catbirdseat

I climbed with you on one occasion and you seemed pretty laid back. Now you are all up tight. What changed? Must be from hanging out with Arch or something.

You saw people who got in your way. Since they were in your way, you call them Mounties. I'm going to do the same the next time I have to wait for you.

hee! you just like it when i get my hackles up b/c CBS is an idiot I've noticed something. The bigger the gaper the more likely they are to be in conflict with the Mountaineers. Allison used to go at us all the time, because we were always hogging Roto Wall or some such. Rudy is just having his fun, but I can tell that Minx is quite perturbed. Zen Master Chuck are sitting there with his trademark wry grin. The laid back types seldom have problems with Mounties. It would take a bazooka to perturb mattp, who shucks off sleights like pulling on his lead rope.

More like the inverse.

Minx, it is clear to me that most of what you know about the Mountaineers, you read right here in this little 'ol website. Nothing like Spray for facts and information you can count on!

Yes, an experienced climber will show you how to rap off the end of the rope safely. Shit Tom that was low blow.

Go try First Blood, 5.8, at Royal Columns and tell me what you think. Bring some big gear. It shares a permanent anchor with Mushmaker, 5.7.

I am interested. The weather could cooperate.

Cool, you're into Science Fiction in a big way.

I might as well address Eric8's comment. The Everett Branch handles this differently than other branches. All climb signups are with the leader. No one can sign up for a climb unless the leader allows it. Leaders are encouraged to talk on the phone with the person to get a sense of their fitness to be on the climb. Man, CBS, this does NOTHING as far as judging the LEADER...the noob is supposed to be a noob, duh! Jeeze Rudy, communication on the telephone is two-way. What is to stop the student from asking questions of the leader? He might be a noob, but he can find out how many years experience a leader has, for example or whether the leader has done the route before. Dude, if you go in for laser eye surgery, you don't know shit about being a doctor, do you? What kinds of questions do you ask?

I've got a group of four heading up the Kautz in the second week of July. Might have room.

I finally got to use them, both sizes. They are actually pretty neat. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to place them. They just go in like regular cams, except that they initially look too big for everything, until you retract them. Then they get smaller, and smaller, and smaller...

It was Keith and he's a nice guy. You shouldn't be calling him names like that. He was probably tirpping on something interesting when he heard someone talking about Mountie Lodges.

I might as well address Eric8's comment. The Everett Branch handles this differently than other branches. All climb signups are with the leader. No one can sign up for a climb unless the leader allows it. Leaders are encouraged to talk on the phone with the person to get a sense of their fitness to be on the climb.

This is a true statement. Not everone is cut out for it. My own son is an example. I don't want him to get interested in climbing. It's not for him.

For all we know they are doing what would be considered normal where they come from. Every area has it's own set of ethics and rules.

You are paying for lighter weight, greater range, or a name brand.

If a rock is dislodged it is already loose. There are lots of loose rocks that are not dislodged by climbers, but via skill and experience are either avoided or used for upward advancement. When I encounter a loose hold, I just put it back where it was and use a different one. The experienced climber doesn't rely entirely on one hold, at least on 4th Class terrain. I remember an incident in which Ben pulled off a huge rock, but it was fifth class, and he was roped.

I agree. Work to avoid the preventable (subjective) hazards, and take action to manage risk from objective dangers.

I'd have to say that probably Groundhog Day stands as the easiest three-pitch climb in the area. However compared to something like R&D, it seems difficult to the novice leader, even though it may seem easier to the follower. I would agree that there is a need for more easy multipitch routes for beginners to practice on. Anyway, I'll stick my neck out and offer my opinion about the spate of recent Mountaineer accidents. I believe that most of the people involved have been climbing for some time, so they aren't really novices. I suspect that they are people who haven't been getting out much. The pace of life in the big city is getting to be where people have very little time to practice. Some people only have time to get out two or three times a year. I always assumed that for every day I spent in the alpine, I'd spent one or two cragging in addition to staying in shape by running and biking. I just think if you are going to play the game you need to commit to honing the skills to be safe.

I saw some mules at Oak Creek Wildlife station getting ready to work off some winter fat.

Yesterday, I saw a big SUV I didn't recognize. It said "Ducati Motorsports" on it. Ducati makes motorcycles. At any rate it looked expensive. Naturally, it exited I-90 at Island Crest Way on Mercer Island.

The word I got was that he was climbing third/fourth class unroped in the "hidden gully" and slipped. When I did that climb four years ago, I roped for that pitch and put in one or two pieces. The climbing is not hard at all but there are a couple of loose spots and there can be sand on the rock.

A bear was sighted in the driveway across the street from my home in Shoreline on Friday. It might have been the same bear.

Reason Matt asks is that we plan to do some trail work on June 3rd and we'd like to come prepared.