willstrickland

Lust burning inside her, threatening to consume her very being, she knew she must act. She removed her Salomon SuperGaper plastic doubleboots and donned her Salomon Fukame stilettos. Drawn as a moth to a flame, she nervously approached his tent...

The real irony in the Tyco debacle is that Kozlowski was the Wall St darling before all this shizzle for decrying the practices of CEOs who misused and abused corporate funds. Here's an excerpt off the wire from yesterday: By Phyllis Plitch Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)-- L. Dennis Kozlowski is shocked, shocked. Or, at least he was. Especially when it came to the playboy reputation pinned on chief executives a decade ago. In the fall of 1995, Kozlowski - whose $6,000 shower curtain, $15,000 umbrella stand and affairs with two female subordinates have become part of business lore - wrote that he was rankled by the "irresponsible image" of CEOs acting like "free-wheeling jet setters," and "playboys reliving our adolescent years." "Most of us made it to the chief executive position because of a particularly high degree of responsibility and commitment to our jobs throughout our careers," Kozlowski wrote in Directors & Boards magazine, seeking to counter the negative perception of CEOs. "Too often we put the job first, sacrificing family and personal interests." Excerpts from Kozlowski's mid-1990s article were posted Monday on the quarterly journal's Web site, in the wake of a mistrial in the case against the former Tyco International Ltd. (TYC) chairman and CEO, and former CFO, Mark H. Swartz. As Kozlowski noted, it was penned at a time "of scandal and strife," following a string of CEO ousters in the early 1990s. It was also written well before prosecutors accused Kozlowski of lavish spending on the company's tab, as part of a scheme to loot company coffers of $600 million. One of the most infamous allegations against Kozlowski related to billing the company for half of a $2 million party for his wife, held on the Italian island of Sardinia. A videotape of the party - which featured models in scantily-clad ancient Roman garb - was shown to jurors and has since become synonymous with corporate extravagance. Despite the airing of such allegations, a state supreme court judge was forced to declare a mistrial on Friday because of pressure from "outside sources" on the jury following intense media coverage of the case. Several jurors later said they were on the verge of a verdict that would have found the pair guilty on some counts. But back in 1995, Kozlowski offered himself up as a paragon of exemplary governance as he described an idealized version of how companies, boards and shareholders ought to interact. "Accountability in corporate governance is here to stay. Accountability leads to outside directors who are active and informed, frequent communication with shareholders, and compensation tied to performance," he wrote. "Managements and directors of all public companies are being held to a higher standard. I'm convinced it works -- for shareholders and for those of us who manage a company's operations." Though the trial ended without a verdict, Kozlowski's self-portrait contrasts sharply with the image drawn by prosecutors over the last six months. Indeed, in a passage that might make government enforcers wince, Kozlowski writes that CEOs are most offended "by the perception that we would waste the resources of a company that is a major part of our life and livelihood, and that we would be happy with directors who would permit that waste." A lawyer for Kozlowski declined comment on the article. "For a time he was a poster child for good governance, and a lot of us were sucked in," said 20-year veteran Directors & Boards' editor Jim Kristie. Kristie said he posted the article after the mistrial - with its "massive ironies" as a kind of cautionary note. It's so rare that CEOs so vocally carry the banner of good corporate governance, he said, that when Kozlowski sang that tune, everyone was at his feet, throwing accolades at Tyco and its high-profile boss. "It's just an example of how we look for a CEO who wants to take a front and center position on governance and when one does we gravitate to that," he said. In the article, Kozlowski also took umbrage at the idea that CEOs seek out weak yes-men and yes-women for their boardroom. "Like teenagers, we supposedly resent being told what to do, so we ensure our boards of directors are populated by our buddies or by compliant grandfatherly types," he wrote. In actuality, Kozlowski continued, driven CEOs "looked forward to being graded ever since the monthly elementary school report card; we welcome directors with the backbone to judge our performance against tough standards." -Phyllis Plitch; Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2357; phyllis.plitch@dowjones.com

...somehow, in the presence of this man among men, she felt empowered yet protected. As if she could do anything. With Herbert watching over her even dirt rapelling seemed possible.

