knelson

Coast Guard?... perhaps. It IS a tough call where to draw the line... that's why I personally don't like drawing it. BUT, I think we can all agree that climbing is something that we're voluntarily doing. WE (or those climbing around us,) are the ones putting our butts at risk. [Whether or not the stupid ass climbing carelessly above us should pay for OUR hospital bills when we get clunked by their fallout is a different thread. Regardless... WE put ourselves in that position... but I digress.] Comparing climbing rescues to car wreck rescues/ambulance rides (which you pay for) is far from an even comparison. Granted... you personally decide whether or not you get in a car, but there's a whole bunch more people driving them climbing. (Thank God.) Just thought I needed to point out the obvious. As many have already noted, our rescue resources have been slowly dwindling over the years already. High-altitude stuff has been hampered from the minute the troops went into Iraq. The loss of MAST is terrible, and will probably effect/affect the general public more than climbers. Pretty sure that deaths from car wrecks in really rural areas will increase. That statistic should be pretty easy to verify in a few years. I just hope I'm not one of the statistics. Bitch to Congress. Bitch to the Senate. And remember your bitching when the State/County puts that bond measure on the ballot to buy and staff a chopper. -kurt

Try StudioDV... http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage_n.asp?Product_ID=1502&Langue_ID=2 You won't be making Hollywood productions, but it's relatively cheap and simple. -kurt

Isn't a miracle something that just can not be explained by any means... at the current time? Before fermentation was understood, don't you think the people thought juice turning into some potently good stuff was a miracle? Nowadays, while it may be a miracle if my homebrew turns out OK, the process itself surely isn't one. To say that science depends on the absence of miracles doesn't seem right. There are a lot of theories out there that are not fully understood or proven... but have enough proven stuff supporting them to BELIEVE they are true until proven otherwise. Isn't that the basis of scientific discovery? Seems like there's always someplace in a scientific theory, that may not be fully understood yet, where someone is saying "something miraculous happens here that I can't figure out yet". Reminds me of the old Harris cartoon... http://www.acad.sunytccc.edu/instruct/sbrown/pic/miracle.jpg The latest National Georgraphic has a good, but short, article on the "little people" found down around Indonesia. That little find seems to have the possibility of turning the whole timeline of human migration out of Africa on its head. Right now, they're scratching their heads to make sense of it... in light of what we think we know right now. I'm sure another theory will come out of it, but right now, seems kinda like a miracle. (Not a spiritual one... just one we don't understand.) Regarding whether Creationism is theory or belief, I think it just depends on what you believe are "the facts." And y'know... even Christians can't decide on what "the facts" are. Some believe in a literal interpretation of the creation story, and some don't. The only thing in the Bible, when read literally, that does NOT support an evolutionary theory (or belief) is the whole "earth created in 6 days" thingy. Read it sometime, and pay particular attention to the order in which things were created. Sound familiar? -kurt

Thinker - thanks for the link. Good discussion there. Sweatinoutliquor - yup... I agree that head downhill is not the position you'd want to be in. Chest harnesses do have their definite drawbacks, which is why I wear one, but rarely clip in to it. Like Thinker, I only clip in through it when I think I may need it. Nothing like that little mental statistics game we all play in our head while climbing, but don't really realize we're doing it! -kurt

Jason, Ahh... thanks. I was thinking about this from the aspect of the climber in the slot. I wasn't thinking about the guy up top. I knew I was missing something obvious! (added after further thought... As I ponder this some more, as long as your leg prussiks are attached to the rope AFTER it runs through the biner on your chest harness, you can still set the anchor in the manner you mention... can't you? Situation I'm picturing: partner below you in a slot; you face down in snow with rope pulling tight on your chest harness biner trying to merge it with your harness biner!; leg prussiks attached after biner and stuck in coat pocket; reach EASILY ACCESSIBLE picket and make anchor; attach leg prussiks to anchor; slowly let up on your position and allow anchor to take the rope load; unclip from chest harness. Isn't this doable? ) -kurt

http://www.mountainspeedclimbing.org ...but I haven't actually met him. -kurt

That is a good question! That's borderline philosophical! Maybe these guys are smarter then they appear. Makes ya wonder if there isn't a thread going on at www.cascadecoyotehunters.com called "Misconceptions About The Natural World" and just has the "us" and "them" switched around in that story! -kurt

