catbirdseat

I'm cracking up here!

The rating of Saber has just been raised to 5.4 B1, standard rack, one can of Raid.

I really think that the problem is Seattlites are, by and large, getting the pizza they want. Real pizza is seasoned very strongly. They don't like a strong taste. Same thing with salsa. "Medium" salsa in Seattle is called "Mild" in the Southwest.

One COULD pick up the paper and plastic and burn it. At least it wouldn't blow around.

I'm dying to try some of these places because I haven't had a really good pizza since I moved to the PNW 17 years ago. The best I ever tasted was in Laguna Beach at BJ's Chicago Pizza and Brewery. That was awesome.

Is that a cloud of mosquitoes I see in the first photo!?!

It has been there for a long time. At least there was a pile there a couple months ago.

There is a significant chance that I might have been way too serious today had it not been for the fact that I went climbing instead.

The decision to free solo is and should remain a personal and individual one. It should be well-considered and free from peer pressure. In this Russian community peer pressure and the need to conform plays a huge role. There are people on those rocks that simply don't belong there.

A little late, but more squid for Dru. Voracious Giant Squid

Here's some biycle news for you. Looks like the Burke Gilman trail my finally see some improvements through Lake Forest Park. The city has been trying to stop these improvement and it's just lost a round. Bicycle Trail Wins

I wouldn't do it. Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repellent, although it has been used as one. Read this and then decide: http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-report/cox.htm I've not had enough trouble with ticks to want to risk poisoning myself.

Trip: Squire Creek, Darrington - Roan Wall Date: 7/24/2007 Trip Report: This was the second attempt by Mark McKillop and I on Roan Wall. Last week we got as far as the stream bed when a thunderstorm moved in dumped on us. Yesterday, the weather was much better. We used 512Dude's route description as our guide which was accurate for the mostpart. On this trip, I was prepared with sandals for the stream crossing. There is a log crossing but I wouldn't try it wet which it was as it had rained the previous day. As it was we got pretty soaked from wet foliage on the approach. The approach is quite pretty and interesting. It would be a worthwhile trip for the more adventurous hiker, as it terminates at an amazingly beautiful alpine cirque with towering walls and cascading waterfalls. We had two false starts trying to find the right approach gully. We'd started too soon. It's well marked when you find it. If in doubt, keep going up the stream bed. You'll see cairns, and a piece of tape way up in the trees above some boulders. The start into the gully involves scrambling over boulders and crawling over vine maples, but soon opens up. In one place it takes a hard right and makes an unlikely traverse over a bunch of maple trunks. The first approach pitch was short, fun, and uneventful. Scramble up a bit to reach the next belay. The second pitch, advertised as "5.4x" was not exactly unprotectable. I'd give it a PG. Mark was able to find six or more gear placements, but they were often shallow dirty cracks. Bring a nut tool if you feel to need to protect this pitch. Once on the Roan Wall proper we had loads of fun. Mark lead pitch 3, 5.10b. It's got lots of thin flakes for edges. Fun. Roan wall features the finest slab climbing I've ever done. At least better than anything I'd done in Darrington. Really good. We made it as far as pitch 7, which Mark led. It was advertised as 5.11a, but Mark said it really wasn't much harder than pitch 3. He gave it a "mid 5.10" rating. I didn't get to experience it as Mark hit running water at the last two bolts and couldn't continue. We bailed at that point, happy to have been able to go that far. I'd add that the 6th ("5.9") pitch has one or two pretty hard moves, significantly harder but less sustained than pitch 4 also "5.9". I'd rate it 5.10a. I'd definitely go back again. Sorry, neither of us remembered to bring a camera. Gear Notes: Bring lots of draws, at least 14. Approach Notes: The tough guys do this in 3 hours. It took us over 4 hours.

You just came up with a Gilliganism.

Exit 38 is near North Bend off of I-90. It's a long ways from the Tri Cities, but it does have lots of easy topropeable climbs if you know where to go.

Interested persons might want to take a look at this: http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1637886;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;guest=18133629 Particularly RGold's rather long post on the first page. He makes the point that Jim's tests at Sterling were done with quite a bit of rope out. He makes a hypothetical case in which one piece fails when there is little rope out. In this case the load could actually be larger on the remaining piece because the fall factor is larger.

Yes, Vantage does have beginner level climbs. I suggest you try to get with an experienced mentor at first.

Remember there is stupidity in numbers.

This is another misconception that has been propagated by word of mouth. It's something that seems reasonable on its face, but it's not based on science. The rope retains its dynamic character. If it did not the test results would have shown higher loading on the remaining pieces. Certainly, you will have lost some ability to absorb energy as the knot will have cinched tight, but it's not as bad as some people believe.

Kevin, some people actually read books. It's called "literacy".

What did you climb? Did you go down to the river to cool off?

I'm sure Archie will agree with you.

Above all the term "alpine" when applied to climbing refers to a greater sense of committment than non-alpine climbing. That's what really sets it apart, whether you are going for a summit or not and regardless of whether or not you are above the tree line. The fact that you must be a lot more self-reliant. If anything goes wrong it's going to be a lot worse than if it happens at a crag.

Ironman

Are you talking about the North Peak?