stinkyclimber

Brilliant. If only the politicians could be so brave as to say even 10% of this stuff (because of course, some of it is awfully skewed or selective, but fuck it, the sentiment is right, and it is more enjoying to read than the usual political bumph.) Canada might want to adapt it for our own use: replace any references to "the South" and "red states" with "Quebec", and references to "the North" and "Blue states" with "the Rest of Canada". I may just try that right now. Oh, and we'd have take out the bit about killing half a million people to stop them from leaving...Canadians are much too polite and patient to bother progressing to actual violence over political disagreements (thankfully). Carry on.

OK, for all you rocket scientists out there: Can the solar flare or whatever caused all these northern lights fuck up satellites? I ask because I was just speaking with someone on Baffin Island who saw a satellite crash yesterday night at about 945PM, very near Iqaluit. Probably a coincidence, and I would have thought it takes a while for a satellite to crash after being screwed up by a flare, but just wanted to see if anyone knows. It won't be in the news yet - the RCMP knows about it, and there are people out looking this morning, but this sort of news (well, any sort of news for that matter) takes a while to get picked up outside of Nunavut. BTW - the northern lights were awesome here in Ottawa too. And they were apparently some of the best ever in Iqaluit.

Most citizens of the free world outside of the US who, up until now have said, "we are horrified by the US President, not the US people," will now say, "we are horrified by the US, period...including the people." When such a large percentage of American's know who they are voting for (and most would include the 40% of Americans who did not vote in with Bush supporters...by abstaining, you are saying that you trust the judgment of the majority voters), and then go ahead and vote for him, then...you're it. Ken Wiwa, the soon of murdered Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, a while ago concluded that more of Bush was a good thing as it would only hasten the inevitable decline and fall of the American Empire. He suggested that Kerry would have slowed, not reversed, the moral decay and international credibility of the US, so one might as well just get it over with quickly by going with Bush. The people have spoken. Now the people will get what they deserve. Democracy - the good and the bad! You can't argue against it, and only history is judge...the rest of us can only guess.

If you are going to learn the anthem, remember that we are an officially bilingual country...that means you need to learn the French version too: O Canada! Terre de nos aïeux, Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux! Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, Il sait porter la croix! Ton histoire est une épopée Des plus brillants exploits. Et ta valeur, de foi trempée, Protégera nos foyers et nos droits. Protégera nos foyers et nos droits. Once you learn the French language version, you next need to learn that Quebec does things a little differently than the Rest of Canada (ROC)....check out the translation of the french version: O Canada! Land of our forefathers Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers. As in thy arm ready to wield the sword, So also is it ready to carry the cross. Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits. Chorus Thy valour steeped in faith Will protect our homes and our rights Will protect our homes and our rights. If Quebec'ers thought they could have slipped in a "Go fuck yourself, Canada" into the french version, they would have. However, Quebec has lots of good, if short, ice climbing here.

Which mountain? How was the snow? Bored?

Hey, cool. From your description, I am glad we stuck with the line we did! I was feeling weak that weekend, although it was a great day thanks to Dru. It is nice to hear that the area is still visited (besides Dru!! ). And nice to see Randy's name out there in some form, just over a decade since his passing. Maybe one day the whole area will receive formal protection, rather than just a cool tower bearing his name. Too bad about the valley below though...it was certainly beautiful when I was last there. Oh well.

Hey Dru, I still have, and regularly use, that red nylon Kmart special that I got in the early 90s. Feels like tissue paper now, and it has faded to rose-pink, but still does the job. Best $12 I ever spent! But to really make it work, you have to wear it Guy Edwards style...no polypro or anything underneath it.

I'll start checking e-Bay for Stinger missles (new or used) Or probably easier, pay a waitress from Hooters to parade around the heli pad before Fred climbs aboard. That'll end the trip real fast!

