nonanon

First runner up: "I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake--which I also keep handy." and my fav: "So long as the presence of death lurks with anyone who goes through the simple act of swallowing, I will make mine whiskey." --W.C. Fields

"First and foremost, in the spirit of classical mountaineering, it is a self-evident requirement that the first ascent of a summit or a climbing route.....must always start from below!" -- Dietrich Hasse and… “The day you don't have a hill to climb, you might as well forget about it." -- Dag Aabye

I knew a Dalmatian once that could clear a room after cutting one. And he’d be the first to the door!

I skied the Wy'east face last Sunday and I didn't see any sign of rockfall where I was. The ridge itself looked pretty melted out though, so I'd imagine the fruit factor to be quite a bit higher up there.

Funny you should ask. Before I crashed, I put my camera in a bag with my camelback and some other crap. At some point during the night I must've rolled over onto to the valve cause I completely flooded my beloved olde Yashica. Fortunately, I was able to dry the thing out but I had to open the back, losing the film in the process. That route will be good for another couple of weeks at least. You should go!

Here’s my tale of Plab-fest west. Sorry we missed you guys! Late Friday afternoon, after an hour of dicking around hauling the sled over downed trees and dirt we decided to ditch the pig. So, taking only what we could fit in our daypacks, we left the sled, the tent, the beer (sob!) and a ton of extra food and clothing and beat feet for Green Lakes with what light we had left. Crossing the Moraine Lake plateau without finding the trail, we headed off across the lava fields following a compass heading to Green Lakes. Just as it was getting almost too dark to see we spotted some open water and trees and after crossing a large creek that was fortunately snowbridged at the lake outlet we found a large patch of bare ground with a beautiful old fallen tree trunk to crash beside. Session! In the morning we started up a West-trending ridge of nuntucks thinking it was the most direct line to the top. But it cliffed-out in choss somewhere around 7400 and we had to backtrack to where we could ski down to a lower snow gully that connected a small choss ridge. The ridge led to the SE shoulder of the Sis and we traversed over to the obvious South side conga line where packed up skis and got in line. A thousand feet of stairstepping later and, cha cha cha, we were on the top. Session! Had some food, took some pictures. There were lots of Mounties up there. One guy was playing some weird head game with his climb leader, “Don’t look now but I brought BEER!” Oooh, you’re just sooo bad, Mister I-need-a-guide to climb the S. Sister. Whoops, my bad. Anyway, after another Session!, we decided to ski the fall line down to Moraine Lake and see if we couldn’t find that trail we’d been looking for the day before. The snow, while not optimal, wasn’t irredeemably awful (we’ve all seen worse) and we shredded the rad fantastic, leaving the Mounties in our dust (or slush as the case may be.) Maybe if we’d gotten up a few hours earlier the snow would’ve been better, but then again, it’d been a mighty warmish night. Once down at the lake we quickly found the trail and followed it all the way back to camp. Session! Later on, we both agreed that our direct line of the night before was the better way to go. Back in camp around five we partied ‘til the sun went down and partied some more after that. Green Lakes is a bit out of the way for a climb of S. Sis, imo, but what a beauty camping spot it is! Gorgeous lipstick sunset streaming over the mountain with a nearly full moon rising over Broken Top much later in the eve. The milky way and whatnot in the meantime. Many scenics, many sessions. Sunday, we crossed over the lava field and took a high (7200-8000) traverse back to a sweeeet treeline that dropped us off on the NE side of Moraine Lk. Then we followed Hells creek back to Devils Lake. We dropped our packs at the truck and climbed back up to retrieve the sled and the much missed beer. After a congratulatory beer or two we packed up the rig and drove home to P-town. A completely mellow trip, all in all, but it would’ve been fun to meet up the rest of you mystery Plabfesters. Maybe another time... This past weekend we did a fantastic run down the Wy’east face. Camped on a snowledge @ 8600’ and watched the now full moon come up. Colder temps and a nightlong katabatic wind kept the snow nicely styro-ed for the climb in the AM. We quickly cramponed the last 2k and hung out among the hot rocks on the ridge until around ten when the corn timer went off. Awesome run down. My first time. Love the rollover just out of the box! Snow was good all the way back to our high camp. Absolute crap below that. That trip goes on my “yearly” list from now on!

