Ursa_Eagle

I'm definately going to have to look into that. I used my Salamon Super Mountain 9's this past weekend for Forbidden, and although I was happy to be wearing them on the snow and for the stream crossings, my feet were a little more than pissed off when I got back to the car (my toes actually still feel a little weird.) Approaches in full shank boots are suck.

yet another post from someone who didn't read the "any girls out there" comment... I've used the Trangos (Captain Hooks) on water ice in NY, and I really like them. I've done some mixed climbing on them, and they performed well. I've heard rumors about picks breaking, but we were only doing top-roping, so it didn't really concern us. I've also used some Simond Piranhas, and I found them to be light (which I liked). For what it's worth, I've used some Cobras and Quarks just tooling around at the bottom of a climb and the Cobras had the best swing I've felt. I didn't care for the Quarks too much. Unfortunately, this was all a few years ago, so I can't vouch for the size of the handles. I don't have small hands, but I was using huge mittens and didn't have any problem with the grips.

would it make your life easier if I had the common courtesy to do something like rupture my spleen somewhere below crater rock?

I specifically remember a lecture one of my profs gave us senior year in college where he explained the difference between a job and a career. I always thought I wanted a career. Now that I've been out of school for 2 years, and working for 1.5, I've got to admit, a job ain't so bad. When I leave work, anything related to work stays in the building. 40 hours (or less) and I'm gone. Leaves a lot more time for climbing than if you're putting in 60-70 hour weeks. It's just not worth it, Erik's exactly right, life's too short.

I've only heard stories about people falling off the route, I haven't gotten around to doing it (climbing the route) yet. When I do, I'll prolly use a running belay unless the snow conditions are really good. Something about the fact that they know exactly where to go look for your body on the Eliot Glacier doesn't sit right with me. Congrats on your climb and congrats to Dryad!

I forget who and on what mountian, but some guy (not Messner) aborted his solo attempt on an 8,000 m peak when he realized he was having conversations with a 2000 year old woman. It was prolly smart to turn around at that point.

here's a second recommendation for Church Bowl Lieback. Excellant climb!

I was in a group of three up there on Saturday. Were you the group of two that passed us at the top of the snow in the couloir, then rapped past us about 2/3 of the way up the ridge?

one used at the Powells on Hawthorne for $22.95 Rock Climbing Southwest Oregon

TLG, do you have the Supertopo guides? We used "Yosemite Valley Free Climbs" for our trip a month ago. Well worth however much my partner paid for it. Great beta, good routes, and well laid out.

damn you Iain! I'd forgotten about that! Now I have that song stuck in my head!

and what's up with the indian/star/arrow thing? am I too young?

it's a self portrait of course!

blank CD's too?!?!?! even if I'm backing up my email onto them?!

if you buy CD's at concerts, my understanding is that the artist gets more of the money that way.

"I live in a giant bucket!" "you're watching the family learning channel, and now, angry ticks fire out of my nipples!" wow, I had to watch that again, the whole thing is too damned funny!

iaxx, where's your ??

I'll agree with CBS. While I enjoy climbing (and that's where I'll be spending most of my free time this summer), hiking certainly has it's place. If you don't like hiking, then you must not like a significant portion of climbing, considering how much of an approach a lot of climbs have. If you enjoy hiking, then you'll enjoy the whole experience, not just the a short section in the middle. A hike for the sake of hiking, whether it's just doing Angels Rest or the Timberline Trail in a day, is certainly something worth doing. (For the record, the best day of my life was a hiking day...)

oops, wrong vote... Maybe I should read the options more carefully next time.

a few mountains in the North Cascades about as close to Canadia as you can get without actually being there...

I just remember that 50 liters is about 3000 cubic inches, and extrapolate from there. That gives me a rough estimate.

mmmm... 8000 meter peaks....

mmmm... caving... too bad cave dog has nothing to do with caving

Why don't the record companies actually give the music (or at least some of the profits) back to the bands who really need it? I buy CD's at shows and from smaller labels, where a more substantial part of the profits actually go to the artist themselves.