Bug

If I die on a mountain, definately disect the incident to your heart's content. If that helps prevent someone else from making the same mistake, it is a good thing. I certainly meant no disrespect to anyone on Rainier. I am upset about it and wish their families the best. I also worry about people who say it was "bad luck". Choices were made. I wish you all safe climbing.

Just an fyi. Greg_w, BillyGoat and I went up to do Gib ledges a couple months ago and did not like the snow quality then. We backed off. It has continued to snow off and on with no significant warm periods to consolidate the snow. The upper mountain is blown clear and hard. I have canceled two later trips since then because of snow conditions. I am not a hardman but I am not a lightweight either. I would go up if I thought conditions were even moderately good. I also have the luxury of being able to trot on down there on a weekend but spending money on a plane ticket should not influence your decisions on a mountain. Why do so many people ask "What is going on up there this year?" I'll tell you. CONDITIONS SUCK! They will not change until it warms up and clears off and does not snow again. You can't set reliable protection in deep soft snow and you have to set good protection in hard ice which will slow you down. Meanwhile, weather systems continue to threaten. Sure, you can push up there with a good team or even two good solo climbers. But if you fall, you will fall a long ways. Some of these experienced climbers who pushed up there found this out. There are no minor mistakes up there right now. Self arresting on ice is nearly impossible once you get moving fast. Not easy in steep soft snow either. If you can't guarantee yourself that you will not trip or slip, don't go up there right now. Sorry to go off on you like that but I am tired of people looking at me like I am crazy because I climb Rainier. I have carefully chosen not to be up there so far this year. Live to climb another day.

#6 slung stopper. One of the first pieces I ever bought in 1975. Used on almost every pitch I climbed. Held many falls over 20 years. Now resides on the west face of Upper Exum Ridge.

Yo Baby. Breathe deep. Get high on that. Yo Daddy.

Hey doc, can you give me somthin that makes me pussywhipped? NO THANKS Dru.

First come, first serve. Cracks are not created by anybody. Linking a line of holds is a specific set of choices.

Hang in there. We are all still rooting for you.

The bar scene can be fun but wear double condoms and wash with chlorine bleach immediately afterward.

Yeah, but match.com costs like $20/month. From what I've seen, most climbers are too cheap for that. Will they trade for stinky gear?

Bring your body armour. Rock fall will be a problem even at Thumb rock.

Looks like a nice paddle.

Climbing is cruel.

Fun TR.

I disagree. If he had lots of rock experience, his balance is all he needs. My first time in crampons, I climbed the north coulior of Middle Teton. It was totally comfortable.

Nope. I figured it was punishment for you guys sleeping in the girls bathroom at Paradise.

As with all else worth doing, practice, practice, practice....

I have done both. I rue the day I bought snowshoes.

Good TR. You got in the best climbing. The summit is just a slog from there. Thanks for the quality diversion from work!

Of course you don't know what I'm talking about. You avoid anything that shows Kerry's true colors. Kerry traveled to Paris to negotiate with the commies twice. That's illegal. It was Kissinger's job. Was it illegal for Ronald Reagan to deal with Iran when JImmy Carter was President?

A president is a person. Nothing more. In this case, you are paying respects to a person who ordered the murder of countless innocent El Salvadorans, Nicaraguans, Grenadians, etc. not because they were communists or tried to put down the US but because they tried to esablish personal liberties like we in the US enjoy. Meanwhile, Reagan oversaw the dismantling of our miranda rights. Sorry. I think the man was evil. I think his successors are evil. I think they are dead set on stripping all power and money from the middle class. And Some of you are playing right along with their lies while they ship your jobs over seas and throw your rights in the toilet. The Democrats are not our great white hope either, so don't take me wrong. We are all being played by a huge ($200,000,000 a year) marketing campaign that cares nothing for the truth or justice but only for power. Until we stand up together against all of the crooks in DC, we will continue to get used as pawns without value by both sides. We have given up our right to govern ourselves. We refuse to take part in elections and political rallies and other policy setting oportunities. The citizens of the US are apathetic and on the verge of seeing their way of life gone. You will have to be rich to have a simple heart cath or chemotherapy. You will die in droves of maladies that we can cure. You will die because you do not have enough money. I will not mourn the passing of any of these brutally corrupt people who serve in DC today or over the last 30 years. When we all rebel against the painful truth, we might see change. Until then, while we bark at each other over which side of the aisle is God's, they laugh at us and hold us in contempt. I am a cynic yes. But I have seen the way these people operate and what passes as legal inside the beltway. You would not want them as neighbors.

Reagan had the best propaganda department since Adolf Hitler.We will be sorting out what he said and how that applied to what he did for decades. One thing is for sure. He presided over a government that ignored the constitution when the need arose. Every member of Reagan's cabinet was indicted for something. It takes a lot of evidence to indict someone while the VP is President. The indoctments had to be crammed down the throat of the justice department which then applied their efforts to proving the their former leaders innocent instead of doing their job of looking for further proof of the articles raised in the indictment. Reagan saved us from nuclear disaster. If it were not for that, he would be one of the worst presidents in history. It remains to be seen wether it was luck or cunning.

Did you exit left through the cornice or right on the slabs? How was the snow on the top half?

I have both. When going light is really important, I take the pocket rocket that uses cannisters. When weight isn't that big a factor, I take my white gas MSR XGK and pump it up.

Have you tried a chalk bag? There is a Golite pack on clearance in Mountain gear and reioutlet.com. It is 2700-3100 and weighs 1lb 14oz. MG only has the medium but rei has M and S. I don't know how they fit women but they are light and cheap. Hope this helps!

On a Ducati and in leather.