Uncle_Tricky

I'd second many of the nominees. To me, bests relate to the experience of climbing them, and some of that definitely relates to the rock itself. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the last couple pitches of the W face of North Early. Dramatic position, nice exposure, two long crack pitches splitting an otherwise blank shield. The last pitch, is pretty moderate at 10a and has a nice fingercrack that widens to great hands as the angle backs off and becomes sort of Givler's-like. And, it's a fullpitch--with a 60 meter, you can run it all the way to the top and enjoy the situation.

Police, Climbers Clash as Downtown becomes Battlefield Associated Press 12/04/02 A spontaneous protest turned ugly last night, as a group of several dozen disgruntled individuals affiliated with the Cascadeclimber.com web site marched on the Forest Service headquaters just after 10 pm. Apparently upset with the Forest Service Fee Demonstration Program, the protest turned quickly from peaceful to chaotic. Witnesses said that police failed to tackle the agitating climbers properly and resorted to harsh action including tear gas and clubbings to disperse them. "Some of them are pure animals. They'd be animals in any society. These guys and gals are outlaw types who should have been born a hundred years ago--then they would have been gunfighters," said Seattle's Chief of Police. The bartender at the Owl and Thistle, where the group had been imbibing peacefully prior to the protest, offered a more positive assessment of the climbers: "They're not bad people, at least individually. I'll tell you one thing: I'd rather have a bunch of Cascadeclimbers on my hands than a pack of rabid bloodthirsty wolves." UW professor Richard Blow offered some insight into the unrest: "Mob psychology is an ugly thing because you never know when a mob can turn vicious, in an instant, and inflict the most unspeakable atrocities." One stunned Cascadeclimbers known only "Ehmic" agreed. "We had been weak, but when we acted as a mob we became strong, and what we did ... my God, it was like being in the power of a mindless monster ... it is a nightmare to think about." Mattp, another Cascadeclimber, was less apologetic: "We're the one-percenters, man--the one percent that don't fit it and don't care. So don't talk to me about your doctor bills or your mortgage or your traffic warrants--I mean you go get your woman, rope, rack and your banjo, and you're on your way. We've punched our way out of a hundred rumbles, staying alive with nothing but our fists and our boots. People will just have to learn to stay out of the way. We'll bust up everyone who gets in our path. And I refuse to buy a Forest Pass." Asked about the group's potential for future trouble making, an anonymous police official said "How did the Cascadeclimbers grow to be such disliked misanthropes? The answer is it wasn't easy. They work overtime at being crude, cruel and crafty. They are a menace, a damn serious scourge upon the earth that is growing bigger every year." The Chief of police agreed, "the Cascadeclimbers are rude, lame, unmade, pernicious in their demands and influences"; he said. "They are not to be flattered but to be schooled. I wish not to concede anything to them, but to tame, drill, divide, and to break them up, and draw individuals out of them." The location of the next "Pub Club," is unknown at this time, but officials have promised to have riot police on call in case things once again spiral into chaos and disorder.

Screw math. I have a PHD in Guesstimation and a Masters in the Science of the Inexact. Then again, perhaps that's why the place I built is not square, level or plumb... As the old Norwegian carpenter I used to work with always said, "Measure once, cut three times and use the sledgehammer to pound the ill-fitting pieces into place. Then burn the whole piece of shit to the ground and start over. This time measuring twice."

The idea that "if you haven't done anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide" reveals a basic lack of respect and understanding for the principles of the constitution. I value the bill of rights, not because I personally, selfishly NEED them to protect me, but because I think they are innately valuable (or, as our founders put it, God-Given) principles on which to order a just and free society in the first place. When we take those rights away from those who do have something to hide, our own rights have been lost as well, because the same rights serve both citizen and criminal.

AlpineK poses a good question for the fans of the 2nd amendment who don't seem to care much for the 4th. I'm interested to hear what Greg, et al have to say about that. I wonder how Hillary Clinton will use the new police state powers we're giving to the executive branch if she's elected in '08. Perhaps Chuck Schumer would be in charge of total information awareness? I mean, a total surveillance society would sure be handy in rooting out that dangerous "vast right wing conspiracy" that was to blame for all her husband's problems. But seriously, I like the Bill of Rights--all of them--not just the certain ones trumpeted by the Democratic party, or the select favorites of the Republican party. I'm happy there's an ACLU out there, and I'm happy there's an NRA. I'm not interested in giving away our constitutionally protected freedoms to anyone, whether their last name is Bush or Clinton or whatever. Because regardless of how much I support or trust the leader of the day, the day WILL come when we will regret what we have lost.

I've heard the approach to the O&T can be pretty heinous, complete with routefinding difficulties and objective hazards, including but not limited to: driving-while-talking-on-their-cell-phone-and-picking-their-nosemaniacs, vicious (and organized) seagulls, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Still my strategy is to travel light and fast, and go for the car-to-car in a day via the coveted old 99 route. Barring bad weather, or an earthquake that entombs me under the Alaska Way Viajustducky, I hope to raise a few

Freaky. Reminds me of a time my younger brother was climbing down at American Fork. He clipped a bolt on this big roof/block. Just when he committed to pulling over the roof, the horizontal crack above the roof/block widened from fingertip size to over an inch. Of course he thought it was all over--he was clipped to this one ton block that was creaking and moving. He couldn't down climb back under the roof/block he was hanging onto. He knew if he fell, it would likely pull the block, which would have been the end for him and his belayer. So, he unclipped the draw that was attached to the bolt on death block, and was able to delicately finish the move and get above the roof. When he rapped down, he was able to levered off the block (with the bolt it it) just by jumping up and down on the horizontal crack that he'd used to pull by it on the way up.

