dryad

I have the opportunity to take 6 months off work (Jan-June 2004) and am trying to figure out how to spend that time. The one constraint is that I don't want to spend too much money. I'm considering moving out to the Mazama area for a while and being a ski bum. Anybody got a room to rent out that way? Any other ideas?

Just as a general statement, the kind of war that boosts the economy is the kind like WWII where industrial production has to be increased substantially to crank out large amounts of supplies to replace the supplies that are destroyed in battle. In other words, the kind of war where LOTS OF PEOPLE DIE.

Only had a few hours on Sat so found some sun at Exit 38.

No, you have to be sponsored by an employee to get into it.

Can one of you please give me access to the Micronews online classifieds? I'll buy you a beer at the next pub club if you do.

The last thread where there was a discussion of whether you need separate skins for each set of skis got me wondering - just how many pairs of skis do you people have? I thought I was a gear whore with 3, but maybe not. I'm a XC skier working my way up to tele, so here are my 3: 1. long skinny XC skis, waxless base 2. shorter fatter bc touring skis, waxless base. These are super-cheap ex-REI rentals and are my "rock skis" for skiing on crap. 3. Teles (the only ones that require skins)

If you want free shipping on STP between now and Nov 10, use the code WB3H.

I heard a couple of different schools of thought regarding the best skin width for your skis, and I was wondering what y'all use. Many folks go for the wall-to-wall carpeting approach for maximum climbing power. Others, on the other hand, think the skins should only be as wide as the narrowest part of your skis for better glide. Some go as far as to cut a skin in half lengthwise so there is just a thin strip running down the middle of the ski. This last option seems a bit excessive to me, since if you're that concerned about increasing glide and if the terrain you're on is mellow enough that you can go up with just half-width skins, you'd be better off just using waxless backcountry skis. But the second option seems like a decent compromise. Also, considering my (rather meager) skill level, I figure that I really wouldn't want to try to go down any slope that requires wall-to-wall carpeting to go up.

I'm the same sweet wonderful self in real life as I am online.

It's a lot cleaner now than it was before

I have a special fondness for the passage in "Eiger Dreams" where the French dude in the bar in Chamonix calls Krakauer a pussy for not free-soloing or parachuting off the top of Aiguile-du-something-or-other. "But that is so BANAL!"

Did I mention that my Russian is at the level of a 6 year old?

A babnik is some kind of pastry or bagel type thing, right? It's been a while since I thought about these things.

Hey, I speak Russian (sort of). Hook me up! Damn Bellevue store didn't give me a discount.

There are a couple of Russian stores in Bellevue but selection is limited.

There are many different varieties, BTW. SOme are wafer-style (like Kit Kat), others have crunchies, others have different nuts, fruit, jelly type stuff, etc etc. *sigh* Man, now I miss home. And I'm hungry!

Russian chocolate is awesome! Whenever I visit my folks back east a mandatory stop is Brighton Beach, Brooklyn (Russian part of NYC). I come back with a suitcase full of the stuff and ration it out for as long as I can. Sometimes my kind wonderful parents even send me packages.

What else is new?

Is your bivy similar to this one?

There goes CBS using any excuse to resurrect his dead old thread.

I'm thinking of going on a backpacking trip this weekend to see the northern lights. Where should I go to maximize the odds of seeing something?

I think something a lot of folks would prefer to sweep under the rug is that that easiest, most trivial climb can kill you. I just recently took a whipper on a super-easy route, one that people solo with some regularity. I was running it out because the climbing was so easy, then just happened to step on a wet patch and next thing I know I'm hanging next to my belayer. I got off with only minor scrapes and bruises because of a bomber cam and my helmet that now has a big dent in it, but without that stuff I'd be toast. I'm sure many climbers have similar near-miss stories.

Here's a question for the legal experts... I just got a note calling me in for jury duty, and I would really rather not go. One of the requirements is "ability to communicate in the English language". Obviously this is aimed to keep out people who don't speak English, but would a speech impediment like a stutter also be enough to disqualify me?