THE ARTICLE: (cut/paste job from RC.com) preface: i am the climber to whom flamer's cryptic post was referring, and this is the fall that shook him up so much. it is a girlie, feel-good account of my first wall with gory details of a horrendously stupid fall. for beta on the actual route, check out the rdb. also, i'm not posting this to be told how stupid i was - falling 160' taught me that lesson in ways that words can never express. ... after having to bail from the top of p3 on moonlight buttress, my partner and i talked about ways to improve our efficiency and make a second attempt of the route. after comparing schedules, we decided to go for it on the monday following the red rocks rendezvous. we both planned on being at the event and could just follow each other out to zion, rack up, and get to camp for an early night's rest. late sunday afternoon, we set out for zion, had some pizza, racked up in a well-lit parking lot and went to the park for some camping. we set our alarms for 4am, and then i cuddled up in the backseat of my corolla - the handiest tent i've found so far. it seems like i had barely fallen asleep when my partner taps on my window, "are you sure it's 4am already? your watch isnt on pacific time is it?" (sigh) i get out of the car to take care of my morning rituals then we both hop into my car to head for angel's landing - our big adventure, and my first wall - what a kickass birthday present to give yourself. after some morning coffee and other minor delays, we're at the infamous cold-ass river. we take off the shoes, grab some walking sticks and laugh about geo's signature, "i bet it's warm in maui!" we cross the river and hike up to where the cactus start growing before stopping to put on our shoes again, mostly for fear of stepping on a prickly pear with bare feet - *ouch* (sidenote: your feet dont hurt from the cold nearly as much if you leave your shoes off for a while.) we get to the base of the route, slide off our packs, return our morning coffee to the earth, rehydrate, then setup for climbing. it's about 6a, making good time. tim sends the first pitch as i complain about my base layer getting wet from the river. i unfold the bottom layer and zip off the lower part of my pants to facilitate air drying my pants. tim calls off belay, i recycle my water, rehydrate, and suck down some powergel while tying my shoes. "belay on" .. "climbing" i get up the lower half easily enough, but the pieces protecting the traverse are placed too high for me to reach. dammit, i can barely touch the sling on the top piece and certainly can get to it enough to clean it. i reach up to the second piece and clip my aiders into it. "what's going on down there? everything okay" .. "yeah, i'm too f---ing short to clean the gear, so i'm aiding up to it" .. i clean the top piece from my aiders, then clip my aiders into the bottom piece to clean the second, and i'm good to go - but have wasted some serious time in the process. i get to the traverse and cant find an easy way across from where i am. "take!" i decide to do a mini penji (if it can even be called that - 2-3' at the most) over to the ledge. tim holds me while i slide ever-so-ungracefully over and then start climbing again. i get to the top, we trade gear, reorganize ourselves, and tim is off again. at this point, it's late morning and i'm basking in the morning sun, i stare out at the walls before me, in awe of their beauty and grandeur. "this is the life." as the sun begins to warm the wall, i roll up my shirt and pull up the legs of my pants to sunbathe dirtbag style. i grab a luna bar from my pack and have lunch as i enjoy the warmth and beauty of the sun smiling on the route. "this is effin rad, things couldnt possibly be any better." tim calls down, he's short-fixing. i switch over from belay mode to jugging, exchange a few quick words with the team below us, and i'm off. after struggling for quite some time with a nut or a small cam, cant remember now, i radio up to tim, "i'm sorry but i cant clean this - i'll buy you a new one to save time." "f---, dont worry about it, guess you didnt hear me, it's fixed, it was on the route before i got there." "s---" i leave the piece and continue on my way. later, i come to an over-cammed loweball which is tim's. i yanked and yarded and stapped with the nut tool to no avail. i finally get to the anchors and put tim back on belay. after radioing up, i get the rope bag and reorganize the ropes and probably have a smoke. for sure, i had another luna bar and some more water - being hungry sucks. tim hits the top of rocker blocker, sets me up, and off i go again. cleaning the traversing bolts sucks, but i'm better at it than last time. about half way up, tim radios down, there's another team jugging to the top of rocker blocker, they plan to free the pitch so we've given the nod to be passed - they'll likely be out of our way by the time we've switched leads and reorganized anyways. i finally get to the base of rocker blocker itself and decide to hang out there since three bodies are already sharing not much space. i organize the gear that i've cleaned and reflake the ropes ever so neatly. we chat, i eat more and then tim sends down the gear that he has left so that i can organize it with the rest of the gear that's already hanging off my waist. the free climbers get up the pitch, i jug the few feet to