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terrible_ted

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Everything posted by terrible_ted

  1. Saturday weather uncertain. I wait, too long. Now the lawn is short.
  2. I wouldn't argue with you there for a minute. I just think that the majority of summit registers actually require a bit of work to hunt out, particularly on more obscure peaks. Windblocks really kill it for me, it's like you're walking into someone's bedroom. And not in a good way! Curiously enough, when on less traveled summits which DO have registers, I often get a greater sense of remoteness when I find a summit register that hasn't had entries for that year, or even for a couple of years. -t
  3. I've always had a tough time reconciling that sentiment with the notion of beta . I figure that FA's are entitled to that pristine, untouched appearance, but otherwise you're just fooling yourself or setting unrealistic expectations. I like the sense of history that registers evoke, especially the old ones. Seeing the entries by past climbing partners, early route pioneers, the dear and not so dearly departed, etc... is my favorite way of staying in touch with the climbing community...
  4. I've had the Khamsin 62 for a few years now. I like it. The pack behaves well until you get over 45# in it, at which point the load starts to shift around when you move. I consider it a good indicator that you're carrying too much weight... It sucks down nicely when near empty (i.e. summit attempts, day climbs, etc..) and the sub 4# weight is none too onerous. It's light on gimmicks, although the top compartment does detach for use as a fanny pack. I was going to cut the straps for this off, but I found that I actually use it on occasion.
  5. My recollection was that the main gully very obviously petered out above the large (2nd, 3rd?)waterfall. We went around this large waterfall on the left side. Passing that, it would be very easy to continue too far up. The cave on the right was a good clue. I think the main gully continued for another 50 odd meters (above the turnout) before steepening. Following that line eastward did eventually require some grunting to get over heathery slabs, but nothing too sporty. I don't have my notes handy, but I can look them over tonight to see if I had anything useful jotted down. It's a straightforward route, but parties have consistently had trouble with it over the years. -t
  6. quote: Originally posted by Toast: that's like saying you won't wear your seat belt driving because you never push the limits... and if you wore the belt you might start speeding No, it isn't the same at all. The only purpose an avalanche beacon serves is to recover a corpse from the snow. It doesn't afford you ANY PROTECTION. A seat belt PROVIDES PROTECTION. If I heard even ONE account of a person in the PNW being recovered ALIVE from a burial avalanche, I might reconsider. As it stands, I don't see the purpose. It's a waste of effort (learning to use it) and money. Money and effort probably better spent on avalanche avoidance courses, although most experts rate short courses as only marginably valuable. Let's say a beacon is found at $200. Say you make $30/hour, (wouldn't that be nice... )which means your take home pay is roughly (shut up!) $20/hour. Let's say it takes 4 hours to gain modest competence with your new beacon. You've invested 14 hours of your labor into a device designed to help somebody else recover your body. Why not spend $120 on an 8 hour avalanche course designed to keep you out of an avalanche in the first case? It's the same 14 hours of labor... I'm just guessing here (Most climbers are paid less than $30/hr and most pay closer to $300 for a beacon, and ignoring the fact that it takes two beacons to do anything...), I have no idea what most courses cost, but the point is that the time and money spent in allowing someone else to recover your corpse would be much better off spent teaching yourself how to keep it alive in the first place. Besides, there'd be more Spring booty! -t
