billcoe

My wife demanding phone numbers, co-ordinates and times I'll be back. Shes worried cause she knows I'm heading to places no man has ever climbed before and eating shit and dying alone is probably more of a possibility than at Smith or Beacon by at least a factor of 10 if you screw up. It's hard, dirty, dangerous, strenuous, complex and rewarding work/play though: reminiscent of a Cathedral or massive European church: very spiritual. Scott, where do you live?

I paid $10 for a brand new Svea at REI Seattle store (it was the only one) via mailorder about 40+ years ago for backpacking and it's still going good as well, in fact, I just packed it a half hour ago for my next trip. Looks like you'll be able to fix it cheap! Schweet.

Ivan: I love that you just get out there and get 'er done. You get more interesting challenges in a month than some of us get in a lifetime, you're just packing it all in and going for it. That one sounded pretty knarly.

You should be doing what I should be doing: packing.

Can't today, drinking wine instead. I think U canceled as well.

No, not Fuck. Everyone says Fuck all the time. Its a common Adjective, noun adjectives adverb in addition to being an expletive used by 3 and 4 year olds anymore. Fear. You cannot admit to "Fear" in public. Especially if you are a guy. Women can pull it off on occasion, but not guys. "I have fear". Shit, I just said it out loud and admitted to it. Thinking of the Towering Black Hulk that will be this weekends objective remains in the recesses of my mind. Fear of the unknown and the unknowable lingers in a fuzzy haze with undefined borders and in unmarked territory....lingering yet unstoppably overwhelming. My stomach is churning and queasy: a non-stop knarly nagging ache that is constant yet at the same time an undercurrent of my mentality that will neither rise to the top of my intellect so as to be dealt with, nor go away. A brief reconnaissance from the top down to the visible Lions Head still 280' off the deck last fall left me with some unanswered questions and dreams in the back recesses of the cobwebs inside my skull. I pull the feeling up to examine it, and cannot get a full conceptual grasp of why it is there. *I "get" the fragment and grasp that it is something about heading up to Cathedral Formation and going where no human being has ever been before. Perhaps for good reason, perhaps not. *I also mentally "get" that the proposed method of protection I am looking at, epoxy and stainless threaded U-bolts is not something I have any experience with outside of a few books and published reports from other continents. We won't be climbing it even if we can get all this work done. The stuff has to cure, true, but we are waiting for another person who needs to be here for this. So we'd like to get the U-bolts in, but even so, won't be "climbing." I also "get" that although I had wanted to test a few wedge anchors in this strange unfamiliar Breccia/silica/Andesite nodule rock that makes up the Cathedral Formation: I didn't. How strong this stuff is - is total conjecture at this point. If the nodules are firm, and in some spots they are not, are the underlying slabs truly fully attached to the main cliff? I also mentally "get" that at @ 300' high and with a few slight overhangs, getting down may be problematical as well as getting up. Getting stuck or a cut rope could be one of the issues mixed in the cobwebs back behind the thalamus somewhere. Yet the unspeakable "F" word remains and the guts continue their slow twist as I move onto the daily pressing issues at work and get on with my work....perhaps this weekend will eliminate these issues. I know I must go on anyway and confront these ideas of unmuttered fears that have also been my dreams all winter long: while I waited for my destiny and my dreams to thaw out and re-appear.... as Wayne so eloquently spoke it on Waynes World "Oh yes, she MUST be mine". ........Oh yes!..... The weekends recon started out interesting. Thought it was suppose to be hotter than hell every 4th of July? Getting to the top took most o the day. Carrying 4 ropes to fix the hike at the top of the cliff and the rap to the top was slow and heavy work. Carrying a shovel and digging the approach steps. Having the Lil Dawg, a Bosch 36V and all that hardware was less than helpful for good balance as well. We finally get the first anchors and have a 1/2 and 3/4 rope lengths left. I rap the 1/2 a rope and the highlight was having a softball sized rock slam into my left foot from probably 50' above as I'm hanging in space. After working my non-existent abs, I am able - after 10 min of kicking back and forth on the overhang, to marginally catch a projection with a sling and pull myself into the rock. The holes for the next anchor get drilled and filled faster than I had been able to get back on rock and Kyle comes down (seen here on the 2nd or 3rd rap depending on how you count. We're still 160-170 feet off the deck in this pic with another overhanging rap to go). The next pitch over hangs as well. Nor does the rope reach the ground. The rope not reaching earth is disturbing as one cannot see how far that is from 160' above it. I rap first anyway holding our breaths that its close to the earth down there then off the end just as a single toe is touching and collapse in a heap, the expanded rope, relieved of my weight, springs back up 15-20 feet. Whew. The additional consideration is that the landing zone is real steep, a roll down this slope most likely ends out of sight with a death plunge off a cliff. Scary. I hope KS's skinny butt pulls the rope down far enough, so I go out to grab the end of it for a fireman's belay and also help get him grounded and it works out OK for him as well. Another Whew. 2X worse than the Monkey Face raps, back to back, with a R rated ground landing for a finale. That night, at @3am it starts lightly raining and wakes my exposed and tired assed face up. I crawl out of the bivi bag and both legs cramp....bad. After the cramps work out and I pee, decide not to crawl back in the bag and risk the cramps again, so I go car camping and dive in the car to sleep. With the days light showing mist and light rain on occasion, we choose to hump up some hardware to the top, and mindful of the rain and our fear, to not try the climb on toprope and workout the moves, rests, and clips for the route today. Thus we leave the drill, caulking gun and epoxy so as to reduce the weight by @ 20+ lbs. The stainless u-bolts we elect to carry to leave on top and reduce our next load up there might have been 20lbs by themselves. We carry shovels so as to dig little steps to reduce the sliding and fall off the slope potential which is everywhere. Carrying full packs while shoveling on a steep hillside: that's something not to be missed for sure. Make it to the top, leave our stainless U-bolts and do rappels like normal people, it's still scary but with less weight and knowing that it goes, much relieved and more relaxed than the previous day. The nuts still get sucked into the body, but they're not up in the throat like yesterday. That was so bad ya would have had to rub your Adams apple region to masturbate. Yeah, probably that bad. And a route gradually is getting brought to life. 300' or so of amazing nubbins and rock dancing will be commencing soon. It's still F*ing overhanging and scary. The 2 5 gallon buckets easily seen with Binoculars are not visible in this pic, nor are our ropes on top, as the distance is too great, but the Lions Head is right under the tree leaf there. For scale, the Doug Firs are pretty much full sized trees on top. We had left a sling around the one on top right of the cliff. Some of the fear of the unknown is displaced with knowledge that it can be. Exhausted, and with the mountain weather still looking iffy, we chose not to stay for the 3rd day and head home early. Kyle for some more climbing at Beacon, I take a rest day hike with the family and the Jack Russell rescue pups Hank the Dog and Sadie the Trailer Park Floozie. The relief of escaping the pressure and fear evident in my face. Edited by Bill several times after July 5th part 1 of 29 installments....