tim, we switch everything off, and it's my lead. hell yeah, what a rad bday present. being short presents its fair share of dilemmas in the climbing world. though, i generally see them as fun puzzles to be solved. to get me started, i slap my left foot into the slings, and tim gives me a butt-boost - everything's game in aid climbing, right?? i make it to the first bolt, but getting into the crack requires more weird free moves that are difficult to make when you're short, weak, and have about half your body weight in gear hanging off you. i slip a few times but finally make the move, yeehaw. once i'm into the crack, it's wonderful. yellow aliens the whole way, with a few pieces being left here and there in the off chance that i should fall somehow. this is perfect. beautiful weather, awesome route. i get into the groove of setting gear and walking up the aiders, nothing exists but me and the small crack, perfect hands for someone as tiny as i am. (dreamy sigh) god save me, i'm in heaven. about two-thirds up, i start to slow down, losing juice. i keep pushing, tim radios up, "how are things going up there" .. "i'm okay, just getting tired .. not much further though" we talk about bailing. tim isnt sure if leading p5 in the dark is a good idea, he asks if the free climbers are fixing or bailing. i dont know but call up to ask - they're bailing. we exchange a few friendly words as they rap past me. they're from the boulder area as well so i promise to stop by the gym and say hello one day. (i still need to do that). i finally get to the anchors and radio down to tim. we talk for a bit and i decide that i'd rather clean on rappel than fix lines and then both of us rappel. too much wasted time. as i'm hanging at the anchors, i start to feel myself bonking. i take off the camelbak and dig around for sweet snacks. "is everything okay up there" .. "yeah, i just need some sugar and water" i suck down a honey snack and another powergel then drink some water. i begin the process of setting up my rappel and notice that i'm having to think very deliberately about things. maybe i should radio tim and ask him to double check me or walk me through. i deliberate some more. no, that's retarded, i've set up countless rappels. i check that i'm attached to the anchor in at least two separate ways. i pull up some slack, tie a fig8 on a bite and clip it into the anchor. i untie my knot and begin threading the lead line through the rap rings. not expecting me to make such an egregious error as to attempt a 180' rappel with 100' of rope, my partner sees the haul line and lead line are even and calls up "both ends are down" .. "are you sure" .. "yep - i'm looking at them" .. wow, that felt fast for lowering 100' of rope, but maybe i just zoned out or something. again, the thought crosses my mind to radio down and say that i dont feel like i'm thinking clearly, something doesnt feel right, but decide to get a drink of water and head down instead of wasting more time. the sun has set, darkness is beginning to creep over the earth. the brilliantly colored walls that i'd admired earlier in the day become looming shadows mocking me, both in stature and skill. "how are things going up there" .. "fine, i'm just tired and cranky - i want to eat and smoke" (tim laughs) "well, we've got to get you down here safely first" .. "i know" ... *f---* .. "what happened, is everything okay" .. "yeah, i keep getting my hand caught in the ATC and it hurts" .. i get to the first cam, i should have put a longer sling on it, i cant really clean it. i radio to tim and beg to leave it, i'm wasting energy and can barely think straight. he finally concedes that it's costing more time than its worth. he also asks about the headlamp that i'd borrowed. it should be in one of my pockets. i get a lecture about not considering time on lead vs amount of daylight. i know, i know. i'm sorry. the guys at rocker blocker offer to let me borrow one of theirs. i bring it up on the haul line and put it on, it goes dead shortly thereafter. we consider the possibility of me jugging back up to the anchors and just fixing the lines. i'm so tired that i cant setup the jugs appropriately. f--- it, i just want down, i'll buy you a new f---ing cam. i'm barely able to unclip the cam but finally get it done. i clean several pieces and am in a mindless trance at this point. something is wrong, something is dead wrong. the rappel doesnt feel right, i look down, and see the very tip of the rope barely protruding from my hand. i scream to tim, my voice full of panic, "i'm at the end of the rope" .. "what!?!? how did you do that?" .. "i dont know" i cry in horror. panic sets in, i'm not supposed to die like this. i put the rope in my teeth and try pulling the rope above the ATC down with my left hand while pulling out with my right hand below the ATC, i'm not ready to die yet, but a dark terror tells me that it's inevitable. i take the rope out of my teeth "what do i f---ing do" .. "ties knots in your god damn ropes" .. "i know that .. i thought i had one in there .. help me .. please ... i dont want to die." terror and helpless take over, i give in to panic and eventually lose the rope. i cant remember if i screamed, i dont think i did. i thought about the jug dangling from my waist, all i had to do up there was grab the jug. panic and terror give way to peace as i come to terms with