Off_White

Tamara, I think your new icon really needs to pee...

Yeah, if she keeps that up I might have to ban her from Spray, otherwise she's gonna drag this forum right up into polite society.

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For mid to long popular routes, get an alpine start. On some of those DD listed it's best to be the first party of the day, especially East Butt of Middle, lots of potential for party inflicted rockfall. If you don't want to stay at Camp 4, you can cruise the other campgrounds looking for someone with only one car in their site who might be willing to share. Best to do that kind of patrol on foot so you can chat folks up.

Try contacting Lucky or Drederek on this site for more specific info. I've only been out there three times or so, had a great time each visit. I think Jens has been out recently too. I know the approach well enough to follow it, but I suspect if I were to describe it I would omit some turn and not really do you any favors. There is a big boulder on the foot trail once you leave the logging road terminus that has a big eye bolt glued in for locking your bike, that's a definite landmark. There is poison oak in the area, so keep an eye out for it. I don't know about any 13's though, those might be in the area that's been closed.

A year or two ago National Geographic had a great article on slavery in the modern world, including the US. Yes, we're not the worst by a long shot, but it does exist here, which I imagine was a little shocking to many of their readers. That article is worth seeking out.

Damn but this is sad news. I only met him once at the PLB hearing in Olympia, but I'm familiar with his work. Yet another reminder of how lucky many of us are to have pretty ordinary brain chemistry, clinical depression is very tough. This has got to be really rough on his family, all the best to those folks.

No, not a coke whore, he's a strudel strumpet!

It's best told in person when you can do the tilt while telling the joke.

Let The Right One In is indeed great. Exit Through The Gift Shop, while not yet available, is a great documentary, sort of about street art and sort of about OCD behavior. Dead Alive is possibly the best and funniest zombie film ever made. Just the sort of thing for folks who like that sort of thing. Other early Peter Jackson films that might amuse and revolt are Meet The Feebles and Bad Taste. It's hilarious to view these three movies and think someone thought, "Yes! This is just the guy to adapt the Lord of the Rings to the screen." Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is good if you like Robert Downey Jr, and Val Kilmer's turn as Gay Perry the detective is sheer brilliance. Man On Wire is a cleverly assembled documentary about Phillipe Petit and his walk between the tops of the World Trade Center. Lars And The Real Doll presents the possibility of psychological redemption through a love doll, set in a small Minnesota town.

Try thesamba.com, one of the best places on the web for those obsessed with older vw's. Not that I'd know anything about that...

I think you picked the right forum, it's good to have this information widely disseminated. Thanks for all the follow up on this, pretty creepy incident.

Drew is visiting his dad Bill in the assisted living facility. They're sitting side by side on the bench, telling stories from the past, when Bill starts to lean to his right, away from Drew. A passing nurse pushes Bill back upright and just keeps on walking. Another story and a few minutes later, Bill starts leaning right again and the same nurse headed the other way immediately pushes him back up. Again, after another couple anecdotes, Bill tilts right again and a different nurse crosses the day room and pushes him up straight. Drew takes a breath, and asks the question he's not sure he wants the answer to and says, "Dad, really, how is it going for you in this place?" "Well it's alright I suppose," Bill replies, "but seems like they just won't let you fart here."

Naw man, you're the elephant in the room!

Its a pretty simple descent. Head down the backside. If you need to rappel, you're probably in the wrong spot. Once on the snow, turn left. Once at the pass, turn left again. Seriously, I'm not being snide, I don't think it's any more complicated than that. I'd recommend looking at the Gerber-Sink N Face route, with a possible finish up the upper part of the Hidden Couloir, traversing the ledge below the fin and up. Overall a much more solid outing than Serpentine, though it doesn't have any single pitch that's as sweet as the finger crack on that more popular line.

Yes Hugh, you're definitely bigger than you appear in the mirror.

Yes to the Bingham guide, no to the Falcon guide by Phony Tony Calderone. Consider making the enjoyable hike to Area 51, I think there are six good lines in your range. Stripe Rock nearby has a decent 3 pitch 5.7 too. It's also good to pay attention to FA party as well as the year it was put up. Kevin Pogue routes (like that one on Stripe Rock) are usually overbolted and a little soft for the grade, so feel free to play the hero on those lines.

and I thought they meant The Jolly Roger on El Cap. Looks like a cool show though.

My favorite tidbit out of that list is that Dru has two slots in the top ten.

Plz post youtube video of you squealing like a pig. TIA

It's a sporty crag.

I'm a little unclear what you mean by "No technical snow/ice mountaineering (avoiding things that need crampons)" Its hard to go climbing in the Cascades in June without at least some solid self arrest skills. Moderate must-do climbs such as the N Ridge of Stuart still require some solid snow experience, not that it's technical like waterfall ice, but you could get seriously injured or dead if you can't cope with moderately steep snow. Really, this issue will come up on almost any worthy alpine/backcountry climb at that time of year. You can get away without crampons, especially if you have boots, but it can be nice to have the crampon option available, especially if your snow skills aren't all that.

perhaps he means on the Lil Dawg?