Bug

I want to hear more about Moses. Who has a story? Come on you German Holiday tourists, some of you have crossed paths with this guy and read this board. Cough it up. Nothing personal Erden. Your info is already on the web.

This post belongs in the urban legends thread.

I will have to lump all the answers into one response since I still have trouble focusing for long periods (eyes, this is not drug related). It costs $1990 Canuks plus transpo and lodging. I had a willing companion who drove me home and appreciated the nice room at the Marriot next door to the Coal Creek center. the room was $129 Canuks and I needed it for 2 nights. I had PRK instead of Lasik because my corneas are very thin. They have to leave a minimum 350 microns of base cornea and Lasik starts by peeling back the top 150. Lasik then reshapes the under portion and re-attached the flap. With PRK they numbed my eyes with drops, held my lids open with clamps, put rings on the work area and removed the epiphilium (eyeball skin) with alcohol. Then I had to stare at a red dot straight above while the laser zapped me. The right eye took about ten minutes and the left eye took about 4 or 5. Then they put a contac lens on the eye to replace the epiphilium until it grows back. That took me four days but I didn't use any of the pain killer drops. They slow down the healing and the pain really wasn't bad. From that point on I was able to see 20/20 if I focused and had rested my eyes immediately before. My reading ability is coming back a little slower but still seems perfect when I am rested. Driving or reading or any consistent use was out of the question. So I became a willing subject to the whims of my companion. She had a lot of good ideas.

A friend of mine is having trouble finding a boot that fits her very narrow foot. It would be for backpacking and a little glacier travel. Sportivas are wide by her standard. Any suggestions?

On Dec 23 I had PRK done to both eyes at Coal Harbor Eye Clinic in Vancouver BC. It was quick, half the price of any local place and my vision is now 20/20 in both eyes and will not be at 100% for six months. The pain factor was like having a hair under my contact for the first three days. I highly recommend them.

Nice work.

I thought I had insulted you so much you wouldn't speek to me. I'm up for more of that alpine anytime.

The book 'Krakatoa' is about the mountain by that name that used to sit off the coast of Sumatra. It blew itself to oblivion in 1897 with results similar to those of the recent quake. Very active area tectoncally.

dru, are you sure that wasn't in yosemite in 1975? Here is the thread with the recent News Story http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/402038/an/0/page/82#402038 A link to a link that no longer works. Now there's an urban legend. And I was all packed.

I have never seen evidence of a bigfoot but I was one of about 30 people who saw a UFO over Missoula in 1964. I'll tell anyone. The conspiracy theory doesn't cover it. It's simply a matter of people not being willing to believe if they haven't seen it themselves. I wouldn't. But there I was looking at the damn thing. I have to admit to being a little embarassed about talking about it in public. Is that the result of a conspiracy or the result of a fear of being flamed? Wait a minute, I'm getting a message from the Big Giant Head now..... He says you're all boobs. Saggy ones.

If I had it to do over, I would drop two climbers in a crevass at 13K. One stole TWO pairs of my gloves and couldn't carry his own pack to start with. The other was a tad hyper and fluxuated from nice to scary in a blink. Definately would arrange a climb over the internet again but would say adios to anyone who didn't climb with me at least a few times beforehand. Once up Rainier was not enough. I would also carry a tazer.

When I was up there I made two hundred and thirty four tiny harnesses out of dental floss and had a swarm of mosquitoes carry my pack for me. All I had to do was jog along in front of them.

There is some nice looking rock in the top of the Necklace valley but it is a long ways back there if the road isn't open past the tressle. Summer time, it's about 8 miles from the trailhead. Good camping and lots of big rocks that have probably not seen much action.

Low impact camping is always a good practice. No judgements on where or when. Building a fire in an already trampled area probably isn't going to hurt much unles you are on some roots or deep pine needles or duff. No great news there. But why not get somewhere away from where anyone will see the remains and build it in rocks without moss or veggies near by? The Colchuck area gets a lot of abuse but mostly from people whose crime is to be camping in the same place everyone else camps. Which is pretty much limited by the FS anyway. There is a great basin south of the lake and above the little pond about a thousand feet. Huge boulders piled three and four deep with ample firewood and huge bivy caves and no trace potential abounding. Up on the ridge there are great views of the N side of Stuart etc.

If you are worried about the cost, buy my aliens at $20 a pop.

What could have been and what was are the balance of a climber's tragedy. If I had never climbed, I could not be who I am now. If I die on a climb, I will still have lived exceptionally well. RIP Gary.

Joel Hang tough. One day at a time. No more. Make youself think about better things. Easy to say from where I sit but it IS a choice you are forced to make. Climb of your choice upon your return. I'll carry the rope and rack while you work off that gut. And it will get worked off.

I dream of alpine as moon shadows dance in the clouds. Tomorrow I will hike the damp trail and boulders then ski to Eldorado pass. The NW coulior has not left my thoughts of late. Perhaps we will linger to descend the East ridge under the full moon.

Did I mention I'm single now?

I searched for a woman who could climb at my level or harder for decades. Never found her. Came close once. But she was married so that doesn't answer your question. Or does it? I really enjoyed climbing with her because there was no competition thing going. It was pure inner mind and comradery. I get that with a lot of male climbers too but most are innitially kind of rating oriented. And in a macho way. Not just to figure out what to climb. But to find a woman who loved to climb and is better than me seems like a good thing. Bring her on!

Being a heterosexual, middle class, white male, I can tell you discrimination is alive and well. My life seems easier than those of my friends who are not in my demographic. Worse yet, I hear what other members of my demographic "confide" to me. It ain't over. Fight on.

You need some kids to haul up a big hill a few times a week. Just be ready for that to be the focus of your mountaineering experience for the first few years.

Hmmm. I am taking my Dynafits up there. There is a foot of new snow at Stevens. That has to mean at least a foot of new on the approach up high and a week to go yet. And that is on top of that pack we were almost able to walk on. If it doesn't warm up too much up there, I am hoping for some great ski runs. Dodge the 'lumps' and tally ho!

Don't take it personal Raf! I just want the option of taking longer if it looks good up there. It may be excellent skiing!

We be set to cruise. Bivy bags and light gear. Got to remember to register this time.