Rad

We were hiking up the Far Side trail this afternoon when we came upon a large black bear in the middle of the trail just a 100yds from the road. He stared. We stared. He darted down the slope toward the river. I'd never seen a bear on the I90 corridor before. I'm glad to know they're out there. I've seen plenty in the Olympics and around Stehekin but not many elsewhere. When do they generally come out of their dens? Where have you seen them? Have any of you seen a grizzly in WA? I've only seen those guys in AK and Banff/Jasper.

I was up there this afternoon and saw a good-sized black bear on the trail to the Far Side. He was very handsome. We stared at each other then he bounded downslope toward the river. No pics. This was the first time I've seen a bear on the I90 corridor. I'm glad to know they are out there. There was snow in the shadows. Gritscone looked very wet, but I don't see the appeal of that thing anyway. Interstate and Eastern block were pretty dry. We're working on a new crag in that area that has several multipitch lines and even some trad pitches (5.7ish to 5.10+). Send PM if interested in a tour sometime.

Porter for Matt for hosting the event. to the rest of you for coming.

Many crags at 32 and 38 have seepage issues that last after rains. So if it rains 3 days in a row and you go out on the first sunny day many crags may be dripping wet, but some will be dry. I won't try to suggest a list. The overhanging sections of WWI at 32 are reliably dry and reliably hard, or moderate if you are Mike Layton.

I met a bunch of Alaskans from Fairbanks when I moved here. One has become a close friend. Between the eternal night in winter and eternal sunshine in summer they definitely dance to the beat of a different drummer. They are all sincere and loyal, if a bit twisted in their own ways. Passive non-aggressive. All of them could go for weeks or months with no communication with you but when you see them again it's like you were never apart. And yes, they have balls. ........ Last weekend I was in Dallas for a wedding. It was a gorgeous spring day and I went for a run in the arboretum. I was the only person running in the arboretum, including small children, and I half expected the cops to chase me down to see if I had snatched someone's purse. The arboretum was a bit like a british garden: manmade features crammed with orderly rows of plants to leave no doubt that humans are all-important and nature must bow to us. I saw one couple with their expensive camera snapping pics of a squirrel eating trash. Look honey, wildlife! Spring was lovely, but it's hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter, interlaced with a sprawl of freeways and corporate office buildings, and flat in every direction. The "lake" was a brown mud pit with a bike trail around it. I saw lots of people biking, but the number of people who exercise regularly, as determined by muscle tone in spandex, was less than 5%, and these are the ones who actually got out on their bikes! Supersized people in a supersized state. No thank you. ........... My mom's family is from Kansas and Illinois. Them folks are white bread and smoke like you would not believe. I remember a wedding reception years ago with a man who'd had throat cancer. He was still addicted so he smoked through his stoma. Now that's an image to show your kids when they pick up a cigarette. ........... My only beef with PNW is that people feel the need to hold hands and talk about their feelings and sing Kumbaya before making a decision. If you do go and make a decision without taking those steps you risk being labeled "autocratic", which is like getting branded with the scarlet letter.

Take any pictures?

My son is 4 and we're ready to start rock climbing a bit this summer. I'm looking for shoes and a harness as a start. 1 - What worked/didn't work for you? 2 - Got any old gear to sell/swap? 3 - If yes to #2, are you going to the CC picnic tomorrow? Thanks, R

I'd add the E ridge direct to Forbidden. It's very casual with only a move or two of 5.8, and it is a stunning setting. Can be done in a day frmo the car, has pretty low objective dangers and no glacier travel reqd.

I think you mean Neat AND Cool.

Anyone got a child harness/chest harness for a 4yr old to bring to the swap? I might even swap for cash! R

If you and your family weren't born in the NW please feel free to go back to wherever the fuck it is you're actually from if you don't like it here. Nice try. I actually live in the house behind yours have my eye on you. By the way, you might want to move that hide-a-key. It's just too obvious.

who here has been blown off by a geek!?? what an unfair representation! I think the problem is that Mr. Dunne couldn't find a geek to blow him off...

Don't worry you sensitive types. I am not maligning your shining white character. Just wondering if CC is an outlet for any of those polite types mentioned in the article. For the record, I love it here and have not had trouble making friends. I generally don't hang out with co-workers and drink beer after work, so if that doesn't happen it's not a loss. I've always found the best way to make friends is to do something you're passionate about with other people - like play ultimate or climb. I did live in Boston, where drivers are notoriously aggressive, and adapted to that. Here, when everyone stops at a 4-way intersection and waves at each other I put my foot on the accelerator and zoom through! Works for me. Works for them.

