Off_White

Has anyone else noticed that they climb better, with greater focus, when they are leading than when they are top roping or following? Even on a well protected sport climb, it feels different. of course, maybe that's just me...

Do you have any photos of the filled in holds? I'm curious how it turned out. If the folks who put in those bolts and added holds had showed up to argue passionately for their projects, would it have changed the outcome? I agree it's disappointing that they didn't turn out, either for the clean up or the dialogue. Is this private property, and you're negotiating with an individual, or is it some government related agency? Anyway, I'm curious about the whole process, and I'd love to hear more details. Stewardship is a good thing.

It looks well suited to the "poke around" school of exploration. It's not always as productive as having a ticklist and a plan, but I really enjoy that kind of discovery. Are you travelling alone? You might be able to scare up a partner either on that Texas board or Boldering.com (yes, spelled that way). B.com seems to have it's share of Texans, and they're pretty devoted pad people. We want a Distel-style spread when you get back. Oh, and that story about misplacing the City of Rocks is classic, I thought I had a bad route memory.

Another interesting point is the underrepresentaton by younger voters in almost all polls. They ususally look at "likely voters" and only talk to people who use land lines as their primary telephone connection, two criteria that slant the sample. Given that there are 100,000 new young voters registered in Michigan and more than that in Wisconsin (two of the "swing states") it may be a considerable oversight. I suppose the effect is subject to debate, maybe they're all young republicans, but it may be a significant unexamined population.

short discussion on RC.com: link new mexico tourism board listing (includes park contact info): link guidebook: link texas climbers board: link search engine: link

I thought Munter was a German, shouldn't you Poles be a little more skeptical of that stuff?

Forgot your harness? That's when you pull out the old school bag of tricks. Whip on a quick bowline-on-a-coil, cobble together some leg loops by twisting a 1" sling into a figure 8, clip 'em together with a locker and you're ready to go. It's only 5.8, you won't fall (especially with a harness rig like that!). Forgot the ATC too? That's what a hip belay is all about.

There's been talk of an "everywhere else" forum, but it doesn't exist yet. For now, go ahead and start a new thread in the Climbers Board when you have some climbing news to post. Have fun.

Well, see, now it's Spray.

In this photo, pilfered from Alex's site, you can see the NE Face on the right. The rock headwall is below, then we went up the snow just right of the rock ridge with the snow arete on the top, topping out on the ridge still aways away from the summit. The wall further right has some possiblities, with the steepest ending on the subsidiary summit further right out of the photo.

I'm sure all you nodderites will understand if I move this thread to Spray.

I did a route on the NE face of Fortress years ago, be forewarned that it's very incorrectly described in Beckey's most recent green guide. It was on the left side of the face (which is visible in the distance in some photo or other), several pitches up a rock headwall, then long snow slope with some rock islands. Nothing to jump up and down about, but it's kind of a cool place. There were some more impressive options to the right, rock and snow bands interspersed, but I wasn't really impressed by the look of the rock. On the otherhand, I don't recall being bothered by rock quality on the line we did, so it may be okay. The further right you climb on that face, the closer you'll top out to the summit. I don't recall Chiwawa looking that interesting, but it's been a long time, so I won't insist that impression is true. I may have a picture or two, but it's probably in some jumbled box of slides somewhere. If you're in need, I might be able to find something.

It's been lightly raining for the last hour.

Here's a picture of some Liberty Caps in the field, they're almost always found in grass. The whitish ones are old and sun dried, the viscous looking brown one is new. Note the distinct nipple, striations on the cap, and the tendency for the skirt of the cap to narrow down. Here's another: Also old mushrooms, note the blue staining at the bottom of the cap. One more time: This one sort of looks like what you've got, maybe, but I think it's more likely you've got Panaeleous, which can look similar and grow in the same terrain. Feed some to a neighbor's dog and see what happens. Oh, and here's a gill shot for you to compare:

locally you'll find: Semilanceata (common, and easy to identify,) Stunzii (common and easy to identify) Baeocystis (tougher to both find and identify) Cyanescens (pretty easy to identify, touger to find) There's also the Amanita (not a psilocybe), the classic red with white dots toadstool, which ought to be avoided. Issue is that the line between high and dead is relatively close, and the strength is dependent on local conditions and nutrients, therefore highly unpredictable. do I need to point out DON'T EAT IT IF YOU AREN'T SURE WHAT IT IS. Dying from irreversable liver damage is not the least bit funny.

Possibly an overripe Liberty Cap (p. semilanceata), perhaps a Panaeleous (sp?) which would not have the desirable effect. Photo is small, does it have the caracteristic "nipple" on top? Not a Cubensis, that's for sure. They're cultivated, not native anyway.

Not raining in Tenino, but no promises about later.

I'd like to see the pallbearers. I suppose you've got to admire a guy who can turn his fetish into a living.

There are wet spots, but there are also dry routes. If it doesn't rain for the, what, 4th wednesday in a row?, it should be fine.

There's nothing that's "stealing" about power drilling outside the wilderness boundary. The line you're trying to draw is based on your personal belief, not the law, nor even interpretations of it. I understand you find it offensive, but that doesn't make it a crime.

Cman, I'm not familiar with the details of the project, is the tunnel opening in a wilderness area? The loophole may be that the "wilderness area" doesn't extend to the center of the earth. Hmmm, by the same token, would that make lateral drilling into a wilderness area legal?

Oh, I agree with you Lambone, but I don't think calling the Feds is a preferred option. Maybe you don't either, I guess you haven't really said. What is your position on calling the federal government to turn in someone for motorized drilling in the wilderness? Would personal experience with the individual involved play any role in your decsion? I do think your "moderators are picking on me" stance is disingenuous. I've never given you any cause to believe I'm some sort of rogue cop out to get you, and ChucK is not even a moderator in this forum. Anyway, I'm far more interested in the topic at hand rather than some digression about how oppressed you feel by a bunch of moderators. I'd be glad to discuss this further via PM if you'd like.

The Wawona Tunnel must really piss you off, not to mention granite countertops, gravel roads, Mt. Rushmore, and the stone lions at the Seattle Art Museum. Please note that we're not discussing whether bolts are valid, but rather the effect of method of placement vis-a-vis the law, enforcement of motorized tool bans in wilderness areas, and how to maintain climber access.

What's the bigger threat to access and freedoms, somebody using a power drill in a wilderness area or someone getting the authorities involved and inflamed about it? I don't think bringing the cops in to assuage one's moral outrage is a great plan. Speeding and pot smoking are every bit as against the law as power drilling in the wilderness, so if you want to make an issue about "obeying the law" then why are those examples out of the equation? If the issue is affecting access, and assuming that part of the problem is population pressure from more and more participants, then which is worse: being busted for power drilling in a wilderness, or running a school that adds hundreds of new people to the sport every year? Selling your image to an advertising company that uses it on national television?