catbirdseat

It's easy for you to say no to camping when you live in Ellensburg, but what about those who live three hours away?

Could be a possible troll.

I should add that a hold broke off on the traverse to the project, so it may not be as easy now as it was when you did it.

That seems like throwing out the baby with the bath water. If I didn't like camping there I'd already be using Wanapum State Park. I like the convenience of being able to walk from camp to crag. What we have is a case of the tragedy of the commons. The concert goers don't give a shit about the place even though the climbers do.

I was waiting for RuMR to ask what knot one uses with a Drano-treated rope. I don't know the answer but you might use it to clean your drains.

Don't worry about it. Any alkali that may have been present in the ashes of the fire have long since dissolved and washed away by rains. Charcoal, on the other hand, is not soluble and persists in the soil. It is unsightly on your rope, but will not harm it. I suggest washing your rope in ordinary detergent and rinsing thoroughly with water. If black marks remain, don't worry about them.

Okay, we know what you were doing.

Climbed Sunday and Monday at Vantage. Saturday climbed at Middle East Wall and saw no others all day. Nice and shady with perfect climbing temperatures. Did 272, Theresea's Lingerie, Sex Party, The Elders, a 5.10b sport route, and Crazy Fingers. The last looks like it doesn't get done often, which is surprising because it is a fine route on solid rock. Sunday went to Sunshine wall and warmed up on some old favorites before attempting to lead George and Martha for the first time. Yikes! It was harder than I expected. It's way harder than either Air Guitar, Sex Party, or Crazy Fingers. I got to the top but only by virtue of an "active belay". Met some very friendly Canadians from Vancouver, one of which I belayed on top rope up Geo. and Martha. We were invited to come up and climb with them at Squamish.

This route at the center section of Middle East Wall is so popular that bushes are growing out the base and cobwebs adorn the face. It's a nice route, but it is shunned because it lacks a permanent anchor. The "anchor" on the adjacent project is not really an anchor but two bolts vertically separated by about five feet with a ribbon of tat connecting them. They also are not very easy to get to from Crazy Fingers. We ended up pulling the roof and finishing on top and walking off. It's not that bad, but it apparently turns off a lot of people. Sex party gets all the traffic and I think it is just a face climb with a crack to the right of it for protection. Crazy fingers actually has better jams. If you are over that way, I suggest giving Crazy Fingers a go.

It's concert season again at Frenchman's Coulee and the toilets are overflowing. A huge pile of garbage is stacked next to them. I get so tired of it. I wish there was some way deal with it. What if it were made a State Park? I'd gladly pay a few dollars to be able to camp and climb in a clean and sanitary place. I'm sure the idea would go over like a lead balloon. For my part, I cleaned up the camp site I used and the two or three nearby, filling a garbage sack, which I brought home with me.

The poor are the people who are used to taking orders, not giving them. All the people who ran New Orleans, who made the everyday decisions, were able to evacuate by car. The ones left were the ones lacking initiative. I don't think anyone should be surprised.

So you think sodium nitrite has a bad rap? It keeps hot dogs nice and red and delicious looking (horsecock connection, hence cc.com relevance). Then it was discovered that it reacts with amino acids to form highly carcinogenic nitrosamines. Now it's medicine. I thought this was pretty interesting, but then I'm a chemist. Sodium Nitrite

If we'd just have major disasters more often we'd be so much better at responding to them.

When you are sure you have the ropes cleaned up, go over them inch by inch and with a magnifying glass if you have to, to make sure not a single shard of glass is embedded in the sheath. Then I'd recommend wearing gloves for the first few times you use them to belay, just to be sure.

You owe me one for supplying you with that phrase. Is it looting if you haven't eaten in days and you steal food? Is it looting if your wife and kids have been laying on hard concrete at the convention center and you take a mattress from the hotel nearby?

The route on Givler's immediately to the left of Givler's Crack looks pretty good. I once ran into the guys who put it up. Can't remember their names though.

Great answer, Joseph! It reminds me of the "What would you do if?" game my brother and I used to play as kids.

Long time no see. Congrats to your old man!

$32 Sizes #1- #5

I tried to hike the Taylor River trail a few months ago while it was raining. The trail had turned into a major stream and we gave it up. I think it is still in very poor condition. The Pratt River trail has always been there but never got any maintenance and there is always the issue of how to cross the river to get to it.

I've met Aiden on Givler's Crack which he soloed past us. He was polite enough to wait for us to clear the first pitch before he blew past us. We chatted for a while. He was on break from guiding in Alaska (this was early June). He's a really nice guy.

That was a bad time all around for the oil industry. My great uncle in Houston lost his shirt on oil investments.

It's easier to survive in a cool climate without electricity than it is in a hot climate. You have less problems with keeping food from spoiling and heat related stresses and less problems with diseases.

I heard that Dennis Hastert made some ill advised comments about bull dozing New Orleans and not rebuilding it that have put him in hot water. He's right, but of course his view will never prevail. They will rebuild.

Oh, so you are saying that true enlightenment is an enduring state, not just a transient experience? Way to take the wind out of guy's sails!