Bug

Higher pay usually means better education follows. With better education come better working conditions and higher paying jobs. Look at Japan. When I was little, "made in Japan" meant it was absolute junk. Now they are the manufacturing techology apex. Figure out a way to get a countryside of peasants to transform into quality factory workers, accountants, managers, etc without any social strife and you will earn a Nobel Peace prize. Or leave them as peasants and trek through their area on your next vacation.

I'm not white. I'm Scottish.

NICE!

Aid is aid.

He was in his own league. There were other hot climbers around Missoula in those days too. Tom Ballard, Dave Evringham, Marvin McDonald were all clearly better/more experienced than I was but I could think that I might catch up to them some day. Alex just kept getting better by leaps and bounds. The avalanche that got him was a 1/4 mile wide and started 6000 ft above them. Conrad said it jumped hills like they weren't even there. You can't plan for everything.

on post, but why post in spray? you must have known that the usual idiots would jump in with their typical projections and vomit? i would like to think that if you posted something like this on the climber's board, the fat angry bastards would either stay away, or be subjected to the influences of the capricious warlord. cool post though, but are the limitations on time ones that keep you from previous world-travels, or ones that keep you from even engaging in a few hours a few times a week? i guess i'm lucky cuz i get psyched about things like one arms offa door jambs and shit like that, and i can always do that in the midst of the maddest shit i got going on.... ahhh...its job "time"...it has a weird way of infiltrating most of my waking hours, even when i'm not "working"...coupled with family time commitments, and well, your's truly gets put on the back burner...i don't resent it, but i sure do appreciate the few chances that i do get to get outside unencumbered. Does that make any sense? Plus, lately, i've got this really weird sense of mortality/clock ticking bullshit...honestly, its fucking with me hard... SOunds like a perfect time for that pullup contest. it would only depress me more...plus, what good would come from crushing you? I have said many times that I grew up in Montana. When I was a budding climber, Alex Lowe was climbing out of Missoula. My attempts at his lines were pathetic at first and then I got better and better. Finally, I was cruising Alex's lines and others all over the Bitterroot and having a blast. I was even putting up hard lines of my own. Meanwhile, he had moved on to just about everywhere else. I remember him making the decision to be a professional climber. I remember making my decision to make it my favorite sport but not my main focus. As I watched Alex move on, it did not ever occur to me that he would die in a freakishly huge avalanche. It would have been less freakish for him to have died under the wheels of a logging truck in Missoula in the seventies. His death brought me into the realm of wondering what could have been, what was, and what comes next. His kids and mine are similar ages. That was hard. Why did I get so depressed when I could not climb for a long time? What kept driving me to push my limits and risk leaving my children behind? There really are no good explanations. I settle for the fact that I have continued to make the right decisions for almost 50 years. The fact that Alex did too, and died in the mountains anyway, only confirms for me that no matter what path you choose, there are risks. Growing old is a reward for good decisions and proof that luck plays a big part in things. I still think about going back to the Bitterroot and finishing that alpine 5.12 I started but chances are, I will go to a soccer tournament instead. The occasional NR of Stuart or some such thing is a great time for me. Watching my girls excell in different things is great fun too. When we climb and ski, I am still the teacher but my days are numbered. They will be relentless and move on. I will climb Castle Rock, and backpack with my wife into the sunset. But first, I will spray here and watch you all grow old.

Kevbone has a purpose in life. So do slugs. Just because they leave a trail of slime, it does not mean they are hostile.

My girls like it most when there are other kids there. As the years begin to accumulate, I realize that their persistence and appreciation increases. I am very proud of who my girls are. My goal is to provide fodder for their goals regardless of what mine might be.

If you read Rumr's post and feel compelled to spray on it, then change "climbing" to "spraying" and claim it as your own.

I used to work for the Blackfeet traditionalists. We managed to prevent Reagan and friends from drilling in sacred Blackfeet wilderness. During my dealings with the Blackfeet elders they made it very clear to me that they are prohibited from insulting anyone and anyone representing them should follow that pattern. When they talked about loosing the land to drilling, they were clearly upset but what they kept coming back to was their belief that the people doing the drilling were going to suffer more than anyone. They would be dealt with by the spirits the way we deal with mosquitoes. Sickness to them and their families was sure to follow. Reagan's alzhimers for example. Beleive what you will. How you act toward others, every single thing you do and say, is how you define yourself in society.

Did someone say "RELIGION?" That reminds me....................................

I agree with Mattp on Bush and I agree with Raindawg on bolting. The rest of you are wankers in your own special way. Spray on and love it.

Raindawg brings up valid points. There are those who are obsessed with bolts on both sides of the arguement. Step back and look at yourselves from outside your climbing world. Bolting is more permanent than the damage caused by the dirtbikes.

what if i just get love all over it? won't that make the squeamish wanna leave it? Chalk.

Do you go downclown?

Jokes don't hurt people. People hurt people.

I am not unimpressed.

Nice pics.

It's wearing you down isn't it R?

Agreed. "Love it or leave it." Bullshit. Open dialog should be encouraged at all times. Without it, we all lose.

She is hot.

OK. Outlaw testosterone. You'll be screaming to have that law repealed in about 24 hours. huh? trying to figure out how archie and i getting along has anything to do w/outlawing testosterone. one thing we always agree on is that testosterone can be good Two females = very little testosterone. You wouldn't be here if you didn't love it. At least Archie is honest

OK. Outlaw testosterone. You'll be screaming to have that law repealed in about 24 hours.

and that's another one that bugs me. The fact that we often feel like we have to qualify our remarks with the "I don't agree with so and so, but" in order to say anything about that individual's stance. Qualification: I am not making this personal to you, Minx. We all do it. I do it. Just did as a matter of fact. CAT FIGHT!!!!! Yahoo. Now you can get out the beer andn popcorm K

I have that locked.