North_by_Northwest

Grover McClellan, resident game warden in Startup, WA, found climbing as a youngster. On hunting trips his father would send him up tall trees and rocks as a lookout for game. Grover hated hunting but he came to live the climbing. He now devotes his life to enforcing game laws, chainsaw carving, and of course, climbing. His team of twelve is sponsored by SKOAL and T.C.'s Offroad Outlet. Grover plans to lead the first ascent of the Nose with only Skoal brand chew, Busch Lite and jerky as supplies. May we all wish him well.

THIS JUST IN!! Leonard has died in an unfortunate accident at the UW Rock. Egged-on by fellow climbers and driven by his fear of a certain UW Rock personality, Leonard climbed to the topmost part of the practice wall. He was held at bay by the above-mentioned climber for six days without rest. Finally he lost the strength to hold on and fell to his death. His body bounced into the parking lot, where a number of female "admirers" grieved over him.

Despite Barney's strong start and early partnership with RURP he soon found himself falling out of favor with the climbing community. Barney came to realize that he was different and needed to be a different sort of climber. Rejecting all tradition and sanity he became a member of the Nation of Chongo. Since becoming a member he has logged over 500 days and nights on the walls of Yosemite. He holds duration records for time spent at a single hanging belay, 56hrs., and time spent on approach to Half Dome, 19 days. Unfortunately he has yet to get beyond the tenth pitch of any big wall climb. He blames his failures on lack of equipment, supplies and time. Quote from Barney, "Some say: for the lead dog the scenery never changes. How can I complain?"

Barb never quite made it to Camp 4. By the time the 70s were over she was on her second child and had just finished her third trip to rehab. The faith got her going strong however and she managed to pull through the difficult times on her own. Barb is now married, drives a Honda mini-van and explores crevasses in her spare time. She's not sad that she's fallen in status from a big wall hopeful to a mere soccer mom: the lord told her it's a form of progression.

see above

It's a good thing those bridges are being replaced-they're old. Too many important rec projects like trail work, bridges, etc. got put off because funding was lost to the fires and 9/11. This is a sign that things are returning to normal. Hopefully it will mean less crowds around Colchuck and Stuart too, those areas could use a break and I could definitely make use of some tourist free wilderness.

104 bpm-I just ran up and down two flights of stairs and walked about 100yds at a fast pace. When I was 19 I went to have my wisdom teeth removed. I had to be sedated and the doctor gave me the usual stupid speech about the possibility of death in sedated surgery. They had me on the table and hooked up to a heart monitor as the drugs were taking effect. The last thing I remember seeing as I went under was the monitor going ________, then seeing lots of people in white coats running around. As my body relaxed and I went into sedation my heart rate went lower than the normal 'alive' setting on the monitor and made it flatline. I had a much lower heart rate back then-it's now 80 bpm after typing this.

Friends and roommates who don't climb always ask if I had a nice hike. Relatives just look at the pictures and shake their heads. What really bothers me is when people try to introduce you to their "climbing" friends. "Oh, you climb? You should hangout with Mike, he climbed Mt. St. Helens AND Mt. Si last year." They don't understand the different styles of climbing and the different styles of climbers and you can't explain why you're not that interested in hanging out with so-and-so without sounding like an antisocial asshole.

Here's an unfinished (needs much work before sale) short story on the topic. Please read rating system before reading story so that you are not offended. http://www.writing.com/main/view_item.php?item_id=413245 (Don't reproduce without author's permission please.)

I'll give it a little editing and repost it. Give me an hour or two, I'm at work.

{"My take on the Exum ridge is that it's a cheap "price point" shoe for the everyday used, as oppose to a true approach shoe. I tried them out in the store and I just didn't like the way they looked with my spring ensemble....just kdding...but it seems like more of a 'consumer' shoe as opposed to a performance shoe, sorta like the difference in the really nice new balance running shoes and the ones you can get for $59.95 at your local outdoor retailer."} That was my first impression too, but I know folks who use them all the time and for a lot of stuff. I hear they climb pretty well for a not-so-climbing approach shoe. They also seemed to hold up OK. Not a bad choice if you don't plan on climbing in your shoes too much.

Could use some editing, not bad though. I can see why they say it's too local. Did you mention that people from several states post? Your tale of how you were lured in to the site is the best part. What mags did you pitch it to?

Who's in your avatar pic Pope? It kinda resembles an old, faded HST.

I don't think their is any question as to which is a more stable platformNew poll: which would you rather belay from:

What sort of "information" are you interested in exchanging Shahid? Can you get me some Pakistani knock-off firearms at a low price?

That's why they climb: can't figure out normal life procedures. Probably true of most males who climb too.

Don't you mean Eddie Spaghettithere son? "In the name of Eddie Spaghetti,...we do what we do!" -MCD

What's the gist of it? I'm at work and only caught brief glimpses of GWB's face as I was passing through.

If you plan on hiking and climbing in the same shoes: La Sportiva Boulders. Replace the footbed and they will be more comfortable to hike in and you will twist your ankle less. They accept SnoSeal well, making them more comfortable in mild snow conditions. If you plan on hiking in approach shoes and climbing in your rock shoes: Salomon Flagstaffs. Real lightweight, more support and comfort than any approach shoe. They also collapse down to fit in your pack for a carryover. Same support and sole as the highend Salomons, but $40 cheaper. If you plan on walking from your car to the crag and only taking your shoes off while you climb each pitch: Who Fucking Cares What Shoes You Wear.

I think Krakauer did a great job in writing "Thin Air", it just wasn't that interesting to me. I think it has more to do with my lack of interest in that kind of climbing than his style. Most books about climbing are boring to people who like to read a lot. Trask: my suggestion, "Into The Wild", is not about climbing.

"Into the Wild" by Krakauer. Far better than "Into Thin Air" (can't the guy find a more original title than Into __ __?). Alexander SuperTramp rocks though.

The Green Dragon is a real gem: it's right next door to Labor Ready. One place gives the homeless and downtrodden temporary work and a meager paycheck, the other takes their paycheck and gives them DUIs and arrest records. The cycle of life is beautiful.

That's an interesting test, it's cool that you actually tried it. I'm still in favor of sitting though. This discussion has been pretty good.

As stated by Mr. W: "So I'm hiking through a waterfall yesterday thinking. You know, everyone from this website that I climb with invariably asks me if I know Trask." To me this is so sad. When I go climbing or hiking or anywhere for that matter I try not to think about this website at all. Doing something is far better than this, especially outside. What was the waterfall like Greg? Or was your mind so clouded by thoughts of Trask and the cyber outdoor world that you didn't notice much?