my own death. there were no prayers for life-saving miracles, i didnt deserve one, i f--- up and am paying the price. the fall itself was timeless and peaceful. i thought of my son and my soul ached, i thought of someone who i had loved and unwittingly hurt, i wanted to apologize for the mistakes i'd made, i wanted that person to know that i was sorry, i never understood what i did to cause him pain, but i knew that i had and regreted it to the core of my being. i thought of the countless ways in which i had messed up the rappel. it was dark, i could see nothing and felt only the peace of a place where time doesnt dwell. in some weird way, i communicated with the essence of life itself, in a berth where words dont exist and never will. my life didnt flash before my eyes, and my thoughts werent articulated in pictures or words - they were raw emotion. the gravity of my ambition and naivete set in, my life was over. my arm hurts, i hear the guys yelling from below, the fall had stopped, and i'm alive. i'm dangling precariously by a mess of webbing, aiders, and rope wrapped around my right arm, somewhere near 400' off the deck and about 20' above my partner. i yell down, "i'm okay, i'm alive, i'm hanging by my arm, i need to do something about it though, i'm afraid that i'm going to lose my arm." i notice a perfect red alien by my left hip. it's a few inches away, i consider the options. i'm not sure how tenuous the stuff around my arm is, but it's obviously my life line right now. "i see a red alien, i'm gonna try to clip into it" i move slowly towards the alien and daisy into it then pull the daisy tight. "i need to untangle my arm." "are you sure that you're clipped in" "i think so - is it okay if i untangle my arm" "we cant tell you that. just make sure that you're clipped in to a solid piece." i put my hand on the harness, find the girthhitch and follow the daisy to the piece. i do it again, and call down to the guys as i do so, narrating my every motion to make sure that i'm not missing anything. "okay, i'm going to untangle my arm." i hold my breath and loosen the clusterfck on my arm. as i free it, nothing is left dangling above me. i dont consider it, i'm just happy to have movement in my fingers and to be safely attached to the wall again. memories of conversations came flooding back, conversations where i had talked with glee about my ticklist and been told that i'm not ready for it, that i need to stay on easy routes and train more. conversations that i recalled vividly and painfully, it's never easy to admit when you're wrong - but from the depths of my soul, i wished that i had listened more. i had almost killed myself by listening to the voice of ego over the voice of reason. i took the advice that i wanted to hear instead of that which i needed to hear. i wanted to cry about what i'd done - or almost done - but didnt have the time or energy. doug calls up, "do you have enough gear to build an anchor" .. "what" .. "build an anchor and equalize everything" .. i stuck my hand into the crack to feel its size and then mechanically plucked gear from my harness and sank it into the crack. i found a sling and equalized everything. i tried pulling the lead line, but regardless of how much i tugged on it, it wouldnt come lose. f---, the rope is stuck. i talked with tim about it, and we decided to promote my haul line to my belay loop so that he could lower me. i slowly ease my weight from the alien to the anchor and then unclip. when i arrive at the belay, tim and doug help me put on warmer clothes and check me for basic neuro damage. we talked a bit to make sure that i'm alert and aware, then i quietly cry for damn near depriving my son of his mommy. tim pulls the rope with ease and sets up our rappels so that we're on independent ropes but are attached to each other via a sling girth hitched to my harness and clipped into his. we talk about doing an assisted rappel but then decide that going down on independent ropes would be more pragmatic. i agree that using my grigri for the rappel would be best as i have a full thickness burn across the palm of my left hand from clinging to the rope for dear life, it's crumpled and useless. my right arm hurts from second degree burns that wrap from my shoulder to the wrist, but the hand will work. when we get to solid ground, we talk more about what had arrested the fall. "webbing and aiders wrapped around my arm" .. "i know, but the aiders and webbing had to have caught on the wall somehow to arrest the fall" .. "i know" .. "so what did they catch on" .. "i dont know, there wasnt anything up there." ... major mistakes: - overestimated my skill level and ability to safely function on autopilot, - underestimated the amount of work necessary for the climb, - didnt consider time to complete the pitch vs amount of daylight, - overestimated ability to think clearly when hypoglycemic, - didnt consider rope length vs pitch length when setting up rappel (should have joined the two ropes and was only rapping on lead line folded in half), - used improper knots at bottom of rope (overhand will push itself out when up against an ATC, better to use a barrel knot/fishermans with plenty of tail), - ineffective communication with my climbing partner, - didnt stop to periodically check amount of rope left as i was rappeling, - had no back system for rap, - panicked at go time.

