed $100. (Sec. 2, 78 Stat. 897, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 460l-6(e)) -------------------------------------------------------- I couldn't find any definitions for the above terms and the revisions appeared all the same since 1998, so it doesn't appear they revised this to incorporate the parking pass. It's a very broad law...

N Face Buckner with Sundowners and SMC crampons cinched tight. I don't know about Trangos but if you've already got the Sundowners, they'll do.

Thank you for that lovely example.

What you can do as sort of a compromise on price, is pay $4000 and the guide service takes care of all the logistics. However, you'll need a climbing partner as they strictly insist you be roped up past a certain point. Also, you're pretty much on your own as far as cooking/routefinding/and such. Check out the guide service website, it will give you more info. I think the expensive part of this is that oxygen is not part of this package and would probably be a significant additional expense. But then I just saw a slideshow by a woman who's climbed all over the dang place and her first 8km peak was Broad. She didn't use oxygen and pretty much said to go to 7km and see how you feel. She said alot of people on Cho Oyu didn't use oxygen... I think for $16k you can get the same type of deal for an Everest ascent. A relatively economical alternative if you have faith in your judgement and capabilities. Check with mikebell, another cc.commie. He went up Cho Oyu two years ago, to the summit using this $4k option. But that dude is in insanely good shape...

Wow, that's impressive. Gosh, I can't even imagine it with my lazy-ass sitting here typing away. It would seem like one could shave a few more hours off the time by parapenting off the summit... I can't imagine the trip to the landing strip taking any longer than an hour, provided you don't crash and the winds don't take you to the North Pole. I'll be up for when Chad himself posts this trip report (why do others report for these people?).

Hey Beck, check out the Mountaineers monthly newsletter from two or three months ago. They had an article which stated something about x million dollars from the trail park pass program being spent on... total guess here because I don't remember, fighting fires. BTW, I'm sure everyone was very pleased to see Marymoor Park charging a $1/day parking fee. I think there's a summer pass available for $25.

Was up there Sunday, saw some dude FLYING with nothing more than a water bottle and rock shoes and a helluva lot of speed to go up the Tooth. I wouldn't be surprised if he went roundtrip from the TH in an hour or hour and a half. There's a booty cam up near the summit, along that little ridge after the catwalk and before you top out. A .75 Camalot, I think. Fully retracted and in apparently good condition. Also, there is a rap anchor midway down the dirty/wet gully at the base of the climb thereby avoiding the Pineapple Pass traverse... with a single rope. The summit was great (shorts and tshirts all day), 45 minutes of kicking back in the warm sun, no wind, and a Miller High Life between us.

I don't have ropes course experience, I just pulled that phrase out of my head somewhere, I think. What does this entail? I'm not much interested in a long-term commitment with any org right now, I just figured it'd be nice to help out a little. Squid, thanks for the goldmine of info.

"Rock Climbing New Mexico & Texas" Dennis Jackson, Falcon Publishing ISBN 1560444835 Cochita Mesa looks pretty damned hard, the easiest line is 5.9. The book is pretty informative and descriptive and has all the areas mentioned so far (plus more).