Off_White

I've got a pair of Mad Rock approach shoes that have been as good as any shoes I've ever worn out - the sole has actually worn thin and is delaminating on both ends, but the uppers are still in great shape. First pair of approach shoes I've ever contemplated resoling.

I'd have to agree with this sentiment.

No silly Billy, I'm just trying to rile Jay_B up by implying that he's in agreement with the folks over at The Nation.

How long do you think Bill O'Reilly would last at Fox if he started effusing about what a good job Obama is doing for the country?

ewwww, stinky, and what a surprise! Only the state can deny free speech according to the service libertarian. Actually, Jay is just agreeing with the pundits over at The Nation who opine: "as to Williams' First Amendment rights, a citizen generally only has free speech rights in regard to government action. If a private employer wants to fire someone for a something offensive they say they generally can. If the government fires someone for their speech there is a much higher standard involved. While NPR is called National "Public" Radio, the reality is that only a small amount of their funding comes from government sources. About 16% of NPR's funding comes from local, state, and federal government sources. Much of that funding comes from government grants which NPR applies for as part of a competitive process. Just like a private company which applies for a tax credit, or for a government grant, NPR does not lose the rights to hire and fire people like a normal employers simply because they receive some government funding. "

Trail was busy, but we had the route to ourselves.

Trip: Colorado - First Flatiron Date: 10/9/2010 Trip Report: While nothing monumental, I figured ya'll might enjoy a brief visit elsewhere as the days shorten and darken, even if it is Colorado. On a brief trip to Denver to cavort with my wife between conferences I got to meet up with my old friend Evetree and her co-worker Eric, who were in Loveland for yet another conference. We got to spend a day climbing between storms, and a little cold & snow vetoed our plan to climb at Lumpy Ridge. Instead, following the sun, we wound up at the First Flatiron in Boulder. The Flatirons are pretty cool slabby sandstone formations overlooking Boulder. Backsides are are shorter but quite steep. Hiking up the popular trail on a Saturday was a pretty gregarious nearly European experience. There were a vast number of folks strung all over the Direct East Face, so we moved right and started up something else. Eric following first pitch It was a really great day to be out with friends. We did four pitches up to the North Arete, pretty fun moderate climbing, fairly sparse protection, and only a few slings on trees, surprisingly little fixed stuff on such an easy route so close to a climber filled metropolis. It was another four and a half entertaining pitches up the arete to the summit, steps and notches, an overhang, and some cool airy wandering climbing. In a way it reminded me of the SE Buttress on Mt Washington in the Olympics, only with much better rock; it felt more like an alpine rock route than cragging. Looking back at my buddies on the false summit, it's apparent just how near this stuff is to Boulder, practically makes Exit 38 seem like deep wilderness. All in all, it was a fabulous day out and about in great company, one of the things I really love about climbing. Afterwards we connected with Eve's friend Crusher Barlett who put us up for the night, and we all went out to wonderful Indian food at the Bombay Bistro. I highly recommend the beef short ribs, not to mention Crusher's new book, Desert Towers, which offers amazing historical photos, essays, and lots of info direct from the pioneers of desert tower climbing.

Rat, thanks for the straight poop.

I thought that's what we had the second amendment for. Wolverines!

[video:youtube]

300 lbs would be a pretty damned big goat. Even so, one half that size could easily get the best of you, especially if you weren't expecting it. We've got Cashmere goats & a Churro (sheep) ram, and I handle them by the horns. They clock in between 100 and 140 lbs (they're about the size of the ones I've seen in ONP), and it can be work if they're not feeling cooperative. Bear in mind these are domestic critters, and they know me; an aggressive wild goat would much harder to control.. They also know exactly where the ends of their horns are, and are very adept whether its a matter of scratching just the right spot or butting someone out of the way. Reports said that he was gored in the leg, I could easily imagining that happening before you were even aware of the intent. We had a somewhat larger and more aggressive Churro ram awhile back, and no one else would go in the field with him. You'd have to be very aware and vigilant, and have some sort of tool to deflect a charge. When he stood still your could grab his horns and control him, but if he was in motion you just had to stay out of the way.

People trying to piss other people off is what's wrong with the Columbia River Gorge forum. That and people's willingness to be easily pissed off I reckon.

I read that as 1&2 and 3&4, probably because I imagine that to be the likely scenario. Mid October in the Cascades, nice.

My wife works for the Nisqually tribe. They don't celebrate Columbus Day and tend to refer to it as a day of mourning. Summitchaser, maybe you'd like to go out to the rez and tell them what a bunch of America hating racists they are.

E-rock & Muffy drop in for a visit on the same day? For some silly reason that just makes me grin.

Now that would be really impressive.

This is really a poorly constructed poll with not enough well thought out response choices, and I think your personal bias is too easily discerned.

Oh noes, are you a drummer Pink? Hmmm, that would make my comment a little bit awkward.

I'm giving you feedback on both your thread title and your poll questions, not spraying.

damn OFF i figured you were one of those cool dudes that thought everyone had some sort of value What, you've never heard a drummer joke before?

I like the curved Metolius hexes, very light too. The three smallest old Chouinard wired hexes have a permanent place on my rack.