Phil K

Can a person not love their country and still wish to see it fundamentally transformed? I'd say that I fall into that category myself. 'Murica is a great place, with vast potential, but over the past 30+ years it's been regressing to a land of haves and have-nots, where huge concentrations of wealth have the game rigged in their favor by pitting the the little people against one another along racial and social divides and rendering them so dumb, skeered, and angry that they'll vote people like Senator Snowball into office where he can do the Koch's bidding and help screw the bejesus out of them. Bring on fundamental transformation! BTW, the world, and our Dog-Blessed corner of it is in the process of fundamental transformation whether we like it or not. Who's gonna call the shots?

How about this? http://arcg.is/1D22v7W

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/platinum-coin-option_n_4351706.html?1386084682 THAT lefty rag?

Source? WIki cites various people who proposed the idea, but Our Beloved Tyrant was not among them. Curiously the concept has arguable legitimacy under a statute passed by a Republican congress in 1996 over Democratic opposition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillion_dollar_coin

Fixed.

Much as it pains me, I'm going to agree with FW to a degree. Obama has disappointed me in many ways, though mostly not for the same things that get FW foaming at the mouth. I would be fine if he were held to account for Drone activities, but they would also have to haul Bush, Cheny, Rummie, John Yoo, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen and their 81 million taxpayer dollars, and the whole clown car of psychopaths who came up with this crap in the first place off to the Hague for trial. Ben B: you must not have gotten the memo; it doesn't work, isn't necessary, and is counter to US and international law. I can remember watching W's speech right after 9/11 with dread, knowing that we were headed for a poorly thought out, belligerent over reaction that was going to destabilize the region and sow the seeds for a bumper crop of new terrorists. Fine freaking mess we have now, eh? Thanks boys, for doing what needs to be done. Not.

Interested in OR pants. Paging Mr. dubxion! Check your inbox

Here is a pic of some wreckage up near the head of the creek that flows from Gold Lake into Lake Dorothy. Are you familiar with the wreck up by the hairpin on Highway 20 (Washington Pass)?

My one, and only TR. Sorry if I seem like cranky ol'man; I just hate to see these kids and their GPSs and their fancy cell phones crowding the backcountry and acting like their some kind of reality TV stars.

Things are well melted out. GPS coordinates? We don't need no stinking GPS coordinates. Leave that BS at home.

Der R-wand is gefallen. Cool trip, eh?

Maybe that's why I usually ended up going for the salad bar.

I'm sorry to hear that. My comments were not directed at him, or anyone else in particular. I do find that there is often a plethora of unnecessary cairns in off trail areas, usually where it should be perfectly obvious or easy enough to figure out the way on one's own. No disrespect to John, super cool TR.

Who here remembers Mountain Song that used to be where the Buffalo Run is now? I still miss the salad bar and hippie vibes.

And while you're at it, stop building those stupid little cairns where they're not needed.

Trip: Robinson Mt. SE Ridge - SE Ridge scramble Date: 7/4/2014 Trip Report: Not much to chestbeat about here, but I thought an update might provide some useful beta regarding timing and what (not) to bring. With questionable looking weather, and wanting to maximize the scenic rewards with maybe a bit of interesting scrambling, my wife and I climbed Robinson Mountain in the Pasayten over the Fourth o' July. It's a worthwhile and enjoyable trip, can be done as a longish one day, overnight, or (in our case) a very leisurely three day venture. Great views of the N Cascades and Pasayten Wilderness areas. Regarding timing; we seemed to hit it just right. Snowpack this year has seemed fairly heavy for early summer, adjust accordingly. The wildflowers on the approach were just about prefect. Steep meadow above Beauty Creek, SIlverstar in background. There was enough snow in the basin to avoid a long scree slog, but camping sites were melted out below the tarn. Looking south over approach via Beauty and Robinson Creeks. Upper ridge walking and gawking. Fine Whitepine crumholz. False and main summits. Based on the 2007 TR, and taking into consideration that we're old and out of practice we hauled a 30m rope up there. Don't Bother! Also, disregard the suggestion to avoid the lower section of ridge by scrambling the loose slabby gully to climber's left; the directissima is fun, solid and so much more aesthetic. Gear Notes: Competent parties should not need rope, bring whiskey instead. Approach Notes: Very reasonable as per Red Fred.

USFS info: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/mbs/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5150497&width=full

Well done, as always. Did you drop far down into the basin below the 7FJ/Fernow col as described in CAG (the Gloomy Glacier route), or were you traverse the basin without loosing too much elevation? We did the latter when making the same trip a few years back and it was quite reasonable, though snow dependent. Another good argument for doing this trip a bit early in the season.

Something by David Roberts? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Roberts_(climber)

Roadside camping is the perfect place for a Wallmart Pup Tent. Maybe a Sears Roebuck sleeping bag too, come to think of it.

Is that a Boletus edulis?

Well then. There are some fine link-ups to be done there.

William Clark, MD. Practices out of Highline Medical Center in fabulous Burien, WA. I saw him last summer to have my shoulder assessed after a BMW cut me off whilst riding downhill at 20+ mph on my road bike. Ouch. Anyway, there I am sitting in the consult room, and danged if there isn't a large framed B&W print looking down the E Ridge of Forbidden right around the gendarme pitch. Conversation ensued, and yes, he is, or at least was a climber. Nice enough guy too, and a hand specialist. Check him out.

Sintered polyethylene is pretty inert stuff. OK, try it on the rock skis first.

Skiers should be interested too. People spend big bucks on fluorocarbon waxes because of their high water repellant qualities. It would be interesting and worth a try for $19.95.