Fairweather

McCain is a good man, but he is one of "The Keating Five" involved in the savings & loan scandal back in the late 80's/early 90's(?). His political enemies (both Dem and Republican) would rightfully use this to destroy him. He would, however, make a great vice prez for Jeb Bush in '08!

Oh really Mattp and ilk? This is from yesterday...but we won't hear about it on your NPR 22 killed as ethnic violence flares in Kosovo JEFFREY FLEISHMAN AND ZORAN CIRJAKOVIC; Los Angeles Times BELGRADE, Serbia and Montenegro - NATO sent more troops to Kosovo as violence flared Thursday for a second day and the United Nations struggled with the reality that five years of international intervention and billions of dollars in aid have not calmed the hatred between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. As 940 additional NATO soldiers were dispatched, ethnic Albanians in Kosovo set Serbian Orthodox churches ablaze and police rolled out razor wire and fired tear gas. The violence spilled over from Wednesday, when clashes and house-burnings killed at least 22 people and injured 500 in a renewed spasm of ethnic tension in the Balkans. NATO forces evacuated dozens of Serbs as homes smoldered across Kosovo, a Serbian province under U.N. control since the 1999 NATO war to protect ethnic Albanians from persecution. Kosovo's majority 1.9 million ethnic Albanians are demanding independence and are angry over what they view as occupation by NATO forces - a dynamic that led to the attacks against Serb villages and the torching of at least one U.N. vehicle. Early today, U.N. personnel in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica were evacuated after two days of violence, Reuters reported. "The way it escalated took everybody by surprise," said Florian Bieber, a Balkans expert and research associate for the European Center for Minority Issues. "There's a considerable degree of frustration among ethnic Albanians toward the United Nations. The ethnic Albanians see a failure of getting independence. There's a great feeling of being let down." In New York, the U.N. Security Council met in emergency session Thursday at the request of the Serbian government. "The recent events have highlighted the fragility of the structures and relationships in Kosovo," said Secretary-General Kofi Annan to those in attendance. "It shows that despite the progress that has been made since 1999, we have not come far enough." International officials are concerned that tensions may spread throughout Serbia. Rioters in the capital of Belgrade set a 17th-century mosque on fire early Thursday in retaliation for the attacks on Serbs in Kosovo. At the same time, a group marched on the U.S. Embassy, setting a vehicle ablaze and battling riot police. A second mosque was burned in the city of Nis as a mob chanted "death to all" Kosovo Albanians. The unrest comes as Serbs throughout the region are bitter about high unemployment and disillusioned with the West, which they say rarely sympathizes with their problems while unfairly charging their politicians with war crimes. Nationalist Serbian political parties made gains in recent elections, and the violence in Kosovo - where Serbs compose only 10 percent of the population - could spark a revival of the kind of hate that roiled the Balkans throughout the 1990s. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica - calling on the U.N. Security Council to stop the bloodshed - led a procession of about 4,000 people through Belgrade on Thursday afternoon in an effort to quiet radical voices. Many Serbs say the burning of mosques could incite Islamic extremists such as al-Qaida and prevent the former Yugoslavia from eventually joining the European Union. But Serbs are also loath to relinquish Kosovo, which they consider sacred land where centuries ago their ancestors fought Turkish invaders. "We are not fighting the Muslims. This is not a religious war," said Tomislav Nikolic, deputy leader of the ultra-right Serbian Radical Party, who condemned the mosque fires. He added that Serbs in Kosovo were "not attacked by Muslims but by the worst breed of terrorists." (Published 1:50AM, March 19th, 2004)

CONSPIRACY ALERT!!!! Is it just my imagination or does this new spanish socialist zapatista fella president look just like SHOOTER MCGAVIN from Happy Gilmore?? You decide... ...I now return to self imposed exile...

What was the snowline? Trail beaten out to Flapjack Lakes? Nice trip!

