Thinker

walk down hill!

Restrooms up there would be great! But why target just the large groups. I'd bet that everyone who needs to urinate while up there simply runs off into the bushes and takes a leak....soloists, tourons, drinking teens, BASE jumpers..... Sounds like the perfect time to start charging a $5 entrance fee! That will finance the cleaning and repair service for the restrooms. You KNOW they'll be vandalized multiple times every year! And do you really think ANY climber at the BOTTOM of a climb will actually hike (or climb) all the way to the top to use the porta potty?...would you?....fat chance. If anything, the city should ask that the groups self-enforce a waste management policy, simliar to that on Rainier. I really doubt many people actually defecate up there, but it would be no big deal for the groups to teach their students to use blue bags before they actually get on a glacier....as long as ALL the climbers buy into it... So what's the matter Dave, did you step in some dog dookie? Or did you take a dump up there and feel a little guilt for not packing it out? ..... all in good fun...

Here's an info request I received thru an email list I'm on. ( fyi, I've deleted some text from the message that was only applicable to the organization it was originally sent to.) -----Original Message----- From: Olympicmarmots@aol.com [mailto:Olympicmarmots@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 2:59 PM To: info@ Subject: Olympic marmots Hello, I am a wildlife biologist studying Olympic marmots. There is convincing evidence that the marmots have declined in some areas and I am trying to determine the extent of this decline. To do so, I need historic records precisely locating marmot colonies in space and time. It has occured to me that some of your members may have photos, journal entries, etc that would serve this purpose. Is there anyway that I can reach your membership with a request for these kinds of records? If we are to determine the cause of the decline of the marmots, we must know how widespread this decline is. Thank you very much, S Cox Griffin Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812

yeah, the acid was laced with all SORTS of stuff in the 70's....

So how many of you/us feel justified driving in the HOV lane on 520 with just 2 people in the car? (where the sign specifies 3) When I lived on the eastside I did it quite often, esp when I needed to get over the water to Pub Club in a hurry.

what grade(s) are you targeting? make sure you stop by the info board near the main parking/picnic area to check for raptor closures. The previous thread has loads of info about where to camp for free. Have you called the park office recently to check on snow conditions? elevation there = 6,000' +

Make a little z-pulley at the end to cinch 'er tight, and if you don't have any friends to help you pull you can always use a garden tractor or a Subaru....just be sure someone is taking video.......... A Gri-gri and a short piece of static rope worked into the system could ease the setup, too.

Thanks Chriss. some of the fam is in Edmond. check your PMs.

It's a GREAT way to work on broken ankles and wrists, too. I can't think of one single better way to improve my climbing......

Will, why don't you send your gear sling to Minx so she can try it out for a couple of climbs? I suspect she might front the postage for the opportunity to try it on. Maybe it will even smell good when she gives it back to you....

Look at the bar tacking (is it worn, abraded?), look a the webbing where it goes thru the buckles, look at webbing at the tie in points for wear, look for burrs and wear on the buckles, is the webbing stiff or brittle anywhere?? Black Diamond specifies 3 years of use, or 5 years of storage...if I recall correctly. I agree about the peace of mind thing...if you're worring about it then it's time to upgrade. Few things worse than having the mental clutter of whether your harness is OK before you make that commiting airy move. (Picture making the recently touted first few moves of Canary p2 in a harness you have doubts about.)

I'm planning to spend some time with family in Oklahoma (godforsaken place that it is...) and have had my eye on the W Mtns for a few years now. Looking at the photos, it really reminds me of Idaho's City of Rocks in a lot of ways. Anyone have any first hand beta on the area? I'll probably be looking for a partner for a couple days near the end of April if anyone's planning on being down there.... http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listArea.php?AreaID=2798 http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/oklahoma/Wichita/ http://home.flash.net/~hangdog/guidebooksales.html http://www.wichitamountains.org/

I'm currently unemployed and plan to catch up on some long overdue rock climbing this spring....

