CPOly

Planning on a quick jaunt up Jefferson Peak today after work. Myself and a buddy of mine will be leaving Olympia around 4:30. Just wanted to put this out there to see if anyone was up for joining us. Let me know if interested.

Tonight's the night. Good time had by all last week. It would be nice to see some new faces and meet some new folks.

The indoor gym out at Evergreen is mainly used for bouldering now, although I believe they still do some toproping. Some of the holds outside on the swimming pool building are still there, but from the looks of it some have come off. Never see too many people climbing on the outdoor wall, but when its nice out and I don't feel like forking over the money to climb inside it's good enough for a workout.

Well put, it couldn't be said much better than that. I've never heard that one, that's good.

I think it's a great place to live. I've lived here all my life and I'll probably be here for a while longer. It is a pretty sleepy town as Slothrop said, not much in the way of nightlife if that's what you're into. The only reason I go out is to play ping pong and drink beer at the Eastside Club (excellent selection of micros on tap, very competitive ping pong too). Don't know about the paddling scene as I don't paddle. I think that the climbing scene will develop more when the new gym is finished. A lot of culture though, with Evergreen and all, very colorful people. You'll probably run into some hippies and from what I gather there are a lot of people on this site whom aren't very fond of "smelly hippies". Many of the most intelligent and amazing people I've met live in Olympia. Just my opinion.

Right, I know exactly where you're talking about now. After I thought about it more I figured that was the one you were talking about. I've eyed that many times on my way to and from Rainier. I had heard that there were routes on that wall but never bothered to investigate any further for some reason. Anyways keep me posted and I hope to see you on Wed.

I would definetly be game to head on down to Tenino. I feel like I've seen that crag before. Does the train run near there?

Sorry yall, looks like I can't make it up there tonight. Broken down car is no good. Hopefully someone can cover the plates and flatware. Have fun.

Sounds good, I can manage that.

I can acquire some plates and flatware to bring, any idea of how many we're expecting to show?

I think it's great that the prison is leading climbing trips. Be safe out there.

You might be right, this could just be the norm at certain crags, be them sport or not. This is kinda nice, I need to start quoting myself more often.

I do believe that I have read this in a book. I'm not exactly sure which book, maybe Smith Rock Guide, or Modern Rock Climbing by Todd Skinner. That's not to say that it stands any more because it's actually been published, just that maybe it's more universally recognized by the climbing community.

We must be talking about different people. My buddy's father's name is Bill Larson. I believe the gentleman that passed away was Mike Lonac. They got the FA's of Bragi, Mimir, Freyja, Vidar North and South, and Slepiner.

The father of a good buddy of mine has several first ascents in the Valhallas. I've heard many stories and seen many slides of the area. I believe there was a group of about seven of them that went in around '78. If the gentleman who passed away is the one that I'm thinking of, he was in that group. My buddy actually has his old compass and water bottle. We're planning on heading in there sometime within the next couple of years to scope things out and possibly climb some new peaks and spires. If you'd like more info on the area I can try and find out what I can, or if you'd like to see some slides I'm sure that we can arrange a night with a little .

It can definetly be the cheaper alternative. I made a pair of gaitors for myself that are really sweet. Waterproof/Breathable fabric up top and heavy duty cordura for the bottoms. Got the pattern from Seattle Fabrics. Also made a crash pad for much less than it would cost to buy one. Good luck.

Like I said, it's somewhat of an alternative to Schoeller. I haven't tried seam tape on Schoeller yet so I don't speak from experience here. I wouldn't worry about sewing it looking like shit if you're thinking about seam seal or tool dip as other options. With that said I haven't yet repaired the small tear in my Schoeller pants either. Just an option to think about for the more adventurous out there. It's been my experience that making clothing and gear repairs via sewing is pretty easy, yet many are deterred because the idea of sewing something yourself seems difficult.

I would suggest just sewing it yourself. If you don't know how to sew, it doesn't take long to learn. A few minutes experimenting with different stitches and that's it. Zig-zag stitch is what you're looking for. I'm sure you know someone who has a sewing machine that you could use. Seattle Fabrics is an awesome resource for outdoor fabrics and materials. Look into Spandura as somewhat of an alternative to Schoeller. It is a blend of Lycra to give it a bit of stretch, and Cordura for strength and abrasion resistance. In terms of thread, industrial strength is a little much, the fabric will end up ripping before the thread does. All you need is polyester thread. For seam sealing they sell seam tape at Seattle Fabrics also. This is the stuff that you see on factory sealed seams, not quite as messy as other alternatives. The main worry with applying seam tape is the heat from the iron. This can be damaging to some fabrics if you're not careful. I think they also sell some sort of heat shield you can use. I would buy the smallest amount of fabric you can get, maybe 1/4 or 1/2 yard. Probably be around $7. 1 yard or 2 of seam tape, around $3. $2 for thread and you'll have everything you need, in addition to extra fabric should this happen again. Anyways good luck whatever you may choose. I'm exhausted.

And yet again natural selection reigns supreme.

I did not mean to imply that people cannot apply themselves to their trades artistically. I agree that it can be an amazing thing to watch someone who is very skilled at what they do, whatever that may be.

So in my opinion, the "genius" comes in the ability to perform these physical acts. The number of people who actually have the ability to control their bodies with such precision is very slim. Seems to me this is about the application of the actual word "genius" as opposed to whether or not these individuals are extraordinarily talented.

I would tend to disagree with you. I'm sure that there are numerous artists whom you may call genius'. Surely you see ballet as an art and not a trade. I just feel that this is a bad example comparing dancers to plumbers.

Very nice!

I love the idea that as climbers we have the opportunity to test ourselves against the highest level of climbing at this time. Any one of us can go to the crag and throw ourselves on the most difficult climb that we can find. I would have to say at least for myself that this would generally be a very humbling experience. But there aren't many other "sports" or physical endeavors where we have the opportunity to test ourselves at the highest level possible. I feel that I'm a skilled soccer player but I can't just head over to Europe to attempt to play in the English Premier League. Having been a competitive athlete all of my life, I think the individualistic aspect of climbing is what is very attractive to me. Anyways, just my thought.