We came, we saw, we summited, we skied slushiez. We bivied by the first lake Friday and Saturday nights. Beauty spot but where was the fest?

I'm coming done with at least one other corn star. "In my mind, I'm already gone." One question though, Timmay. Is there still mostly snow on the trail into the Lakes? I'm thinkin' that beer sleds don't slide so good on dirt. Scotch is flab too!

What brock said... Inquiring minds want to know!

Anybody know where this "cliff" is? WASHINGTON: COPTER RESCUES 6 FROM CLIFF Rescuers plucked six hikers listed as missing since Tuesday off a steep cliff face in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southern Washington. The hikers were in "remarkably good" health after a Coast Guard helicopter airlifted the group to an airport near Portland, Ore., said Patrick Brennan, an officer at the Coast Guard air station in Astoria, Ore. They are Timothy Hensley, 25, Alicia Hensley, 25, Russell Maddy, 23, Jaime Maddy, 24, and Jennifer Skoog, also in her 20's, all of Vancouver; and Matthew Margolis, 29, of Portland. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/29/national/29BRFS2.html

Another way to do Surveyors Ridge is to park down in the valley on Pine Mont Road and ride the backroad (route 17) up past Gibson, Brooks and then Cook Prairies to the trailhead at Clinger Spring. It’s all gravel road with almost no traffic so it makes for a good long warm-up. Also, that last section of downhill singletrack on the North side of Bald Butte makes it all worthwhile.

I’ve only been there once, but I led the SE Corner slab on Hen rock, which was fun. There was a harder route on the North side of Hen that we top-roped. I seem to remember that line taking gear or having a bolt or two, too, so you'd prolly lead it. The coolest route I did there was the West Face Dihedrals, Direct on Rooster Rock.

Sounds like fun to me, Tim. I've got a couple of under-employed tele-guns I could probably bring along, too.

Sadly, no I haven't. But it's on the list.

Or this.

Drink the freakin' KoolAid, Necro! Suicide by Moderation. Gotta be a first.

I saw it a few months ago and thought it was pretty well balanced. Scott Silver was dead on perfect in his segments. When they first aired the show they followed it up with an online forum and chat. The chat was a total joke, but the forum discussions are still there at: http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/chat/

I’ve been hearing some buzz about Mickey and Mitch, lately, but so far I’ve been afeared to go see them. Maybe I'll find a nice empty theatre this weekend.

Let's try that another way. Here's an interesting article on the subject. If that's what the subject's gonna be... The attachment was a PITA .doc version. Sorry. 182039-The Atlantic Kaplan Political History review.doc

You must of heard Gillian Welch, OG (orphan girl) of retro country, by now. She’s writing some amazing new songs in an old-timey vein. Great live act, too. And Jim Page bears repeating.

There's a lot of good next gen folk coming out now, too. The Mammals new album :folks:, for one... Isn’t Jim Page still living in Seattle? That guy's phenomenal.

CC.com is aid. are aid.

I think more people should do that “Steel and Stone” route on the Opal Creek wall. “Totally stellar” is right. The one time I went there I got stung by a coupla dozen bees on the approach and my left hand was like a swollen dead club all day long. That’s why we turned around just under the roof, or so I tell myself… Just drive rd. #2209 into the Stack Creek drainage and look up.

You wouldn't believe the place now, Wayne. Maybe forty bolted routes or so... unless you're thinking about the Boy Scouts crag? On topic 'tho, I'll bet it goes. There shouldn't be much more than a short walk thru snow (if that) up there this coming weekend.

Hangin’ loose and fulla juice! More of the Same. Only different…