I've always dreamed about going hiking with some retired member of the Afghan mujahadeen, along with his trust Stinger missle, and knocking off the tail rotors of a few particuarly intrusive helos. Would certainly even up the odds somewhat in this land-user conflict , as well as spice up the experience for those bored, lazy heli-recreationalists! Maybe we could set up an anti-aircraft battery on the roof of Murray's store to pick off the helos going up to Lake Lovely Water? You'd see a proper bridge going over the river PDQ after that, I expect. Having said all that, I am not against all heli-access, but only in appropriate areas (i.e. remote, difficult to access, and not heavily used by parties who walk in) Flying into those areas that you can reach by a 3 hour hike, like Lovely Water, or Garibaldi Park, or indeed most of the southern Coast Mountains, seem a little disrespectful of the experiences of others.

thanks snoboy and murray for more background on this. Actually, I calmed down somewhat after I reread their overhyped announcements and realized that they were only moving the boundary over to Flute, not actually putting in a new lift, which is how I originally read it (although I suspect that is in someone's wish list too!). I agree definately this is not a battle worth fighting, but only because that area is already de facto in bounds. I am not sure if I see it as much of a net gain to the Park, though. Sure the valley bottom is much more ecologically important, but realistically, what could really be done to that area? They weren't ever going to log it and further screw up their viewshed. I suppose they could have put in some sort of development, but I bet the soil stability issues there would have nixed that. Not every bit of valuable ecosystem needs to be, or should be, in a Park to be protected....that is the whole problem with that stupid 12% solution of a few years back - it encourages the view that only that land formally protected actually should be protected. Common sense should be enough to protect areas like the undeveloped areas of Fitzsimmons Ck without the need for Park protection. Interesting to hear about your grandfather's experiences.

Forget heli-hiking. That is so yesterday. The new game for the Whistler extremoMtnDudes is heli-biking! Get airlifted to the top with your fully-suspended, knobby-tired bitchin ride, and then make the first descent. Dude, so rad. Fragile alpine meadows be damned. They've been doing it for quite a few years now in the mountains near Whistler, and probably other places too.

Nah, altho I considered it! Nope, 5mm seems to grab just fine, esp. in a klimhiest. I admit this isn't the safest, but it has worked the one time I tried it out. Mainly a set up for ski trips in the Coast where crevasse falls are rare and not usually that big, and if they happen, there is enough friction over a soft lip and from the sliding body of the person catching the fall that I don' think the impact forces are really that high.

dmuja, for all but the big glaciers on Rainier, the Wadd and up north, I'd just go with one 30m rope. Some may scoff, but really, most Cascade and South Coast glaciers really don't feature slots large enough to warrant lotsa rope. Just my opinion, and what I usually do (30-35m of 7mm static cord!), but to each their own.

Here is the link to the press release, with photos, etc.

"The new areas comprise Whistler Mountain's single largest terrain expansion ever. " And yet another HUGE, disgusting, high-impact incursion into a Class A Provincial Park. Why do they even bother with the pretense of those park boundaries? Fuck it..why don't they just put a lift up Fissle, and commercial huts around the Spearheads, with snomobile and fly-in support, and hot tubs and satellite TV. Just get it over with and finish the job of pushing the Park out of the Fitzsimmons Ck drainage. Bastards. Garibaldi holds a special place in my heart. Lots of great adventures and special places. Sacrificed on the alter of greed and sloth. In my opinion anyway... Thanks, Paul, for passing the news on, sad may it be.

Dream on! Prepared to get I don't think Kevin has opted for a supplement version since the late 90s. More money in the full meal deal, I suppose. However, either way, i am sure Dru will know!

