Bug

Early spring 1982, Mike Kellogg and I were planning a canoe trip down the Upper Blackfoot. We were going to take climbing gear and put up some routes on the chossy crags along the river. Mikey called me and asked if I wanted to go climbing. Assuming he was talking about the float trip we had planned, I packed for the Blackfoot. When he pulled up in his 70's vintage Honda civic, there was no canoe but I didn't notice. It wasn't until I got in and he looked at me with red eyes barely visible between two lids of skin and half whispered, "Sssslooottt TTTooowwweeerrrr". That I realized we were heading for another climb we had discussed high in the divide country of the Bitterroot. "I guess we won't be needing the canoe after all." I froze my butt off. TR posted a few years ago if you search.

We used to call gapers "Wuffo's" after Kurt Kliener was asked by a tourist who had just watched him climb and rappell a crack in the Green River gorge; "Wuffo you be doin dat? You goin t die up der boy." He later fixed us a damn fine dinner of catfish n grits. I wish I could remember more of his conversation as he had us rolling on the ground all evening.

One cool winter JT evening, a threesome of young ladies pulled into Hidden Valley and joined a motly crew around a lonesome piece of wood smoldering in a fire circle. Malcom-X had lost certain parts in a rock fall incident a few years earlier. After the girls had been there about ten minutes, Malcom volunteered; "Don't worry about me. I don't have any testicles so I just want to look." It was a couple more weeks before any females were seen up there again.

Maybe the same Winnebago lady in the Hidden Valley campground in JT at first light in January 87; "Fiiiiifiii!" "Heeerrreee Fiiiiifiiiiiii." "Fiiiiifiii!" "Heeerrreee Fiiiiifiiiiiii." "Fiiiiifiii!" "Heeerrreee Fiiiiifiiiiiii." "Fiiiiifiii!" "Heeerrreee Fiiiiifiiiiiii." "Oh for Christ's sake lady! Your fucking dog got eaten by cayotes. Will you shut up and let us sleep?" Complete silence.

True story. 1984, gearing up by the Indian Canyon road at the base of Supercrack, a Winnebago pulled up beside us and the nice old lady struck up a conversation. When asked if we were rock climbing, we replied that we were. The following conversation ensued; Winnebago lady; "There is no climbing here. The rock is too unstable." Me; laughter. Ricky the Italian; "It's OK ma'm, we are professionals." Lady, somewhat aghast that we would question her judgment; "My son knows. He rappels." Much laughter.

Stick with REI. The guy with the pimples will set you up. Actually, I am a big fan of their garage sales. I have a few of their soft shell items. I tend to stay warm while moving. A thin capilene top with a light weight wind shirt usuall covers me for hiking. Pants are thin nylon. Same with shorts. They dry quickly so you can jump in lakes and wash them without slowing down. Use your softshell for the next layer or two and that will get you into the late evening.

curved wired stoppers are very handy and cheaper than cams. They will round out your thin rack. I have a few small cams I would sell. PM me if interested. Happy to talk more too. It is a broad subject and I am a slow typist.

Don't steal mine. It's perfect.

lol. As long as you have your priorities strait. One more thing, a soft running surface is much easier on your joints. Most treadmills are soft enough. I run at Weyona park off West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE. The trails are re-barked every year. 3 to 4 inches of nice, soft bark. It also has some big hills and there is a nice 5-mile there-and-back thing.

You start at the base of the left facing low angle corner. There is a bush right next to the corner and a small sandy ledge just above a few blocks on the approach. There is a big ponerosa 20 yards to the left and about the same level. Go up through the chimney in the roof 90 ft up. Then into the second roof another 100 ft up but turn left into the squeeze chimney just as you get under the roof.

"you brought tears to my eyes." I have that effect on women. Hang in there Muff. Life is good. Bug

My girlfriend is a physical therapist. Her co-workers practically worship her and she has been a huge help to me getting through some bouts with tendonitis. Her take on running after 50 is that you need to be very careful not to overdo it. If you injure a hip or knee joint, you still have to get to the bathroom, kitchen, work, chase the kids, and so-on. Healing typically takes longer and long term joint problems are common. Your 36 miles a week sounds reasonable. A little less would be wise if you are also humping a climbing pack up trails etc. Her point it so spread out the workout. Things like your swimming are a huge help. She has me on a total body workout which is easy for me since I work at home and found a Boflex for $150 at a garage sale. I keep the weights low and lots of repetitions (20-30). Now I have to cut back on the chocolate Easterbunnies.

I climbed at an early age and am still climbing at 48. But not as hard as when I was 18 and 28, or even 38. But that 37 to 45 mark is a hard one. The metabolism slows down, the joints slow down cartiledge production, and ALL the old injuries remind you of the past. Interesting that none of them were climbing related. Even though my body takes more care to keep it in shape, I enjoy the activity and cannot get tired of climbing some huge alpine ridge or face, or of rapping to the base just as it gets dark. That is a full, meaningful day.

No but my sweetie does. She found a treatment that is supposed to work but she has not been disciplined about it. She is a Physical Therapist and thought the treatment was recommended buy a reliable source. Here it is; Sit out in cold temps with little or nothing on and keep your affected extemities in warm water or wrapped in heating pads. The idea is, your body will be trained to increase circulation to the extremeties when the core feels cold. Good luck!

OK. Don't use the one with the bell on it.

Drink beer from plasic cups and water bottles to fool d' man. They get weird sometimes. I have some dead stuff in my freezer I'll thaw out.

What isn't buried in snow is crawling with ticks and rattle snakes and Larry the tool has been issued a tazer.

For those of us who were not there last year, Spill (location?).

Fri night, drive to th, hike to just beyond the Stuart lk trail junction (2.5). There is a flat area up stream and over by the creek. Early Sat, get up to Colchuck sans bivy gear adn do the route and return to stash. Stash big cam or take it up the trail another mile to where the switch backs start. You can go up Mnt crk or up past Stu lk. Most prefer the Mnt crk rt. But if you have not been up there before and are getting a dark start, you could have trail finding difficulties. The trail to Stu lk is clear and the way beyond stays in the bottom on the edge of the swamp. You can get well beyond the lake in pitch dark sat night. Go up to the ridge between Stu lk and Mnt crk where it meets Mnt Stu and drop 400 ft to the base of the NR direct. Or if you are doing the classic route, you are in position.

I'm always stylin in my bright red poly pro under those spandex shorts from the 70's. I can't believe nobody bought this stuff before it went down to 50%!

Actually, the analogy would be more precise if his name was Moss. Glad they made it out alive. Hope the leg heals quickly.

Index by 2:1. Check PM's

You are still alive and have all your parts. That ice looks nice in the corner.

I might be able to break free that early but usually I get done about 1.