She's blowing this guy for the Banco de Chile sponsorship. I have been sponsered on my up and coming Everest Expedition by Andronico Luksic, Banco de Chile. Andronico is the vice chairman of the bank and a member of the climbing team. He only took up climbing a few years ago and climbs as often as his busy schedule permits. Not only is he an extremely focused and strong climber, he is a great companion to have in the mountains. I would like to thank Andronico for making this dream a reality for me and am so happy to be able to share this adventure of a lifetime with him. Translation: Andronico is a gaper looking for a trophy to hang on the wall back at his office in the bank. Well, he's going to get TWO trophies out of this one . And I'm getting , but so are the banks shareholder's because they're footing the bill Here we are in the hillz [/i] On Sponsorship:Arcteryx have always been my preferred brand as I think they make the most flattering( always important for woman) sports clothes, effortlessly combining fashion with function using the most high tech fabrics available. Even when you are delirious with fatigue at least Arcteryx helps you look good. Nevertheless, I'd tro her a bang.

Pfft! - could take him.

No doubt man, I got one move off the ground and thought it was a major accomplishment There's video around of Kauk styling it too. Makes it look casual.

Next time you're in Camp 4, take a look at the Kauk Slab boulder problem. That thing is a V8 slab problem and is just f'in absurd. If that's what .13 slab looks like, you can have it. People say you don't need strong legs in rock climbing, I'd argue that hard slab climbing required serious leg strength. You can't be bouncing or exploding up into a high step. Most people bounce somewhat when using a high foothold...conciously monitor yourself sometime and see if you don't do it.

They're easy to bust into (I've had to break into one of my own) but at least you can't see the stuff in there and you don't lose a window...although the box usually costs more than a window. I think people trying to break into a roofbox would be much more visible than busting a window and they would have to work at it a bit to figure it out. FYI: A 3ft crowbar will do short work on a rocket box. Best system is a steel construction site job box welded to the floor on the inside of your van. I never worried when I had that set-up.