Just remember that this route falls within this year's peregrine falcon closure through until July 31. See Murray's posting from mid-May

Yes, definately presumed dead. They have called off the search until the snow melts, and the bodies are presumed to be buried at the bottom of a slot. This is the article that was posted in that LTV link that Dru posted: The Calgary Sun offered a bit more information: ************************************************ The hunt for a pair of ice climbers -- presumed to have died in a fall -- has been put on hold because of hazardous conditions making it dangerous for searchers. "We could resume the search in as early as two weeks, or it could take a month or longer before we get back there," said Gord Irwin, a rescue specialist with Parks Canada. Parks Canada spokesmen were not releasing the names of the climbers, but both men were believed to be in their 20s and attending university in B.C. They left Friday to climb Super Couloir on Mt. Deltaform near Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. When they didn't return by Saturday, a friend reported them missing. Irwin said it's believed the two experienced climbers died after falling at least 400 metres off the face of the mountain. "We believe they were swept into a crevasse --that could be about (30-metres) deep -- which was then plugged with avalanche snow," Irwin said. Searchers found a number of articles the climbers would have used. "We found helmets and crampons and ice tools that are all essential equipment," he said. "The area where they were climbing is very rugged and very deep with falling rock, hanging ice and snow and ice gullies," he said. The area where the climbers were lost is a relatively remote area on the backcountry boundary between Banff and Kootenay National Parks.

Murray, you have clearly never been to Metchosin or Sooke!! It makes those folks up in Paradise Valley look like urban club-hoppers and artistes.

Fake?! What are you talking about? You don't think we have Kodiak bears here on the island? This is an exotic wildlife paradise...it is because of the ornate gardens people keep here - it has created a micro-ecosystem habitable to animals normally found thousands of kilometres away. Shit, just last week I dodged a HUGE crocodile while out walking around the harbour. I also have an infestation of cobras in our basement. Really gross. The chimpanzees in our backyard are kind of cool though.

I did that a few years back as a day trip too. I was especially fond of front-pointing the shitty serac ice in tele-boots. That added to the challenge! But it is do-able...I definately second this recommendation. And it is still day-trippable. And more interesting. But you should probably be comfortable leading WI3, esp. if you are going to in tele boots (although I hear there are various easier sneak ramps and the like thru the serac band, we didn't see any the year we did it, so just go prepared for a short bit of steeper ice).

I noticed this beta mentioned earlier as well, I think from you. What are the details on this route? I don't do Baker all that often, so am not that familiar with the terrain. Where do the gullies start and finish? Any obvious waypoints or forks along the way to watch for, or is it totally obvious? When does the creek open up and make the route unusable? Sounds like a much better route - I'd be keen to use it next time. Thanks for the tip.

Esp. considering the colder temps, I wouldn't bother leaving the parking lot before 4AM or 5AM, or even 6AM. As someone else said, and I have found myself too, if you get up so godawful early that you summit at dawn, then 3 things happen: 1. The ski down sucks - still crusty or icy 2. More importantly, the ski up is in the dark, and therefore slightly boring! although watching the sunrise from high up is nice...but fuck it - it looks good from 7K too!) 3. Most importantly, by leaving ultra-early, you will be booting up the Headwall wtih about 40 of your closest friends, most of whom seem like they are perpetually on the edge of pitching and flossing you off. Might as well wait until they are mostly off. The ski down is so quick that there is absolutely no reason to punish yourself by getting up way before light. If you are in decent shape and are an OK skier, you'll have no problem cracking it off in less than 12 hours. This will be even easier to accomplish if the travelling conditons are good for skiing, which they likely are. I'd only leave really early once it is hot enough that snow bridges are manky even for skiers, and the Headwall is slurpee gross/dangerous). I have never understood the 1AM alpine start thing on Cascade volcanos in spring conditions.

I was day skiing out of Whistler all the way to the Overlord shoulder last weekend. Slot coverage seemed fine. Definately do-able. Snow coverage is only down to the base of the Green Chair on Whistler, and much higher on Blackcomb. In the alpine, it is nicely consolidated. Most cornices seem to have already come down. Probably a fun time to do it, and quick travelling conditions too. Certainly, you won't run into anyone else! Have fun.

You can say exactly the same thing about bin Laden!! EDIT: ...and Saddam!!! Maybe the US Administration needs to think not just about WHAT it wants as outcomes, but also about HOW it reaches those outcomes?