I like your thinking re Westside Road, but I remain skeptical. As far as Ipsut Creek Road, I seriously doubt that the NPS would provide a new trailhead anywhere close to the washout. This would necessesitate building a new parking area very near this low spot in the road. As they have done in the past, I suspect they will simply close the road at the current park boundary, five miles from the existing trailhead. You're right that it is stupid to keep spending money repairing the road, but please understand that two things stand in the way of a permanent solution: 1) Relocation of the road bed by even a few dozen yards would require years of environmental review and public hearings as the current road is in a narrow corridor surrounded by designated wilderness, 2) I may be wrong, but I believe that environmental mitigation is a big cost factor in the ongoing repairs. (I don't think $700,000 per year is an accurate figure regardless. It seems to me that this was the total cost on the last single repair done four or five years ago.) I would also point out that adding new land to the park without the proposed improvements written in stone would constitute wishful thinking on the part of the public. Addition of this new 800 acres into the national park system before construction of a new campground within the revised boundary would likely raise the ire of the environmental crowd. I haven't heard if this new land would be designated wilderness. With the park maintainence backlog supposedly in the millions, I am not sure that spending money on new land aquisition is the right priority at this time.

Here is more info: Representative Dunn's bill and Cantwell's press release. Neither one suggests that 'improved' access to Carbon Glacier is afoot. Dunn's bill mentions guaranteed access to Coplay Lake road which is the left turn-off just before you reach the current park boundary. http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/releases/2004_02_20_rainier.html http://www.house.gov/dunn/leg/108-1/HR265.pdf

Radon, Exactly how does this proposal "make it easier to get to the Carbon Glacier"? Do you consider permanently closing the Ipsut Creek Road to vehicles improved access? (See Tacoma News Tribune story below) While I support the idea of protecting the (already ravaged by clearcuts) Carbon Valley west of the current park boundary, I must take exception to folks like those at The Seattle Times who gift wrap this proposal in enviro-speak bullshit. This proposal says nothing about a permanent solution to the road washouts along Ipsut Creek Road. It does not propose a bypass. It proposes closing the road at or near the current park boundary! This is not improved access. It is access reduction. The (now) 7 mile round trip hike to the suspension bridge will become a 17 mile march. And ten of those miles will be spent hiking along the decommissioned Ipsut Creek Road. Not exactly fun for the whole suburban, day-trippin' family! I'll admit that I do like the idea of a new auto campground and a walk/bike-in only camp at the current Ipsut Creek site, and I would love to see parts of the Clearwater Wilderness included in this proposition, but I really can't tolerate this proposal being sold as "improved access" for hikers/climbers and the public at large. It clearly is not. I would strongly encourage people to wait, gather all the facts, and read the fine print before deciding whether or not to endorse this proposal. Here is the Tacoma News Tribune story: Support for expanding national park grows BETH SILVER; The News Tribune A plan to expand Mount Rainier National Park with 800 acres of old-growth forest and prime habitat for threatened and endangered fish and birds has gained another congressional supporter. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Edmonds) will formally join Reps. Jennifer Dunn (R-Bellevue) and Norm Dicks (D-Bremerton) next week when she files Senate legislation that would authorize the addition to the 235,625-acre park. Dunn has long sponsored a House version of the same plan. It passed the House Resources Committee last fall, but never come up for a Senate vote. Now, with the support of Democrats Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Shoreline), the proposal could gain ground. Cantwell spokeswoman Charla Neuman said some Republican senators, opposed to national park expansions in general, still stand in the way. And the Bush administration has traditionally favored restoring existing National Park Service facilities over adding new land. "It's definitely an uphill battle, but they look favorably upon environmental efforts that are bipartisan and regional," Neuman said. Cantwell, who has scheduled a news conference today in Seattle to announce sponsorship of the park bill, will pitch the $4 million proposal mostly as a money-saver. A stretch of Carbon River Road frequently washes out where a glacier-fed stream jumps its banks. Replacing the road costs the federal government $700,000 each time it happens, Neuman said. If the land were absorbed by the park, the road would be unnecessary. Instead, park officials would build a drive-in campground downstream and set aside Ipsut Creek Campground for hikers and bicyclists. Some also fear that the pocket of land along the Carbon River, which includes one of the state's only inland rain forests, could be a target for developers looking to build homes. Two private land-owners own about half of the 800 acres, and Plum Creek Timber Co. owns the other half. "It's obvious they are coming this way. If you drive up from the lower areas, you'll find homes on the hill, developments all the way up the edges of Carbonado," said one of the landowners, John Thompson. All three landowners say they are committed to keeping the land from becoming a housing subdivision, and haven't been approached by developers in recent years. But a change in federal law would ensure its protection, said the other individual landowner, Sandy Marsh. "We're not anxious to have a big fire sale to get rid of it, because we love it. This is our family home. We're willing to wait," Marsh said. Her family's 200-plus acres include old-growth forest, portions of the Carbon River and several creeks. It serves as home to 28 species of birds, elk, cougar, bobcats, brown bears and chinook salmon. Conservationists say preserving the land in the park's confines would protect the habitat for threatened and endangered species of salmon, the northern goshawk, the spotted owl and the marbled murrelet. Federal legislation is required to expand the park. Another bill to pay for the land at an estimated $4 million, also is required. The boundary change in the northwest corner of the park would be the biggest since 1931, when 34,000 acres were added to the park's eastern edge.

