Fairweather

If only things were so simple. Then simpletons with simplistic answers would be right more often, and making fun of fat people might make more sense... Seems to me that your position is this: "There's nothing that poor thing can do about her weight so we should all simply offer her our sympathy." Since you have offered no solution to her problem, as I have, I am forced to conclude it is you that is a simpleton.

Meanwhile, your pot-smoking friends in Alberta kill 4 good men from the RCMP. Any blood on your hands, Dru?

Hmmmm.... Seek counseling? Exercise more? Consume only the calories daily that your body needs to maintain the proper weight? Take a little responsibility for yourself?

Sorry Will, but your doom/gloom scenario is old-school. Iran will reform from within. The citizenry there are generally good people who are on the brink of an awakening. The mullahs are on the way out. North Korea will be reigned in by China soon enough. Interesting to watch PLA troop movements along the N Korean border when big brother doesn't get the proper response from its rabid-dog neighbor to the south. And if little Kim-Jong tries to hand a nuke over to Al-Queda, well, GW will rightfully incinerate his ass with a couple of W-88's. We'll deal with Syria in the shadows. No major troop action there. Sure, we may drop a bomb or two to let Basher know where he stands, but our Israeli friends know how to handle the kid. I won't attempt to address the economic side of your post other than to say that China and virtually all other nations still seem to think that financing American debt is a safe investment. That said, I absolutely do share your aprehension about our debt-binge now approaching 7 trillion $$.($7,000,000,000,000 ...wow!) The projected annual budget surpluses of Clinton's last term should have been immediately commited to token debt-reduction. And now for my prediction on the next flare up involving American troops....... Venezuela

I found this image online. The author erroneously labeled the picture as "Mount Queets", but it is clearly a picture of the Valhallas, Geri-Freki Glacier, and much of the ridge traverse toward the Olympus Massif that you are looking to do. I'm not sure which Olympus summit he took the image from. (probably Athena or east peak?) I don't recall this spectacular view of The Valhallas from the west peak. Again; not my image! Thought it might be of interest to this thread though. Right click properties to link to the author's website.

Just some advice: have a second person standing by with a vacuum hose as you trim/re-trim your skins, or at least vacuum them well before you peel 'em off each time. My BCA skins gave off a lot of fiber/dust as I cut and I contaminated the glue when I pulled the fuckers off to reposition them. I'm not sure if all brands are this flakey....or if I was just bone-headed.

Wow. That pic looks like classic Olympic Mtn wild/mysterious. Thanks. Do you have any thoughts on your route versus S Fk Hoh? Which would you try if you were to return to The Valhallas? Was the Queets River ford easy enough? That South Fork Hoh route looks like it really narrows down at a couple of the river bends. I remember reading about a guy falling to his death on the hike out over 20 years ago. If I recall, he was close to climbing every named Oly summit over 5000 feet!

So now you wish to change the language and definitions of wilderness within The Act itself? Until recreational access and 'solitude' provisions of TWA are clearly defined, I will continue to write letters to my representatives and speak out against the creation of any new wilderness areas.

Just what we need. More restrictions on those monsterously evil mountain bikes that tear through the old clearcuts included in this so-called wild area.

I've never heard of the Queets approach to the Valhallas being used. The valley bottom looks broader and easier than the S Fork Hoh, though. I'm looking at the TOPO.... Did you climb up Kilkelly Creek drainage? Right fork higher up? Not that I'd actually do it, but was the Queets trail suitable for a mountain bike? Now you've got me thinking.....

What do you think the brush crash from the top of Mount Tom, down the White Glacier, and out to Elk Lake would be like? It looks doable on the map. Also; ever been up/down Tom Creek from the alp below Mount Tom? I hope you'll post pics of your Valhallas trip!! Wouldn't out-and-back from Olympus be easier than the trip up the south fork? ...Or am I missing the point? Has anyone climbed Olympus from this approach via Hubert Glacier/and scramble? Hmmmm...

