iain

Bah! Has his non-organic, non-fair-trade certified melon even been to Kyrsblakistan? I doubt it.

Finally! Another opportunity to speak Pataguc'ise. The fickle weather of the Great Trango Tower can bring new meaning to the definition of commitment. The Stretch Element jacket won't let you down on your latest project, whether jugging the lines in Kzyrghstshtian, sipping mochas in the Pearl District, or catching a taxicab in Borneo.

cascadeclimbers.com once again tops itself as the geekiest entourage of climbers in history with this thread

There is also the issue of expense. There seem to be some rich cats on this thread cause even with pro deals I can't afford a set of halves, a set of twins, a thin single, and a fat cragging single. I had two single ropes, and now one.

Rather ironic that the cover of the new guide book is taken from the base of the great roof.

Sure sounds like it.

I don't remember needing any gear on that climb. On the contrary, I felt it was getting tedious clipping all the bolts and started skipping them to avoid insufferable rope drag. Maybe I'm not thinking of the same thing.

Not before I took a swing on that giant swing set they had set up there! I tried to steal the first draw too, but it was some old manky petzl thing.

The cave route is a fun diversion. There are maybe one or two moves on the first pitch then it is a staircase. The rappel down is a little awkward. Not sure if you are supposed to rap the route, but that's what we did. There is an offshot to the cave route that heads right after the first "pitch". It is about as easy, and there are a ton of bolts. This goes up to the Tail or the Opossum. It's a fun romp. There are also some juggy routes to the left of the Cave start. There's a 5.11, and two 5.10s if I remember right. All well-bolted.

yes, and when you go to the resort, the runs with the green astroturf are the sickest lines!

jeezus winter.

wow, now that's a terrain trap. and as for the snowfall, it's all about the wind.

You can also get a ton of iPod accessories from this place: http://www.drbott.com/ They have some funky stuff. They are a cool company here in Portland. The company I work for works with them all the time.

Those fm transmitter things suck in general. Best to wire your own if you want to use it with your car stereo. If you are looking for a sweet set of cans (talking headphones here) check out http://www.headphone.com/ I have the Beyerdynamic DT250's for my iPod, and they work pretty well un-amped. The next step is to get the Total BitHead amp. They have a cool case for the iPod and the BitHead amp too. The best part is you feel like you are not splurging when you buy a $300 amp and $250 headphones, cause they have headphone amps for $11,900! I still have not justified the purchase of a headphone amp. Hard to pay that much for such pure luxury, but it is supposed to be an incredible improvement with my headphones. If you have not noticed, the stock iPod earbuds are crap.

That's interesting, because I've placed my yellow tcu before my red WC zero (roughly same size) which is very similar to the alien. Maybe it is because I have fallen on the yellow tcu (not far) and not the zero. The tcu's definitely have a stiff stem. I'd rather not fall on either of them.

Some people use grapeseed extract as an alternative to iodine. A full-on case of giardia will make you treat anything anywhere. You literally can't keep anything in your stomach. Borderline cholera. That said, I rarely treat water up high, but places like Ingalls Lake? Hell yes.

Yes, he was found frozen near the lift towers on the Palmer. Horrible weather up there at the time.

Gene, I think I saw you and some other cc.com'ers on Oregon Field Guide out at Strobach the other night. Nice piece. OFG usually does a good job.

And remember UIAA considers "a climber" to be 80kg in their tests. So all you tubbers better go on a diet.

I would just inspect it periodically. If it is almost cut in half, I would consider retiring it.* * I do not hold a doctorate in petrochemical materials science

The ingredients list on the Cheerios box after I finish reading the fine print on the Shrek bobble doll deal.

Yes, if you need to worship, you can catch him Mon Nov. 1st @ 7:30pm at the Hollywood Theatre. Minimum donation of $5 for Save Our Salmon. I guess he's at OMC at 3pm for some kind of clinic on fast-n-light whatnot.

It is supposed to just friggen dump on the cascades tomorrow. w0000000t!

This used to be the case, but these days they are pretty evenly matched. AT bindings remain slightly more expensive, but not by much. There is an enormous used market for both AT and Tele due to all the must-have-the-latest gearheads out there, and the used market is the avenue I would take. It's a tough call, but it's hard to deny the free hinge of AT gear for climbing and breaking trail, the security of a locked down heel on descent, and a reliable release system. There are releasable tele bindings. The nice thing about AT gear is you already know how to ski the gear. The gear just happens to be a little lighter and less supportive. My guess is there will be some radical changes in the tele binding interface in the next few years. Already, bindings like the bishops and linkens are stretching the limit of what could be called telemark skiing. This should make a lot of today's tele gear really cheap! I wouldn't wait for it though. If I was to recommend someone gear who wanted the fastest route to backcountry skiing who had alpine experience, I'd recommend some Fritschi Titanal 3 (or the older versions) bindings and a cheap alpine board. It doesn't matter which one, as long as it is remotely cheap, the bases are in good shape, and it doesn't weigh a ton. You will also need some skins, and poles that won't fold over easily. There are a lot of cheap telemark setups for sale out there too, but it will take a little more commitment to get up to speed (but not too much more). Having someone experienced with you will go a long way, especially if they are patient. Telemarking has its own rewards. Whatever you do, put most of your time and money into getting boots that fit well. It can be worth it to get boots fitted at a shop, if you have money for new boots (a significant purchase). Hope that helps!

North Fork of the Nooksack Wildlife Refuge