allison

Holy Maybelline, Icegirl, the Lads Who Love To Spray have gotten all SENSITIVE on us! Jay-zus H. Jimminy! We'll see you guys next week, hopefully with slightly thicker SKINS!!! PS. You want us to show, offer to drive us.

Have a nice Sausage Fest, boys.

I plan on 30# pack weight maximum, probably more like 25#. As for the other guys, well, they like to bring fishing gear, but they're sturdy lads. I'm not expecting any sort of a trail. If there is one, fine, but this crowd kind of "prefers" there to be no trail. I'm more concerned with the route being super-brushy or a slippery dusty scree-fest. Both of those factors can really cramp my style.

"I went in to the Lost World via the Totekie (sp)? approach last year. It is the single-worst, heart-breaking pieceof shit death-hike I've been on. Don't go that way unless you like steep, loose and dusty remnants of climbers paths. I've been told by knowledgeable sources that there is a better way in by hooking a right at Nada Lake and going in via the Temple drainage. Or, if you don't mind the mileage, go through the lower Enchantments and over Prusik Pass. The Lost world Plateau is one of the most beautiful areas I've had the good fortune to visit. And hard enough to get to that it we didn't see anyone else the entire time we were there." Hmmm...interesting. The Toketie route actually looks like the "easiest" way in besides going over Prusik. I'm curious as to whether you go off trail regularly or occasionally, because "single-worst heartbreaking POS" sounds pret-ty bad. Someone just PM'ed me that that way was NOT that bad. Also, anyone been up the Temple drainage? Yes, I've seen pix of the LWP, and it looks to be worth every step of the death-march that trip purports to be. Beeee-yooutyful! BTW, Erik, I still can't PM you, I'm "ignored", and Bug, our party's actually already full, but thanks anyway. I am fortunate enough to have a lot of buddies whose wives or GFs don't like to hike. [ 03-11-2002: Message edited by: allison ]

Jon, remember I-695? State surplus all gone now! People with expensive cars have the money now, as it should be....

IG, I'm going to wait for the Eastsiders to weigh in. If they let us have it, I'll post the location again. for what it's worth I have to work tomorrow night (and next Tues), if it's in Seattle either time I'll make it down about 10:45, and if it's in the ESide, I won't make it because it'll be too late. FWIW I know of at least one other PC regular who can't make it this week....

Erik, Five miles each way is not acceptable. Especially when there's a perfectly good road that is open to the 8Mile TH. I think we'll be just fine parking at the 8Mile TH and walking the extra mile to the Colchuck TH. Sounds like the creek is passable if we decide to go that way. I am hoping to make that decision after the road is closed. If it look like we can't get in that way, any one been in to Lost World Plateau via either the Rat Creek or Hook Creek drainage? They both look heinous on the map! Oh, and thanks so much for the advice on packing my pack.....I couldn't have done it without you.

Oh, Bug, I forgot to tell you. No.

Ouch. Nice thread drift, guys. Had to skim all of Page 2. I just got a permit in the mail for Aug 8-11. My buddies and I really want to off-trail it into Coney and beyond via the old logging road spur at the Colchuck TH. Assuming that there are not armed guards at the closure, seems like we might be able to park at eightmile TH and walk past the construction in the evening without making any major disruption. I've never been up that road past the eightmile TH, how feasable is it that if these bridges were under construction, that we could walk through? I am a climber, but the guys I'm going with are not, and we will not have any gear with us except maybe I'll bring a pair of slippers and a chalk bag.

I am writing a piece for Washington Trails magazine on Bargain Gear Shopping, and would love to hear about your favorite sources for cheap gear. Before I get flamed to pieces for this, let me say that I am writing a sidebar about Independent shops, and that personally I am opposed to buying gear that is manufactured in countries with low labor standards, and do my best to avoid that. I am particularly interested in your experiences with Barrabes.com (I've never bought from them) and sources of bargain gear in areas outside of Seattle. I don't get out much. Also, besides Pro Mountain, what other indy shops do you like?

Come on boys, it such an insult to be called a woman? Have yathunkaboutthatratallorareyoujustbeingdumbassboys? If someone's lame, don't assume we'll let them into OUR club.

The David Roberts books are quite good. The Boukreev book I read was his version of what happened on Everest in '95 ('96?) and while it was interesting (I recommend reading it back to back with the Krakauer) it was poorly written by a ghostwriter, verging on the hokey. Still worth reading to get another perspective. "The Armchair Mountaineer" has some great stuff in it, a collection of short stories by various writers. I can only take Mark Twight in small doses, so I won't comment. The Diemburger book is worth the read. All of Krakauer's books are well written and interesting, including surprisingly, the one non-climbing book about the kid who died in the Alaska bush. I especially like his shorter works, the ones originally written for magazines, I think he's at his best in shorter pieces. I also really enjoyed a book written about the first winter ascent of Denali....Farenheit somethingorother....somebody help me out. And of course there's the Whittakers. Good old fashioned local climbing lore. Read this stuff, and you'll feel like being tall, wearing a sweater, and trying to fake enough that we locals won't know you moved here two years ago from Chicago.

Sorry boys, I had to work late, and Icegirl was busy tonight. Maybe when Pub Club rears its ugly head in my fair city again, I will deign to attend. Then if any of my people are there, we will giggle conspiratorally and travel in small packs to the bathroom.

