Bill_Simpkins

I stayed in the mountain huts in New Zealand and the ground around them was virtually untouched. The land surrounding the huts was much more pristine and untouched than the land around campsites (even remote ones) in the Cascades. People in Cascade camps tend to wander around, beat down the brush, crap behind a tree etc...With the huts, most stay in the hut or on the porch etc... Additionally, we already have fire lookouts all over the place. What's the difference between those and huts as far as the Wilderness Act is concerned? I like sleeping on a bivy sack on a rock as much as the next guy, but having huts in key locations WOULD keep the environmental impact of hikers and climbers to a minimum. They help keep the food inside, keep the crap in the can and keep the tramping on the trails. The environment in the following places would beneift greatly with huts: Baker(Coleman/Deming) Sahale Hanaggen Pass (that campground is tramped to hell) Snow Lake Various spots on Ross Lake every 10-15 miles Glacier Peak Wonderland Trail every 10-15 miles Yellow Aster Butte tent area (trampled to hell) Ptarmigan Ridge(Baker, end of 3rd ridge) Denny Lakes Mt. Olympus Pine and Cedar Lakes (Chuckanut) Many others.

Polish Bob has not climbed Makalu, and he is in his 40's. For the record.

Many employers have group plans. Basically a buy in bulk method with no underwriting.

And how many DWI's do the Presid ent and Vice-President have between them Peter? What's funny is Ted Kennedy shot someone in a hunting accident years back.

I havn't seen one. I have health insurance. Can you show me a policy where this is the case?

If any of you don't know me, I am a Financial Analyst for an National insurance company. I can tell you that we are not that concerned about accidents and such. Broken bones and rare accidents don't even show up on our radars. We are mainly concerned with chronic diseases and chronic conditions, ones that bring in large bills every month, year after year. Those are the main things that are effecting health insurance decisions (obesity, cancer, diabetes, liver failure). I tell you we would rather have someone out climbing than sitting on the couch. The reason there are separate plans for smokers is because we need them to pay a higher premium just to pretty much break even. The alternate is to raise the rates for people who don't smoke, then you lose customers. Remember that all types of people work at insurance companies, even climbers.

I'm in New Zealand right now. It's summer down here and I love it.

Alpine Climbing Snowfield on Mt. Sefrit

The gully with the steep walls on the approach is the way to go. Don't go on the icy death slabs on the right of the gully, it's a nightmare. Did that last March. Trip Report

Just letting you all know I'm still alive.

Good job, both of you!

That's a really cool picture! Puts N. Ridge of Stuart to shame.

I think if the put concrete on the spots by the tracks in Belingham , it would actually improve the climbing a bit.

I've been doodling around in that range for the last 5 years. I've always looked over at that area and thought of how rugged and virgin it looked. I would daydream of hopping along that range. I would have never imagined that someone would schwack over there and check it out when they could be up in Squamish or on Stuart instead. I appluad you both greatly for doing this. Hopefully, this will remind a few of us that doing the unconventional can have great rewards. Bravo!

I want to ad, If you are going anywhere, I could use a ride. I can climb by myself whereever you are going.

Someone ran a stopsign and totalled my truck. I'm looking to climb this weekend but don't have wheels. I live in Bellingham, I'm not a big grade pusher ...yet. Climbing, hiking whatever. PM me.

It's hard to get a horse to consent because they always say "nay".

I've had a couple of foot problems, this being one of them. It went away when I overhauled my diet. Medications, over the counter drugs, shoes, how you walk, how you tie your shoes, maybe you have hammer toe from rock shoes or something, maybe you are overweight, foods you eat, not letting it heal. Lot's of posibilities before calling it arthitis. Did you ask your family doc about it? Most of them are clueless about these things. PM me, I can put you in touch with someone that can help you or tell you where to go if he can't.

I like them and use them is some footwear, but have a few complaints: 1. The material used generates more friction than most stock soles and my foot's pad and toes feel heat from the friction more than normal. 2. When used in mountaineering boots it reduces the amount of countrol and precision on steep terrain. It makes front pointing slightly harder. The thinner stock soles usually give more control, but less comfort. However, my feet are also colder with stock insoles. 3. The elevated height makes it easier to roll your ankle and I tend to do so more with the superfeet. 4. The elevated height tends to put the heel in a spot not designed for the boot and blisters can form more easily. Just my experiences.

Banana Peel is really fun when the wind is blowing like hell.

I highly reccomend High Mountain Woody on the Upper Malamute (sometime crowded). There are some other cracks, 5.9-10a/b on the same wall. They are pretty easy for the grade with one or two small well protected cruxes and the rest is pretty easy climbing. I like Dru's list above. Pretty much sums it up.

"Generally, the high-sensation-seeking types fall into four broad categorizations. Some fill more than one: thrill and adventure seeking; experience seeking (non-conformity or impulsiveness, for example); disinhibition seeking (such as multiple sex partners, drugs or drinking); and boredom susceptibility."

That is why I like to have the rope not taught when going uphill. I like that extra second to hear someone yell "falling" before I get yanked at the same time they yell "falling". See thread here: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/s...true#Post332174 This is why the accident happened. Is because there was slack in the rope and the client built up speed. The conditions were really icy and the guide was putting in pro, when the client walked closer to him(to talk or something), putting slack in the rope and then fell, pulled another and then the guide. Apparently, there is still a long visible gouge in the snow where the guide tried to arrest the fall. So you are saying the client was moving toward the guide? The guide saw the client moving toward him? If this is the case, and the guide saw the client moving him, then it would not matter if there was slack or no slack. The guide would be ripped off. If the guide is leading a taught line and the client falls and the clients yells "falling", guess what? The guide is immediately ripped out of his position. If the guide has a short amount of slack and client falls and the client yells "falling", guess what? The guide has a very short window to get into self arrest. I guess your choice is to be immediately ripped out of position rather than have the opportunity for a short window. I do not take the same opinion on flat ground, or going downhill where the guide is in the rear position. They were descending and the guide was on the uphill side.

I've stopped slides with slack and without, let me tell you, slack sucks! It is MANY times harder to stop a fall when the momentum has built up. It's all about momentum. Momentum=mass times velocity. The mass is constant, but the velocity changes depending on the angle of the slope, but very fast. The more monetum that builds up, the more force it takes to stop the fall. SIMPLE. However, if you are using a VERY long chunk of dynamic rope, the rope stretch could help you a bit. Why do you think when guides are tested on their arresting skills they allow the guini pig to build up speed with slack in the rope? Because it's WAY harder to stop it!

I charge my camera about once a month. If it's important to you, just bring a cheap film camera and a couple rolls.