  7. quote: Originally posted by mattp: The fact is that the number of avalanche vicims who are dug up alive after being completely buried (so they couldn't have been found by simply walking on top of the debris and looking for them) is very small (I think it was reported to be almost zero). I forget who it was, but they quoted some avalanche expert who suggested that the whole emphasis on recovery is misguided and may in fact distract from what we should be focussing on: avoidance. I couldn't agree more. I don't have a beacon and I don't plan on getting one. I've spent dozens of hours practicing and even teaching their use (and I have to agree that the newer technology beats the hell out of the old earplug Ortovox), but I just don't see the point. Maybe in Colorado, but here? Beacons are for corpses. Does anyone know of a case where someone was completely buried by a PNW avalanche and recovered alive? $600 is a lot to pay for timely recovery of cab fare or the car keys. If you don't have a beacon, I contend you're much more likely to make the right decision (i.e. route change or turnaround) when your "lucky" turn comes. -t
  8. The stability of a society is related to the income disparity between the wealthy and the poor. A larger taxable rate for wealthy individuals is justified by the increased earning advantage such social stability affords them. A wealthy Brazilian businessman would be thrilled to trade a 40% income tax for the social stability our system affords us. It beats the hell out of armed guards and security fences. Reliable margins and predictability is worth more than gold to any sensible business professional. That's why we have things like hog and corn "futures." The economic prosperity this country experienced through the Eisenhower administration was matched with a top marginal tax rate of 88%. So much for discouraging "work." If you want to make a difference that counts, lower the payroll tax. It gives more money to people who tend to spend everything they make. That's what makes the economy grow, you stupid-ass supply-siders. The problem with giving more money to wealthy people is that they don't spend it. -t
  9. If you want some action, make some noise. Figure out which of the following local newspaper columnists has the appropriate axe to grind, and feed them your very compelling story (guns, axes, screws, late nights, or late-night screwing(?), hillbillies, incompetent policing and high-powered (?) rifles...). Remember: these guys have to come up with something compelling to write about every single day. Spoonfeed them your account, get them a copy of the police report, and make sure to drop some comments like, "what with the recent sniper attacks out East, it seems a real shame that they take such a lax attitude..." Here's a starter list: robertjamieson@seattlepi.com susanpaynter@seattlepi.com jlarge@seattletimes.com joelconnelly@seattlepi.com rjudd@seattletimes.com jonhahn@seattlepi.com elacitis@seattletimes.com nbrodeur@seattletimes.com -t [ 10-29-2002, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: terrible ted ]
  10. quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: For most people I would not recommend learning to lead on 90 degree slopes. Don't let your ego get you hurt ice climbing. Bring it on mellow and be happy with what you accomplish. Challenging yourself is good but don't let it bite you in the ass. Especially if you are leading and not just follwing up the rope like a robot. I still am learning and get gripped leading 90 degree ice. It's not like rock climbing. More work envolved for me. More strenuous. I couldn't agree more. You know you're in it deep when the thought "at least I'm going to die doing what I loved..." keeps going through your mind... Do yourself a favor TLG, and spend an hour or so "hiking" up and down the lower third of Obs. Rock working on foot placements. It's not as sexy as vertical ice, but it'll ramp up your technique even quicker than the styrofoam wall. Practice standing on your front points long enough to place two screws and build an anchor... Build an Ablakov anchor. OR is a great little climb. I'd be willing to escort you, but I sliced the tip of my finger in half and I want to give it a week to 'reanneal.' PM me if you want to go in November. -t
  11. quote: Originally posted by carolyn: If there is someone below I always have them do a fireman's belay. I figure whats it gonna hurt? Beginning rappeller + loose rock = hurt belayer Personally, I don't stand under rappellers. If I'm worried about my partners rappelling skills, I have them set up an Autoblock. But, I don't wait until I'm up a route to teach my partners to rappel, especially when there's just two of us. -t
  12. Jeez Don! Take it easy! You're hitting that "Add Reply" button like a crack monkey at dinnertime.... Actually, I wonder if anyone read all four thinking "boy, this sounds familiar..." -t
  13. quote: Originally posted by erik: 28 GRAMS Unless you don't have your own balance. Then it's more like 25....