Hey, I think the link color is better, don't change that but underlining it too wil make it 'read' better, and remember at around a quarter of the population has some degree of colorblindness so those people willlll have it harder than me, I have approximately 0.000% of it, but to my credit maybe, at least one dress that makes me look taller and/or younger. More sage green!!!Poor Britney's a freak!

I tihnk having a section called 'Proposed Mob Scenes' makes great sense. I don't thing the nice (nerdy) folks over at the Mountaineers or any other club would have a problem with it either. In fact I think it might encourage them to post it there, and then we'd know to look there before heading out to Leavenworth, or Mt. Daniel, or any number of other good places that are sometimes filled with a bunch of people who have no idea what they are doing.

There are some places that shouldn't be bolted, but also some that should. Wilderness protection status for the Exit 38 area? Weeeelll....maybeee NOT. Don't I have the best autosig in the whole wide world? We do have more fun. At least I do.

Hey, Lambone, now I know who you are. You are the guy who has tried to correct my lead belaying technique in the gym a couple of times. I understand the physics of the whole thing, I have to do a fair amount of rigging in my work. I don't entirely agree with you, but I really don't feel like getting into the how and why of it. Sorry about the wear on the gear, but that is why we pay to use the gym.

Ok, my $.02. A little too much white on the page now. I like the sage green a lot, more of that? More importantly, can you make the page numbers underlined like before? So if I'm on Page One of the "Muir on Saturday" thread, then pages 2-20 all are underlined? The ones I can click on. I know they are blue and black now, but that's not enough of a difference depending on the lighting conditions etc. Thanks.

My favorite "ridiculous prop" in a climbing movie has got to be the "bolt gun" Sly uses in C'hanger. If anyone hasn't seen it, Sly is leading up something (I can't remember if he has a belayer, but I'm guessing not), and every time he needs some fall protection, he uses his cordless drill to pop in a hanger and bolt, which is conveniently pre-attached to a QD and rope. Pretty handy stuff, if you ask me! Think of the places I could go with a setup like that. Dwayner, please hold your fire. [ 03-01-2002: Message edited by: allison ]

Trask, Of course it is, now which one of you nincompoops is saying that about me....I'LL BOX YOUR EARS! Now, I've got to ask, did they change your medication or something? This is awfuly nice talk for a big trash-talker misogyn like you.....now whaitaminute, you are laying the hook out for me, and if I talk nice back, you're going to set my hair on fire or something, arencha!!!???

No, never in the Corps. But I do work with about a 90/10 boy-girl ratio. I am not nearly as tough as you think I am.

I have no idea where the other 2 women are who post on this site are today, but I'll give you my answer: If you want to continue to see the girl, you increase your chances by putting the ring down after peeing. Just the ring, we don't care about the lid. There are a number of other things that also help, but if I told you that, the others in the club (I think that's 51% of the world's population) would lock me in a room with a case of Bud, make me scratch my ass while laughing at Mr. Hanky, and make me belch until my face turns green, all the while mocking me behind one-way glass. All of them, behind the glass, wearing fabulous dresses that make them look taller and younger, sipping a nice Soave and giggling conspiratorily. In other words, it is SIMPLY NOT WORTH IT. I would have to go to the bathroom ALONE in public! NEVER!

Lambone, I'm curious about this sheath failure thing. It's my understanding that the sheath is a protective covering over the nylon strands on the inside. In the gym the ony thing that the bare strands would rub against is the aluminum of the 'draws, and it seems to me that even with the sharp angle to the first draw, and given that there's no load 'till you fall, on lead, that the rope would hold up at least for a little while before failing. Aluminum is soft! Surely the kernmantle sheath is better on the force of abrasion than the nylong strands, but are they totally useless without the sheath? Did you see the rope? I am just curious because I am a lemming.

Doug, I think you're right that the emotional response can't be conditioned, but I DO think that people can control themselves enough to keep the victims from seeing their fear. I also think that as a layman, that you have to THINK about doing that, and that's why I mentioned it. I used to be pretty sketchy around people that had been hurt (my work is dangerous enough that there are bad accidents from time to time), and then when something happened to me I saw how that affects the victim psychologically. The first 15 minutes were pretty rough and unforgettable. I'd love for Dr. Jay to weigh in on this, given that he's an ER doc. What can we, the un-hardened laymen, do to keep our wits about us, and keep our victims calm? I'm not talking about the medical stuff here, which we are limited to the skills and common sense we have, I'm talking about the other part of this...?

There seem to be a number of posters who were out at Vantage the other day, and witnessed the accident. Let me gently suggest that what you saw may very well stay with you for a while. Stay busy, keep your friends close, and if you just can't shake it, or have trouble sleeping for more than a few days, you might consider seeing a mental health care professional. These things are hard on us, and we need to take care of ourselves as soon as the victim is in the hands of the real professionals. Sorry about the sappy crap, but it's important stuff. One more thing: Having been the survivor of a climbing accident myself, please, please, keep your head together, don't run away, and try not to scare your victim. When I fell, there were a number of people milling around the base of the route, and when it was apparent, after smoking a cigarette (thank god my French friend was there with the smokes) that I'd been seriously hurt, everyone except my party miraculously disappeared. I was the only one in my party with any First Aid training, and I had to talk them through every step of getting me stabilized and getting me back to the car. Fortunately I was conscious and able to do this, but I shudder to think what they'd have done otherwise. Now I always ask my partners what they know about first aid.