Many sincere thanks to Jon and Timmy who have provided a great venue that mixes valuable information about climbing in our local mountains with a place called spray, where folks who hold strong opinions about issues not necessarily climbing related can vet and 'exchange' ideas with or without the social boundaries that exist elsewhere. I have certainly taken full advantage of this privilege and have enjoyed it thoroughly. But lately I've noticed a shift toward a more Seattle-style, stodgy type of moderation. It began with the banning of Mike Adamson, who certainly pushed the limits of 'the box'. Later, Dwayner was banned for the crime of stating his anti-bolting ideas 'too loudly'. And now Trask has been banned. Whether or not one thinks Trask had anything useful to contribute is not really relevant IMHO. He was a fucking RIOT! He kept things light. Additionally, I've noticed that Peter Puget's posts have almost disappeared, and JayB's are getting sparse as well. Mountain Goat gave up long ago. HRoark and Cavey are the only like-minded posters who remain. My mostly (but not all!) right-wing views have regularly been the subject of ridicule, anger, and even outright hatred from the mostly left leaning folks here, but this has always been part of the fun, my skin is thick, and my personal positions have only rarely been changed. While I'd love to hang around and spar with you all, I'm gettin' lonely. And truthfully, I'm spending too much valuable time here that I now feel could be used more appropriately toward other endeavors. The writing is on the wall, so I leave cc.com and spray to the stuffy arrogance of Catbirdseat, who's non-political posts I have ironically found facinating, the complete idiocy of JoshK and the like, and the ever more mocking 'moderation' of MattP. May you all find joy in this more and more politically homogenized place. I'll still post trip reports if I feel they'll provide helpful information to folks here, and if anyone is interested in getting together for some slogging with an experienced, moderately well conditioned ex-sprayer, feel free to email me at rybolt@comcast.net. I now return to the real world. See you in the mountains! Brian aka: Fairweather

Great spelunking, I've read. And the POW island marathon is in May. There are no glaciers on the island. I would guess that mountain biking is

I'll bet Trask is busy at the Seattle Boat Show, workin' hard... which seems to be anathema to so many of you posting from your employer's computers all afternoon. Bunch of lazy time bandits.

The story I watched on KIRO last night clearly stated that 'authorities' have sat on the tape for two years and that it was taken before the fire. The tape is not recent according to "Essex Porter" on KIRO.

Gimme a break, Pope. Do you really think this has anything to do with Patriot Act enforcement? This has probably been going on for years, certainly before 9/11/01.

