catbirdseat

What are you talking about? Look at all the trip reports that have been filed while you were away. Both of them.

It seems like some of the newer ice boots available are more flexible in the ankles. The Scarpa Alpha for example, is probably the best of the double plastics. Some of the new leather boots have got to be pretty good.

Kurt, did you think I was referring to you?

Disgusting

And all this time I thought it was your favorite color.

I was given an old copy of Yvon Chouinard's book Climbing Ice, published in 1978, I believe. It is really fun to read. He spends a very significant number of pages on French Technique and has many pictures of French masters demonstrating moves. Since those days, there have been improvements in both boot design and crampon design, not to mention tool design which make front pointing more comfortable and efficient. French technique gets short shrift in modern texts, even though it can be quite efficient. The downside of it is that it takes a LOT of practice to get good at it. So I'm wondering is French Technique really obsolete or is it just that the transition from French to Frontpoint simply occurs at a lower angle? Most climbers know how to do a "pied canard", or a "pied troisieme", which is a hybrid technique. But how many can climb 60 degree ice using "pied a plat, piolet ramasse"? Chouinard didn't show any pictures of himself demonstrating this stuff, I think because he was busy pioneering "German" technique. The other question I have is are there people out there who are really good at this stuff and like to teach it? Which parts of French Technique still apply today?

Ever get between two mirrors and see multiple images of yourself fading off to infinity? It's sort of like that.

Must have been a Leavenworth tick. I didn't think Vantage had ticks. How might one tell the difference? Lederhosen?

Yes, I have aready decided I need one of those. In order to cut one wire at a time, you would have to cut the outer insulation off the Romex to expose the three individual wires. If you nick them, and they are hot, you could still get shocked (despite the fireworks, I didn't get shocked at all). Still, it would be a better strategy I agree.

Why "climb" when you can go to the climbing gym?

If you had one of the old style Camalot #5 cams you would place it at the first opportunity, just to be rid of it.

First time there this weekend and I totally agree, so confusing and in my opinion not very well done. Also what's up with the censored names..? So weak whats the problem with pubic hair or dildo? However its an amazing area and I had an awesome time and I was also impressed at how clean it was. pretty fun All the complete route names are in the back of the book with credits for the FA. The only reason it's clean is because of the work of volunteers. If you want to help keep it that way, come out to help the next time Frenchman Coulee Climbers Coalition has a cleanup. It's usually on a Saturday.

I did quite a bit of that, too, along with electrical work. Sunday afternoon, my buddy Jim called me up wanting to go to Exit 38. The sun was out so, "what the heck", I thought. We drive out there and hit this huge downpour coming into North Bend. It stops as we arrive at the Trestle parking lot. The mountains are pretty in their new mantle of snow. The snow level of 2,500 ft is pretty damn low for April, I thought. We hiked up to Nevermind Wall to find drips cascading down and most of the reliably dry routes damp. Only one nearly dry route- Neverigine, 5.10a. Jim led it and took longer than usual as the rock was cold. Now it was my turn to clean on top rope. Holy Mother! The rock was cold! I should have belayed with gloves on, because now I couldn't feel my finger tips. I had to call for a take half way up so I could blow on my hands. Continuing on, a foot blew on a wet hold, but I had good hands. Then screaming barfies at the chains. It didn't take any persuading at all to talk Jim into calling it a day. We both agreed that Neverigine is a damn fine route that could be better appreciated if it was warmer. No sooner do we enter the freeway, but another downpour lets loose. How's that for timing?

That's what I was thinking. Yes, Wednesday.

Sounds like Malthus with a new twist.

Pol Pot had many of the same ideas. What a crock of baloney.

The cat was trying to find a better life for itself, in America. Got a dream to takes us there. We're comin' to America.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good luck on your career as an amateur gynecologist.

Yesterday afternoon, I was home alone and I decided to install a new motion sensor flood light in the front yard, a job that my wife has been after me to do for more than a year. I knew it was going to be an unpleasant job, which is exactly why I had procrastinated. But I hadn’t guessed how unpleasant it would turn out to be. I opened the ceiling hatch in the family room and climbed a ladder to gain access to the attic space, which was very cramped and full of boxes of stored stuff. I hauled several boxes down so I could move around better. I get back in there and find that a rat has been living up there in the insulation. There were rat turds all over the place. It was horrible, but I was committed. The first thing I’d have to do is vacuum rat turds. It’s a good thing my nose doesn’t smell very well. The whole time I’m thinking of Hanta virus. A farm worker in Grant County died of it last September. Thank goodness, the attic is well ventilated. So now I could see the line I wanted to tap into. I figured I'd put a junction box near the ridgeline where there was headroom and it would be relatively easy to work. I’d then run a line out to the place near the eaves where I wanted the light. I started by going outside and drilling a 1/2 inch hole. I hit something. I thought it was a stud. No problem, I’ll just drill 4 inches through it. Six inches, and I am still hitting solid wood. What the heck? I had drilled right into a beam end! As soon as I figured that out, I angled the drill to the left and got into the attic space. I shoved about 6 feet of wire in through the hole, then went back into the attic and crawled on my face to where I could reach, blindly, for the wire. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it, my face only inches from rat turds. Oh god, yuck! Got it! I pulled the wire until I could not get any more, then had to go back outside to shove more into the hole. I flipped off the circuit breaker for the ceiling lights. Then back up the ladder. Time to cut the wire. Boom! Sparks flying everywhere. I had flipped the wrong circuit breaker. Doh! My wire cutters had a nice hole where the cutting blade used to be. The line I’d cut was for the outlets not the ceiling lights. Nothing to do but carry on. Using my voltmeter I verified that the breaker had indeed been tripped. I put in the junction box, connecting the new line, and closed it up. Back outside to hook up the light. Now it’s raining. There I was standing in the rain on an aluminum ladder in a possible thunderstorm. Well, nothing happened, actually. No lightning. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. I went inside, reset the tripped breaker and my new lights worked just fine. It was time to get in the shower and decontaminate. I wonder what the incubation period is for Hanta virus? You don’t have to tell me. I looked it up, 2-4 weeks. First sign fever. No cure. Death rate 33%.

Did you hear about the hero cat in Germany? Someone left a newborn baby on a door step in the middle of the night. The cat sat there and meowed until someone came and saw the baby. The temperatures were near freezing. The baby surely would have died if it hadn't been for that cat.

Those are what you call highrise pants. Yes, your butt looks gargantuan.

That's certainly one way of looking at it. A very twisted way, I'll grant you.

The Coleman-Deming route had a hut at one time. Kulshan Cabin was formerly located along the Heliotrope Ridge Trail. It decayed to the point to where it was intentionally burned, I believe. A friend of mine stayed in it back in the 1970's.

What was the weather like during your trip? Regarding the mountain bikes, I think the concern was that soil adhering to the bikes could carry invasive weed seeds. If the bikes are clean, you won't have a problem.

Great way to have a discussion, Jizzy. Just say it's dumb because you don't like the idea and don't offer any reasons or alternative idea. Then go and attack the other guy.