Jake

What the hell is a rope straightener?

What are roof pendants?

Ptarmigan Peak has a nice rolling rock glacier on south side. I called it Physiological Peak because you could never see the summit until you actually got there from the base. I remember there to be lot of rock on Ptarmigan - and a nice case of dehydration as well... This is all interesting though. What other curious geological features are out there in them thar mountains?

Are there any rock glaciers in the Cascades besides the one on Star Peak? What is the one on Star like? I neglected to visit it when I was there several years ago - can you tell there is ice under all the rock?

If its big and has four engines, you may want to talk to the guys flying C-17s from McChord. Seems stupid to me to be worried about the military getting in some low level training. Seeing those guys rip through the valleys always makes my day! I can't believe a little noise for a few seconds totally destroys your "wildernes experience."

I realize this is a long shot, but does anyone have any decent pictures of Navy or various Air Force jets flying through the mountains? I always see 'em, but never have a chance to get a picture off. I've always thought it would be sweet to have a shot like that for a background or something.

Tuckaway Lake is cool. I swear I caught the same fish in there three times in a row.

Never used an ATC with a a Gi Gi before. Pretty straightforward?

So what's the best method for this? Any slick ways to speed the process up?

this has got to be one of the best single cc.com posts ever. Agreed.

DC has too much damn wind. I freeze my ass off going to work everymorning in the wind. I hate wind.

You're right, they weren't particularly public seats. That's why I said I was fortunate. However, the seats allotted to Congressman and Senators do go to the public. A few may be saved for friends, but the VAST majority go to those who request them. I'm frustrated with government and politics too. However, this is how the system works - for better or worse. It doesn't matter which party is in control. Lobbyists still show up and try to influence people no matter what.

By the way Griz, there was one location near the White House where some protesters were kinda pushed into a side street, but they almost seemed to like it there. They were actually dancing in a large circle around about 20 riot gear equipped cops who seemed kinda amused at the whole spectacle.

Sorry cj001f I WAS there. Saw the parade up close. Sat on the platform on the Capitol steps 25 yds away from Bush during the Inauguration. And yes, I was fortunate to be that close, but nevertheless, anyone, if they acted fast enough, could have had a seat on the Capitol lawn. Yes, the balls and other parties cost money, but what do you expect? They just let anybody in for free? The balls were $150. Expensive of course, but if you really want to go, nobody is gonna stop you. You just had to purchase a ticket. Most of the Inauguration is funded by donors, both big and small. The taxpayer did not pay for the balls and parties. Read the link: http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/13/inauguration.costs.ap/index.html By the way, I'm all for freedom to do what you want, but be serious. You can't expect to go to a ball or party for free. And protest all you want too - just don't be disrepectful.

to the idea it's lip service. I think it's funny he mentions tolerance of others when any protesters of Bush today were kept far from the eyes of the world in out of the way,special areas behind barricades and police. i also like the fact that only the bush supporting rich,pretty and elite got to line the streets today too. oh and.... Mr. Bush I detect some inacuracies Griz. There were plenty of protestors along the parade route that weren't stuck behind barricades today. They were out holding their signs all over the place. Also, there were plenty of places to see the parade for free along the route without buying a ticket. Tickets for the parade were largely located within a block or two of the White House. The rest was easy access. Viewing for the Inauguration itself at the Capitol was free - one would just need to request a ticket from their member of Congress. Also, keep in mind that this a celebration for Bush. Protest is fine, but remember you can show up on Penn. Ave across from the White House and wave a banner to your hearts content every day of the week. So worrying about the fact that a large protest group was moved 40 yds away from the parade route doesn't register high on my list of concerns.

Yeah ok. That makes more sense in terms of causing avalanches on people below in the resort. I don't see any reason why you should not be allowed to use the lift to cut down on hiking time in you want to go OB though in an area where people in the resort can not be affected. The ski area should allow this access and also be free of liability should someone die out there after using a lift to get outside of the boundaries.

Yeah sure, why not? Actually I'm more interested in the legal side of things. What gives resorts the ability to restrict access or prevent people who have gone OB from returning to the resort and riding the chair back up, particularly if it is government land.

So I've never quite understood the deal with going OB anyway. If you ride the lift, duck the rope, and then return to the ski area, what is the big deal? And how is it possible for the ski area to limit your use of the resort if you do this? Especially, if you are on federal land the entire time, OB and at the ski area.

Yeah the few shreds of respect are totally gone. Could buy half a dozen identical ones from Wal-Mart. Then everytime one of 'em breaks, just pull out one more. It would be way cheaper in the long run.

I knew one of those dudes. He was a kick ass tele skier. Don't know any other details on what they were riding or what exactly happened yet though.

I don't think Iraq or Vietnam are situations where the people want to "take down the big dog". I think it's more like they want to kick the shit out of that big dog that's shitting all over their furniture and having their children for snacks. I didn't mean that we are fighting crazy fools in Iraq because we are the big dog. It is because, as you say, we pretty much showed up and shit all over their fucked up little party - which they deserved. What I meant was that the Swiss and the Swedes aren't going to run into the dilemmas the US faces because they are small countries with extremely limited power. They cannot get involved in world affairs to the extent the US can because they do not have the power to do anything about it. Thus, the path they chose when confronting an evil like Saddam may be different from the path the US chooses. Furthermore, any shaking up of the status quo might bother less powerful countries because, once again, they are at the mercy of others. Robert Kagan talks about this in his article I linked before: "Americans are “cowboys,” Europeans love to say. And there is truth in this. The United States does act as an international sheriff, self-appointed perhaps but widely welcomed nevertheless, trying to enforce some peace and justice in what Americans see as a lawless world where outlaws need to be deterred or destroyed, and often through the muzzle of a gun. Europe, by this old West analogy, is more like a saloonkeeper. Outlaws shoot sheriffs, not saloonkeepers. In fact, from the saloonkeeper’s point of view, the sheriff trying to impose order by force can sometimes be more threatening than the outlaws who, at least for the time being, may just want a drink."

Everybody always wants to take down the big dog. If you are weak, the path you chose to safety might not be the same as a big tough guy. Read this. It's pretty good. Long, but well worth it. It seems like a good theory. What do you think?Power and Weakness

Hey not bad. I think you are right on saying that government isn't gonna actually succeed in fixing anything. BUT, the government does provide a voice to society in saying that these problems ARE bad. The people are the ones that gave this voice to the gov. So while I don't have much hope in the gov fixing anything (or really even want it that involved in social programs - leave that up to the church, community, etc), it is useful in providing society a way to collectively say "this ______ moral issue is bad." Silence, I think, is a way of condoning an issue.

Very true. Pro sports are just too scripted. Nobody has the balls to make a tough call or anything. Fourth and inches, down by 7, 30 seconds left on the clock? Kick a field goal. Lame. College is more exciting.

Well, I don't think that government will be any better at enforcing morals than the church or families (I think the government stinks at most things it tries to do though.) However, I think people feel that as much as churches or families may try (and it's obvious that they don't always succeed here - dysfunctional families, Catholic Church), they need extra help. And people are hoping the government will provide this help.