I've had several people complain that Northwest people can be shallow and polite in person, keeping their true feelings and more controversial opinions to themselves. The same people suggest that East Coasters, where I'm from, are more likely to tell you when they disagree with you and let it all hang out. Perhaps CC works for y'all because you can vent your more volatile and odiferous parts here. Do you think CC would have the same vibe in other places? Oh, and don't hold your true feelings back because you're probably posting anonymously anyway...

What's the difference between a lawyer and a prostitute? The prostitute will stop screwing you when you're dead. How many lawyers does it take to shingle a roof? Depends on how thin you slice them.

but this time HUCK the ice steps so you can get a descent that REALLY counts.

You bring your weiners. I'll bring my booty nuts and a few other treats to swap.

Jared, Unless you're doing pennance for some heinous deeds, carrying a 45lb pack into the Pickets is an exercise in masochism. Listen to Wayne. He's been many times. Check out the random tips thread in the main forum for lots of good ideas about how to travel lighter. Challenger is still on my list, but I understand the rock section is quite easy. Save weight for that by climbing the 5.7 in your regular boots/shoes, bring a set of stoppers, a couple of hexes, a few slings and biners, and a light rope. You could probably leave the rock shoes, chalk!!, full rack, and fat rope at home.

I've never used an offset cam, but I have certainly placed regular cams in positions where one or two of the lobes are more expanded or contracted than the others. I suspect most trad climbers here have as well. This might be near a divot, irregularity, or a protruding crystal. I don't believe this compromises the strength of the unit, provided the lobes are not tipped out or over-cammed. One thing I make sure is that the piece is set reasonably well so that it is oriented properly for a fall and won't walk anywhere easily as I climb past it. A walk to a more narrow fissure could make it very hard to clean, and a walk to a wider part could make it unsafe. It sounds like offsets do have uses, but I've done just fine without one for years. I'd suggest making sure you have at least a complete set of regular cams first.

Please send him a pm and ask. You can send him this: ..................... Dear Mr Fantasy, Play us tune, something to make us all happy. Do anything, take us out of this gloom, Sing a song, play guitar, make it snappy. You are the one who can make us all laugh, But doing that you break out in tears. Please don't be sad, if it was a straight mind you had, We wouldn't have known you all these years. (Traffic, though many have covered it)

I've never been much for biking because my skinny arse hurts after 30-45 minutes. Maybe I never sat on the right seat. I agree on the commuting comment. When I walked 1 mile each way to the subway in Boston and walked up and down 4 flts of stairs several times each day at work that gave me a good base fitness level. Now I have to drive the kids to and from daycare as part of my commute and I can't indulge in the same way. I agree with the comment that one usually runs harder in races than in a test. However, the more experience you have the better able you are to push yourself in any setting. I raced x-country when younger and have done only a few races in the past years. Someone suggested above that 5k or 10k are similar in difficulty. I disagree. The goal is to arrive at the finish with nothing left in the gas tank. Otherwise you didn't push yourself. To do that, you run at a faster pace for the shorter distance. For me, in two races I did two years ago, running 5k in 19 minutes felt way harder than running 10k in 40 minutes, even though it's only 5% faster. Perhaps because it's deeper in my red zone (closer to the AT?). Finally, running is the cheapest sport of all mentioned above, and it's also the one where you are least likely to suffer a major injury if you have warmed up properly.

Agreed. So please post a mormon monobrow monodoight first descent TR so we can laugh and lift our spirits!

In the Pickets, you will have a lot of x-country travel and will find yourself side-hilling on heather, scrambling on loose talus, and thrashing in the brush where you can't see your feet. For all of these, stiff is good. Others have suggested stiffer boots will do better in hard snow or ice. I agree. The only place I can see soft shoes being nicer is if you have a long section ON A WELL-MAINTAINED TRAIL. If I were to come in from the North on the trail, I might wear tennis shoes to the end of the trail, stash the shoes in a plastic bag under a large rock nearby, and switch into boots for x-country travel. The boots will rock on the snow and x-country areas. On your return, the running shoes will feel like heaven for the last miles on the trail back to your beer. Enjoy!

Looks like that buttress line right of the Berdinka's Bellingham Big Wall in the Twin Sisters/Green River area. Pretty spot. I'd bet donuts on it if I were a cop.

Yes. I've walked over and scrambled to the top of one or two boulders there both times I went up Constance. There is one that is surely the largest boulder I've ever seen. It is about 100ish feet long, 80ish feet wide, and 60ish feet tall. The South end is a 20 degree overhanging rainbow-colored cobbled face that might be 50 feet wide and 70 feet tall/long. IS THIS A KING LINE?!? This gigantic boulder is visible from the trail on your right about 2/3rd of the way to the lake just where the trail flattens and the forest opens up briefly. Check it out and snap some pics for us. Some moss on the tops of these boulders is almost two feet deep. Definitely a cool spot.