curtveld

A nice gym would be a real asset that could bring in many of us locals that aren't thrilled about the Y or Leading Edge. I agree that Carlos put his heart and sole into the Magic Mountain project, but didn’t always make the best business decisions. For one, he picked a highly visible, but high-rent downtown location. For another, almost every time I was there, some dude would stroll in and announce “just bouldering” as a (successful) justification for not paying. Carlos wanted to be friends with everyone and the gym had a great feel, but he had barely enough $ to get the gym built, so he was on financial thin ice from the git go. I think somebody could make it work now if they had a little stronger financial plan.

FWIW, after the FA of “Sensimilla”, Laural and I rated it 10b. We named it Block Party, but that didn’t stick either.

If making the summit is really important, go early when the cracks are covered and the days long. But if you want to get the most out your guide $, I’d go late August or Sept. You’ll learn how to deal with a mix of snow and ice, encounter fewer people on the mountain and maybe even get some nice huckleberries on the approach.

Was Osman an “enigma” or an incurable attention-seeker? I never met the guy, but this clip certainly suggests the second was a part of who he was. But yes, everyone gets to choose their own path and also to decide what it takes to be a “badass” in their view.

Actually no, but you can borrow the camelback too.

GOOGLE will get you plenty-O-beta...

Cmon over and I'll let you take the mower out for a little spin!

Just got one from the vending machine at the post office (where else?), and damn if it isn’t gold with Sacajawea on it. First non-politician on US currency?

Dike Route on Pywiack was pretty classic, if you don't mind running it out on 5.9 slab. Best one that got away could be the Dana Pillar route - I'd love to get back to that one.

You know, if climbing gyms and slide shows are what you’re after, I’ll bet that Chicago or Minneapolis are terrific climbing towns. And you’d get Bonus Miles on every mountaineering trip

Tossing Green Isn't Fun

...how many wraps it would take to make a swami belt comfortable...

Nice TR & photos! Thanks for the link, Stephen.

You really don’t need much info to hike at JT - just scan the desert for something that looks interesting and start walking! Wonderland of Rocks is a huge matrix of domes and boulders, criss-crossed by sandy washes - a great place to explore. If you want to gain some elevation, Queen Mountain is cool. Both have tons of climbing, if you want to pack your gear. The Vogel guides have good overview maps that will help you find your way around.

Oh yeah? And probably not the only Groucho line Woody snagged, either.

As Woody Allen said: Not sure I'd want to join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member.

Must be a really welcome break from reanalyzing your Olympic hockey breakdown.

IMHO the problem isn’t the spray game, but ignorance as to where to play it. Any CC regular should be aware that the Info forums are meant to be primarily informative and spray free. An occasional wise-crack or unrelated tale is all part of the ride around here, but I guarantee that some of the recent jabs in the Newbies forum have scared away some observers thinking about posting. Why not make a clear VISUAL difference between spray and non-spray forums, like there is now for the Freshiezone? Ultimately this won’t prevent all bad behavior or do the moderator's jobs, but it could help buffer readers looking for info but not abuse.

Not to mention "No Child Left a Dime"

Aside from the standard climbing (Scurlock!) and weather sites mentioned, TIDEPOOL.ORG is great for PNW and environmental news.

Looks like a bunch of ants under a magnifying glass...heh, heh, heh...

Peoh Point, I beleive. Don't know about any climbing history, but might be worth a look.

I was thinking of the Bedal Creek approach. Either side would involve a couple of miles of road walking, not unreasonable access for winter. AndMatt, the washout I know of is on the Mountain Loop - I drove past the N Fk. Falls trailhead without any probs until hitting snow @ around 2000'. Some big crags with ice above the trailhead for the fired-up bushwhacker, too!

You should be able to get reasonably close to Sloan coming in from the Darrington side. Was snowfree to Bedal a week or two ago, and the washout is right below the peak.

Yeah Taco Lobo definitely wins the authenticity award in Bham. Everything’s good, but the tamales are truly outstanding. The kids like it too. After we took em to Mexico, they turn up their noses at “tacos” made from ground beef or crunchy “shells”.