Dane

Early that morning on Coeur D'Alene Lake it was beatiful. Nice breeze and perfect for sailing the Hobie Cat. Weather can come up fast on the lake and the little boats really zip with one person on them. But hard to right by yourself if you header in a good blow. When the huge "thunder head" came rolling in from the west I hung out as long as I dared wanting to catch the wind before the storm...but strangley those winds never seem to get started so I headed in before the bulk of the incoming storm hit the lake. By the time I had stored the boat the ash was falling. By the time we started the hour drive back to Cd'A we knew what had happened at St. Helens and now required head lights to drive. It was pitch black by the time I got home. I always wondered what it did to the engine in my VW bus but I sold it a few months later and bought a new Toyota at a discount that had it's glass scored by ash. Didn't seemed to have hurt the Toyota. The next week got very weird in C'dA. It was a small quite town then. The stores that were open ran out of fresh food, with a good dint in the canned goods by weeek's end. Gas was in short supply in just a couple of days. The super fine ash covered everything. People wore sugical masks while they were out, but few ventured out. Roads were still choked with ash. Interesting look at how the populace handles a disaster. Weird and a little scary was my lasting impression. People became very insular and sullen during that first week. Glad it got better and not worse. A week later the sky dawned clear and bright, the clean up was well under way and the entire event seemed like a small inconvience. People were laughing again..which they hadn't been. I went back to work on two projects and sent them a couple of days later. The enfored rest had done me some good Two buddies watched it from the summit ridge of Stuart that morning after doing Ice Cliff. They were impressed. And had a scary trip trying to drive back to Spokane that night.

Thinking Iraq and Afganistan or even Bush/Cheney's past policies are the reason the USA is hated is a myoptic and naive version of the world. News flash...those that hate the USA, hate all of us, have for longer than you have been alive and will continue long after you are dead. They don't ask your political party while they are sawing off your head these days or a hundred years ago. But since you obviously are unable to get the point..the point is both parties and their respective leaders make bad decisions over time and people die because of it. A very few of those that do die may actually deserve it.

I vote who I think will be the best leader at the time and of the options available. Nixon- McGovern Carter- Ford Carter- Regan Reagan- Mondale Bush- Mondale Bush- Dukakis Clinton- Bush? Clinton- Dole? Bush- Gore? Bush or Kerry? McCain or Obama? Not a lot of choice imo and none with the biting intellect of Tvash or Palin thankfully. Carter is a good example of a honest and well respected man. As a President, sadly, he goes down in history as one of the worst. If you don't recongnise that the last 10 years have been a little trying on heads of state you're an idiot. Be a whole lot of you on the other 1/2 dead without a few draconia laws put in place and actions taken. Which is why we elect new Presidents and challenge draconia laws at the Supreme Court. But hey sheep are suppose to be stupid. Which is why there are sheep dogs to protect them. Best way to not get a "wanted dead or alive" poster printed with your face on it? Don't hang out with people who routinely kill other people. Some times in real life it is hard to separate the sheep from the sheep dogs or the sheep dogs from the wolves. Always people willing to kill and died for a cause on both sides. We all should be thankful that in our country the pendulum will swing both ways but it never gets far on either side for long.

Obviously you're no student of history. Which is why you missed the salient points most get in 8th grade history class. Your political dribble is that of an uneducated child. Try every President and Congress between 1776 and 1900, then Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, Nixon and Ford. Lincoln and Bush were light weights by comparison. Bush just seems oppressive because his political life and your dim and short term awareness of US politics happen to coincide. For a little light reading try a google search on: Indian Wars Time Table German American internment Italian American internment Japanese American internment The U.S.-Mexican War Manifest Destiny

Thankfully I was able to help vote Bush in and just as thankfully I helped vote him out. There are very few Constitutional scholars that can agree on the documents meaning in details so I would ease off the "trampled" statement. You may not like how "they" define its meaning, but that has been the way it has worked for 200 years.

If you are innocent what would be wrong with turning yourself in? Not the best climate to pull that off but better than a hell fire missile lighting your ass up without notice. Anwar al-Awlaki's is an American citizen and he could turn himself in at any American Embassy. They aren't going to shoot him on sight in that situation. If Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan, had killed several 1000 in Times Square a couple of weeks ago I doubt anyone would be crying about Anwar al-Awlaki's civil rights today. "Anwar al-Awlaki's has been the focus of intense scrutiny since he was linked through e-mails with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., in November 2009 and then to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Dec. 25. He also had ties to two of the 9/11 hijackers although the nature of association remains unclear. In May 2010, Mr. Awlaki was mentioned by Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American man accused of trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square. Mr. Shahzad said he was inspired by the violent rhetoric of Mr. Awlaki, an American official said." Doesn't sound like there is any secret as to why the US wants Anwar al-Awlaki's dead.

You forgot the important part of the oath imo..as it relates to this conversation... "I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." If you are directly involved in trying to blow up Times Square you ARE not being targeted for what you say, but for what you do.

I've done all three aproaches and it really depends on the time of the year and what you are looking for on the trip. White river (4300') has some up and down getting over St Elmo. Fun traverse and an easy car issue. Carbon is the lowest start on the mtn iirc. 2000' at the start? It is long. You'll still have some car issue one way or the other depending on the descent. Gate to Mowich lake, if it is closed, is @ 3500' I think and the shortest walk even then. Makes a great traverse of the mtn down through Paradise. Hit Knapsack pass on the way up. The worse car hassles. Any way you do it the climb is great and worth the walk.

Mowich

Any shoe that deforms your foot in use, if used long term cause abonormalities in your feet. Rock shoes (shoes in general) as a whole are a big design flaw for your feet Finding a shoe that now fits your old, less elastic, deformed feet doesn't make it a shoe that will keep you going another 20 years!

