Bill_Simpkins

If you want to avoid the crowds take the Clear Creek Route. The route is non-technical and can be done in a day pretty easily. Just crampons and ice axe are needed. I did it in June and there was a lot of good glissading on the way down.

So where is that 2nd pic from? Enchantments? Clarke area? give it up! (pleeeeeeeeeaaaaassssssseeeeeee!)

Squamish

Awesome! BTW, there is a nice trail going up into the basin. The South Twin is a really nice climb. It gets probably about 1/60 of the traffic of the North Twin. Entering the ridge from the basin like you did is the way to go. I did the complete W. Ridge once and it was just a lot of schwackin. Sounds like a fun bivy!

It was warm enough to climb in short sleeves, but a jacket was nice for sitting around.

Went to Sqaumish today in the wet weather. Recieved salvation at nightmare rock. However the rock was a little damp and slick and was seeping pretty good. To make things interesting, my ass got stuck in this crack thingy at the start of the 5.9. The slick rock combined with the shear size of my ass was almost an epic situation. I had to stand on Bogen's head to move up. Thanks for the rescue! I reigned victorious and was able to escape the ass-jam. After doing a couple other pitches at Nightmare, we hiked up to the Raven's Castle a top the Chief, where we saw......ravens, wet rock and lots of thick fog. I climbed that hand/fist crack then right near the top.......I got my foot stuck in the crack (not this again!). This was not your ordinary stuck foot. This thing was stuck!!! I seriously got a little worried! But shear willpower took over and with everything I had in me was able to free my foot ( thanks to the big jug and awesome fist jam ). This was not my day! What did make my day was a burger from Mountain woMan. Then some

Sorry Wirlwind, I can't on Sunday. Plus I'm kind of sick of slimy wet granite from today.

Went to Sqaumish. Nightmare Rock then Raven Castle. Good times. Will post a few pics in Rock climbing forum.

I have to go run a couple errands. I should be back online before 7:30.

That means I would have to fix the flat on my mountain bike? hmmmm maybe...... If you drive up here, I'll take us to Sqaumish. Twin Sisters Range, Skookum Peak? What else is there?.....Hike up Mt. Baring. Never done that. What's up Glacier Basin?

"Let me out of this little box! I'm just a little red x!"

It's too bad that people are greedy. Greedy for their religion, greedy for space. Greed for any cause just leads to bad things. Some religions in the Middle East have a lot of this kind of greed. They don't see it as greed because it is disguised by religion. The passing of this leader is a good opportunity for one of them to give it up. That probably won't happen. There is a lot of this same kind of greed growing here in the States.

I am pretty open. Here are my constraints: I am open from today after work and I must be home by noon on Sunday. Climbing, hiking or whatever.

The South solves all of their problems with guns and Jesus.

To keep the gear sling from swinging, you can tie some cord on each side of the sling and run this under the opposite arm. You can use sliding knots for fast adjusting. You can also rack gear on this cord if you want. You don't even have to put it under the other arm if your partner prefers not to, it doesn't really get in the way if your not using it.

Granite Gear Virga. I love mine. Or get a Vapor Trail if you want a frame.

Does anyone have the time to chart out state IQ vs percentage of people that attend church or have religious beliefs? It would be most intersting to see % of people for each religion by state vs IQ. Just curious. I don't nessecarily believe people vote for Bush because they are dumb, but maybe because of their religion. I know many churches urged members to vote for bush this election. There is also a simular correlation between obesity rates and election results. I work in health insurnace, and the cickest people in the US live in the states that voted for Bush. That is a fact. As far as attending college, it has turned this year. More college grads voted for Bush. More people that make over $50,000 a year voted for Bush. Most non-caucasion's voted for Kerry.

West Ridge, North Twin and South Twin Sahale, Whitehorse, Pilchuck, Goat Mt. off Hannegan Pass

Two ways: 1. The more we preserve land around what we use, the more the preserved land we use will be preserved. Dig? This is a long-term accumulative effect, not a short-term direct effect. 2. If we go in and tell them they have no right to enjoy the land the way they do, then they may do the same to us. All I'm saying is to be careful with the battles you pick. Picking this one will only eventually contribute something to more restricted access for climbers on the mountain. These developers have a lot more money and power than the climbers do. If we raise a stink about them it would be pretty easy for them raise an even bigger stink about us. I for one would not like a resort there, but I think it hurts us more to raise a fuss about it on this one. Raising a fuss about everything like this is just stupid. You have to weigh the possible consequences with the payoffs. I think it would be more effective just to make sure the traffic situation is taken care of and maybe see if some money can be obtained to lower climbing fees from money coming in from the development. Suggest telescopes get added where tourists could see climbers on the mountain which would further add to the appeal and further add support for climbers on the mountain. As the population of the area grows more and more development WILL occur no matter what you do. They WILL eventually win. And eventually probably more resorts will go up all over the Cascades. If you want to solve the problem tackle population growth. If that isn't taken care of you will lose anyways. More people will develop in the mountains, more people will want to go camping and climbing, more people will have to shop, roads will have to get wider. They have to go somewhere. In cases like this we are wasting our energy trying to stop this developement. It WILL happen anyways someday unless the source of the problem is solved. Analogy: ( It's like the ground covered is gas and someones throwing more and more lit matches in the air as time goes by. You can keep trying to catch the matches before they hit the ground, or you can take out the source. If the source isn't rid of right away the ground will eventually catch on fire. )

Bellingham, British Columbia Seattle, British Columbia Yeah! that totally works!

Darth Cheney and Emperor Bush will split the profits after they have defeated the rebellion.

Most women will take advantage of any weakness they find. I guess men are the same way. Females tend to be more friendly and down to earth in the southern states. In the NW many play the superiority game and make men beg for attention. It's pretty much our fault though. We let them do it because most males in the PNW are wimps and will put up with anything.

genocide goes on in other countries and we don't do anything about it because they have no oil.

I think we need a good fucking over to wake us up. I personally have not felt the effects of GWB except for increased border security and less taxes, i.e. if I turned off the TV and just analyzed direct effects on myself. I think when some more if his policies start hitting home (the war already has hit many at home), and republicans start personally feeling the negative effects of our presisdent (if it happens), then change may start to happen in our mindset. Most people believe in their chosen leader for the same reasons they believe in their religion. Almost pure emotions, no logic. It will take a lot to break through that barrier in many people. Look at what it took in Eastern Europe! In Poland people got thrown into jail just for talking smack about their government. Things got really bad up through the 1980's in some countries. But change came. It took time, but it came. I doubt it will ever get that bad here. We are lucky in some sense, but it also helps us to take our freedom for granted.