Yah, it be sweet. The last couple pitches of the W face of NEWS are up there as well!

Concerns about privacy and anonymity and Constitutional protections are so last century. After all, if you've done nothing wrong, what have you got to hide? I do think they could have come up with a catchier name for the Patriot Act, though. Perhaps the "Freedom from Constitutional Protections Act," or perhaps the "Freedom from Information Act," or maybe the "Freedom from the Scary Implications of Freedom Act." Just remember kids, it's dangerous to be right if the government is wrong!

After climbing mostly cracks, corners, ow, slabs and chimneys this past season, I felt pretty strong. Then recently I got on some moderate sport climbs that were steep and fingery or overhanging and juggy and I realized how weak I'd become at that sort of climbing. I guess I was kinda surpised by how being in shape for one did and didn't transfer into the other. And of course the physical diffs are just one part of the equasion. So I was wondering about a couple things: First, what are your observations about how the physical conditioning involved in crack climbing contributes to your ability to sport climb, or vice-versa? Second, how and to what extent do the two compliment or differ from each other in terms of technique, strategy or whatever as you're actually climbing? It seems common that most people who have done a fair amount of both trad and sport climbing can lead sport climbs at a higher grade than they can lead gear climbs. How big is the difference for you, and how has that gap evolved over time? Lastly, how big a difference is there between what you can lead and what you can toprope/follow? (a couple grades, more?) How much does this vary depending on whether it's a face climb or a crack route?

I am living proof of Darwin. I was once you. Then I devolved. Then I evolved. Now I revolve. "Are you sure those were chantrelles?"

Yup, tis quiet, too quiet. I'm stuck at work tonight, but I have some leftovers being delivered any minute! So tell us about the new categories for the # of posts--I guess I'd rather be a choss dawg than a chronic gumby.

Dru wrote quote: But hey: check out this website for an explanation: OK, so if I understand you correctly, Mt. Erie is actually just a big concretion of petrified ancient meat-eating hippo poo?

Ultramafic, eh? Now that's a cool name for rock! Too bad that's not what they named granite. ("Dude, I'm going to go climb some ultramafic crack routes.")

Someone told me the Fidalgo Complex is an ophiolite. Ophiolite is formed in areas of rifting where two oceanic plates are being forced apart by addition of new magma from below. The types of rocks which form at spreading ridges are strongly influenced by both igneous and metamorphic processes. This region was a mixing zones, where both solids (lavas) and fluids from the Earth's crust and mantle interact with seawater, resulting in extensive low temperature and low pressure alteration of existing minerals and precipitation of new ones.

So Jake, how would you feel if Russia announced it's intention to invade Saudi Arabia? Seems they could make a similar case based on national interests, given that the Saudis have been proven of funding "terrorists" in Chechnaya fighting for freedom from Russian rule.

Man, we sure know how to pick our allies. Here in the last month, it's been revealed that Pakistan shipped nuclear bomb technology to North Korea in exchange for missile technology as recently as this summer. And this weekend it's been revealed that the Saudi Government was funneling money to the hijackers via the Ambassador's wife right up until September 11. The administration knew about both of these incidents for months, but has tried to keep them secret. 15 years ago, Osama, the Taliban and Saddam were our "friends and allies." We supported them with intelligence, weapons and money. So whaddaya you want to bet that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, our two closest muslim "allies" in the "war on terrorism," will be our enemies within a decade? But for now the Bush administration gives them intelligence, weapons and money, and defends these dictatorships like a defense attorney. Hell, a way better case could be made for invading either of our "allies" than can be made for invading Iraq.

Best: *A mellow day spent cragging near Mazama with old friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in years (several of which had never climbed). *Climbing a 5 pitch 5.10 on Beacon Rock with my younger brother and nephew in 40 mph wind. *Leading 18 pitches in a day (Apron/Squamish Buttress) *North Early Winter Spire, NW Corner and W Face. *Clipping the anchors on "the Coffin" in Utah. Worst: *Taking a 35+ foot whipper and ending up a few feet above the ground. *Pulling on gear, then kicking myself afterwards, thinking "I should have freed that or at least taken the fall trying!"

Yeah, the highway is open. It's been warm this week, and what little snow there was has mostly melted. There's only patchy snow up there, from none to a few inches.

I find my colostomy bag is always a conversation starter. Hang in the Stefan, get healed!

I find the flake to be the crux, but that's why it's classic--several different cruxes with different challenges and different ways to tackle them. So I'm curious, at the flake, you can do a straight lieback up the right side, or lieback and jam it a bit, or face climb up the flake itself, or take the left corner and use the crack on the left wall to bypass the lieback. Which do you guys usually do? Do you think the right lieback or the left corner is easier?

I heard a rumor that the Tooth may go free, but be careful--Cavey jealously gaurds his project and will rain insults and boulders down upon any hardman foolish enough to attempt to scoop him. But seriously, if you want a challenge, how bout trying to onsight all the cracks on midnight rock in a day? [ 11-18-2002, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Uncle Tricky ]

rurp wrote: quote: I was referring specifically to DOGS! Sorry--my bad!

Toast, you'll find godzilla a bit more strenuous than orbit.