Jim

IMO, not w/o skis this time of year. Nice summer hike. Decent ski this time of year, you can yo-yo the peak a couple of times and he coulir from the pass is challenging (for me anyway). It's one of my favorite moderate spring skis and a good day out in the mountains.

Touche!! Can you go up Ruth Mt. ahead of us next week?

Good times were had by all on a ski trip to Vesper Peak on Saturday May Day. A tree that had blocked the Sunrise Mine road is clear and you get to the trailhead now. As other places in the northern drainages bridges have be demolished from last autumn's flood. The nice bridge over the first creek has been stripped to the two main, creaky beams, which makes for an interesting double tightrope in tele boots. The big creek crossing, which was always interesting, is gone. But due to some great engineering by a party ahead of us its better than the orginal, but unlikely to last storm flows. Thanks guys! While snow still fills the valley below Hadlee Pass there's a bunch of old avy debris that one should avoid for more pleasant skiing. It's the softest snow I've seen up there this early in the year, and going fast. The cornice atop the col is easily avoided via rock on the right. We were joined by 9 other skiers, one very energetic dog, and one hiker (why bother?). The malamute made friends with us as soon as we opened our lunch. Being ignored he managed to find someone's discarded enchalida by sticking half his body into a rock crevice. The ski down was ok, as long as you avoided the minor slides you set off. One alpine touring type was having a hard time of it and got carried, slowly, about 50 yards in a small slide of his own making. No danger, just embarassing. The col was skiable as it was so soft. Another fun day in the sun.

Good times were had by all on a ski trip to Vesper Peak on Saturday May Day. A tree that had blocked the Sunrise Mine road is clear and you get to the trailhead now. As other places in the northern drainages bridges have be demolished from last autumn's flood. The nice bridge over the first creek has been stripped to the two main, creaky beams, which makes for an interesting double tightrope in tele boots. The big creek crossing, which was always interesting, is gone. But due to some great engineering by a party ahead of us its better than the orginal, but unlikely to last storm flows. Thanks guys! While snow still fills the valley below Hadlee Pass there's a bunch of old avy debris that one should avoid for more pleasant skiing. It's the softest snow I've seen up there this early in the year, and going fast. The cornice atop the col is easily avoided via rock on the right. We were joined by 9 other skiers, one very energetic dog, and one hiker (why bother?). The malamute made friends with us as soon as we opened our lunch. Being ignored he managed to find someone's discarded enchalida by sticking half his body into a rock crevice. The ski down was ok, as long as you avoided the minor slides you set off. One alpine touring type was having a hard time of it and got carried, slowly, about 50 yards in a small slide of his own making. No danger, just embarassing. The col was skiable as it was so soft. Another fund day in the sun.

Not an opinion - this guy is DUMB! He can't string together several 3 syllable words without breaking into a sweat! Why do you think Cheney, Condi, and Karl won't let him off the leash to run around on his own with the 911 Commission. Because he would trip over his tounge. He's not just inarticulate - he's DUMB. Doesn't read, never travelled before, born with the silver spoon up his nose, but looks ok in suits. It's a great partnership with Cheney working the levers behind the scenes and Bush as figurehead.

It's amazing that this guy gets such a pass from the press. We know he's a dimwit, the press knows it, but somehow they don't talk about his lack of knowledge about the world and the specifics of his own policies for fear of being labeled a bush basher - then they would be persona non grata at press conferences and give a new seat at the back of the room. Dumb as a stump.

And Cheney will try to not move his lips while Bush is "talking". I wonder if he will sit on Cheney's knee.

[quote But because those soft hearted demmies let the world tample over us instead of protecting our people and interests. Pot calling the kettle black.

Oh my that would be a big day! Have a trip planned up there this year but will likely be a wimp and go two at a time unless I get an ambitious partner.

Picked up a Vector on sale at REI this weekend for $139, plus I had a $50 divedend to put towards it. Took it out for a ski on Sunday - dang these things are rather large - but functional.

Uptight teacher in Prosser. But you gotta wonder about the SS coming for a visit. Anything better to do guys?

Well at least Bush had a root canal or something nasty done during the limited time he showed up.

It is ironic, however, that the Bushies chose the flag-waving images of the rubble of 911 in their campaign ads. Hmmm.

Is is my understanding that this policy was put in place, by the Pentagon, about the time of Gulf War I. This was done primarliy as a reaction to the media's focus on it during Vietnam. The brass running the show at the time remembered it all to well and was not a fan of the media. I do seem to recall that Clinton used this policy (by failing to lift it) to his benefit during the Somalia fighting. You may be correct, but I don't think so, if this is a Bush II policy could someone please cite the Presidential order number, and or a link? I'm curious about this one. Rodchester - Technically you are correct. The policy was first put into place in 1991 during the first Gulf War, but was not consistently followed as Bush I and Clinton saw fit to visit Andrews as remains of soldiers arrived, and to provide opportunites for press photos. So it would be more fair to say that Bushie II has taken the policy to the extreme and barred all ceromonies and press coverage.

From my understanding, this has been standing policy for quite some time. You know, junior, the world of policy, politics, and goverment didn't start the day after your testicles dropped. Wrong again dude. This new policy was instituted by the Bushies in 2002. Never before have the press been bared from Andrews and photos. It is nothing more than the contiued policy of the Bushies to hide thing from the public.

Great shot! Looks like a vertical yard sale!

ELF - they're a bunch of wackos. Burnt down a Dept of Agriculture office in Olympia a few years back because they were rounding up Canada geese in urban areas where they got outta control (Canada geese for dog's sake - sub sp moffiti - aliens) and then moved on to the big burn in Vail. The Urban Horticulture building was especially misdirected. It housed a huge collection of rare plant references and samples, and numerous conservation ecologists research. The place has not yet fully recovered - financially or otherwise. The recent tourching of a subdivision that meets open space requirements is also a bit odd. Wackos.

You're correct, it doesn't say that. There are two theories about the incident. The first that the FBI planted the bomb and planned to nab them. They were on the scene in less than 10 minutes which is a bit strange to begin with, and it gets stranger after that. Easy to find old news reports and such on the web. The other is that the timber folks were getting way pissed at Julie's extremely effective, non-violent protests regarding "Redwood Summer" and that they tried to kill her. She had her car and home vandalized before.

Nothing like harassing the hippies when you should be out catching terrorists - guess which is easier. And Juli Bari and her crew were non-violent all the way - some timberhead tried to kill them. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/23/BAGOV69ASA50.DTL

I feel bad for this guy, and the other families. Afganastan was one thing, but what do you tell the relatives that this guy, or any other solidier, died for in Iraq? Hell, they can't even explain it to the media never-the-less a grieving family member. What a waste.

Excellent non sequitur!

...self made man, excellent student, exceptional businessman, well-rounded scholar.

As usual, excellent troll PP!

Aw, now you've done it. Greg is feverishly rummaging through the NRA web site for backup. Here we go.

Support your right to arm bears!