I would bet you could climb Mount Queets from Dodwell-Rixon Pass (or via Queets Glacier from the Basin) and traverse Noyes, Meany, Seattle and drop down to the Skyline trail. Never been in this area, but Olympic Climbers Guide describes traversing/climbing these peaks from the Mount Seattle/Low divide area all the way out to Mt Queets. Here is my summer plan with my son: Traverse of Olympus Range... Day 1: Hike from N Fk Quinalt TH to Twelvemile/Trapper Shelter. Day 2: Hike over Low Divide and down to Chicago Camp. Continue up to Elwha Basin. Day 3: Climb Elwha Snowfinger, cross DW Pass, traverse Queets Basin and climb Humes Glacier. Descend Blizzard Pass to Camp Pan. Day 4: Carry all gear...Climb Athena, East, Middle, West Peaks of Olympus. Drop to Snowdome and camp at Panic Peak Saddle. Day 5: Climb Mount Tom from Snowdome and return. Pick up camp and drop down to Glacier Meadows or Elk Lake. Day 6: Hike out to Hoh RS. Any thoughts? Too optimistic?

Here's looking over the Sawtooth Range toward Olympus.... Check out how bare the upper meadow is.....

Correct. And in the distance are West Peak (the long ridge above Linsley's Glacier), Echo rock, and Mount Anderson.

Sorry! The register is gone. It was there last June, if I recall.

Climbed Mount Washington today. We were able to drive all the way to the summer trailhead at 3100 feet! Unbelievable. Just a bit of snow on the road at the lower Ellinor trailhead and beyond, then mostly dry/muddy roadbed. Passable in an ordianry car. The trail is about 50% snow and 50% dry to the first meadow. Mostly dry up the talus field above. The upper meadow is mostly covered with snow, but it is very thin and will vanish soon without replenishment. The climb does not go up the main gully as this is mostly dry and rock-banded. Instead, it goes up the first gully east and up a short 4th class rock step to the left of the summer route. The traverse across the ledge leading up to the summit ridge is covered with snow that is downsloping at a 45 degree angle just above a long drop. A fall here would not be good. The summit ridge is mostly snow covered, but not corniced. The summit block ledge is dry, but the gully above is snow-filled and icy in a couple spots. Nice views of all the Olympic peaks! The interior summits appear to have more snow cover than the eastern side of the range. Olympus, Anderson, were very white. Constance, Brothers, Royal Basin peaks looked very dry.

My quiver consists of: Scarpa Alpha's for winter. La Sportiva Nepal Extremes for summer cascades mountaineering. Technica BioFlex leathers for hiking and climbs long approaches ie: North Cascades or Olympics

What makes the orcas that inhabit the Puget Sound/San Juan Island area genetically distinct from, say, resident populations in Southeast Alaska? What sacrifices/compromises will Puget Sound residents be asked to make to protect orca habitat in Puget Sound? Specifics help people make informed decisions, would you not agree?

True. It never showed up on my WA State driving record or affected my insurance. Good thing too, since I believe I was going aboot 90 in a 62 just outside of Whitehorse.

Rafael, I received a speeding ticket in Yukon Territory in 1998 for $300cd. I didn't paid the ticket when I returned home to the US. Over two years later I received a letter from the RCMP asking me to pay up and extending a "generous one-time offer" to settle the matter without interest or penalties. It went on to politely state that I would likely be denied entry into Canada or possibly detained pending payment w/interest and late fees upon my next attempt to visit. I mailed off the $230something USD and have had no problem visiting The Great White North since. I thought their offer was generous. I should have done the right thing to begin with since I was, in fact, guilty.

We went over to Illumination Saddle and checked it out at about 7:15. With the loose snow encountered from the top of the Palmer and the hissing sound of pebbles and frost coming down that side, we instead headed up the west side of Crater Rock and then up the west side of the crater wall with Pandora doin' most of the hard work through shin-deep snow. We were on top about 10:30 or 10:45. I was sure wishing we would have taken skis like someone else in our party had suggested. That snow would have been perfect. Congrats to your girlfriend!

We were the party of three that came up the west side of Crater Rock (after bailing on Leuthold) and on up the left side of the crater wall. Were you the solo guy with the snowboard and MSR snowshoes? BTW; while the schrund is closed, coming down the Hog's Back I noticed that someone had recently punched their foot through.

Unfortunately, OW doesn't realize that it is Islam that forbids charging interest. I've never heard this about Christianty. As far as turning the other cheek, well, it seems that Bush made the correct, secular decision, and does still. Now, DoubleE, when you're done sucking Off-White's cock, maybe you can do a little research of your own on the matter and stop acting like just another ass-licking liberal parrot.

My god! If we're now exporting the exporters, who will be left to export the exports?!

Bastards left "Run Through The Jungle" off the CD. Unforgivable.