Oh theres still plenty of time for this thread Gary! Just wait till Rad sees the title.

OMG! DD thats funny and appropriate! And for once I'm close to agreeing with Don. Bizare.

7/03/08 166 6/27/08 164 6/20/08 167

I was typing it. Asked... And answered. for me only.

I bet you haven't gotten over the Gennifer Flowers thing either, which started just as the first primaries were happening - but like it was proven later by most folks when they voted with their feet then. The shocking part where Clinton got the budget balanced in 5 years, like he said!, proved the majority (not a few whiners like Rush who were in the minority and trying to make a buck on complaining) of the American people had their priorities correct. I'm willing to let the man have that incongruity as it's a personal thing which although most of us would not agree with, nor approve of: it's truly a deeply personal thing, and not indicative, in my mind, of the larger policy and stratigic challenges we are looking at for the next 4 years. To be clear, blatantly lying about the public funding issue is over that line for me. For McCain, I don't give a rats ass than it's his second wife. The Keating 5 money should be looked at very very closely. I'll confess I do not know, at this time, who would be the better President. They both have many faults, and many strengths. Spoken like Groucho" ...and if that is not clear enough, I'll see you a Paula Jones and raise you a Gennifer Flowers.!!!"

You were late! Missed you JF. Of course you are always welcome, I'd rather have you inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in. I'm not 100% for Thurs, but Ujahn is for sure. I hope to both be there and see you as well. I've been avoiding hard stuff, soaking the fingers in ice and taking Ibuprofen to get the pigs back on track. So, I'm not into anything hard either.

TimO will sell you that or a real pretty and artistic topo. Here's Tims site: link Click the 5th tab down for the guidebook though (that has more in it than just beacon).

