chelle

Agreed that I can get some good climbing in during school breaks, but gone are the days that I could head to the Yosemite for a two week trip and decide mid-way to stay for five instead. At least for a couple years.

By Muffy: Yep! Everyone should do it at least once in their life. After a year traveling and climbing I'm heading back to school, so I can get a job that pays well and will give me the flexibility to climb once I get out. Kinda sucks short-term though being limited to school breaks and summers... Won't make it back to Yosemite next year until it's almost too hot to climb...

Posted by Bronco: I totally agree with you on this one Bronco. The more I step out of the comfort zone the easier it is. I got in a kayak this summer and tried to run a section of the sky. A little over a year ago I was so terrified of water I hyerventalated swimming in a lake when I couldn't see the bottom any more. Personally though I find it easier to confront fear when I have someone I trust to help me through it. In the mountains I need to know I'm with a competent partner if I'm pushing my limits.

Is the weather getting to people? So much disagreement about where to drink tonight. A few good places have been listed. Let's make a decision. Where to drink tonight?Ballard Alehouse (ok food, good drinks, plenty of space and parking)Schultz's (great food, good drinks, bad parking, but across from BigTime for after pub club pool/shuffle board - once they stop playing the string cheese stuff...)Targhees (downtown, bad parking, stiff drinks)Alki (parking ok, cheap burgers, cheap beer)Nickerson (bad parking, expensive drinks and food) I don't know any of the other places. At this point I vote for the Ballard Alehouse, the Alki or Schultz's.

This year has been one fun climb after another. Here are a few... Climbing up Cathedral Peak with DaveW, Sayjay, AlpineK, and another friend in Toloumne. Wandering around the beaches of Thailand expoloring caves and tripping out on how cool the rock features are. Climbing the Groove Tube. Hanging out with Erik on some cliffs in Toloumne looking at some distant meadows and watching little puffy clouds form and dissipate in the wind. Then trying Erik's new sport, downslabbing. Imagine crab walking head first down a low angle slab and only using "real" climbing holds. Lots of laughs. Climbing the West Buttress route with AlpineK on Exfoliation Dome. Doing my first cam hook moves at Index and feeling totally secure. Hanging in Squamish with Jeff Hansel, Crack, and DrJay, cheffing out amazing dinners on my two-burner stove after climbing all day. Running down the trail after summiting Half Dome via the Snake Dike route completely elated after bringing my climbing full circle. (My first time up Half Dome via the cable route was 13 years ago and I saw people topping out with ropes and gear. I really wanted to try that...) What an awesome year I've had! Thanks to everyone on this board I've climbed with (couldn't name 'em all).

Not only did they do a $2.50/pint drink special just for our group, I also remember that they had pitchers a couple weeks later when we went there after the Dr. Houston video at UW. And the food is great. But whatever, sounds like people want to go elsewhere... So...where is Targhees?

I'll vote for Schultzy's. Maybe Jon and Sayjay will be able to join us too?

Enjoyed holiday festivities at a couple of parties on Sat. After rehydrating from my drink consumption, sent some boulder problems and top rope routes at the gym on Sunday afternoon. Had to get a fix since even aid climbing wasn't sounding too good this weekend...

Hey Pete! I think Wallstein has an inside scoop on where to get them fixed. Cheers!

Way too hard to park in that neighborhood IMHO! How about the Blue Star?

Thanks, Dave. A part-time job is perrrfect. Anybody want to get me a scholarship? Dave, I got you a dehumidifier/air cleaner for you and your housemates. Maybe it'll help you rent that room.

Rrroooww. Where'd that little laughing icon go???

I heard there was an interesting discussion about whether girlfriends who climb are better than those who don't. Took place after all the chicks had left though... Would've liked to be a fly on the wall for that one.

Interesting perspective, Dru. Good post!

Hattie's Hat it is. Rumor has it that Erik and crew might be making an appearance with tall tales of desert climbing and CA high alpine ice tooling. See ya'll there!

The Nickerson serves $12 pitchers. This isn't in the dirtbag budget range, but it is non-smoking. I think Hattie's is a better place. I still vote for Hattie's Hat. We haven't had more than about 15 people lately and that should fit into the back roon, which is also non-smoking until 10 pm.

I agree with TLG, too soon for Dexter & Hayes. How about the 74th Street Alehouse or Hattie's Hat?

Thanks everyone for the input. I ended up going with a Toshiba notebook. A little more than I wanted to spend, but oh well it should last me a few years. And I can play DVDs when it's raining out while on climbing trips. A mac would have been fully plug&play, but I already own PC software... Cheers!

I've decided it's time to bag my current laptop (late 1990's IBM model with Pentium processor, 28.8 dial-up) and get one that includes today's technology. Since I haven't worked in almost 11 months and I'll be a student starting in Jan, I can't afford to buy the top of the line. Maybe some of you computer folks could help me decide what to buy. I'm thinking of getting a lease through Gateway or maybe buying a refurbished computer. Does anyone know whether these are good deals? Another option is to get a Mac through the student discount programs. p.s. I need a laptop because of living space constraints.

I concede that Damnation is a crack. Guess I'll just put finger/hand cracks on my "Best" list, they're more fun. Great pic ChucK! Those little guys can crank.

Ehmic, if Damnation crack isn't a crack climb what is it. I jammed all the way up that thing. ******* Tex - Don't get me wrong, Damnation is a great climb. Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking but I tend to consider cracks to be up to fists (and tight #3 camelots are fists for my little hands). Offwidths and chimneys are a whole other ballgame. Damnation only had two jams on it right off the ground. After that it was pretty much an offwidth/chimney climb with knee jams and armbars up high.

Fern, temporary cross in my brain wires...I meant Calculus Crack.

Hey Matt...I had a blast pulling on gear to follow you up that climb! It was an awesome lead you did. GregW - I've had the same problem this year. It seems like I had a mental barrier to start leading 10s. Someone told me (and I believed them) that it really isn't until you start getting into the 11s that the climbs are harder to protect. He recommended that I think of 10's as more sustained 9's and not to be concerned about sewing up the cruxes. It worked for me. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to face the 5.11 barrier next season.

I second Mirazyme. They also have a spray product that works pretty well. Be proud of your smelly shoes. Shows they actually get used.

The National Weather Service is what I use. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Seattle/