billcoe

Sounds like your kids pretty much have it together Ivan:-) Newt Gingrich evidently said on the news that he thinks Obama’s school speech was “good for America,”. Good for him, I do too.

Always good to see others who are sicker than I! Nice stuff Dane!! Thanks for sharing.

Highly recommended book "Lenin's Tomb". They note that Stalin was 5'4".

Yesterday...short climb: 1/2 a pitch, reached the crux 8 feet from the top. Stood there burning the calves contemplating both how weak I was and my (solid) gear there and while considering all this and making pussy noises it started to rain....bailed off, got to the base and the heavens unleashed as I grabbed gear and dove for an overhang. Got home by @ 1 in the afternoon, took an hour nap....felt better. I feel good and am sore today. The moral of the story is still "Getting Old sucks", but it's better than the alternative I guess. Life is but an eyeblink. No pictures of this grovelfest.

I still find it amazing that folks would drive 300 miles or so to climb these routes just because they are finally in a guidebook. Wow, the power of a guidebook to drive hordes of people.

Based on what I read and how I respond to the president, on an emotional level, this speech is long over due to our kids. When Kennedy spoke "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." there was a visceral, gut level reaction that millions our fellow citizens responded to in a great way back then. When I see stories like this one at the bottom from the Financial Times, it makes me wonder why the republicans are whining about this (and it's not all of them). What are really thinking? That pissing and moaning for no reason will garner our respect? That we will be suspicios of BArak? Hey, I distrust politicians as much as the next person, but in this case, I'm distrusting the republicans. In fact, for myself, I think "what a bunch of counterproductive A-HOLES!!!" This had been needed to be said and encouraged for years and years as we see the emphasis on education slide to be replaced by this "me first screw you I don't need to be responsible" attitude: big-time bravo on Barak for stepping up to address this plate. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e4e4823a-9b1c-11de-a3a1-00144feabdc0.html "Obama speech to pupils riles Republicans By Anna Fifield in Washington Encouraging children to work hard at school and set goals for themselves would hardly appear to be an incendiary message. But the plans of Barack Obama, US president, to address students across the country on Tuesday have set off a political firestorm – the fiercest of his critics are comparing him to communist leaders Joseph Stalin and Kim Jong-il, and are accusing him of trying to indoctrinate children with “socialist” ideas. The angry reaction is a sign of how fractious the US political scene has become after an August break characterised by debates over health reform at townhalls and on the airwaves . It does not augur well for Mr Obama’s address to the joint Congress on Wednesday, in which he will appeal for fresh efforts to formulate a healthcare reform bill that both the Democrat and Republican parties can support. The Democrats will push ahead with their own bill if no agreement is reached by September 15. “It shows the level of paranoia that something as innocuous as the president telling children to work hard has sparked this kind of response,” said Matthew Yglesias from the Centre for American Progress, a left-leaning think-tank."

How could any kid not be inspired by the President? P.L.E.A.S.E E E! Some excerpts, but every one of us should read the full text and see if there is anything to disagree with. "And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide. " Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. " The petty arguing on this site only ignores what an amazing and inspiring writer and speaker the President is. Great stuff there and long overdue.

Hey wait a bit, was I there for that...? This story seems vaguely familiar. Neutrinos on a girth pillar hitch?

Mammut? Silvery lookin biners...?

camp?

6" petzl?

I have confusion as well.....Allen, what can we do to help you? Isn't a SPOT locator a GPS signal monitored by professionals? So if someone turned on the 911 signal, they would have the authorities there shortly post haste to be helping or listening to the explaining....

Tami Knight cartoon LOL

I think I know why folks are defensive. In Washington/Seattle, within a day, are multiple amazing areas/climbs/Mts. It's like there are these pretty young virgins seducing you dudes EVERYWHERE! As represented by this picture below: Down here, in contrast, there is very little nothing that can compare. It can be related to a guy marrying a fat and mean bitch. Knowing that your brothers up North are hanging with the 47 Vestal Virgins makes one sensitive to having married her, and when she is criticized, the dude who made the mistake gets sensitive.....after all, she is his wife. Seen represented here: This is exaserbated and seen even on this board in that folks who want to go do other stuff, as in find and climb new cliffs, often get criticized by their brothers and called "ego maniacs under the guise of community service" or they are accused of making climbing "consumable", as if climbing is edible panties and it's going to disappear. To illustrate a small sub-set of this thought, in this very picture of Beacon (top one) that Kevin posted, there is climbable rock in the background which I would wager few -if any - posting here have climbed on. I can assure you that if you go there and dare to place some bolts on that solid rock, and it IS solid, you will be sadly criticized...by those who would rather armchair quarterback from their comfortable old armchair (Beacon) than get out, explore and try something new and thus expand the opportunities available to all.[/RANT] Yet Beacon STILL outshines all others around here (review lower picture of elderly woman for reference), and this is Kevin's great thread which we shouldn't be steering off the cliff into spray oblivion (sorry about my part of that). Like it said in the Jeff Thomas guidebook and it still gets quoted 26 years later: "As the saying goes "it's the best place to climb in Oregon, even if it is in Washington."

