Fairweather

I recall a massive blow down in the Alpine Lakes about 20 years ago that blocked large portions of the Icicle Ridge(?) trail. When the local USFS land manager sent crews up to clear it with chainsaws the following summer, ALPS threatened to file a lawsuit under the "motorized" (actually, mechanized) prohibitions of the Wilderness Act that you mention. Fair enough. The USFS manager, following the letter of the law, instead sent his crews in with hand drills and DYNAMITE. ALPS promptly withdrew their complaint.

The Muir hut (and the entire summit climbing corridor) was intentionally drawn out of wilderness designation because of its popularity. No, the Muir hut doesn't detract from the experience at all--because nobody goes there expecting a "wilderness" experience and, in any event, the legal definition does not apply. What's more, there are plenty of other routes on Rainier that will lend themselves to someone seeking the vague "opportunities for solitude" the WA 1964 alludes to. I don't think anyone would seriously consider doing the hut thing in NCNP or adjacent Wilderness areas. But TTK is 100% correct; the existing structures with historic value should stay.

I agree. There's that too.

Finally, something TTK and I agree on. The dogmatism and intransigence of deep-ecology movement orgs like Wilderness Watch, ALPS, and the NCCC is why advocacy for preservation is waning. For example, just look at the chilly reception that the proposed expansion of NCNP is getting from once-reliable supporters.

Agree with Kurt, you've described a good recipe for AMS. A one day ascent is a great idea, but climbing 9000' to spend the night at over 14,000 feet can turn out badly even for the fittest climber.

Ad hominem non response! Liar! What a fucking drone.

j_bot's words in a nutshell: "Your speech bad, my speech good. Your speech needs restrictions, my speech should be unrestricted. Corporate speech evil, union and grass-roots speech wonderful. Except, of course those grass-roots orgs with whom I disagree. Their speech should be restricted."

What about Romney or that other Mormon?

I think Boehner's countdown timer just started. I predict resignation by June 1. Any takers?

All governments monopolize force, not just the U.S. It's part of the fine print in the Social Contract that nobody bothered to read. In one sense, I suppose it could be said that America's 2nd amendment goes farther than any document on Earth toward challenging this monopoly.

So, are you a left libertarian? or a right libertarian?

Doh! I was hoping for Fatboy Slim concert tickets. Here's to a holiday ceasefire, Merry Christmas.

= kook = Cook

Almost forgot: it's rebuttal. :kisss:

So, what's he making for dinner?

Nice to see you're part of TTK's personal entourage now. Need a hanky?

Taken together with the context of the rest of his sentence--that I'm stupid--I think it's hilarious.

You're

With the development of vaccines we have, essentially, killed the wolf that once culled our numbers. A trophic cascade is now well underway. When you think of all the sorrow that has accompanied our move from hunter-gatherers to the farm, it's hard imagine vaccines as a bad thing. And they're not. It's just that there's no free lunch, and I'm not sure technology (or the environment) can keep up with our reproductive rates and our improved mortality.

Fecal transplantation It works, too. 90% success rate in eliminating drug-resistant clostridium, which is fucking amazing. If it was a new drug they'd be happy if it had a 10% success rate. The latest Sci Am had a good overview article. No shit? I mean, shit.

So the guilty pleas from four Democrats never happened? Because Fox reported it? Never mind the rest of the story, are you saying that it never happened? You're not as guilty of this, but just be sure to employ your journalistic standards when j_b starts a thread (like this one) with links to The Guardian, Huffington post, Common Dreams, etc.

+1 It's a shame that so many of my liberal counterparts are total luddites. It's the lack of meat protein in their diets. Makes their skin leathery, their vision poor, their pits smelly, and their brains slow.

Sure. Whatever helps you and yours sleep at night. The fact is that j_b's allegations remain unproven--and likely unprovable. Elsewhere in his wandering links, the felon-voter rights and id requirements are, in fact, laws which have arisen out of the democratic process itself--which explains his contempt. The allegations in the piece from Fox have this thing called evidence to back them up. A difficult concept for you and yours, I'm quite sure. Again, on one hand we have murky statistics bolstered by unfounded suspicion and, quite frankly, left-wing paranoia. On the other hand, we have a clear cut case of election fraud on a massive scale and the woe-is-us cadre (that's you and j_b) are still willing to look away. I might add that listening to someone who, by his own account, participated in questionable ethics after the 2004 governor's race renders his soapbox speech on principles null.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/21/officials-plead-guilty-in-new-york-voter-fraud-case/ A total of four Democratic officials and political operatives have now pleaded guilty to voter fraud-related felony charges in an alleged scheme to steal a New York election. The latest guilty pleas expose the ease with which political insiders can apparently manipulate the electoral system and throw an election their way, by the forging of signatures of unsuspecting voters that are then cast as real votes...