Off_White

That might be closer to the reasoning than you know, but essentially folks decided that there had been enough beating on the Hobbick drum, and at a certain point it stops being funny and becomes something rather more ugly.

I didn't read those remarks as serious intimations about your guys judgement or sanity, rather as an expression of how far outside most folks comfort zone this adventure looks. II think most are aware that skill and experience can make the apparently improbable a feasible proposition. Great pics and report, I always love Dan's write ups. Is it just me, or are we in the midst of a golden age of North Cascade backcountry skiing? Do John Scurlock's aerial photos have the same impact for skiing that they have had on alpine climbing?

Rob, you might want to get your bearings checked, they're really starting to whine.

There was a notion awhile back that leaving out FA information was supposed to cut down on the egoish names-in-the-guidebook syndrome, but it was a silly idea. That info is important historically, and it can provide valuable insight into a route as well. Take City of Rocks for instance, knowing who put it up will give you some clues as to how clean something may be and how thoughtful fixed pro placements may be. In Red Rocks, if Joe Herbst was on the FA, you'll know you'll want to bring your "A" game to that 5.9. I wrote a guide way way back in the day, it was a fair bit of work, sort of full time for 3 months, but hey, I got college credit for it and made up a bunch of names that are still in use 34 years later. Takes chutzpah to write a guidebook.

Should be great this week. Last time around we had a dozen folks, even with you stalwarts out of town, so it could be a busy season.

I found this great book on the subject called Climbing Stronger, Faster, and Healthier by some guy named Mike Layton. link

I'm going to leave that one alone.

Yeah, only wussies like Jim Donini use tape.

If it doesn't rain it looks good for this afternoon. A lot of the usual suspects are in Las Vegas until tonight, so I don't know what the turnout will be like.

A must watch for any fan of John Cage's masterpiece, 4:33 [video:youtube]

Thanks for the update.

Dave, surely you've been around long enough to know those are blt's

We get a break from you for 14 months, and when you come back we find you still fucking haven't changed.

So you did pledge to a frat after all, eh?

Phi Biteah Dicka, but I'd recommend caution. Plus, as you might suspect, they're all your parent's age now.

Yup, that one is high on my list of B-movies I want to see, it even streams on Netflix.

Do they still have the ice axe heads embedded in the top so you can practice your boot/axe belay? The loose chockstone on a spindle in the chimney? Little dedication and rock identification tags attached here and there? I always kind of liked Spire, though not enough to drive there from Olympia very often.

I'm pretty certain he's a donkey fellator...

Sometimes you remind me of fishing in the catch-and-release kiddie pool at the trout farm, big lazy fish that will bite at anything.

Bad winter as in dry winter I think, I don't know that you can count on the usual blue ice in the couloirs this September. If you inquire on Supertopo you'll find a much more Californiacentric crowd with better current information.

We had almost the exact same encounter on the first pitch of Frogland in 1981. My girlfriend led that pitch, and I face climbed around and never saw the critter. A pair of friends behind us repeated the maneuver. I repeated the route for the first time just last spring and was pleased to find the crack unoccupied.

Yes, one can be wrong, but lying involves a level of intention that makes it a pretty serious accusation.