Figger_Eight

I stop back in and I get this? Jeezus.

Dear lord - you're still here?

I blame Obama

Kind've none. We did shell out a couple of hundred bucks a year for a small ad in the back of Backpacker magazine. We worked with a few other great climbers over the years. Off the top of my head Mikey, Kate, Donini, Hahn, Huey, and a couple of film projects (one is on Netflix now I think).

It could've been a lot worse. A few years ago they were talking about raising the Denali fee to $500 bucks. They gotta pay for the high camp and rangers.

Give the folks at Redpoint a call. They have a women's climbing group that meets regularly out there and heads into the park.

Easy to pontificate climber impact on a global scale when it relates to using resources to do what we like to do. However the real issues are STILL around climber behavior and how land managers agree or disagree with it. If climbers go by the rule that "there shouldn't be any", I'd say we're in for a bit of a dim future.

Do you know what state he's in?

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/gear-shed/covet/MINI-Paceman-Adventure-Concept.html

http://wenatchee.craigslist.org/cto/4540860533.html The original Outback!

I'll just add: because you can doesn't mean you should. I've crushed a few suspensions in my time driving passenger cars to places they shouldn't go. It'll get you there for sure, but not necessarily a good choice in the long run. That said, I'll go with VW Sportwagen TDI.

Don't know if you can get much better than what you guys are driving now. Subaru just came out with a hybrid crosstrek, but it doesn't really get that much better gas mileage (I'm guessing that's what you mean by city car). Maybe a diesel?

The AAC does partner with Nicholas Hill (Not sure if you're talking about the AAC acting as it's own insurance company). The rescue 'insurance' is technically a benefit of membership: $5k is available to members to help cover the cost of rescue incurred domestically, and an additional $5k is paid to Global Rescue to coordinate an international rescue. Since the only criteria is that it has to be climbing related no underwriters are needed to evaluate how much of a risk each member is. Whether it's climbing or not is a pass/fail test. Nicholas Hill Group and American Alpine Club life insurance

I used to come here for the free beer. Where did that go?

I've never understood this idea. A competent guide with clients is much safer than a party with two new climbers.

If I'm reading it right access is onlylimited from August to December when you need the expensive permit. It's not a year round closure. I've hunted that area before and get's pretty crowded. I'm wondering if this is a way to mitigate the number of guys running around in the woods with guns during those months.

REI garage sale, where you can buy 10 year old trail runners for $2.93 and used climbing shoes worn only once because they were too tight.

When I processed returns/warranties the manufacturers never really hassled me for sending something back (with the exception of one or two). The issue was the turnaround for getting a replacement was measured in weeks, or if they issued a credit (to the shop)so we could give them a new one off the shelf it would leave us one less on inventory to sell for profit. Not a big deal for shoelaces, but if you're talking about something like crampons, that you'll only carry maybe five of at any given time, you run into inventory problems. REI banks on the fact that there is a whole population of people out there who buy from them 'just in case' they need to return it for whatever reason and gamble on the fact that they don't. The small shops rely on exactly what Frieh said, and I'll depart from what Jon said about REI running shops out of town. It's the consumer that has run small shops out of town. If folks wanna keep the local brick and mortar in business, they should spend their dollars there.

Do you have a good 'seal' around your eyes? Put your sunglasses on and look around at your peripheral vision. If you can see the ground below the frames, or the sky above, UV radiation just does an end-around your lenses into your eyes. And you don't necessarily need glacier glasses to go on glaciers. I've been to altitude a few times with good sport wraps that fit my face better than any glacier glasses do.

Every year I try and make it to this...and every year I have obligations I can't sneak out of. Boo.

Once the factory treatment wears off I use the Nikwax stuff in the toothpaste tube. Gotta make sure that the boot is clean first before applying.

Ban the Bowline! I don't tie a backup knot either. It makes the figure 8 easier to visually inspect without another knot resting on top of it.

This happens for sure, and there are some folks who use the charity angle to fund their trip. But there are quite a few legitimate fundraisers that involve many volunteer guides and donations from guide companies. Just noting the two shouldn't be confused and lumped together.

I bring my dog every so often, but make sure I'm always around to manage him. Unleashed dogs running around unchecked are the suck. I've had one pee on my pack when I was one pitch up.