JoshK

I still want to know how marylou has any authority to test gear or get free shit. somebody tell me.

It's also no coincidence that a lot of the "reconstruction" contracts are going to halliburton and other such cheney-friendly scumbags.

http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/miox.asp Does anybody know how these things work? No, I have zero intention of paying $130 for a device that takes just as long as iodine, but I'm kind of interested in how it operates.

No, I simply meant they work with sewing machine just likes workers over here...it's not like they are stitching by hand. My point was that a sewing machine can be operated just as well by a sweat shop worker as a more highly paid worker in the U.S. Sewing is not a science. I think the crap about US made climbing appearal and packs being of better quality than Asian sweat shop made products is wrong. Now, granted, I am totally against sweat shops, which is why I said if your personal opinion says not to buy from them, than that is totally comendable.

I still maintain that "far east" produced goods are not inferior. The sweat shop issue, however, is one of personal choice. The fact is a machine can sew things perfectly well these days. I think it's prety hard to screw up.

Thanks guys. I am normally very critical of my own pics, but for some reason I really like that one of forbidden from primus peak. It's just a really great angle from that mountain or something.

OK, pictures time, like I have been promising for a while. These are not in order. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4376&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4375&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4374&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4372&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4371&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4370&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4369&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4368&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4367&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4366&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4365&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4364&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=4363&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=500

Is there anyway to do this, or do we just have to go to the pain of uploading one by one?

cracked, I think you are shouting into a vacuum. Nobody seems to be hearing the "good climber does not make good gear designer" point None of their stuff looks that original. I cant see paying that much money when you can get gear from existing manufactuers for less money that does the exact same thing.

At least this guy is getting props from her by her saying he is great in bad and whatnot. Lucky guy! Stupid kobe was so bad he had to resort to rape

excellent...the topo maps will come in very handy when I make my invisible ninja traverses across vast distances undetected

Im always confused by the timber/non-timber markings on the topo maps. They aren't always correct (obviously) and dont always correlate directly with safe tree cover or not. I bet in UT and CO it's even more difficult since what might be considered timber isn't thick enough forest to prevent slides, as opposed to good ol' PNW west coasts forests which slides generally wouldn't originate in.

The same could be said of Seattle. I can't think of a city more associated with fake-outdoorsie types who are more interested in driving SUVs and wearing north face shit for the image than actually going outdoors. That doesn't mean all the gear makers and climbers here suck tho. In any event, I have pretty much come to the conclusion that anybody can make quality gear these days. It's about the features and design that you like, such as fit, etc. Most of the work will get farmed out to a sew shop, and lets face it, sewing is not rocket science any more. the "hand made" crap is a joke. A machine can sew things ten times cheaper, faster and better than any human can. Pick the design you like, the features you like and the product that fits you the best and you'll be fine. Cracked is right on the money too, I might be a suck ass climber but I could design a much better product than a lot of the junk I see out there. Now if only had a big name to market it with...

For anybody looking for a cheap synthetic insulation layer: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8001&catalogId=40000008001&productId=47627188&parent_category_rn=22638576

In Montana you can still drink while driving too!

HAHAH! It was an off day, I swear We need to get out again soon, I've been lovin my new ski setup!

Anybody intersted in saying ta hell with the weather forecast and giving some skiing at WA pass tomorrow a shot? I busted ass all morning doing homework and reading and was rewarded with this lousy forecast

Sky, were you directing this comment at me??

OK, so check out the forecast for tomorrow. Who wants to guess what'll be like at Washington pass? I figure our random ass guessing is probaby as useful as the actual weather report. I know the report doesnt look great but I have been surprised at how calm it can be at WA pass despite crap weather on the westside.

Awesome! Snowking is a great area. I've been wanting to return with skis. Sucks to hear even more road walking is nescessary now. I dont think they maintain that road at all anymore, do they?

What is the rating, etc. on the route you guys did? I dont have a beckey book handy. I bet the crystal glacier is pretty spectacular from that vantage, eh?

You definitely make a point Matt, there are certainly climbers/hikers/backpackers who do damage to the environment as well. I think of one particular case when I saw these 5 jackasses playing frisbee in spider meadow last spring. The snow had mostly melted out and they were running over all the recently exposed flora while tossing the frisbee around. I don't know how many of you have seen spider meadow when it blooms but it's simply breathtaking. There are several signs telling people to stay the hell on the trail and not walk into the meadow because tramping over stuff, even before it blooms will kill the plantlife. Looking back, I really should have said something to those people. As I did I silently walked by wanting to punch them and shaking my head. Overall, however, I believe the percentage of environmentally respectful snowmobilers is a great deal lower than environmentally respectful climbers or hikers. I'm not sure if this is a good example, but take the trail into colchuck lake or snow lakes during the winter. I have to imagine these two get the heaviest traffic of any local trails during winter. In all my times going up either in the winter I have seen maybe one or two pieces of trash. Now, areas where snowmobiles are allowed, on the other hand, I have found oil cans, trash, beer bottles, broken snow-mo parts and, my personal favorite, bloody rags. This doesn't even address one of my original points, which is their effect on others. I may see 50 other snowshoers or skiers on the snow lakes trail but I can still enjoy myself. Doing that in a snowmobile area is next to impossible.

Hehe...nope, not mocking at all. I could definitely see how he mistook that for Eldorado. Thanks!

Great TR man!

Sweet pics! Can you see snowfield, paul bunyan's stump, etc. from that vantage? If so, do you have any pics?