crazy_t

Hi, I'm hoping to get out for some touring and turns this weekend local to Seattle. I'll have my 2 year-old in a backpack, so looking for nice conditions on mellower slopes. Haven't been up in a while, have seen a couple of TR's from the weekend, looking for some first-hand reports from later this week. We appreciate it!

I think he's smart to be able to mix some business with pleasure. I don't think he has too much to prove, is pretty realistic about the fact that the mountains hold the cards, not him. Someone high profile like him likely needs major documentation to support his claim once he finishes, because he is an easy target. Sure, he could do it all in silence, that would be an option too, but the book and film sound like a cool project, and since he is documenting his descents, and has the ability to do it well, why not? The footage and book should be great, and there will be great beta for skiers looking to do the same thing. A lot of his friends are in the industry, and photography etc. are a part of that. He's sponsored, etc. but I don't feel like his motivations here are about sponsorship, and $. He has built his own career, and now he has these kinds of options open to him, why begrudge that? Seems like a cool guy, a father, and someone living a dream in the mountains he knows best. I don't see where he is trying to pawn himself off as a dirtbag, or really trying to mislead anyone. He's forthcoming about all of it, as far as I can see. But ultimately, I don't know him, don't know what's going on in his head or heart, so these are just words built on the facts or presented facts available. You are in the same boat. I was just pumped to cheer on someone who is doing something epic I wish I was doing! As a skier and climber who lived in CO for a # of years, who has climbed and skied many of those peaks, I just think he must be having a blast. And I'm in awe of that Capitol ski. Having the sled, etc. support must be nice too! Alright, enough from my end. Feel like this has gotten beaten down a bit, and I'm part of the problem! Need to get out skiing myself, I guess. Cheers!

from the article: Davenport .... doesn't mind if others question his project and his motives. "It doesn't take away how hard I work, or all the mornings I had to wake up at 2:30 a.m.," he said. "The skiing and mountaineering community will be the true judge. That's all that matters. "My career is made, I'm not out to make any more money or please anybody. This is simply another personal challenge in the life of Chris Davenport." Maybe he has "watered down" things as a response to "sponsor pressure". I personally doubt it, and would hesitate to judge him myself not knowing him personally. That's all that irks me from your original response.

And Lou's original effort was pretty awesome too. Here's a good history: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20060606/RECREATION08/60606006

He rocked it too! That was sweet.

Flexibility is kind of required with mountains, especially something like skiing 54 of them from the summit (true descents). Getting good conditions is far from a given. So, of course, you could set an impressive goal and then "be flexible" with it until it was so watered down as to be meaningless. But, knowing those mountains, and the scope of the project, 1 think his revised goal of getting them in 1 year is still an epic feat (I would think that he wouldn't extend it past a year total). Beats the time of the only other person successful with skiing them all (Lou Dawson) by 12 years or something. Not bad. I hear you about setting a goal, but knowing the peaks, the scope of the effort and the weather/snow swings in recent years... And check out the accounts of skiing Capitol! Also Pyramid, Crestone Needle, etc. And many of the others were done by new and/or proud lines. He put a lot into it, regardless of the initial plan (all in one season) he has really kicked ass. Last spring/May in CO (during the "season"), they got a wave of 10+ 100 degree days in Colorado, essentially decimating the spring skiing snowpack. Rather than waiting for the "perfect weather season" (which is so random with weather patterns the last few years) I think he did his best with what he had. This isn't a cheesy 1st or lame variation "i.e. "oldest left-handed blond haired Lichtensteiner to climb the 7 summits", but a pretty cool thing, especially if you are a skier and live in those mountains.

Weather looks doable today.. http://www.zeitcam.com/showcam.php?cam=longspeak&currentimage=1

http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=587 http://www.skithe14ers.com/

He was the man, although you'd never hear him say that. I started climbing in Eldo and in the Flatirons, a lot solo, and he was a real inspiration. Cheers to Charlie, and Chris. Nice TR, btw.

Charlie Fowler leading in BBB:

Felicidades! That's sick.

Here's a link to a pic of climbers on 3rd class terrain on the route. They are being guided (hence the rope), but that pic and the preceding one are good examples. http://alpineskills.com/v-web/gallery/Mt-Whitney/DSCN1096

A few BPP testimonials: http://www.pubcrawler.com/Template/ReviewWC.cfm?BrewerID=103977&new=1 http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/washington/seattle/beveridge-place-pub/4186.htm http://www.beveridgeplacepub.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1290

I'd be in on a West Seattle pub club someday. The Beveridge Place Pub is calling..

Let 'em know you're there!

I like my Houdini a lot.. surprisingly durable, can save you a lot of weight in your pack (vs. gore-tex jacket) if the conditions are right.

Reggie Dunlop: . They spent their own dough to get here, and they came here to see us! All right, let's show 'em what we got, guys! Get out there on the ice and let 'em know you're there. Get that fuckin' stick in their side. Let 'em know you're there! Get that lumber in his teeth. Let 'em know you're there! Ned Braden: Bleed all over 'em. Let 'em know you're there.

McGrath: Are you crazy? We could all end up in the clinker for this. You can't put a bounty on a man's head. Reggie Dunlop: I just did. [Hangs up, Phone rings again] Dave 'Killer' Carlson: Coach, I want that hundred dollars. Reggie Dunlop: Ya gotta earn it, Killer. Dave 'Killer' Carlson: My attitude's right.

Quote: You nailed him, Coach, in the fucking head. - Right in his mind. _________________________ -that's one of the sickest ones..

Let 'em know you're there!

Try posting on this forum: http://www.go-elbrus.com/cgi-bin/forum/forum.pl It's a russian guiding outfit's forum page, most of the content is in Russian but a lot of them can read english and you may get some replies. Gets a lot of traffic. A lot of the banter at this time of year is re: skiing conditions and logistics for Mount Elbrus. But maybe someone there could identify the brand and direct to to their or their distrubutor's site. I have seen that Russian pro while over there, but never used it. Super light. But I'd almost think of it as leaver gear too, I don't know if I'd trust it to falls (at least the stuff I've seen).

Patriots time...

I've had those experiences (and that feeling) too. That's good stuff, the last part. I was originally referring to what some people call "NDE"s.

Anyone here had a near-death experience? Or equally powerful experience with similar results? When you completely transcend your ego, your mind, and your body... We can't intellectualize these things, as Virendra noted; our minds are not expansive enough to be with that level of experience. Language can't really express it either (evidence this posting). But the experience is overwhelmingly "real", and clear. We aren't meant to dwell in that space; otherwise we couldn't help our body sustain it's necessary functions. But if you have seen that light, it gives you something to refer to while living in this experience, and a sense of peace. Now that was my experience. I don't "believe"; I know what I know. But I also know that other people may have not experience anything like that (heretofore not spelled out) and may have had their own powerful experiences that are not accessible to me. So respect and open-mindedness comes in. But that's what's funny about warring religions, or dogmatic religious thought, like taking the bible so literally. Those who have really known "God" type energies have to know that these religions all refer to the same thing. And that trying to push other people around on the basis of "truths" (for example the Noah's Ark stuff) is folly, an opinion, and ultimately limited and limiting and missing the point. Can't trust that stuff or those people, at least when they are telling others how to live.

Did anyone happen to get up today (friday)? (aka a small bump)