Hidden in this thread is the start of a list of places the larger 'groups' will be this spring and summer. Should we make a special thread for this info somewhere? *********************************** edit: Hell, I'll just cut and paste the info in here.... BOEALPS: March 20, Mt. Erie, basic rock field trip March 27, Horsethief, intermediate rock field trip May 1, Smith, intermediate rock field tip May 22, Squamish, intermediate rock field trip April 24/25*, Leavenworth, joint class rock field trip Bellingham Mounties: March 27, Mt. Erie, basic rock 1 April 17/18, Skaha, BC, basic rock 2 Kitsap Mounties: April 17, Mt. Erie, intermediate rock (rescue) May 8, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 1 June 19/20, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 2 Tacoma Mounties: April 24 or 25, Spire Rock, basic rock 1 May 15 or 16, Leavenworth, basic rock 2 April 17/18, (location TBD), intermediate rock 1 May 1/2, (location TBD), intermediate rock 2 Olympia Mounties: May 15/16 or May 22/23, (location TBD), basic rock weekend June 5/6, (location TBD), intermediate rock 1 June 19/20, (location TBD), intermediate rock 2 Seattle Mounties*: April 3/4, Mt. Erie, basic rock 2 March 20/21, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 1 March 27/28, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 1 April 17/18, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 2 April 3/4, Leavenworth, crag course rock 1 April 10/11, Leavenworth, crag rock 2 May 8/9, Leavenworth/Vantage, crag rock 3 May 29/30, Leavenworth/others, crag rock 4 April 10/11, Vantage, Big wall course rock 1 May 8/9, Index, Big wall rock 2 Everett Mounties: April 17/18*, Leavenworth, basic rock 2 March 27/28, Leavenworth, intermediate rock 1 April 24/25, Royal Columns, intermediate rock 2 April 24/25, Leavenworth, crag course rock 1 May 8/9, Royal Columns, crag rock 2 May 22/23, Vantage, crag rock 3 June 5/6, Squamish, crag rock 4 Tacoma Mounties: April 17/18, Squamish , intermediate rock 1 May 1/2, Leavenworth , intermediate rock 2 (Sat - spread out in small groups; Sun - Barney's Rubble) * = means I would guess that this gathering would be on the larger size, you know "mountie size". Doesn't mean the other gatherings won't be large though Washington Alpine Club Sat, March 27th Mt. Si Sat, April 3rd Spire Rock Sat, April 10th Spire Rock Sat, April 17th Mt. Erie Sat & Sun, May 1st-2nd Snoqualmie Pass Fri/Sat/Sun, May 7/8/9th Tooth and Commonwealth Basin Fri/Sat/Sun, May 14/15/16th Tooth and Commonwealth Basin Sat/Sun, May 22nd-23rd Nisqually Glacier Sat & Sun, June 5-6th Mt. Baker-Easton Gl Route Sat & Sun, June 12th-13th Mt. Baker-Easton Gl Route (usually)

If I were the 2nd I'd like to know the anchor was sketchy before I started climbing so that I climbed conservatively. When I 2nd easy pitches I sometimes like to make them and bit more challenging and interesting....and this would be a case where I'd rather not add any excitement to the situation. Case in point, when I followed the '2nd' pitch of Nutcracker in Yos (I break it up into 2 pitches to get to the first big ledge and the 2nd pitch is a rising 'gulley' rated in very low 5's, if that), I found my belayer happily sitting on the big ledge---unanchored, but feet braced on a good sized bolder! I'd been very close to getting out of the gully and playing on the face for fun, but chose not to as we were racing some Russians nearing the ledge on an alt start. I made a strong point to my partner and never faced that problem again.

was that Sat or Sun?

Praise the LORD!...it works now. Thank you, too, Jon!

Can YOU see the 'Events Forum' if you're not logged in? I sent the cc.com link to a friend I was trying to get interested in checking out the pub club, but he can't see it....neither can I unless I'm logged in. What's up with that?

I like to get SOMETHING in there just to keep the ropes from fully raking across the 'sharp' edge of the ledge in the event I fall.

MY thermos knows stuff.....it talks to me when it's sad.

Hell if I know. Why don't you enlighten us?

Wow! All the brain power going into figure out how mirrors work astounds me. Maybe you'all can tackle the wheel next. How does a wheel go around and around without running over itself? And then, FIRE! How DOES a fire sustain itself as it burns the logs in your fireplace? Why doesn't it blow itself out? If you get those worked out, try your hand at string theory, though that skips a millenium of scientific knowledge.

Shoot, I'll be looking for you at the Hen tonight, Squid. Your dentist was kind enough to forward a photo so we'll recognize you in your new form

Washington Alpine Club Sat, March 27th Mt. Si Sat, April 3rd Spire Rock Sat, April 10th Spire Rock Sat, April 17th Mt. Erie Sat & Sun, May 1st-2nd Snoqualmie Pass Fri/Sat/Sun, May 7/8/9th Tooth and Commonwealth Basin Fri/Sat/Sun, May 14/15/16th Tooth and Commonwealth Basin Sat/Sun, May 22nd-23rd Nisqually Glacier Sat & Sun, June 5-6th Mt. Baker-Easton Gl Route Sat & Sun, June 12th-13th Mt. Baker-Easton Gl Route

I like to mix in some roasted red peppers or even occasionally some feta cheese when I'm feeling decadent.