The sweater weight jacket. Done right it is an interesting theory and use of materials.

What kind of cool-aid are you drinking. Public property and public EMPLOYEES paid for by our taxes. Which btw is why WA state has some the most expensive gasoline in the nation. If you need to blow things up for the greater good...producing easy to see signage and a reasonable notification system is appropriate.

Ace is more comparable to the Kauk in flex than the Ballet fwiw. Ballet is pretty stiff when compared to the Kauk. I have to disagree Bill. Some of the best shoes from the '90s were/are still great shoes. Ace, early and later Ballets, Syncros, Kauks are not going to hold anyone back as an all around shoe. All of them seemed to me to have some distinct advantages over any of the slipper style shoes then or now. But obviously not to everyone's taste these days. And as this thread shows, lots of good shoes being made now as well. And like any shoe, the real issue is always fit.

Seems they are not effective enough and a sign at the pass would be in order and while they are at it a siren wouldn't hurt to avoid what will eventually happen.

After using a half bag for a few years I always thought a lwt full length bag was more efficient heat and weight wise and made more sense as bivy gear.

http://www.wintercreekbandb.com/ We've stayed here. Climber friendly and very close to the access and trail head if you have a car. Tell Bill "hi"

I have done both climbing (30+ hr events) and in races, up to dbl centuries on the bike and IM length tris (all stuff under 16/18 hrs). Talk to the other guys that have and you'll find everyone is different. No way I can do one every 30 minutes no matter the level of effort I am at. One an hr works for me depending on pace or 1 maybe 2 every 1.5 hrs. typically climbing keeps me happy. Twight is/was an alien fitness wise. I can't go at a pace (even in a race) to require 1 Gu an hr. I have no doubt Twight still can even in the mtns and I out weight Mark by 30# easy. I agree, most don't eat soon enough or often enough which will cause extreme swings in the blood sugar level. Good nutrtion just helps us poorly trained noobs do better Much of Mark's writings on nutrition will be well suplimented by the endurance training info published by Joe Freil and his co authors.

No arguement from me. Gu specifically is a poor choice as the only nutrition for a sustained effort. Other synthetics may not be depending on their specific menu blend of ingredients and how your body personally tolerates them. Gu and other SIMILAR synthetics are generally short term duration foods up to half distance Tris or say 5 or 6 hrs. But not all synthetics are just simple sugars. Past that, iron distance events, dbl century or longer bike rides for example, normal foods, things like, boiled potatoes, bagels, fruit and sandwiches are generally the choices of those involved. Most will physically tolerate them better. The reason is the tempo is slower and endurance more important that the "faster" events of something that is less than 1/2 the time generally. Slower tempos allow you to digest "normal" foods. But everyone is different and the combination of the synthetic to real food involved gets more important as the time involved and/or tempo decreases or increases. Most will have found a combination that will work for you specifically by the time you get to the 5+ hr races, events or climbs. And most find that the biggest barrier to break while racing long events is keeping track of your nutrition without a pre packaged synthetic. How does this all relate to climbing? Sandwiches and boiled potatoes freeze generally if you are in the mountains but not always. So again you have to be careful on how you pick and choose. Gu and similar simple sugar based products DO "jack your blood sugar around". What you ingest with them them and how often is one key to using them to your advantage. But the synthetic type foods are also one of the few food items that doesn't freeze on a cold climb. Big advantage in the mtns when required. Think 60hrs on the Solvak for Twight, House and Backes. A real "race" tempo and cold weather. Perfect place for GU "like" nutrition. Go back to the basics and you'll realise that you have two to four hrs of glycogen storage while working at a hard pace. Either keep that tank full by slowing down or learn to refill it on the move. Once empty it is a bitch to refill. The longer your "event", the slower your required pace/tempo are and the less likely you are to empty the glycogen tank with even moderate knowledgeand attention to nutrition. It is all a matter of degree. Think of what it takes to do the N. Face of Chair C2C in a 16hr day and what it takes to do the same climb, same conditions in 4 hrs C2C. 8 days on the Slovak or 60 hrs there? Hydration and nutrition requirements are different, as are the clothing. Think your 5k pace compared to your marathon pace.

"I was thinking the same..., but this is a protein/carbs/fat mix as opposed to just amino acids and maltodextrin thats in Gu." When I wrote "they" have all sorts of variations, the protien /carbs/fats were the additional combos over the more well know Gu. So many of them (combos and brands) available now that at any given big race you'd be surprized by the many different vendors. What is useful all depends on what your gut can handle and in what combo if it will work for you. Pretty much anyone who does an endurance sport seriously under a clock uses one form or another.

Gu.......by a differnt name. Bike/Tri/endurance racers have all sorts of variations these days.

Arcteryx has a new one coming call the Atom "something"...basically a Atom LT without the side vents. Still sweater weight and packs really small into its own pocket like the Atom lt.

We were there but we didn't blow up nut'in no matter what he sez Would we be so proud as to show our faces for such a nafarious crime? Besides we live in Twist and have pleanty of stuff over here to blow up.

Vario? Everything I have with me stays on winter or summer. Always with at least a super thin foam pad. More the better. Here is another choice of for a lwt bag but Primaloft synthetic. http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=718&CFID=7378347&CFTOKEN=43005992

Too bad you are done. Grape Ape...easy 5.8 hand crack at Dishman, Spokane WA....30 year old 5.8 trad route....bolted/chopped and rebolted with twice the number of bolts. One every 6 feet last I looked. 6 in this 30' or less of rock with a perfect crack right beside them. Oh and Air Roof didn't "need" a set of fixed anchors. Gear worked just fine there for YEARs. Hate to actually have to climb the crack, clean it and then walk down.

http://huntingtonsouthface.blogspot.com/