"The US Forest Service would not say where it got the video footage..." Top local story tonight. The 'Thirty Mile Fire' over two years ago in which four undertrained and poorly supervised young fire fighters were killed. Started by a campfire left un-extinguished by incredibly stupid people. (But they're not murderers, IMO) The question on my mind is WTF are hidden video cameras doing in remote campsites? I can understand a camera at a suburban campground, or even a popular national park site, but this place is in the middle of nowhere! Is this practice widespread? How much $$$ is being spent? Why?? The fact that they waited two years to release this footage leads me to believe that cameras like this are a well-kept secret that was only very reluctantly revealed.

This sounds like the program in Switzerland. Don't they close the Matterhorn to climbing every ten years or so to do a 'clean up'?

How about Kobe Bryant? I just saw on the news that he has lost his $$12million McDonald's sponsorship contract and will likely lose others. The guy hasn't even been tried yet...and is likely innocent, IMHO. But the media has him both tried and convicted. Don't you all think there is a pattern here?

Try a small bag of Tim's Cascade Jalepeno or Cajun potato chips. They'll clear you right up.

Probably that 'Mr. Feynman' bastard.

I am not a lawyer, but if OJ was found not guilty of the act, then how could he possibly be culpable civilly?

True to all. The only thing certain is that Michael has some big 'issues', and I would not want my kids around the guy. But these things don't a guilty man make. OJ Simpson: Probably guilty as hell....but found not guilty in court. Then he was re-tried in civil court, his assets siezed, his children taken away. This case changed the way I view the justice system. Double jeopardy does, in fact, exist in this country. If the media circus or the government wants to convict you badly enough, "not guilty" doesn't mean shit.

I'm sure that two good liberals, like yourselves, are willing to hear all the evidence that is presented in open court before convicting him.

hahaha. no. i am registered republican. i wanted mccain. and pickerings racism is well documented. no need to do it here. it only peripherally has anything to do with his choices against civil rights (not 'affirmative action' ya idiot. geez. ) You're no Republican, pal. You are fooling yourself while trying to lend false credibility to your positions. What are your thoughts on prominent Democrats like Al Gore Sr. and Robert Byrd and the myriad of other modern liberals who were a little slow see the light vis a vis civil rights back in the 1960's? How far back shall we go, and to whom should we selectively apply this litmus test?