For sure check out Barley's Taproom as Fromage suggests. It's downtown in Asheville, on Biltmore St. They had 40+ ales on tap last time I was there. And they have nice pool tables/darts/hottie granola chicks upstairs. The current on-tap list: Beers in the downstairs bar: Amstel Light - Holland Anchor Liberty Ale - CA, USA Anchor Porter - CA, USA Anderson Valley Belk's E.S.B. - CA, USA Bass Ale - England Brooklyn Lager - NY, USA Catawba Valley Brown Bear Ale - NC, USA Catawba Valley Firewater IPA - NC, USA Cottonwood Almond Stout - NC, USA Dogwood Bock Lager - GA, USA Fosters Lager - Australia Franziskaner Hefe-Weiss - Germany French Broad 13 Rebels E.S.B. - NC, USA French Broad Goldenrod Pilsner - NC, USA Grolsch - Holland Guinness - Ireland Hardcore Cider - OH, USA Harp Lager - Ireland Highland Gaelic Ale - NC, USA Highland Oatmeal Porter - NC, USA Hoegaarden White - Belgium Horniblow's Tavern American Ale - NC, USA Joseph Hewes Revolutionary Ale - NC, USA Kaliber N/A - England Lindemans Framboise Lambic - Belgium Lindemans Kriek Lambic - Belgium Lindemans Peche Lambic - Belgium Lost Coast 8-Ball Stout - CA, USA Lost Coast Raspberry Brown - CA, USA Negra Modelo - Mexico Newcastle Brown Ale - England Old Speckled Hen - England Pilsner Urquell - Czech Republic Pyramid Apricot Ale - WA, USA Pyramid Coastline Pilsner - WA, USA Pyramid Hefeweizen Ale - WA, USA Red Stripe Lager - Jamaica Rhinebecker Extra (low carb) - Germany Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar - OR, USA Rogue Saint Red - OR, USA Sam Adams Boston Lager - MA, USA Sam Adams Light - MA, USA Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale - England Shiner Bock - TX, USA Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - CA, USA Sierra Nevada Porter - CA, USA Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale - GA, USA Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale - Holland Weihenstephaner Dark Hefe-Weissbier - Germany Beers in the upstairs bar: Abita Purple Haze - LA, USA Abita Turbo Dog Dark Lager - LA, USA Carolina Blonde - NC, USA Catawba Valley Firewater IPA - NC, USA Catawba Valley Honest Injun Stout - NC, USA Catawba Valley Indian Head Red - ND, USA Dogwood Bock Lager - GA, USA French Broad Wee-Heavy Scotch Ale - NC, USA Guinness - Ireland Hardcore Cider - OH, USA Helles Angel Golden Lager - NC, USA Highland Mocha Stout - NC, USA Highland St. Terese's Pale Ale - NC, USA Left Hand Black Jack Porter - CO, USA Rogue Brutal Bitter - OR, USA Rogue Dead Guy Ale - OR, USA Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - CA, USA Thomas Creek Pilsner - SC, USA Uncle Nut's Nut Brown Ale - NC, USA Weihenstephaner Hefe-weiss - Germany Weinstephaner Original Lager - Germany Yuengling Traditional Lager - PA, USA

Shit AlpinFox, is there any climbing near Asheville...are you kidding? And yeah, there's rad ice in the SE too, not in late April, but there's a reliable season down there. I'd check out one of these in order of preference for a first timer: Looking Glass Rock: Close to Asheville, right by Brevard (maybe 30 minutes to the rock from A-ville). Multi-pitch trad routes on bomber granite with the trademark funky "eyebrow" features. About 500ft routes to the top of the dome. Take plenty of small tcus, a normal selection of cams and wires, good smearing shoes, and calm nerves. Also big wall style aid routes on the north side with some full value A4+. This place is great, be aware that the approach to different sides start in different places. Recommended routes: The Nose 5.8, Tits and Beer 5.9, Cornflake Crack 5.11a (highly recommended), Glass Menagerie IV 5.11 A2 or 5.13 (all three star routes in anyone's book). All these are about 4-5 pitches. Glass Menagerie's 3rd belay Whitesides: About 45 min west of Brevard. THE hardman cliff of the SE. 600ft, notorious for hard, runout, scary climbing. Original Route - Checks in at about .11- or .10c A1. The first pitch, runout 5.7 friction...about 1 piece of gear in the pitch, will wake you up for what's to come. Looking up the first pitch of the Original Route I believe cc.com poster johnny is down there near Winston Salem?, RobBob is somewhere over there too. Check out http://www.southeastclimbing.com for good beta on routes, directions, etc. There is tons of good stuff in the Linville Gorge area, but it's a little ways from Asheville and has Peregrine closures at some cliffs too. Have fun, and drink some sweet tea...or better yet some shine.

