catbirdseat

This is off topic but I wanted to recommend a route that I led just yesterday. It's called Dogleg, 5.8. It's located on the left side of the west face of the Old Woman at Hidden Valley Campground. With three stars this route has been on my tick list for a long time, but various comments I'd heard about it had intimidated me. It is more accessible than the much over-popular Double Cross nearby. And it's really fun. The start is a little bouldery. Come at it from the right side making use of a flake to get established. It looks like the start is poorly protected but it's just fine. Bring a good selection of medium cams to Blue Camalot and a couple of mid sized Aliens or similar for the opening moves. To get down, climb up to the left of the belay and back down to a ledge where there is a rappel anchor on the East side. We had a 60 m rope and there was plenty of rope on the ground, so a 50 m might work. You definitely need a 60 m to get off of Double Cross though.

If you are not interested in climbing anything harder than 5.9, and you want to hit only quality routes, and if you want good directions to find said routes, I recommend The Trad Guide. http://www.amazon.com/Trad-Guide-Joshua-Tree-Favorite/dp/0972441395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238349222&sr=8-1 I usually use that book in conjunction with Randy Vogel's 1992 Guide. Randy's guide is comprehensive, but lacks detail when it comes to finding routes and descents. If you use the Trad Guide, you'll invariably find that you are looking at adjacent routes and wondering what they are.

James, let me know when you'll be in Red Rocks. Maybe I can meet you out there.

The only object I had trouble with was the chock pick, and then let it through. I suggest you check anything remotely sharp.

There is a really long discussion about this on RC.com. There may be one or two models out there that combine a hard shell with a foam liner. Best of both world? It may be that everyone will end up with two helmets and choose between the two depending on the chance of getting it by projectiles versus falling.

I've said it before. The only hope for that place is for it to be made part of the State Park System. People will have to pay to camp but it will be managed and kept clean. You get what you pay for.

I don't believe they are.

One is an explorer, the other an innovator. Why compare the two? They are both revered and both important contributors to our sport. Why try to put one ahead of the other? Both are greats.

Mission Gorge is the best climbing close to down town San Diego. It's a very slick sort of stone related to granite. The ratings are old school like Joshua Tree. There are good climbs there. Most are single pitch and some of them you can top rope.

That is a really bad choice in my opinion. None of the routes at Castle Rock are good for first leads.

You know something folks? You are all very fortunate that you have these free outdoor facilities like Marymoor Rock, Spire Rock, UW Rock and Mountie Wall. They just don't exist at all here in California. We like to sue too much down here to allow any such facility to become a reality.

On this 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, it's good to know that we beer drinkers have made our contribution to evolution. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090213114325.htm

When we did the climb, I brought a down jacket and a bivy sack. We had fine weather and I sure wish I had just left behind the bivy and jacket and brought a lightweight sleeping bag. My legs were cold at night. If, when you go, you are pretty sure of good weather, go with a sleeping bag and no bivy. The other thing I might have done differently is that we bivvied the first night at Goat Pass. The snow on the glacier was very hard the next morning. That traverse to the notch would have been easy in the afternoon. Plus we would have had a much earlier start.

Do the Great Gendarme, even if you have to aid it. It's not that hard and it is easy to protect.

You always put your best pulley where the load is greatest. Just do the math. The coefficient of friction times the load is drag. More load, more drag. Lower friction, less drag. Use your blue pulley first, then the Revolver, then carabiners in that order.

Trip: New Jack City, Barstow, CA - Several 5.8-5.10c Date: 2/1/2009 Trip Report: Jimbabwe and I checked out a relatively new sport climbing area. It features metamorphosed basalt. It's a little like Exit 38, but the rock is generally more interesting and solid. Lots of steep climbing in a concentrated area with free camping. It was a fun visit in warm, sunny weather.

I'm in Seattle through the weekend. I'm heading into Stone Gardens tonight and I'll be at Fred's party on Saturday night. Maybe I'll run into some of you folks.

Dru's remedy is a good one if you have chronic sinusitis. I am not sure if it will help bronchitis. Sometimes bronchitis is the result of a micoplasma infection. These are often treated with aminoglycoside antibiotics such as Zithromax (azithromycin).

Nice going guys. So does John always smile like that and does Ade always grimace like that? I guess that's how you can tell he's having fun.

Well you should definitely hit the Washington Pass area. Even though it's not really backcountry, it feels like it. Maybe do Mt. Stuart too.

I should think it would be all right as long as you use a triple fisherman knot.

The banning couldn't have anything to do with your bubbly personality. Must have been the influence of commercial intersts, or the military industrial complex.

This Chumstick Snag? [img:center]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/514/420chumstick.jpg[/img] A group of us cc.comers went up there during a rope up weekend. You have to cross private property to get there and you'll need to ask permission.

Her singing reminds me of Janice Joplin only way better.

Keep posting boys. You'll get where you're going eventually.