jordop

The trick is to sharpen the end of a picket down to a mean point so you can huck it at animals for food. Easier to place, too.

Boooo! Where ya going Stefan?

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Earning that 2500' run:

Depends what you consider a VBL. Twight calls a microfibre windshirt worn over polypro a VBL layer as it inhibits some moisture but not all. Having once tried to bivy in a coated VBL once in Idaho and waking up in a peculiar cold sauna, I think that a semipermeable nylon job would be a good compromise.

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Serratus makes a superlightweight job, marketed as a VBL, but made out of semibreathable nylon. MEC had only a couple and I picked up the last LONG size. Not on the mec or Serratus sites, but keep an eye out for it if you want a cool emerg bivy. $60 CDN kinda steep though.

Lush Slush for ski----ing

sna

Sorry, I thought JoshK was talking about Ray hunting cause he looks like a lumbering moose in that pic

Doing FWAs this year is cheating

'twas elsewhere first

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Who was the guy who wrote that bit a few years ago about being on some Alp sketch fest and yelling down to his belayer, "I'd kill for a piece" and the belayer thinking he said "pizza"?

Kittens? Mittens? Pie? Now the true nature of that ditty comes out

Yeah, like the Grade I heli approach for Slesse which might shave you an hour or two. Better bring beer for everybody else

G-spotter = Sprayshaw I like the affected Euro dropping of the indefinite artcile "an", which is more Russo than "Andorran"

I still like the roman numeral NCCS grading as it clearly defines for me what can be accomplished in a day and encapsulates time much more succinctly than does the "new" French system. The D+/TD- zone seems problematic as it could include a six pitch 10b pure rock route on Grainger or a slightly mixed, more alpine route on Joffre or Slesse. Retreat for me is more easily had on "hard rock" features and thus the idea of "commitment" is still ellusive. Also interesting to note Squamish guides haven't included NCSS grades since Smaill's guide, even thought Sean Easton applied a VI grade in the CAJ for Skullfuck and others continue to refer to Angels Crest as IV, etc., etc. Thus we are to take it that even though approach should not be taken into account and roadside and backcountry routes of similar scope should recieve the same rating, the "alpine" nature seems to be a prerequisite at least in the PNW (still used in Yosem obviously). An imperfect but nevertheless implicitly understood system

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I always thought the Sierra escaped logging becuase it was unprofitable; the pines have a relatively long regeneration period and there is significant forest fire danger That would really suck

It's surfing weather for the rest of the week snowline at 4000' in Squamish, melting fast

I've got a pair of these but never seem to wear them. They're a bitch to get on when they're wet and its cold and they aren't really that warm below freezing. They're great for crabbing though My BD dryskin gloves seem a lot warmer and cushier in the crap weather. They used to be everywhere in Vancouver 5 years ago. I bet Taiga or 3 Vietnam Vets still sell them along with all the other useless crap they have like $200 Eastern Bloc mtneering boots.