Rad

New viral variants, including 'super viruses' come from naturally occurring mutations. There is a chance of a genetic error (mutation) every time a new copy of the virus is made. More people infected = more virus copy events = more chances of mutations = higher chance more dangerous viral variants will emerge. Fewer people infected = fewer virus copy events = lower chance of mutations = lower chance more dangerous viral variants will emerge. How do we have fewer people infected? Vaccines and masks and social distancing. Vaccines don't cause mutations, they train your immune system to recognize and fight the virus. I'm very sorry your white supremacist ex-potus linked politics to the pandemic. His harmful messaging caused hundreds of thousands more deaths than if he'd just listened to doctors and scientists and advocated masks from the beginning. Every living POTUS EXCEPT 45 got vaccinated live on TV and encouraged others to do so. 45 got vaccinated in secret in January.

To be clear, we are not banning you. Just hoping your tinfoil hat holds up until the rest of us reach herd immunity. and you can ride on the work of others.

Sharing Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation will cost people lives. An independent review board evaluated the data presented to the FDA on the Moderna vaccine and they recommended approving this vaccine. So far, there is no evidence of widespread harm caused by this vaccine and it is effective. I trust that more than any conspiracy video. Wear your tinfoil hat if you must, but don't use misinformation to encourage others to do so. Instead, try looking at footage of what happens when your tinfoil hat fails to protect people from covid. This is a documentary of an ICU nurse and a few patients she serves. Should be required viewing for anyone wondering if they should still wear their mask. Conspiracy theories are not conservative, by the way. They are just dangerous noise in the age of disinformation.

Pilot error. Fixed now. Hope you have a great trip!

Road conditions

I've certainly never been sponsored, so I don't speak from experience there. My thoughts are captured in this tidbit I put in a CC TR for Challenger "On the last day of our trip, we encountered novice hikers and experienced climbers below Hannegan Pass who all asked if we successfully made it to the Challenger summit. They offered congratulations when we told them we did. This felt weird because our summit day was technically, mentally, and physically less challenging than many other parts of our trip. The greatest rewards lay in overcoming the various challenges we encountered along the way, spending time with a close friend, and experiencing nature on its own terms."

If you didn't spray about your ass-scent on social media with a professionally edited drone video and product placements then you're not going to land sponsors. No sponsors = no money = no lovin'. Summits and fun are irrelevant to the equation.

Welcome to type 2 fun. We have plenty of it in the PNW. Way to persevere!

I had the impression that Dru, in all his various incarnations, accounted for at least half the posts on the site for a while there.

If you go at the right time of year (late July?) there's a good chance you'll find a tarn with a great reflection, even if it's not the one in the photo. Maybe you'll find an even better one!

I'd say your guess of Pinnacle area is a good one. There are multiple lakes just below the trail that have great reflections, and if you go to the end of the established trail and then head right (West) onto rolling open terrain you may find a reflection puddle that yielded the photo above. FWIW, that area will be buried in snow until at least July. @JasonG's suggestion WRT Gaia and a charged phone is a good one.

It's all out there if you want to read it. Better to go slay powder while we have it...

Similar themes in threads on FB: access issues ignored, developers ignored, copyright issues ignored, safety issues ignored...

Nice! Looks like you might get your wish, with sunshine to boot. https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Snoqualmie-Mountain/forecasts/1914

Thanks so much!!!

Thanks. I have a go-pro that I use for snorkeling and snowboarding, but I rarely use it for much else and don't think it'll come close any of the cameras in this thread for normal photos. This fish eye lens further drives it into a narrow niche. I don't need dust- or water-PROOF. Just rugged enough to not die if I hike/climb/schwack with it in my pocket. How do you plan to carry the RX100? Case or pocket?

I've been following this thread and appreciate the inputs. My mantra has always been that the best camera is the one in your hand when the right moment arrives. A fancy, large camera that gets left at home or basecamp isn't going to be of much use to me for climbing and outdoor activities. I want the best performance possible from something that will still fit in my pocket and is relatively rugged - I want it to be OK if dropped occasionally, resist dust and moisture well enough to not need to be coddled in its own case all the time, has decent battery life in cold/chilly conditions. I have had the Lumix100, but eventually dust got into the housing and caused problems w the lens motor. This was fixed by the mfr but problems returned. It's basically toast at this point, but I did get a number of good years out of it. Thoughts? Thx

My guess is a staged photo op on a guided heli-ski outing in the Selkirks. Three ski tracks in the background (guide + 2 clients), no up track. I agree w Gene's assessment of the two clients being short-roped in the foreground. Looks like they walked 100 feet to that pinnacle and came back again - tracks don't seem to go futher. Note the ski pole rather than iceax in the hand of the second person. Seems a little odd for a random ridge highpoint that's clearly lower than where the photo was taken. Soooo, my prediction is that the helicopter is on the summit where the photo was taken and these rich clients are about to ride down some tasty pow. It's a rough life.

Great shot of that Golden Eagle! Hopefully their numbers will increase.

Thanks so much for posting. Such an awesome adventure!

I liked a lot of things about the organization and supported them through purchases when I could. Hedge funds just want to strip costs, temporarily drive up value, and flip the asset for a profit, so hopefully the company will come out the other side and be re-born.

Saw that. Messed up. Hope they catch the person(s).

Wow, that's quite a comprehensive tome. Thanks for sharing your expertise. I feel I'm always learning and am happy to hear what works for other people. I had to laugh at the pic of Steve fording a river with his shoes around his neck and the caption: "Breathable trail runners allowed Steve’s shoes to dry quickly after this ford." Yeah, they dried fast because they never got wet in the first place!

Stuck at home today? Please take this WTA survey about the Mountain Loop. Your input will help shape the future of the trails network around Pilchuck, Vesper, and other hiking and climbing areas in this zone. We want climber voices to be heard. Thanks! Survey

Martens are much larger than squirrels. Maybe 20-24 inches in length, 10 inches at the shoulder. Sort of like a mini fox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_marten If you saw something that looked rather similar but was smaller than a typical gray squirrel it may have been a red squirrel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_red_squirrel