  14. quote: Originally posted by ryland moore: quote: Yeah, but sometimes that means they are eating snails and other fishy stuff, that can make the meat taste a little off too.! Hmm... can't agree with you there, Ryland. That crustacean flavor is what gives the meat character! That's why I've never got too worked up over chinese chickens - not that walking fields on a chilly, foggy morning isn't a pleasure, but the meat on those grain fed birds really ain't that much different from a decent farm raised chicken. I haven't picked up a shotgun in years, but I have a good friend who still shoots the flats around Willapa Bay that keeps me stocked. A real treat is to line everything up with some razor clams and do some mixed duck/clam/wild mushroom feasts... Rules for cooking ducks: #1 Separate the breast from the legs, they just don't cook the same. Legs need a thorough cooking to break down the ligament/cartilege tissues, while breasts just need a good warming. #2 Hot, hot, hot! If smoke isn't rolling out of the pan or out from under the grill then you're doing something wrong! #3 Crush the bones and get the blood. Swirl it into a fruit/stock/glace mixture. Not too hot or the proteins in the blood will coagulate. Oranges, cranberries and the like are good fruit matches. Serve over the duck. I'm still looking for a <$1000 duck press... #4 [actually a rule for all cooked meats] Let the meat rest covered for at least 5 - 10 minutes after cooking. That means all the meat should come off the heat before it's cooked through. #5 Uneaten duck meat is not allowed. You have a moral obligation to see what you killed is eaten. That's why I always get seconds! And thirds, and... well, that's why I always get this thick layer of duck fat protecting my vitals... -t
  15. Oh yeah, one other thing - I found you've got get those Silvers on the Sky and the Skagit within the first day that they push in off the bubble. They get real close-mouthed after a day or so, I never figured that out. They should be stacked up like cordwood below the hatchery on the Cascade about now. Good luck SS... I say get 'em with a spear. -t
  16. The solution is easier than all of this bullshit. Turn over the commercial salmon fisheries of Oregon, Washington and California to the Indians. They tend to sell the majority of "their" half of the fish, anyways. The remainder can then be tended to maintain the much more lucrative and rewarding sport salmon fishery. That way, the stores stay stocked, the Indians have real jobs, the sport guys don't have to compete with the gillnetters for allotments, and the people can get a taste of what a salmon-rich river is really like. Maybe enough to slow down the hammerlock on habitat degradation. Having grown up in a fishing town, with multiple generation of family members in the business, I can state with certainty that closing out the last few holdouts in the commercial salmon fishery would be doing them, and their children, a big favor. Given the value of those boats anymore, it wouldn't even cost the Feds much to close them out. It's nice that the ocean decided to feed the guys a little better over the last few years. The lower Columbia has been seeing some nice fish. Too bad we're about a year off from the next downturn... Lower Columbia estuary ducks are the best! They've been eating ocean critters and briny eelgrass, giving them a rich, oily sea-soaked flavor. Smoked duck and Scotch... that'll cure ya' of what ails ya'... -t
  17. terrible_ted

    scrambling

    It's funny how you have the time to search out and post numerous photographs illustrating all sorts of outdoor endeavors, but no time nor inclination to figure out what the word "scramble" means. Is that so you can clamber upon your soapbox to piously proclaim "I just wanted her to explain what she meant..." while lobbing a long abusive string at her? Somehow, I suspect you may actually have already known what she meant... Congratulations, asshole, you're a real live bully. Fortunately, you apparantly have a posse. No wonder this site has such a poor reputation. Someone posts looking for a partner, and pretty much unleashes a vicious string of bullshit. Either that, or when sounding out the word s-c-r-a-m-b-l-e you heard the word s-p-r-a-y. -t
  18. It's funny how you have the time to search out and post numerous photographs illustrating all sorts of outdoor endeavors, but no time nor inclination to figure out what the word "scramble" means. Is that so you can clamber upon your soapbox to piously proclaim "I just wanted her to explain what she meant..." while lobbing a long abusive string at her? Somehow, I suspect you may actually have already known what she meant... Congratulations, asshole, you're a real live bully. Fortunately, you apparantly have a posse. No wonder this site has such a poor reputation. Someone posts looking for a partner, and pretty much unleashes a vicious string of bullshit. Either that, or when sounding out the word s-c-r-a-m-b-l-e you heard the word s-p-r-a-y. -t
  19. quote: Originally posted by Dave Schuldt: Seems like a lot of work for only 2 feet. I would just deal with the bathroom as is. Always nice to see a professional offer some advice...
