griz

One thing you'll find the need for is to have all of your anchors,slings,ascenders,pulleys perfectly arranged so you can get to them with one hand. I guarrantee after a day of rescue practice for a 2 person team you will be pretty sobered up to it's risks,limitations and the dire reality of the situation if the other climber can't get himself out. I would do your first practice on a lower angle slope where the 'fallen climber' can take his weight off when you realize you fucked up or need to rearrange your gear or maybe brain farted how to rig the system properly. no worries that way. have fun!

The newbie line is the crutch of a weak sprayer...your spray skills have atrophied in your days as a mod.

Hmmm...you've never bothered me but go fuck yourself anyway. enjoy you're new freedom, shitbrick

Nope...I'm not saying his climbing style is right or wrong but if YOU don't feel comfortable with the way the person climbs then don't climb with him.

yeah, I'm not a parent and don't want to be but you have to admire the ones who let their kids explore and do crazy, stupid shit so they can live and learn. It takes guts cuz you know they still worry...something kids don't get, ya know? Now I'm older and have more of a parents view of the world, I'm pretty grateful for being allowed to climb trees to lethal heights, go solo canoeing at a young age on local rivers, play WAR with bottle rockets and happily shoot friends with them or split my chin wide open on a half pipe w/o a lecture after the ER visit. It builds character(and scar tissue). Those poor little twits will probably grow up to be really boring shits who live their life through a TV.

Speaking of lightning... we just had a storm come through here in Colorado this evening with over 2000 ground strikes and they just showed on the news a bunch of people digging out a Hummer from 2.5 to 3 FEET of HAIL...

Glad to hear all is well,Sisu. Yeah, both of my parents have been hit by lightning indirectly abit like your mom.... My pa was working on the tail of an airplane while in the military when the tail got hit. he just remembers waking up is about all. Ma got zapped talking on the phone... the charge threw her against the wall and she was out of it for over a day...yikes. My bro was getting close to a hit when the metal in his umbrella began arcing to other metal parts... he threw the umbrella away and ran like hell...!

If you go to the winds in the early season then a good "snow on the trail" test is to drive up to the Elkhart Park trailhead(about 9,300ft?) from pinedale,wy. It is the highest trailhead in the winds with super easy paved road access. Check and see if there is snow there. If the trail is dry then you will have absolutley HUGE tracks of snow free hiking up and down the range. If there is still allot of snow around then look to the lower elevation trails like up around the green river lakes/square top mtn area. Also, keep in mind our snowpack here in the rockies is on the light side this year...30% on the light side. Anyway, I've spent a good 10+ months in the winds over the years and I think you should be in for some fine hiking/climbing with hardly a soul around if you hit it in the next few weeks before the "crowds" come later in the summer. Walking the Winds by rebecca woods is a good book for finding trailheads. Earthwalk Press makes the best maps(North and South)...REI usually will have them.

Sat- Slept in, then got off my butt around 2pm and did a nice 12 mile hike up in the Indian Peaks Wilderness to a favorite lake to do some fly fishing. Lots of snow to posthole through on the way up but it was ice free and the cutts liked my fly. Sun- Really slept in,kicked back the whole day til I got a hair up my ass to do a quick 14ner around 6:30 pm. Left at 7pm. Headed up from summit lake on Mt. Evans as the last rays of light where hitting the summit. Tagged summit 62 minutes later and just got home around 11:30pm. Quite nice...no crowds.

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Being a climber from japan or korea increases your chances of dying by about 200%. I'm joking about the % but climbers from those countries know how to die up high, for sure.

No shit. This thread makes me want to puke.

Hmmm... I'm not sure I get your response but MSR sells stoves that take the pressurized canisters that you chuck when the fuel runs out(what you have,obviously) and then they make stoves ,like the dragonfly, that take fuel bottles that you can fill/refill yourself and pressurize yourself by pumping them up... Not as easy to use but still pretty simple and without the constant waste of the canister when the fuel runs out. Check them out at REI or something. Does that help?

If you are so worried about it then why not just get a regular stove like the Dragonfly? the fuel bottles are reusable there, ya know? Is pumping really that tough for you?

basic sky river info but i think this is the run above your put in. good site to know about anyway.

I agree with the polite, friendly and ZERO bullshit approach w/ them. Don't throw out lame excuses either...they have heard'em all and it sounds like more bullshit to them. I also keep the proof of insurance and registration stuff in a zip lock bag so I can find it fast in the glove box. The last time I got pulled over for speeding was in WA and the cop was cool, I was polite and joked around abit and we ended up shooting the shit about the fishing up in Alaska oddly enough... No ticket.

Reading 'A Visible Darkness' by Jonathan King. A fine new writer, for sure. Suspense,mystery stuff. What river are you running, SnailEye?

Mmmm...Cirque of the Towers...

Pic of friend doing .12c sport shit in Colorado...

Hmmm...can't get the images to show up for some reason so they are attached...see if that works...yoy. A poor dall sheep I chased up a mtn in Denali NP...

See.... they are already overlooking flaws and making them into positive things now they know you are going to be a doctor...

Well, shit, in a few years you'll be be dropping the "I'm a Doctor" bomb on'em and beating them off with a stick! For the time being you should get in the practice of picturing the hot girl you are about to hit on just sitting on the crapper taking a big 'ol nasty dump... that should knock her off that pedestal you've already mentally put her on for some reason and calm you down abit.

Layton, sounds like you are still in college so just start studying to be a pilot, doctor or lawyer and your girl troubles are over, dude. They all want to be a Cinderella deep down inside and they won't settle for less than that rich Bill Gates type... but he's got to be good looking too... and atheletic...and funny... and wants LOTS of kids... and blah,blah,blah.... Dude, I feel your pain... but fuck it and go climb something, ya know? Seriously, if you have trouble with the initial" breaking the ice" thing then you should just check out some online crap like match.com. It's odd but painless... and a real easy way to get...um...dates( ), for sure.

Hmmm...rafted 53 miles on the Yampa River out past Steamboat on Sat and Sunday. Good and remote canyons and just a few other floaters out. Nice stuff. Good 30 mile bike ride today... now I need to go back to work in the AM so I can rest up for the next weekend... No climbing sadly enough.

Yeah, East Rosebud in the 'tooths is a damn fine recomendation. Especially if you are a little short on time. One of the most gorgeous valleys you are likely to see, for sure. How long are you going to be in MT, Ketch? There is a ton of great stuff in Beartooth area to climb/hike/fish if you've got the time. I spent an entire summer doing nothing but backpacking, fly fishing and some fun peak bagging there. Drop me a PM if you need some more info...It's a great spot!