are you as dumb as you sound because you sound like a shithead. Nah, no need for that as the pictures really don't show the inner beauty. Pete, it's the best stuff around here so we make due. There are some super long, super fun splitter cracks on the south side that stay (relatively) clean.

Perhaps, but please Josh, they need slack for they are foreigners and not use to our sandbagging ways. LOL Realistically, once the route is repeated, then the truth will be laid bare. In looking at the picture of the crack the guy is leading, in no way does it appear to be A4 (easiest pitch of the 1 was suppose to be A4+)...but I wasn't there, and it's a picture. Furthermore, A4+ of yesteryear was easier than A4+ of today....so whatever. I can't say and don't know, wasn't there. A "crack" in mud may not be quite as fun as a crack in granite or bomber Basalt eh? Time will tell. I like the pictures though.

in the same sense that you need to have fucked a hideous fat-chick at some point in your life to put the hawties in perspective? uhhh....can't say about that, but given that the easiest pitch they did was suppose to be A4+, given the picture below, it looks like it might be grade inflation. To add to MountainMatts pic on top. "A Spanish pair has climbed a new route on the northwest face of the Titan in Utah’s Fisher Towers and proposed the unprecedented grade of A6+ for the crux lead. David Palmada and Esther Ollé climbed Look Out! Danger in 11 pitches, with one pitch given A6+, three A5 pitches, and three A4+ pitches. They placed no expansion bolts at the belays. The pair based the ratings in part on their ascent last year of Intifada, on the Cottontail formation in the Fisher Towers, a route given A6 by first ascensionist Jim Beyer but said by those few that have repeated it to be A4+ or A5. " Look at this one carefully, dude has his extension/Stick clip in use to take this picture. Clever. No belay bolts but it appears to be a Fixe bolt bag below. "Vertical mud", pretty bad-assed in either case.

Pffft, well he does but we don't see those kinds of headlines. Here you go. I like this one with the dog. hmmm...perhaps...hmmm... Mal-con, maybe you were thinking of this one below about the budget sinking? I don't recall where this chart was published though. They say that the man could sweet talk the panties off a 90 year old woman...I can't say about that, but I heard him live on the radio in my car discussing to Americans why Sonya Sodameyer was an excellent supreme court choice for our country and I had a tear in my eye, was singing God Bless America and reaching to take my own panties off before I realized I wasn't wearing any...The man is a powerful, erudite and flat out amazing speaker. And I'm not doing the compare and contrast thing on Presidential literacy with the last President either LOL!!!!! It's been noted by others that they do seem to share some similarities though.

Nice Trip report. Needs more climbing photos! I'll add a few. I forget what I'm leading here. Icicle Ethel, a great and easy route.

OK

Don't let it bother you Gary, Ivan thinks everyone is a bastard. This is only unusual insomuch as he seems to be a pretty good guy himself. It use to be much more of an exclusive club let me tell you..... regards to all

I was thinking that as well....once I got over my thoughts that Kevin was just off route again. LOL Kev, one of your better posts for sure! Looks like you got the last great weather day for a while too (except for the smart folks who went to Smith this weekend). Arent for a partner