  20. quote: Originally posted by crazyjz: I think I'm going to buy either a DeWalt Cabinet saw or a Powermatic 64. Don't do it! Go with some old iron, i.e. Rockwell, Oliver, Yates... You'll never regret it! old iron -t
  21. terrible_ted

    FRESHIEZ

    originally posted by Muir on Saturday: quote: maybe it would help if people kept the trip reports in the trips reports Bingo! We have a winner. This site can be different things for different people, but not when everything ends up mixed together. I thought that was why there were moderators. Not for censorship, but for organization. -t
  22. originally posted by Muir on Saturday: quote: maybe it would help if people kept the trip reports in the trips reports Bingo! We have a winner. This site can be different things for different people, but not when everything ends up mixed together. I thought that was why there were moderators. Not for censorship, but for organization. -t
  23. Uh-oh, now we're getting into the dangerous liability area... Cutting out truss support studs should make you very nervous!!! I wouldn't be thrilled about doing it without an appropriately sized header/trimmer support. You're basically putting in a new 6' X 8' window or door in the side of the house. If you have any double doors or large picture windows in the house, figure out how they were framed, and then replicate it. A better idea would be to find a licensed contractor and pay her for a half hours time in order to tell you how to do it. They should be able to eyeball it and tell you if a 4X6 header resting on 2X4 (or 2X6) trimmers is adequate, or if you need to go further. You can just finish a soffit over it rather than lower the entire ceiling. I hate trusses, and I won't own a house built with them, and I only remodel my own homes, so I've avoided them successfully for many years... By venting I was referring to a bathroom fan. These are generally sized by sq. ft. You're adding about 100 sf of space. If your fan is undersized, then less moisture is cleared when the shower is running, which means more moisture is left in the house. Poor moisture handling plagues new (post 1960's) construction more than anything else. You would be shocked to find the number of bathroom vents that just vent into the attic space. It's a criminal act, one which has fueled more work for remodelers and roofers than anything else. An ounce of prevention... You'll get much better advice over at Fine Homebuilding. Breaktime Good luck, and don't knock your house down... -t
  24. quote: Originally posted by sexual chocolate: My question is this: would it be ok to frame it in with 2*4s instead of the standard exterior wall 2*6s? I'd save some interior space, and the whole unit would be lighter and cheaper, too. And the loss in insulation wouldn't be that big of a deal, since it is the bathroom, right? 2X4 stick construction will be plenty adequate, although I agree that the "space" savings is negligible. Spray-in insulations would be most efficient (and you could probably DIY using the stuff in cans for this small an area) although they will have an off-gassing period. Because most exterior bathroom walls are the ones with the plumbing, you probably won't be replacing or adding any electrical outlets. If you do, however, make sure they are GFCI's and make sure you insulate around the boxes (spray-in polyisocyanates are a real plus here) as power outlets are typically the greatest source of drafts. Insulate the hell out of your bathroom (no one likes a cold seat/cold floor and no one wants to listen to you toot your horn or puke your guts out) and ventilate it even better. If you're substantially increasing the size of the bathroom then you may want to recheck the adequacy of your venting. You might also want to check and make sure it's venting to the outdoors, and not your attic...
  25. Oh my god... used by a sport climber... I feel so cheap... Reminds me of Ewan McGregor's diatribe in Trainspotting about the the Scots...(It's nae good blamin it oan the English fir colonising us. Ah don't hate the English. They're just wankers. We are colonised by wankers. We can't even pick a decent, vibrant, healthy culture to be colonised by) -t
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