chris

We skied the South Face. The North and Northeast Couloirs looked sweet, but we decided against skiing them since it would mean having to climb up and over Oval again to reach Courtney. That last 600' on the East Ridge of Oval was a bitch. 50cm of snow over talus, so we kept punching through. The first 1300 took a little over an hour to climb, the last 600' took 1.5 hours. Ouch. We didn't see a soul out there, and there weren't any tracks but our own on the trail on Sunday. It was definitely worth it, and I've added to my list of places to get back to this year.

What are these fatalities attributed to? Training? The Serbian conflict? The swim test in boot camp? No source was given for these statistics. And meanwhile, the 3,133 fatalities mentioned above occurred only in Iraq. I think its safe to assume the total is higher when statistics from Afghanistan and training exercises are added.

I leave for a weekend ski trip, and I haven't been able to access the avie forecast since. Can anyone tell me what's happening?

I kind of like the Golden Pitons - its an attempt to recognize significant accomplishments in the sport without the b#llsh!t that has come to the Gold Piolet. Climbing admitted the first year that the awards were completely subjective, to be taken with a grain of salt, and their mentioning of "Honorable Mentions" shows it. Perhaps they should give out three awards for each category, and eliminate the Honorable Mentions. Either way, I think of the awards as a "Highlights of the Year" and appreciated the intent in recognizing achievement.

Thank you Blake for inviting me along a great trip - I had no idea walls like these existed east of Washington Pass. Incredibly potential for first descents and first ascents. Some fun statistics: Friday, 10.5 miles traveled, 4500' gained Saturday, 4.6 miles traveled, 3000' gained, 2900' skied Sunday, 13.3 miles traveled, 440' gained, 5040' skied Total, 28.4 miles traveled, 7940' gained/skied

FF- I've been wishing for a Vireo-style bag big enough for two people. As someone mentioned above, I sleep in my clothes on winter/alpine routes, and I factor that in to my sleep system needs. So I'd ask for no zippers, snaps, hoods, or collars. If you're planning on building it with down only on the top, then I'd also ask for a sleeve on the floor to hold a foam pad - and while you're at it, sell it with a foam pad already pre-cut to fit the sleeve. Thanks

Its nnniiiccceee is what it is!

Last year, one of our cars was broken into and some clothes stolen while we were trail running near Sedro-Wooley in Skagit County. The Sheriff responded in about 30 minutes. From conversations I've had with Bellingham Police, crimes that have physical victims, or potential physical victims (domestic disturbance, assault, DUI, etc.) have a priority over property crimes.

Usually the snowpack has melted down so far in September to make ice axes useless. You can always check with Sierra Mountain Center, Sierra Mountain Guides, or Mammoth Mountaineering for conditions. Mac is right, most of the accidents occur because people traverse in early summer conditions and try to avoid the 4th-class step by traversing farther west to lower angled slopes. This is an alternate easier route, but the exposure and consequences of an non-arrested fall will kill you. The crux is the the first 15 meters of the final gully to the summit. This gully consists of about 100m of 3rd and 4th class climbing. The left side of the gully is easier climbing, but the right side is less exposed, making the downclimb a lot more secure. Both start and finish at the same points.

I think it tends to be more of a late season route because of access - the road is closed at Colonial.

This is a laudable goal, but Skagit Transit goes no-where near Mt. Erie. Island County Transit's Route 4 passes Mt. Erie on Hwy 20, but does not (and can not) stop at Campbell Road, which is still miles away from Erie. The drive is completely worth it!!

Kevbone, are being intentionally or willfully ignorant of the facts? You can get HPV from non-intercourse contact. From something as simple as open-mouth kissing. In fact, if you have a wart, its probably a form of HPV (that's how it got its name after all). Get it? SEX ISN"T REQUIRED TO GET INFECTED WITH HPV!!!

Yep you can. In the photo posted above the ice pitches if formed would be directly below the white streak that is the second couloir. And there you have it!

Wait a tick. My memory may be completely fouled up, but you can't see the ice pitches connecting the first couloir to the second, can you?

