Off_White

Muffy, the third kind uses the reflection in the window to adjust their hair and admire themselves.

There you go. How many granite alpine trade routes does Washington have anyway? I don't think Washington can compete with BC for obscure alpine scenery.

I think this came up in a thread awhile ago, and the conclusion was that perhaps no one has repeated the exact itinerary. They had some monster days in there, and didn't they do Johannesberg as part of the package? No maps either I think.

think "trade route"

hah, I've never heard those route names twisted that way! Nope. Not in the Wine Spires either.

DFA: I'd have to guess Choad Warrior. Its over there in the Stratocaster & Running Man area, and I'm pretty sure I watched someone thrash & dangle on it...

Reading Dru's review of climbing rags, which drifted into a few posts about Outside reminded me of Tim Cahill, who has published a few articles there. He's a pretty fun adventure writer, sort of like a more diverse John Long. I particularly enjoyed Road Fever, his tale of pursuing the speed record for driving from Tierra Del Fuego to Nome. added: Heh heh, now that I slow down and read I see that Dru is not fond of Cahill. I suppose I'd agree with the stylistic link between him and Krakauer, so take that as your reference: if you like Krakauer's style, check out Cahill.

I know its nothing new, but yesterday I was struck by how bizarre it is that a leader's speeches are written by others. Its like having an actor recite his lines. Yah, I know its both parties, and for years and years now, but I just had this wish for someone who would speak their own mind. I think what we heard were someone else's thoughts that the president agrees with. Mtn Goat: we're not talking about Clinton, and many know Bush's record: Texas Air Guard with a domestic assignment that he went AWOL from for over a year with no repercussions. Most politicians who were elegible during Vietnam dodged in one form or another, which is why the media makes a point of letting you know when someone actually fought. Robbob: Yes, I liked the bit about aids relief to Africa, and I liked that he sounded (I had radio, not tv) sincere, but he didn't really provide details. Saying "prevent 7 million infections next year" doesn't tell us his strategy to do so. I hope its something more substantial than tax credits for a bunch of missionaries to go tell them to trust god and abstain from sex.

So much for the theory that climbing is all about fun. But then again, I don't much fancy myself as tough.

Do you think that product placement is not advertisement? You could be right though, I seem to recall a chapter in The Tipping Point (interesting book about fads and trends, if you're unfamiliar) that made a pretty good argument for the power of James Dean over Joe Camel. I do think that the Swedish Bikini Team trumps death by vomit inhalation as a positive marker for alcohol consumption.

Yup Fairweather, kids are a funny mix of nature and nurture. Its not at all unusual for siblings to be that different from each other. I hope your friend is equally proud of both of his sons.

Technically speaking I believe Hendrix died by drowing in vomit (friends don't let wasted friends pass out on their backs) but as it was due to a mix of alcohol and barbituates, I wouldn't dispute drugs as a cause. I wouldn't say that the blood of children is any more on their hands than that Anheuser-Busch has the blood of drunk driving victims on its hands. I think advertising is much more effective at promoting a lifestyle than an individual role model. Don't forget, you espouse the virtues of individual choice!

MattP said: Oh dear, I must be some sort of seriously arrested development case, cuz I'm quite past that window of reversion. I grew up in a devout Republican household: my folks were diehard Goldwater fans, borderline John Birchers, and very active in the party. My mother managed political campaigns, and as a child I stuffed envelopes for Nixon, Ford, and Pete Wilson, who's also my sister's godfather for pete's sake. As a five-year-old, the day John Kennedy was assasinated I asked my mother if it was a good thing because he was a Democrat (she answered "No.") How did I go astray? I think I only had one seriously lefty liberal prof (Herb Schiller at UCSD), and none of the professors I had at Evergreen where I finished off my eight year college education plan were more overt than a generally humanist outlook on life. I believe my father blames it all on climbing, and the associated dirtbag outlook on life. Ahh well, I think I'm the happiest person in my family of origin, and that was the goal I set for myself long ago. Fairweather, its a cool thing having one of your children turn into an adult (I've got a 21 year old son), and I think of of the key tricks is liking who they are, not what they think. As a junior in high school, your daughter is already essentially self-programming, and your voice is now just one of many she hears and evaluates. No doubt you've raised her to be a good person, and now comes the slow transition to friend and fellow adult. Agree or disagree with each other in the future, make sure you develop the mutual respect that will keep you discussing things together in the years to come. And I don't care what MattP says, your Olympus photos are quite exquisite.

Thanks! While they're not technically great exposures, they really capture the feel of things. I gotta go put my coat on. Great adventure you two.

The graduated weight lifting program.

Here's a link to more discussion on the topic that someone else gleaned and collated from rec.climbing. WARNING: lots of words solo top roping

I've used a Microscender (used to be Rock Exotica, now is Petzl) with success, but its not designed as a self belay device and I've heard of at least one incident where someone slid down to their last back up knot. Back up knots are a drag, since on hard stuff you have to wind up hanging to tie and clip the damned things in, but I'm too anxious to do without. It'd be nice to have something dependable enough to not tie knots. Its funny TG brought this up, since I was wondering the same thing the day before.

This just in from the Crystal Mtn. Weather Center: Summit: 6872' 12° 65" Base: 4400' 283° na 283 degrees at the base? Sounds like hell! Ummm, if you believe in that stuff anyway.

Football.... that's the one with the funny shaped ball, right? And they don't use sticks?

I'm going to have to root around and see if I can find the article a friend copied for me. It was a study done on water in the Sierras, testing 40 some sampling sites, and the highest reading for giardia was considerably less than the San Francisco public water supply. Obvious caveats though: only tested for Giardia, only in the Sierra Nevada, but an interesting read none the less. I'll see if I can find the relevant material. It did make me feel better about those times I decide "screw it, I'm thirsty" and drink from whatever is handy. One thing in favor of a filter, it has on occasion allowed me to pump from a trickle source you could not fill a bottle from.

I've been daydreaming of alpine traverses of late: 1: Torment-Forbidden 2: Joffre Enchainment 3: Viennese-Clarke

swap god for a janitor, rot in a jar of dog paws

Oh, right Caveman: I screwed up in the search terms, "washington" pulled up the bit about "like they do in washington" so perhaps that guy is talking about Alabama. I'm pretty sure we have a comparable commission here, but it seems to me that all they do is hand out fat raises at the drop of a hat. The other was just an FYI, not a solution. I thought it was interesting that Locke and a few legislators from both parties thought they should not keep their raises from this September. Personally, I think it should go back into the state's general fund, not to the charity of their choice. Otherwise you're still just getting your raise and spending it as you wish. thanks for the fact check