catbirdseat

If there isn't at least some epic potential, then perhaps the climb is not a worthy endeavor. When you send it, it will feel so good.

Welcome back Doctor. Are your cahones still intact or are they now up on the shelf in a jar, post nuptuals?

Yessir, it's time for the Flying Pig. It's never been done and it is time NOW. We'll invite trask. He'll pine away at his seaside domicile knowing we are so close by having a great time.

Uh, E, would you care to elaborate on that statement?

Was there any evidence that the FS has started the work on the new trail? It is supposed to be up higher on the side of the ridge, avoiding the swamp. The plans were approved last year.

Ballard, Ballard, Fremont, Ballard.....

So you really did it, mate! You got married. She is a fine, fine lassie. Congratulations. I' like to buy you a drink .

No, Iain, if you must know it was the how-to-tie-a-bowline tatoo. I thought I'd never be able to remember it, but now I never use it. Damn!

Great story, Uncle Tricky! Loved it.

EveRat flying pig would be a good place... who is down for one? I like Flying Pig. They have this great Russian dark brew I like. It's unique. Let's do it!

One's taste can change, one's mind can change, but the tatoo, it can't be changed, at least not easily.

Username Spraylord is up for sale to the highest bidder, don't you know?

I'm afraid of you guys... AS IF I'd meet anyone here in real life... Remeber Ted Bundy and Gary Lee Ridgeway??? I'm afraid if you met us, we'd actually disappoint you with too much niceness. These Seattle climbers are pretty Jeckle and Hyde kind of characters.

So how long did it take you car to summit? How about "Spray to Spray"?

Does MN climb? Is MN old enough to drink? If the answer to both is yes, then get yourself to Pub Club, Miss Normandy. If the answer to either is no, there's always trask.

Right about what? Quoting yourself now are you, Miss Normandy? I discovered first hand this weekend the limitations of caffeine. I was so tired driving back from Mt. Hood that three cups of coffee and two diet cokes had almost no effect. There was so much adenosine built up in my brain, the caffeine could not keep it from find it's home in its receptors. I would have given anything for some Dexedrine

Why don't we do an Everwet or an Anacortes Pub Club sometime and see if we can get some people from both Seattle and Bellingham to show up? We could do an evening of cragging at Mt. Erie and finish up at one of the brewpubs in town.

Springboard, at Snag Buttress, Mount Erie. If you use the snag it's 5.7, but way harder without. How much harder I can't say. I was afraid to use the dead tree limb, because I thought it might break!

Funny you should mention antiballing plates. The last time I was on Hood was in early February and I remember having trouble with balling up on my "cookie-cutter" B/D Makos. I had to go into self-arrest just below the Pearly Gates when my crampons balled up without my realizing it. This time I had some home made plates made out of a Coleman cutting board. They worked great! I should mention that dryad was on the climb and it was her first volcano ever and her first alpine climb when it comes down to it. Let's to dryad.

While climbing Hood on Saturday, we met another party of climbers who were abandoning their climb to go on a rescue at Adams. Someone had fallen and injured themselves on the South Spur route. Does anyone know anything about that rescue?

The original plan had been to climb on Sunday, but predicted bad weather for that day forced us to depart on Friday and climb on Saturday. Six of us met at 65th St. Park and Ride in Seattle and headed south in two vehicles. Traffic was very bad and it was hot. Met seventh climber in S. Tacoma and took his car along for the car shuttle. Stopped near Wood Village for supper of all you can eat spaghetti and salad. Arrived at 8:30 at Timberline, registered for climb and left James' car there. Met our 8th climber, at Cloud Cap CG at 10 pm. Hit sack at 11 pm, but were disturbed by other climbers coming and going. Got up at 1:30 am and were on trail by 2:10 am. First 2,000 ft were mostly snow free walking on moraine. There was one loose and steep section but mostly it was trail and easy to follow. Encountered three climbers who had departed an hour before. They were headed out after being paged for rescue work on Mt. Adams. They were bummed, all right, about having to abandon their climb. "How can someone fall down and get hurt on the South Spur of Adams, for chrissakes? Roped up at "ropeup rock" at approx. 8,500 ft of elevation around 6 am. There was some evidence of avalanche, just some surface slough from the previous day. I lead the first roped pitch to above the avy debris without placing any pro. The snow was rather soft and I could kick steps to 3/4 of my boot length with just one kick. Just above the avalanche debris at about 9,200 ft we began placing pickets and flukes. James led this pitch at first placed just one piece per rope length and then as it steeped to about 45 degrees two per rope length. Jula led the next pitch to a slot between two rock outcroppings at about 10,800 ft. This part is the one most prone to rock fall. About every ten minutes a fist sized rock would tumble down, usually on the left of the climbers, but sometimes passing between or even bounding over their heads! Wear helmets!!!! James led the final pitch to the summit again placing pro, but the snow was so soft, and the slope so moderate, it wasn't really necessary. We topped out at about 10 am (8 hours), which is about average for a less experienced group, such as ourselves. There were a lot of people on the summit and we left after a large group and had to wait above the pearly gates for them to clear out. Harlan led from Pearly gates to the Hogsback, placing about 4 or 5 pickets on the way down. The bergschrund was wide open, but was easily crossed at its west end. We unroped at the hogsback. Some removed crampons here and the remainder below Crater Rock. The glassades were great. This is a route where experienced climbers probably wouldn't need to place pickets, but we had four novice climbers and so we chose to do running belays for the steep part from ca. 9,200 to 10,800 ft. Likewise, experienced climbers would have no trouble downclimbing the route, or taking Sunshine back to Cloud Cap rather than doing the car shuttle, as we did. Given our pace and the warm conditions, we would have been better off leaving at midnight to avoid the rock fall.

We did the Cooper Spur route yesterday. Road is open and in good condition all the way to Cloud Cap. The water taps have not been turned on yet. There are just patches of snow in the campground. On the route, we did not encounter much snow for the first 2,000 ft.

Trask, your killing me.

Guys, let's keep the good vibes coming and not do anything to derail this promising trend. I like it.

Short answer: Consolidation. The record companies have reached a state of oligarchy, similar to what the domestic automakers had before foreign imports made inroads. They can do what they want.