Nice stuff Mike.

I'd have a beer with Barry or Barack, dudes got some smarts probably be great company unlike grandpa whos most interesting attribute is a wife that could bring the beer. However, would it not be a major feux pas to feed a guy named Hussein pork or pork products? McCain would be knarin on that pig leg for sure. I'm just sayin....

You're saying: I'm hearing "I want my cigarettes Nurse Ratchet". I'm done talkin about it, the rest of you all can do what you will when you will. Good luck my brothers.

Next up, kill the non-believers?

REMEMBER WHEN.!!!!!!

Well there's a starting point of something we can both agree on anyway. I can't say when I got all crotchety, but sure as shit it happened at some point. I was climbing with a fella Saturday, we were talking and I was quite a bit older than his father as it turns out, and this guy was a college grad too. BTW, I didn't realize you were a girl. I still harbor angry anti-authoritarian feelings because it is in my upbringing and I'm still a sad and mean old man. This is excaberated due to who you represent (and what they are in actuality) and how you come across in your first sorry assed post on this site. Furthermore, I reserve the word "dickless" as a derogatory for men who are spineless weasels, types that I would just kick in the balls if they were present (and spoke the kind of shit you just layed down), of which I originally thought you were one. I misspoke somewhat. But not by much....and we should still all be working to get you and your entire sorry crews ass's defunded so you can go do something productive and real while we take OUR money and put it someplace productive: and in unison and in harmony: we should ALL saw every damn sign you asswipes put up. EVERYWHERE AND EVERYTIME.

Well, I'd want to see those pictures for sure. That one Alan Jackson song may be one of the best: EVER! I'm saying in the entire world history of music ever since Bing Crosby anyway.

I don't know what that has to do with anything. I also do not mean to come off sounding like McCain is so damn much better. I think that the Keating 5 thing should be drug out and beat on with hammers in public by both sides of the isle....one more time! Loudly and publicly.

Well, I'm sure you'll be gratified and thrilled that Obama will be reviving the George Bush "Faith Based Inititives' that Bush started pre first elections. LA times today I find it interesting that when most people evaluate Bush pre-presidential election - that is, as a Governor, he was a very good Governor by most accounts, a gov who listened to good advisors and mostly did the will of the people while maintaining a tight budget. VS Obama, who looks to have none of that as a pre-presidential candidate Senator. Bush stacks up as a much better Governor than Obama was or is as a senator. You though, believe that although Bush went to hell after he was elected, Obama will somehow magically improve. Like you, I had this hope as well until the dude played the semantic card we are discussion. The first comment on the artical I linked was this: "Oh come on folks - let's just admit it and face it -- Obama (and Axelrod) are using the Karl Rove Playbook to Getting Elected. Obama is going to turn out to be the ultimate panderer and will be known as the "Say Anything Do Anything Kid" -- he's not going to be able to fulfull any of these promises - he has the thinnest resume, the least experience, knowledge and his abilities are totally unknown and untested. So the way to win is to do what Rove did for Bush - and that's what's working for Obama. Its a shame, its sad and its sickening. But too many people keep buying into this - so they are getting the government they deserve and the rest of us stuck with it. " Hmmmmmmmmm, I would have called BS till his flip flop on public funding. Now I see him differently.

You and I are posting and typing at the same time. I'm taking a break, good talking to you. Cya! BTW, Semantics, as Scott says, is a motherfucker.

Earlier I had thought Obama and was leaning towards him as the recipient of my vote, but was unsure, as he's a new commodity. Now I see that my reservations were spot on. I am beginning to lean towards McCain, who has been around long enough and on top of the visible pile to be examined 6 ways to Sunday including having the inside of his rectum damn near checked with a spotlight. The change in attitude shifted based on this one thing which Obama lied about. Again, I don't think this is a good choice and somewhat do not like either.

Yeah, well you're still young Porter. And btw, I believe that WE, We the people, can and do make a difference. In fact, most of the time, most of the stuff your elected representatives do is create needless conflict and issues. If they would do less, we would be better off. All these new laws are actually in their totality counterproductive. I find it especially difficult to read some of the crap allegedly normal folks post about here on CC.com about how wretched our country is on occasion. Because we're are not like that as a country. We are generally a good and just people who try to do good, and sometimes we do trip on our dicks and do mean spirited things anyway, cause were not perfect.