Just curious how chest harnesses made from webbing make crevasse rescue more difficult for small teams?? I've racked my peabrain trying to figure out how, but haven't come up with anything. Regarding the strangulation thing - so true. That's why if I'm using a chest harness (aka a sling), I make sure to use a very short loop of perlon to connect the chest harness biner to my harness biner. The loop should be sized to keep the chest harness biner from sliding up the loop of webbing and crushing your windpipe. -kurt

This is good advice. I was up in the Alpental Basin last August and there was no snow around, but I said to myself, "SELF!, Don't let your guard down, 'cause that's when an avalanche will gitcha!" And due to my mindfulness, I was able to avoid being killed by an avalanche. Thank you for allow sarcastic fox to post. p.s. Skykilo said, "hirsuite3.14159" Error corrected. Thank you for allow non-spraying dweeb in climber's board to edit. -kurt

Something in the Spring Mountain range around Pahrump, NV? -kurt

I think Steve would've given Mailbox a lower avalanche "rating" on his chart (as we all probably would) except for his personal experience with it. That link is a good reminder for all that until the snow is gone,(or until AlpinFox says so) there's ALWAYS a potential for avalanche no matter where you are. Never fool yourself thinking you're "safe". -kurt edited to please the grammar/logic police

One option down your way is Florence Peak in MRNP, 3700' or so gain, most of it on trail. Take the nature trail from the Carbon River Ranger Station and take the obvious (no... it really IS obvious... not Beckey obvious) "non-maintained" trail where the nature trail loops back. Follow trail to Alki Ridge. Leave trail at ridge crest and follow ridge to Florence Peak. There is a little west facing slope at the top that could be slabby in the right conditions, but I imagine the only snow on it now is the recent snow from last/this week. The hike isn't too exciting, but it's a good conditioner that you can cruise on - it's in the woods most the way, but if the mountain is out you get a pretty nice view from the top. -kurt

Me... a lawyer? Ahhh... I've finally found the perfect use for the graemlin. Anyway... I, a humble engineer, seem to be in the same boat as you AllYouCanEat. Personally, I wouldn't want to be around if I was in her situation. Give me some good meds and harvest my organs, please. In my book, if we don't know what she wants, the legal guardian gets to make the call. And umpteen courts have said her husband is the legal guardian. And he made the call. And now Congress has decided that it has to interfere in State court decisions - the same Congress that is supposedly all for State's rights. -kurt PS - Norman, as mentioned previously, thanks for your comments and insight. I think Christianity is far from the root of people not being prepared for death, though. You'll find the same gammut of personalities in a church as anywhere else... some are in denial, some are not. But that's another thread, me thinks.

Personally, I'd probably anchor the ice axe rather than clip it to the rope. Just in case it does want to move, I really wouldn't want the thing sailing down the rope towards me. THWACK! There probably wouldn't be much warning. If there was, it'd probably be just enough to instinctively look up and get it in the face. Since we're talking a planned outing for fun, I'd bring along another anchor for it, or if in snow, just bury the leash of the axe and stomp it down good. Just a thought, -kurt

This really isn't about "right to life" or "assisted suicide"... it's a long ugly complicated mess. http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/schiavo/timeline.htm -kurt

I usually somewhat agree with you Dave, but you kind of went off the deep end with this one... Last I checked, a hospital won't kick out a suffering or seriously injured/ill person due to lack of insurance. (Now whether or not they can pay for preventative visits to catch any life-threatening problems early is a different story.) And I believe it is technically against the law for a drunk to drive. Friends may let friends drive drunk, but as far as "WE" (the government, I assume) letting drunks drive, "WE" don't. And do you actually know where her medical care is being funded from, or are you just assuming that it's state/federal money? This issue isn't just blue vs red, anti-abortion vs pro-rights. It's mainly about what a person's definition of "suffering" is. The parents think suffering is watching her die of malnutrition. The husband thinks suffering is her constant vegitative state. Unfortunately, we don't know what Terri's definition of suffering is. The main thing to learn from this is... MAKE A LIVING WILL, no matter how young you are. -kurt