Emphasized text by me. If I read this correctly, an altimeter, "electronic signaling device," contour map and compass shall be carried by the guide only if someone under 18 is a guest. So if all of the guests on a given day are over 18, I don't need to carry a thing!

Smegma (SMEG-ma) The secretion, consisting principally of desquamated epithelial cells, found chielfy around the external genitalia and especially under the foreskin of the male. from Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, by Tortora and Grabowski, pg 1056.

All vaccines are not a choice - polio, chicken pox, MMR, tetanus, and others are required by most public schools (including universities). Just wait until you try to enroll your child in school - you'll learn. Edit: Actually, I'll tell you because this means something to me. For Seattle Public Schools, Headstart Preschool and K-12, as of fall 2007. DPT, HIB, HEP B, Polio, MMR, and Varicella.

Kevbone, HPV is the most prevalent and easily transmitted STD in the world. Over a 130 different types have been identified - and only 30 of them are transmitted solely through intercourse (that means the other 100 types are transmitted by contact). Its believed that at least 75% of women will contract at least one type of HPV by adulthood (Baseman and Koutsky, 2005). The second most common form of cancer in women is cervical cancer. Greater than 90% of all cervical cancer cases have been linked to HPV infections. In 2006, cervical cancer was expected to have a 40% mortality rate. The cost of the vaccination - what, $180-360? - is definitely cheaper than the cost of monitoring an HPV infection for abnormal cervical cells in quarterly and bi-annual PAP smears, the cost of coloposcopy biopsies, the cost of a LEEP procedure, and all the follow up visits that attend this. Not to mention the cost of diagnosing and then treating cervical cancer. Not to mention the emotional costs of loosing a loved one.

I was talking to Erich this morning, and he asked me to share - Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports is having a close-out sale of all G3 skis and Naxo bindings in stock. 25% off retail!! I can't say enough good things about this shop. If you were thinking of picking up a pair of AT boards or bindings, you should give them a call!

OK, I'm finally getting ready to upgrade my tele-setup, though I'm conflicted about boots. I ski in an old pair of T2s, which have handled well for me BC and in-bounds. But I'm a brand addict, and considering Garmont is causing me to loose my objectivity. Can anyone give me their opinions to the pros vs cons of both models?

If it's not powder you should be CLIMBING not skiing. Bad snow is good practice for better skiing.

If you call Mammut USA with your inseam and waist and which pant(s) you're considering, they'll tell you precisely what size you need. They do seem to have more combinations than typical American manufacturers.

Harness. Dude, this is the last place I'll try to save weight on an alpine climb. Sitting in a skimpy harness on a hanging belay sucks. My personal favorite is the BD Blizzard: It provides enough support and the ice screw clips can be removed (or added to) depending on the route.

Some staples of my alpine system: A Vireo "half" bag from Feathered Friends. At 70 inches long, it doesn't really qualify as a half bag. And even though it's rated to 45 degrees, I've slept in it down to the mid-twenties, albeit with some clothing assistance. And since it packs into the XS compression bag and weighs only a pound, it has become my sleeping insulation of choice. Jetboil Stove. Until the MSR Reactor fits into one unit like the Jetboil, and is easily rigged to hang, this is my light and fast stove of choice. Minimal fuss. Ortovox Gemini Bivy Envelope. This 4-foot by 5-foot, not-seam-sealed sleeve is a great emergency shelter that can fit two people - so you only need one. Black Diamond Jackal pack. I use the Speed for day trips or "cold" overnights (no stoves, no sleeping systems), but the slightly larger Jackal lets me pack everything I need - and nothing more - on trips of one or two nights. In fact, during the hike in and out it's over-filled. But once on route it fits comfortably and climbs great, and can be used for rock and ice. I also found Grivel and Millet packs to be too short in the back, so the comment about BD packs being longer seems to be true.

I had been hoping to check out the North Face, but we didn't get a good enough angle to look back. We didn't traverse to the NW side of Table, so I never saw Death Picnic. From a distance, the North Face looks like its it great condition. So did Pan Falls, so I'm assuming that everything NW-N-NE is in good shape at that elevation. What we did see on the East and South sides of Table were pathetic melted remnants.