Off_White

The Chunkyard is a great crag, you done good Andy.

Oh, and as far as the money aspect of guides go, there are few authors who've ever made better than minimum wage putting out those things, I think they're all labors of love rather than profit centers. Sure, there is ego involved to varying degrees, but a person without ego is pretty damned boring at a party.

Well, see, I like that guide. I especially like that Bingham tells the history of chipping/gluing/artificial holds that doesn't reflect well on himself. Way better than the Phony Tony Calderone guide to the area. CAG volumes are really reference books, one inevitably winds up with xerox copies of certain pages when out in the field. They're encyclopedic, and full of detail, but sometimes glaringly wrong wrong wrong, or often merely vague and fuzzy. Still, that seems entirely appropriate for the range, and the breadth of research involved across history/geography/geology/ is really impressive. I'd have to say that I love those guides too.

Judging from the rime on the upper west ridge in the recent SGC TR, you're probably better off in boots and maybe crampons after the rappel. Doesn't really look like we're into tennies w/crampons and rock shoe season on Stuart yet...

That's kinda funny, reminds me of hip white old guys around here saying "nigga". The punchline is that the crew looks to be mostly Vietnamese, which probably adds some extra dimension to the spin that escapes us white guys...

Damn Tom, you are just killing it this season, another great outing, eh? Thanks for all the inspiring TR's.

Hah, thanks all, went to Pot Townsend for the day where it was only 79 degrees, watched my daughter sing & play at Fiddle Tunes, and hung with the boy offspring who was just passing through from China to Michigan. And hey, this is only the Full Deck year, and I'm not including the jokers... [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXtqcL_utZ8

Yeah Joe, I forgot, it was granite you found boring, not crack climbing. I'm curious what all you did in the Valley that left you cold. There is some great featured face climbing there, shorter 1 and 2 pitch outings rather than big routes, but plenty difficult and thoughtful. If you ever contemplate going down there again, hit me up and I'll get you a list of things that might change your mind about granite. The point is that climbing is not any one thing. No, I don't personally go to the Valley to sport climb, but that doesn't mean no else does, or that they shouldn't. I know folks who've gone there for two weeks and only brought a bouldering pad. Not my thing, but that doesn't mean that past time is illegitimate or should be banned in Yosemite. The Valley is a great place to understand that clipping bolts does not equal sport climbing, there are plenty of ground up lines with drilled protection that offer as much thrill and challenge as most people can handle. That's a point you, and to some extent Raindawg, persistently resist grasping. There have been sport climbs there for quite awhile, but the fact that Supertopo has only come up with 200 routes by including things you can top rope, in a place with that much stone, suggests that its hardly a sport mecca. Oh, and I'm not championing anyone, rather I'm standing behind the idea that different people can have different climbing experiences, that diversity makes us all richer. Temporarily embellished titles is a different subject entirely, one not appropriate in this forum. Suffice it to say you're an unlikely recipient of that sort of very rare attention.

And how much time have you logged in the Valley Joe? You've declared that crack climbing is boring and repetitive, which suggests that maybe you haven't climbed down there much. Kinda funny that ya'll don't want those people sitting at your lunch counter if you ask me, especially given that those who feel strongest about the issue don't climb down there much. I assure you that gear protected routes are alive and well in Yosemite Valley, and as popular as ever.

So, my main takeaway from JohnDavidJr's tale is that Ken Nichols has a speech impediment? Bill Coe is right when he said "it will eventually become the real facts and the truth more than likely." The names I capriciously applied to various things in a guide I wrote and edited for San Diego County in 1978 became the facts, especially when others print that info in their later guides. That's why there is a boulder at Santee named the Butt Plug, among other bits of hilarity appropriate to my 19 year old self. Hell, I still think its funny.

He can't reply, I think he has a mouthful. Best thing I've done all month, and it's only the first.

Fuck that Mormon propaganda, bitch has never been to Forks. Still, props to the locals there making a little money off the flapdoodle, that town needs a little pick me up. Meth doesn't count.

Not to mention the sigh of relief when the offspring gets the hard pitch... [img:left]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/PICT0002_upload.jpg[/img] (Scruffy damp needle covered first pitch of The Mule on Big Four.)

Last night saw that cartoon on boingboing and thought, "I just gotta post that on cc.com. Thanks for getting that done, now I've just got to send it to my father, who (at my request) funds my subscription to Reason.

Okay. Be careful for what you ask for, I changed your name for you.

If this was spray I'd make some comment about how easily you're taken, but it isn't, so I'm saying nothing.

What do you think the real rating is for Thin Fingers?

Thanks for the heads up, I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Yeah, it kinda freaks me out too, not to mention my wife. She said a few weeks back that some couple of strangers gave her the hairy eyeball for driving down her own driveway, she was about ready to jump out and punch their lights out. I can't charge for climbing without compromising my liability exemption as provided in the WA State Law (Thanks for getting climbing specifically included in that legislation Andy Fitz!), but I bet I could charge for parking. Who knows, I might have to make a "Crag Full, Go Home" sign to put in the road.

We're on for tomorrow. Parking is becoming an issue, folks should carpool or leave extra vehicles at the store in Tenino. There are about 7 parking spaces available: one just before the bridge on the left, 3 in the new pullout on the left after the bridge, two in the old turnout on the left before the trail, and one (rough) just in front of the gate to the new field at the start of the trail. After that, folks gotta start parking out on the street.

Repugnicans? What, you mean these folks? [video:youtube]

Your wife will love the Prospector Wall, and you won't mind climbing at her grade their either. Really cool rock, but not shady though. I've heard the Fire Wall is pretty cool too, though I've not been there yet. Newish Burdo guide covers these areas.

I've got a BD Sphynx 32L I'm very happy with, but it's entirely possible that the fact I won it at the Sausagefest/Index Purchase Fundraiser raffle this year amplifies my appreciation all out of proportion.

As I understand it, the Fixe rings actually roll around and you don't get the same repetitive wear in the exact same spot that you do on a chain link, so if anything lowering on those rings is better than lowering on chain. Still, if more people take responsibility for anchor maintenance, it's not too big a deal. TR'ing on a route most often should be done on your own quickdraws, putting the wear on your own equipment. I don't think lowering one person versus the wear from pulling the rappel rope is so much more that its a big issue. Lots and lots of up and down is though. Here's the new standard in Tenino, got a good deal on a pile of stainless biners with the eyelet. As a private crag having an owner who hovers, and great folks who make donations, a little upkeep is not an problem.

Wee Willie Winkie