No differing thoughts here. It's been a couple years since I've been up the Tahoma trail, but I thought the trail was in pretty good shape, and a waaaaay better way to Indian Henry's versus the Wonderland from Longmire or the Kautz Trail. I never biked in (didn't seem worth the trouble at the time) but always saw bikes cabled to trees just off the road, right next to the trail. Not many people on that trail, so it seems safe enough. Just use your "trailhead bike" just to be sure! The trailhead is only about a 1/2 hour walk from the gate. While the trailhead isn't that obvious, you'll see the obvious "blue bag barrel" on your left as you're heading up the road. (And more often than not a NPS licensed truck!) -kurt

Never realized it, but it does look like that, doesn't it! -kurt

Another for the Peak 1... for cold weather/snow melting. I carry a featherweight Gaz for the warm weather. I have the "first generation" Peak 1... before MSR sued Coleman for patent infringement and made them change the design. I have a buddy that has a "second generation." Mine always seems to win the "melt a pot of snow" battle - don't know if it's the design or the operator! (Sorry David!) Guess my point is that perhaps the newer Peak 1's don't perform quite as well as the older ones - don't know. Regarding maintenance and o-rings... I've never done zip to it. Nadda. Zilch. Nothin. Works just as good now as it did when it was new. -kurt

I second that method. No worries about the rope gettin' cozy with the agitator. You can also hang the rope off the shower curtain rod in large loops to dry. Just don't be surprised when the rod comes crashing down in the middle of the night under all the weight. -kurt

Agreed. Nothing wrong with it. They have the right to market however they want as much as people have the right to gripe. Yup. And if you don't stock it, you aren't going to sell it. And that doesn't do wonders for "historical performance" of a department. I'm not an "evil empire" ranter - I shop there when I'm in a bind. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. -kurt PS... I have written letters. I don't just whine here. PPS... And I have actually seen Land Rovers and BMWs on logging roads. Their owners didn't seem to happy though!

OK... I'll bite - Nope, never have run a outdoor retail business, or any retail business for that matter. Stefan, I don't think anyone here whining is saying that REI shouldn't diversify it's offerings. We all know that they need to sell more than hardware to survive. No question about it. But my personal beef is the heavy-handedness that I mentioned in a previous post. And others, in my opinion, have a beef with REI using the "climber image" to promote itself, yet not giving a rip about what that demographic wants. There's a difference between product mix ala "Pro Mountain Sports" and product mix ala "REI." While not speaking for him, (and also not related to him although we share a last name) I think Jim's goals and REIs goals are a little different - except for the "staying in business" part. -kurt

OMG! What were you going to say? Or did you actually say it, and it was ...

Well said... even though I'm a whiner! To those whining, including myself, REI is still actually serving its members. However, the majority of its members are not climbers, or even wannabes. Obviously, the majority of its members like what they sell, and want more. They wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't true. [start of whining] What I don't care for though, is REI's heavy handed mentality when it comes to distributors and manufacturers. In that sense, they are somewhat similar to WalMart. "Do it OUR way, or we won't buy from you." WalMart really isn't to blame though... GM and the other auto makers started the game long ago. And what did THAT do for quality? Sorry... I digress. Next time you're looking through the MEC catalog and wish you could get those cool things shipped to you in the US that aren't stocked or even carried at your local "we have everything outdoors" cooperative, be sure to thank REI for leaning on the distributors to cut off MEC's ability to ship outside of Canada. THAT is when I pretty much stopped shopping at REI. Companies that have to focus on keeping other folks out of the market, instead of doing a good job at what they're in business for and reaping the rewards, are focusing on the wrong thing. [end of whining] -kurt