WinCo is a grocery store, look in the phone book. As an aside, Clifs have almost perfect 4:1 carb to protein ratio for you R4 system freaks.

I don't mark it except the cams. "Hmm, no marking, must be mine"

Is it better than Terry Tate, Office Linebacker? Or the new Microsoft ridiculous dancing white guy in the office? I see TV all of about once a month so I'm a little slow on the commericals.

The Happy Gilmore quote action was

A couple of years ago I was looking at buying property and solicited opinions here on towns. The replies were pretty helpful. For several reasons I never bought land (mainly because I missed the uber-deal on a 40acres/cabin with water in Bishop while rounding up the downpayment.) Now I'm looking at a purchase date of around Oct '06. Yes, I plan ahead. One criteria is the ability to purchase rentable properties in addition to my residence. Other crieteria include access to varied year round climbing, reasonable cost of living, and a moderate climate i.e. the dry side(compared to Fairbanks, it's all moderate though). If you were choosing between Ellensburg, the Methow Valley, Wenatchee, Leavenworth, or other...which and why?

Umm, yeah. TLG I climb mostly in a pair of Rambos (which have the same frontpoints as the G14) so yes, I'm in the Grivel camp too. I also have Sabertooths, which I really like for almost anything. That said, the Sabertooths are cheaper than the G14 by about $35, lighter by around 10oz, and one of the best all-arounders to be had. They probably beat the G14 in everything except pure, steep WI. And in that case I'm climbing in the Rambos anyway. Mixed? Give me the Sabers, Iffy snow? Sabers. Have you ever climbed with Sabertooths or do you just want to slag on them?

BD Sabertooths.

That's right beyotchs! GT is in the championship game.

Eat a 8==========D Nolan, ACC rocks your dome!

Maybe not, but they drive far less miles per capita, and they drive econoboxes that get 40+mpg. Here's a question: If mpg in the private vehicle fleet increased by 20% what would the reduction in our oil demand be? 5%, 10%? Significant I would think, and enough to drop prices.

Alright Doolittle, let me spell it out: First, I didn't say good for the economy, although you could argue for that too. I said, the repercussions would be a net positive. Gas consumption would decrease = less pollution. Consumers would move toward more fuel efficient vehicles = less pollution. The impetus to aggessively pursue alternative energy sources would be in place. Less consumption would decrease demand and thereby lower prices. As for the trucking of good: Increased transp costs would decrease the trend of consolidation. The economies of scale that large agri-business enjoys at the expense of smaller independent local producers would diminish. Smaller producers would thrive because they produce close to the site of consumption. This would put less money into overpaid CEOs pockets and more into your local community.

Did you ever think that maybe they are leveraging their best, most in demand skills? Doing the job they are most qualified to do and can perform better than anyone else in order to provide for their families as well as protect fellow Americans in a dangerous situation? If you are a programmer, would you rather work at Circuit City making minimum wage or for a software developer paying you for your unique skill set? All you knee jerk lefty liberal armchair generals would be cowering in a corner or grabbing your ankles and taking it if the shit ever hit the fan in the US. You'd better be grateful that there are still real men in this country that can protect your effete ass.

That's the area. The road dead center at the very top actually ends at a creek just north of there now (the photo is from 1994). Pan up and you'll see the creek. The pinnacles/ cliff on the cathedral is pretty evident in those pics too. Note that you can toggle to a topo map when you're on terraserver too.

Just my opinion, but if you don't agree with my opinion you are WRONG.