Jim

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/27/showbiz/lou-reed-obit/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Certainly one-of-a-kind. First time I saw him was in the basement of some ratty bar on McDougal in the Village. The last time was at the Paramount in Seattle, I dunno, 10 years ago? He had just come out with an album and was playing a variety of songs from that. There was and asshole in the balcony who kept yelling "how about playing some rock-and-roll"--- over and over, almost ruining one of the songs. Finally LR had enough. He stopped after the song pointed a finger towards the heckler and said "this is rock-and-roll, it's my rock-and-roll and if you don't like it mother fucker than get your ass outta here and get a refund" The crowd cheered, heckler silenced. From various cicumstances I got to be friends with DY of the Velvet Undergound when he was in NYC, but now out here. LR would pop in once in a while - the take was always that he was a smart as a whip, good writer, so-so muscian, but always surrounded himself with great ones.

Been skiing the Coombacks for two years now on tele set up. I like them a lot. They are pretty versatile and excell in the powder and deep crud. Not so hot on the packed, but then again, what are you doing sking in-area anyway? I've used them for backcountry out of the Wallowa huts, so long day-touring for four days in a row - great for that. I find them too heavy and fat for spring skiing so I just switch to my old BD crossbows and lighter old boots for the non-pow season. I was going to do the trans-Sierra this year but lack of snow intervened - and I was leary of the weight of my setup so picked up a pair of BD Aspects - have had them out only one powder day and they were more flexible than the Coombacks, could bite a bit more in the packed, and it seemed I could get them around faster. That's my take - good luck.

Been there, but haven't done it in such style! Go Grrrrrils!

HO! Great report - great job. I've not climbed in the Valley, and if ever this one was on my tick list, it's not now. Whew!

Thanks for photos/report. Nice job. Congrats Steve - always difficult to swallow hard and return on something like that. Especially with a peak nammed Terror -

Short answer is no - I made the same mistake first time up that. That left crack is, I dunno, 8ish - 9ish, I remember it feeling odd. You can't see the standard finish from the position of the photo - you need to go up to the final headwall and then traverse around the corner right - and then it's duh! There it is!

HS - 4:33 mile, 14:40 cross country 3 mi College - 4:22 mi 37 yrs old - 2:42 marathon 40th birthday - Stuart trail head to Snow Lake parking lot - 3:50 Close to 60 now - don't run except occassional trial run/walks and stair workouts. Hard on body but I really miss it.

Demand, thus price, for divorce lawyers will go up!

OK. I'm not that bold, especially with decent rap stations. The upper 5.4 - 5.6 (choice) is pretty exposed. Below that would be more reasonable to downclimb (IMO). There's couple 5.7 moves on the direct start from the ramp down. First rap is short 15m or so, second maybe 45m. Could downclimb from there but also is easy rap, down ramp then hooking the rope over a corner and down a crack - can pull ropes from up hill - no rocks came down on our pull and easy to pull from the uphill so you are clear. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the heads up L - very cool project.

Ya know, I was kinda thinking, shoot- I could tele-hop this thing. Down climbing face-in with crampons was necessary. Because of the side moat it would be a pain to try and set up a rap. I even brought a few pins for that option. I asked the other two folks on their way down about building a bollard or two, but they were dismissive. Probably 6 o' one, half-dozen of the other considering the time to build a rappel. It would, however, be a long honkin' way to drag in skis. Now if I still had those Chouinard firn gliders....

.....with a worse record.

Was a long but fun day. Minor worry about all the snow melt and big hunks calving off adjacent basin - some fridge sized-pieces were bouncing all the way to the coulir top-out. And we were hoping that the log crossing would not be submerged with all the melt water. But was ok.

Trip: East Willman Spire - Standard Date: 6/28/2013 Trip Report: This one has been on the list for a while so Amy (youngster) and I left Seattle around 6:30 on Saturday for a day of bikes, snow, and rock. The first objective hazard was the dang Sauk crossing - haven't been up there for a while so this was a treat. Took of the bike shoes and did the log crossing in socks while carrying the bike. Snow was present in Glacier Basin so that was a relief. Some typical scree scrambles were interspersed. Couloir went well with one tool and sans crampons. One party of two young bucks were just ahead of us - we paused at the pass waiting for a brief shower to pass. Luckily the clouds were veiling the sun on the way up. When we were ready for the rock it became sunny. From the basin Couloir filled with snow - yes! Last pitch The bike ride from the town site was a hoot - can't imagine plodding that after a long day. Gear Notes: Took a second tool but never used. Crampons and one tool for down climb. Approach Notes: Dry until Glacier Basin

Also near Barlow Pass - Del Campo. And Mt. Forgotten on the on the north side of the road is a great trail run/scramble.

It's going to be interesting to watch how this progresses. The technology curve is pretty stunning. I've been on one study where we used one of these: Critter Cam in the Sky They are getting cheaper and easier to use. I was working on the Idaho Power big game study mentioned where the plane crashed and two biologists and the pilot were killed. Having been in my share of 'copters and small fixed wing craft for field work in the lower 48 and AK- and having lost colleagues, maybe this cheaper and safer way for some work will cut down on such tragedy. But anyway - they are getting cheaper and everyone loves gadgets. So how this meshes with public privacy is going to be a process.

I don't usually autobloc except when snow/icey, but I think I will on the first few raps on this new one. Debating about 8.7 vs 8.9. Off to Sierra and any weight reducion would make me happy for the slog to base.

Wow. This is tiny. Looking for a light alpine rope - anyone try this one? They also make an 8.9 - assume that is a bit more durable.

Thank you Matt. I spent part of the day in the cemetery with the Vets doing a little maintenance. One of them pointed me to a review of the 3rd Volume of WWII history by Rick Atkinson in the NYT Book Review on Sunday: After all the noise and fury, it is the quiet moments that echo in the memory. In October 1945, Henry A. Wright, a widower, was waiting at the train station when the bodies of his three sons came home - Frank, killed on christmas Eve in the Battle of the Bulge; Harold, dead of his wounds in a German POW camp; and elton,killed in Germany just two weeks before the war ended. Their coffins were placed in the bedroom of the farmhouse near Springfield, MO, where each had been born. "Neighbors kept vigil overnight, carpeting the floor with roses, and in the morning they bore the brothers to Hilltop Cemetery for burial side by side by side beneath an iron sky"

For warm and light these guys can't be beat: http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage_na.nsf

What? Is Ivan now steering the Mars Rover?? [video:youtube]

He also was famous for leading a desperate pitch then telling his second - "Don't fall here or we'll both go!" Then chuckling at watching them, wide-eyed, and gripped.

Hard to come close to some of his antics and epics. One bold SOB. Met him in the early '80s. Mellowed by then. Old school ballsy.

I'm just glad we're getting clear and concise news coverage of all of this. All the BS all the time

Two isolated losers. This sounds familiar. Not sure what is sadder, that they thought this was a solution to whatever ailed them or the current media feeding frenzy. I don't have cable and mostly use the tube as a streaming vehicle. Looked on line at CNN live coverage - holy shite - about a minute was enough.