from :A History of Free Climbing in America by Pat Ament "September 1965. Chuck Pratt, with Chris Fredericks, climbed the awe-inspiring Twilight Zone, an eerie, wickedly steep, 5.10+, off-width crack up a sheer wall of Yosemite's Cookie formation. The second pitch of this route was one of the boldest leads ever done, and entirely without protection. The Twilight Zone is arguably the greatest free-climbing achievement of the '60s era. Perhaps only John Gill's Thimble route in the Black Hills of South Dakota, done four years earlier, compared to it in boldness. Pratt had a remarkable gift for off-width cracks. A loner, never for sale to the media, he found certain private realms in which to play--including a number of paranormal, dark, scary climbs so ultimate in seriousness that even in his humble manner he was inclined to give them names such as Crack of Doom and Twilight Zone. Whereas John Gill had all the strength, had a mathematical/gymnast mind, and knew how to work up to such an achievement as the Thimble, Pratt, on the other hand, was more spontaneous. He simply found himself there, do or die. On the second pitch of Twilight Zone, Pratt reached a point well up the crack, hanging there unprotected amid difficulties that were alien and unimaginable to most climbers, who would not be able to do more than claw and gasp for the next inch. Yet there Pratt was, quiet, enduring, as cool as a circus wire-walker. At this fateful moment, he asked Chris Fredericks to use their extra rope, rappel down the first pitch, go to the car, look for a bong-bong (a large piton), and return. It was an amazing effort on Chuck's part, to stay there so long. Chris took what time was required to rappel, hurry down the Cookie road to the car, fetch the largest bong he could find, come back up the road, and use prusik knots to ascend the rope 100 feet or so back to the belay. Chuck then used one hand to pull up the bong with the climbing rope, risking a death fall if he lost his hold of the crack. Below, on the belay ledge, several spikes--actual blades--of rock jut upward that would act as guillotines if someone fell onto them. We wonder what Pratt thought, during the long wait for Fredericks to return. It must have been quiet. Pratt might have been able to hear himself breathe or hear his clothes press against the granite. We imagine he may have had to shift his feet a time or two, or alternately kick his feet against the granite to drive some of the pain out of them. Did he think about a girlfriend? Did he ponder the possibility of climbing down what he had led? Or envision himself coming off and having to jettison himself out away from those sharp spikes of rock pointing upward out of the belay ledge? Perhaps it was best not to think such things. Perhaps he did not and instead kept his thought focused above. Chuck found the bong to be too small! His famous calm words: "Well this bong doesn't fit. Do you mind if I go ahead and lead upward?" It was said in soft Pratt-like style, as though if he fell his belayer would be the one to suffer. The difficulties inherent in a true climb provide a creative climber with ideas. Pratt, with his typical nonchalance, arrived at the top of this mangnum opus. Pratt's technique was characterized by a marvelous economy of movement. Yet he must have experienced an eloquent chill when he arrived at the top. As unsafe as some say it is to climb unprotected, for a few individuals a climb inspires in them the necessary strength, and hidden powers to succeed with reasonable security. To climb in such a pure way, alone essentially, tends to destroy egotism, encourage care, awaken unknown abilities, and bring one in deep touch with the surroundings. Today's best climbers who have repeated the Twilight Zone are often photographed placing large, high-tech, spring-loaded protection devices in the wide crack. They slide up their big "Friend," as they go, and keep almost a top-rope for the whole distance. They have chalk and good shoes, and all the protection they want. Yet even today, a lead of the climb now rated 5.10d, generally brings deep feelings of accomplishment. Pratt simply rated it 5.10 but it was certainly more difficult psychologically than any other 5.10 in Yosemite at the time. In fact, Twilight Zone will never be repeated. It was a work of art and thus virtually impossible to duplicate. It was pioneered by a man the cracks of Yosemite were fundamentally unable to stop. The Twilight Zone was an odd quest of a private and brilliant soul. On a certain pitch, a particular climbing artist achieves his or her true form. We continue to see Pratt up there, in that crack, stoic, in tune with the relative solitude such a place affords, and true to the purest free ethic. "

NOW THIS!!!!!!! IS WHAT I CALL A TRIP REPORT !! If we were able to be rating stories, this would be maxed out on top in my view. Great visualizations even though there were no pictures. Thanks for sharing.

I bought a $90 bottle of Woodford Reserve Mastercraft small batch ultra-premium estate the other day and matched it up in a blind taste with 2 Bourbon snobs against a $50 bottle of Bernheim and a $33 bottle of standard Woodford Reserve Distellers Select. The expensive bottle last, cheapest bottle first, by a wide margin. The last bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild (A red French wine, probably selling in the $200 range) I opened up (last month) received a 60 plus (VS the published Robert Parker 91) from the wine snob I blindly shared that with and asked what he thought the rating was...sigh...I need to work on my snob presentation:-) The moral of the storys: I should have given the dude the Woodbridge. That's some great stuff. Essentially "$4 Buck Chuck", I'm drinking it now and it's great.