Fairweather

How about a story on Mount Rainier National Park's refusal to reopen Westside Road, and their unfulfilled promises to provide access with a shuttle bus program.

Snowing in Enumclaw today while I was up there. Not sticking, but a good dusting of snow on the trees about half way up Mount Peak.

One thing I do find ironic is the fact that the mountain environment (climbing/hiking) is less regulated in Canada and western europe than it is in the USA. No permits/fees/helicopter access/etc, in most areas. Nice huts too. I guess in this one case, Canada is less regulatory than we are. Strange.

Agreed. We all end up paying for the uninsured...at emergency room rates! But Canada's system is far from "free". Taxpayers are bled severely. Even ultra-liberal Oregon shot down a Canada-style health system last November. 70% no vote? So what about all Canada's other problems? Not exactly the pristine paradise they would have us Yanks believe eh?

Marmot in Tacoma has last years Arcteryx Khamsin62 (one only?) for $199. (reg$240) Size Med. 4.0lbs. 4100cid. Blue. I saw it there today. I thought about buying it myself, but I'm going to get a smaller sleeping bag and see if I can fit a 5 day trip into my current Bora40. So, any suggestions for a sleeping bag: 25-30 degrees, down, under 2 lbs? I've been looking at Western Mountaineering bags, but they are $$$$$.

Too Late SC! We all know now that you support GW and his effort to liberate the people of Iraq. Welcome aboard the freedom train! WoooooWooooo.

Regardless of one's war views, I get the sense that we are living at a pivotal point in history. GW's press conference was quite uninspiring. Did he get enough sleep last night? Should have had Rumsfeld up there. Now that guy can give a press conference!

Most likely. And since they're subsequently too damn stupid to get into college anyway, what better place to send them? 'Cause sooner or later, some other world power will realize we're a nation of morons and they'll try to take us over, so we'll need a strong military of uniformly unintelligent and expendable young persons to fight off the invading horde. BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE! Very revealing, Dr Unamazing. I'm sure those Americans in uniform would love to hear your thoughts regarding their intellectual capabilities....versus (how you perceive) your own. What a loser you are.

How long would I have to wait for ACL surgery in Canada? Answer: about 2 years. How about some other "elective" procedures like cataracts removal? Great socialized medical system y'all got up there. Cheap drugs, for sure...but who's really paying the bill? I hear some good Canadian Doc's are moving to the USA so they can be properly compensated for their hard work under a (almost) free market system. Tell me about Canada's Endangered Species Act; Wilderness Act; Canadians with Disabilities Act. What? No such things? By the way, nice chunk of tundra you ceded to you indiginous population. Hope they enjoy it! "Seperate-but-equal"? You hosers like to lecture Americans, but from what I've seen, your environment is getting a good trashing. Too bad the average Canadian has almost NO voice in govt. policies. A lot of Frenchies up there....might explain the arrogance. By the way...thanks for the raw sewage, Victoria. A real gem of a city! Nice gardens, I hear. Cheers!

So if I park my car at a local college campus, or say, in Freemont....with an "I support George W Bush" bumper sticker affixed, my free speech rights will be respected? I propose that it is highly likely my vehicle would be vandalized by the local "peace-loving" people there. Is the "mall story" complete? Perhaps similarly clad individuals had participated in a not-so-peaceful protest earlier??

So are trips like the Ptarmigan Traverse and the Bailey Range climbs or hikes? Don't forget about this third "High Alpine Traverse" category. From a personal standpoint, I think it may surpass both hiking and climbing as the "ultimate" mountain experience.

I've seen pictures of these naked female protesters up in Vancouver. Their personal grooming habits (the lack thereof) lead me to believe they are actually pro Bush.

Nice post/pics AK. Shit, who'd believe you could drive to mp20 up Cascade River Road in late Feb/early March!

I've seen this video before in its entirety. The portion shown here is only about one-fourth of the total fall. It gets worse. We're all so sure it "won't happen to me". But it does...and it might. I think of this video occasionally when climbing. It enhances my vigilance.

There is an A&E Biography on Saddam tonight. (ch 52 in Tacoma Seattle area ATT) I saw part of it when it aired a couple months ago. The guy's a murderous pig. Should change a few minds about this war ???

FOR SALE on eBay: One french-made rifle. Never been fired. Dropped once.

www.seattlesucks.com

OH Yeah! Liberals pretend that their free speech rights are under attack. (This is obviously NOT the case in the USA.) Then, in the next breath, they'll tell you that "talk radio" should be regulated/banned. I believe the lefties/liberals are the real enemies of free speech/press.

How are the French doing in Ivory Coast these days? ...Gettin their asses kicked once again after years of meddling.

Uh, US Sanctions are totally f'ed up. And they would end if Saddam could release his grasp on power. But he won't. So what options are there? Peace marches? Uh, actually, those are UN sanctions. Q: How many new palaces has Saddam built while his people suffered under UN sanctions?

No Shit! This really pisses me off. Talk about anti-trust! I can see where the Tracker might cost a bit more, but the Pieps and Ortovox are basically just simple transceivers! Wow, what technology! Major research $$$ to be recouped! Good post Iain.

SC, You asked if I would ever consider the humanity of those I consider our enemies. Indeed I have; and do. In my opinion, this is the saddest aspect of war: The fact that almost any two individuals on opposite sides of a battle line could, in all likelyhood, carry on a friendly conversation (language barriers aside) about their views, dreams, families...probably even exchange photos of their children, maybe even sit down to a meal together. Maybe even become friends. Individuals generally like eachother. Add a few more individuals to either side though, and the dynamic starts to change. More suspicion, more probing, challenging. Add thousands, millions more, and the enemy becomes irrelevant; faceless. This is very sad, but at this point in human evolution the sociology is so complex, national disagreements so clear, that the differences are insurmountable. Indeed, I'm not sure I would want to live in a world where everyone agreed to the point that some weren't willing to die for their beliefs. Tough issues of which I never intended to make light of or deny. Ever seen a movie called "A Midnight Clear"? Seperate issue: I don't like Hugo because I believe he is a communist. I believe that while communism does look good on paper, in practice it is murderous...and even worse, it dampens (maybe even kills?) the human spirit as it is expressed through hard work, entrepreneurism, and the rewards thereof.

Sexual Choad, Re: Hogo Chavez. How about the fact that his guardsmen shot 18 peaceful protesters DEAD in the streets last year, and many more since. Are you seriously trying to tell us that Hugo is operating within the framework of the Venezuelan constitution? Does it allow him to shoot citizens in the street w/o due process? How about his siezure of the Coca Cola plant and several other private sector business interests and the distribution of their assets to his loyal guards? Funny, but I don't remember ANY protesters SHOT DEAD by GW's "elite guard" the other day.

How about the other 5,993,800,000?

You obviously did not bother to read ANY of my post, and decided instead to defend your position by creating a straw man reply. I never compared Saddam to Hitler. I said "As demonstrated by WWII, sometimes the quickest way to peace is through war." John Birch Society? I've heard of it...some sort of anti UN group. Probably close to a Libertarian philosophy? Probably much I'd agreee with. (?) Regardless, I'm certainly not a member. Are you a member of The Socialist Workers Party?