Friday, January 16, 2004 WASHINGTON — President Bush used his executive authority Friday to bypass Senate Democrats and install District Judge Charles Pickering (search) on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The recess appointment, confirmed by Fox News on Friday, allows Pickering to skip confirmation by the deadlocked Senate and hold the seat until the next Congress takes office, which will be in January 2005. "Today I was proud to exercise my constitutional authority to appoint Judge Charles W. Pickering to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit," Bush said in a statement late Friday. "Judge Pickering has served with distinction as a United States District Judge since he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 1990. He is highly qualified to serve on the Court of Appeals and has widespread bipartisan support from those who know him best." "I'm grateful to the president for his continued confidence and support," Pickering said from his home in Mississippi. "I look forward to serving on the 5th Circuit." The 5th Circuit Court, based in New Orleans, handles cases from Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana, and is known for pioneering rulings on desegregation and voting rights appeals. Democratic senators had filibustered Pickering's nomination, accusing him of racism, and saying he supported segregation while a young man and held anti-voting rights and anti-abortion positions while a state lawmaker. They also were angered by his decision to reduce the sentence of a man who had been convicted of helping burn a cross on the front lawn of an interracial couple in Mississippi and accused him of bias in an employment discrimination case he adjudicated. "A man who defended cross-burning does not deserve elevation to the bench," said Sen. Charles Schumer D-N.Y., who led the opposition to Pickering in the Senate Judiciary Committee. "As the New Year began, many of us had hoped the president would adopt a more bipartisan approach in his selection of judges. Instead, this recess appointment is a finger in the eye to all those seeking fairness and bipartisanship in the judicial nominations process," Schumer said in a written statement. "It is quite unfortunate that the president has chosen to seat Judge Pickering only days before the nation celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," added Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus. But Pickering's supporters, including the former Democratic governor of the state, Ronnie Musgrove, the head of Mississippi's legislative black caucus and James Charles Evers, brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers (search), say the judge is well known for being scrupulously fair on the bench. They add that as a state prosecutor in 1968, Pickering testified against a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan (search), a decision that cost him his re-election, and as chairman of the state GOP, hired the first black political staffer. "For 25 years, I have strongly advocated that African-Americans and whites should sit down and talk in a positive and constructive manner to try to promote better understanding. This I've done," Pickering said after a meeting with the Mississippi Black Caucus. The American Life League (search), which opposes abortion rights, said it was pleased with the president's decision. "Clearly the White House has realized that the militant, pro-abortion zealots in the Senate will neither listen to reason nor recognize the limit to their own power in this matter," said Joseph R. Giganti, ALL's director of media and government relations. "Back in October, we insisted that President Bush must take clear and bold steps. With today's appointment, he appears to have taken American Life League's message to heart. Pickering is among several judicial nominees who have been hamstrung by the filibuster (search) process. Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, Texas judge Priscilla Owen and Hispanic lawyer Miguel Estrada (search), who has since withdrawn his nomination, all have been stopped from receiving a majority vote in the Senate as a result of the maneuver. Others, including California judges Carolyn Kuhl and Janice Rogers Brown, are expected to be blocked by Democrats as well. Pickering was first nominated by Bush in May 2001. He was blocked from a Senate Judiciary Committee referral in March 2002 when Democrats held the majority. His nomination was returned to the panel in January 2003 after Republicans won back the Senate. Though he passed committee confirmation on a party-line vote last October, Democrats blocked a Senate floor vote. "Judge Pickering is a federal judge. He was confirmed by the Senate to the judgeship he already holds. He's a fine upstanding man. He's been through two Senate confirmation hearings and one Senate floor vote," said Judge Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News judicial analyst. Napolitano said the decision to appoint Pickering probably came from the president's political advisers who saw it as an opportunity to win points with conservative voters. "This has Karl Rove (search) written all over it," Napolitano speculated. However, the recess appointment is not a new tool to the president. Bush made a recess appointment to the U.S. Institute of Peace in August. In 2002, he also gave a recess appointment to Eugene Scalia to be Labor Department solicitor and Otto Reich as assistant secretary of state for Latin America, the top diplomatic post for the region. President Clinton also used his executive power for recess appointments, giving Roger Gregory a seat on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in December 2000. He also used it for another controversial position. "Democrats absolutely will be furious and when they get furious, they should look at President Cinton, who also did this, not with a federal judge but with Bill Lann Lee (search), assistant attorney general," said Napolitano. "Lee could not get confirmed by a Republican Senate to run the civil rights division of the Justice Department. President Clinton appointed him as a recess appointee, appointed him twice, he did it twice to bypass the Republican-controlled Senate and Mr. Lee ran the civil rights division of the Justice Department and the Republican Senate couldn't do anything about it." Fox News' Wendell Goler and Sharon Kehnemui and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As usual, Lummox, you're absent with specifics. Care to provide details re Pickering's alleged 'racism'? ...Or are you just going to label everyone who disagrees with affirmative action policies as racist? Lummox: Non-thinking tool of the left. BTW; I hope GW recess-appoints Estrada too. Seems to me he learned this neat trick from none other than...Bill Clinton.

There are two easy routes down to Royal Basin from the summit of Fricaba. The most straightforward is to drop into Deception Basin and climb to the notch between Deception and Fricaba, then descend the gully and swing right into upper Royal Basin. We have also descended from the summit of Fricaba down toward the smaller sub-summit just to the east. A spur ridge drops directly down from here to a little valley just above Royal Basin. Just some minor downclimbing, 2nd or 3rd class. (Early season, anyhow.) I'll post a picture of a huge avalanche here.

I hope not! Because it's my country too, and I'd hate to see it run by folks like you who wish death upon their political opponents and others with whom they disagree. You're a joke Mtnguide.