olyclimber

If someone doesn't buy this bag quick, he's going to raise the price to $500! But wait...if demand was high, wouldn't that mean that someone already bought it? There must be some new theory of economics at work here.

I have always viewed those who flame or show a lack of sympathy (especially on cc.com, because we're all climbers, wannabees or experts) for those injured or killed climbing as people who are insecure in their climbing ablility. They might actually be great climbers, but they are insecure. (Myself, I am not a great climber, and I'm secure with that for now. I'm working on it) The fact is we could be killed anywhere, and stupid decisions or chance that kills people occurs everywhere, not just in the mountains. While almost every accident can be attributed to human error on some level, that error was not that they were or are climbers. It can be a set of conditions that could happen to the most skilled people, like a non-lethal fall that leads to lethal decisions afterwards. I wish that people would show more respect, but then you just have to feel sorry that they go through their lives feeling so insecure.

Well, they don't rip your car apart and search it everytime either. But I have seen them doing that to people and have known it to happen to people...and in those cases they found nothing and let the people go on their way. They spot check, and if they sense anything funny they'll dig deeper. It wouldn't surprise me also if they just pick every 10th car to examine more closely or run checks on people's IDs. Bad luck to be one of those people, but if they checked everyone thoroughly it would take a whole day or more just to cross the border. You've just been lucky like me so far if they haven't run a computer check on you and detained you longer than ten seconds.

It must be difficult for them to read American. It is one of the toughest languages to learn.

Thanks for the translation stinkyclimber...I would have never gotten that. And after years of living up in Bellingham I could speak Canadian, eh...

Is this article online or is it only on dead trees? If online, link please.

My name is Porter, and I object to my name being associated with work. And I'm not carrying your load up to Muir. Do it yourself.

Border crossing with our North American neighbors is just different after 9-11. When in college at WWU in Bham we used to go across all the time (50 times a year or so) and never had a single problem either way. Now coming into the US they're checking more, and so Canada is checking more. Also, Canada's recent political changes (for weed, gay marriage, etc) have caused our government to look at the border policies differently, started a sort of Border war. We could see the border between Canada and the US looking more like our border with Mexico. It's too bad, but plan for the worst as far as needing ID when you're going either direction. Also, don't do anything to piss off the guards and look them in the eye when you talk to them. I bring a passport and drivers license, and have exactly what I'm going to tell them I'm going to be doing thought out so it doesn't seem like I'm making it up. Last time up was to do the Bowron Lakes...awesome trip, 2nd time around the lakes for me.

"Llamaneering is a great family activity..." Llamas are aid.

Thanks for the advice lummox. I actually went ahead and bought a REI 0 degree downbag that is mentioned above. I did check out both MEC.CA and sierratradingpost.com (which is a great place to find killer deals on closeouts). The specs on the REI bag, being able to see the bag before I bought, and the price, and the quality leaned me towards the REI bag. That I got %15 off of my total purchase because of a sale sealed the deal. BTW, there is a pretty good deal on a MARMOT SISKIYOU 5° DOWN SLEEPING BAG at sierra trading post...$187...fairly close to the same as I paid for the REI bag after the discount if you add in the shipping. Thanks...

Thanks...I got a REI Kilo Plus. Very nice bag....will give a report on how it is in colder weather when I get chance to use it for that.

Anyone know the best deal going for a -5 to 0 degree F sleeping bag. I want to go light and small, so down would probably be the best. The REI -5 F down bag looks good at $279. Are there better deals than that out there? I've looked around at some online sales, but that is the best I've found so far.

Whoa...good eye, I didn't see that.. I'm pretty sure that is a guy dropping to the back, in the style of cycling team time trialing. This way they all share the task drafting their fellow hikers for more efficient climbing.

Why couldn't one of you just sent me this thread! I'm gonna die over here!

Klenke, I don't know about IE popup software, but one suggestion for dealing with popups is to use the Mozilla browser instead of IE. It has built in popup blocking, and works great...and it's free. www.mozilla.org.

Sorry...but it bears to be repeated.

I prefer the Mark VII. The Mark VI is obsolete.

caveman, reserve one Darwin for oly just in case Ehem!...just to make it clear...though I have in the past barely survived being awarded this noble prize, I'm not currently in the business of playing with grizzlys and whatnot. Thanks for thinking of me though....

I would rather researchers study what going on on our little planet, rather than ignoring what is going on and wrecking it. It seems like this is little bit like calling an Everest climber an idiot because he is caught in a storm and dies. True, if you play with fire you could get burned...but that doesn't make you an idiot...it could just be what you're prepared to sacrafice to do something.

I don't know of a place, but here is a link to all the drinking (and eating) establishments in 11worth.

Ya...I can tell you that it is alot easier to lick it off of a rock, and my tongue doesn't get so dirty. So please...use the rocks, OK? Give a goat a break!

I don't think there is anything wrong with fear of death. Some people are afraid of heights or afraid of snakes. I think these fears are healthy compared to fear of losing your job or fear of breaking up with your partner. I don't think most people would climb if there wasn't a high element of danger to it. These are just my opinions, of course, and everything has its limits. I do think you can use fear as a positive tool for survival, as long at it is rational.

Fear of death has made me want to go climb. Therefore, fear is probably the one thing that has improved my ablility. It reminds one that they are alive. And stuff.

Do they allow non-gym members to climb on it for a one time fee? As I recall, thier membership cost is pretty steep.

I haven't been there, though I was thinking of checking it out, as I live over by there. How tall is the wall? I did see an posting on REI's bulletin board a week or so ago that was advertising a free membership to their clubs for someone if they were willing to teach rock climbing for one night a week.