catbirdseat

Here are the facts. By the time Reichert got around to making the call and the ensuing phone tag, the driver had aready lost her job. She had bragged about her deed and that is what ultimately cost her her job. I just heard that she has a new job as a substitute driver in the Renton District.

In medical school they have a saying about the teaching/learning of various procedures: "watch one - do one - teach one" There is nothing better than teaching to make your own skills stronger. They are teaching basic skills after all, not hardcore advanced alpinism. Perhaps Maestro has a better idea. The instructors should be required to observe one Basic Climbing Course before teaching it. Gary, The common opinion on this thread is that the Mountaineers have unqualified instructors teaching students in the basic course. Its not the students responisbility to distinguish between qualified and unqualified instructors amongst an organization. Its the organization's responsibility. If you want to do something about it, there needs to be more requirements to teach the Basic Climbing Course than just having attended the Basic Climbing Course. If a year is too long, than don't use a year. Jesus, man, you asked for suggestions and I gave them. Here's a more concrete example: To teach the Basic Climbing Course, you need to have: 1. Passed the Basic Climbing Course no sooner than 6 months ago 2. 20 days climbing since the Basic Course - this averages to less than two weekends a month, and documentation will use an honor system for validity - believe us, it will be apparent who has padded their books! 3. Climbed at least three II routes or longer since the Basic Course 4. Lead at least 3 trad climbs of at least 5.6 since the Basic Course 5. At least two days of glacier travel since the Basic Course. Now, I don't know what someone who has finished the Basic Course is actually expected to be able to do. Just consider requiring SOMETHING like this... And watch what words you use - you don't FORBID someone, you simply have PREREQUISITES. You have some good ideas.

Hey, from the Folk's house it is a shorter drive for me to Joshua Tree. Even if all things were equal, I'd prefer not to have to wear a sweater. I'm trying to escape winter.

James: Red Rocks is a possibility, although, it will likely be unpleasantly cold there. Robert: Well, do your friends climb? Do you need a partner?

...not to mention the Velcro mitts.

I agree with you Rudy. This is a huge regional issue. The congestion costs our economy millions of dollars. And, as you say, getting stuck in traffic blows. I sure hope NIMBY politics doesn't get the best of us this time. I'm sure we can get the rock moved if it comes to that. I'm not worried.

You're such a little shit.

Hey bad behavior is what it is. But sometimes, you know, someone does what you'd dream of doing yourself, if you could, and it just resonates. Come on, how many of you would lose your jobs for the chance to flip Bush the bird? I'm sure she wasn't thinking. It was just a visceral response.

It's as easy to rap off the end of your rope using a GriGri, as it is with an ATC. I'll qualify that by saying that if the accident was contributed to by lack of control of speed or fatigue, then yes, the GriGri might have made a difference.

You need to ask because you can't see it when you are wearing it.

Damn, Chuck, that was well-put. I can summarize for the literacy challenged. We're f***ed because of Bush.

Well, well. Dr. Linky returns.

Well, I did see the crossed ice axe icons. Is that part of the secret doing?

Police Chief Loses Job Don't you dare make fun of Jelly Bellies!

I'll tell ya what, though. Gasoline prices wouldn't be what they are today, if we had ratified Kyoto.

Damn, those pesky whistleblowers. Get rid of 'em all.

You can say that again. All UW Rock cracks are all shallow. I wish I were good enough to climb them.

Here, I must agree with you. I've always thought that nuclear fission has been the cleanest energy source we have. Zero CO2 emissions. We now know how to make perfectly safe reactors that cannot melt down under any circumstances. The fuel disposal issue still remains a problem, but I think it can be solved. We need to get Yucca Mountain licensed and start moving waste to that location.

When I consider that I will be dead before the worst effects of global warming are felt, why should I worry? Well I do care about having a good place for my children to live. So, Jay, you think that Global Warming is not a worry because CO2 emissions will decrease as gas prices rise? What if we switched to electric cars whos batteries are charged by power plants which are fueled by our cheap and abundant coal reserves?

Mods, you heard the man. Besides, she's wearing clothes.

You mean like this?

While the last two pitches are not great, the summit is a pretty cool place to chill out a bit and enjoy the view. I think it is worth the effort to get there.

I believe that Kevlar is much more susceptible to fatique from repeated flexing than is Spectra. This is an effect distinct from the weakening caused by bends at knots and hitches. In general, the more static a cord is, the greater the strength reduction for a bend of a given radius. This is because the fibers on the outside of a bend take most of the force, while those on the inside radius take less. In the case of dynamic ropes, the outer strands are able to stretch, thus allowing more force to be borne by the inner fibers.

It sure looks like North Bend rhinostone, a metamorphosed basalt.

This is not a climb, but a hike. The first time I ever hiked the Lime Kiln Trail, I swear there was a "presence" there. Ever get that feeling that you are not alone? Well I had it, and it wasn't exactly scary but certainly felt weird. I got to thinking about the large number of men who died in accidents building the Everett and Monte Cristo Railway. Probably most of them didn't even get an obit in the newspapers a the time, poor immigrants that they were. I had this digital camera and some of the pictures had this weird fog in places that I never saw through the view finder. One time, this white patch messed up a shot really badly. I took it again and it wasn't there the second time. I've been on that trail many times after that and never experienced the same thing again. You have to go in the winter when it is really quiet, and go alone.