JosephH

I sent my Hilti 36v and Sawzall 18v batteries off to these guys at Primecell because they upgrade the cells to either higher capacity NiCDs or to NiMHs (not the Hiltis) which up the run time. I couldn't get from the Batteries Plus guys what they'd be replacing them with and the difference in price covered the shipping with the Primecell guys. If you use the Batteries Plus guys you might try reading the Primecell website and specify you want the them to upgrade the cells they use if they don't already. Will let you know how it goes when I get a chance to see how they perform. The Sawzall had a real lousy run time and I should be able to tell the difference the first time I use it.

Maybe channeling. No one writes TRs like Ivan, though...

Good going! Sounds like you had a lot of fun. My only comments would be about the chimneys and the last chimney pitch in particular. On that pitch you have the rightside-in, face-out part down, but then if you stay all the way out on the very outside edge it's more like 5.6-8 [airy] chimneying on good edges with a #3-4 Loweball crack that follows you along on the face just at your left side. In general, I'd say don't get sucked into those chimneys at any point - stay as far towards the outside whenever you can. If you're feeling squeezed and cramped you're probably too far in.

Anyone know if Jim's phone moved over yet?

Check it out on the rc.com threads...

The three I mentioned above all have optical view finders - as you said, a must...

Moof, sorry for not looking closer at the photos - sure enough. I just saw all those traditional aiders and wondered what was that all about. Thanks for setting me straight. Hybrid - an interesting idea, but doesn't that turn into an incredible cluster fuck given the aid trees would tend to tangle with the aiders?

You got that right...

Hey, WTF! Where are the Russkie aiders and aid trees...? (Great job and TR, though.)

The SD990 has the same Digic IV / 14.7 combo as the G10 and is available now. As for fast enough and shooting above ISO 200? Huh? Maybe you better roll that one out a bit further...

- Cannon SD850 / SD1100 / SD990 (14.7 megapixels - it's a microscope and telescope) - LowePro Rezo 10 (SD850 / SD1100) or 15 (SD990) case - Good, solid [small] retractable key leash (wire or stout floss-like material) from a locksmith The combination of the three, when used on the shoulder strap of a Metolius 'Big Wall' gear sling, allows you to instantly shoot from almost any stance or decent hold. If you start to slip or panic you can just throw the camera into space or drop it because it's leashed and then put it away once you get to a better stance.

One more thing - over the past four years I've seen just a ton of bolts where the hole was not drilled perfectly perpendicular to the rock. This results in some staggeringly lousy installations with the nut or bolt head cocked way off from laying flat against the hanger. If you're going to go to all the trouble of assembling the stuff to put in a bolt, then try to get this part right as it is critical to a solid installation. If you're rapping with a power drill then don't descend too far below the hole as I suspect most of these abortions result from flagging forearm strength and drooping drills. Stay a little high where you can see what you're doing and have better control over the drill. If hand drilling on rap you'll need to descend a bit lower, and you have to really pay attention to the drill position relative to the rock for the first 3/4 of an inch or so. Hand drilling on lead - kudos - you do the best you can, just try to keep this in mind while you do it. Also, take a moment before drilling for a good look at the [micro] terrain and do it from several perspectives to insure you have some references for drilling perpendicular as sometimes it can be hard to judge - set the drill in place and then double-check it from several angles before pulling the trigger and keep checking it until the bit is driving home on a course that can't be changed. And I second Bill's advice; if you're going to bother at all and value your new line, then pop for stainless bolts and hangers - plated stuff is going to have to be changed out way too soon and borders on lame at this point in the game.

Those donuts will still be good for the next move...

It was the best of stuff; it was the worst of stuff... People dribbled into Jim's place one-by-one yesterday afternoon until a sufficient quorum of the odd was established and a UHaul secured. At that point everyone sprang to a general confusion of what was staying, what was going, and what was mank. It was an understandable cunundrum, and even Jim had to look at some things twice. The move was coming off like a broken clockwork when the matter was further complicated by the arrival of his ex-landlord who proceeded to make [senile] accusations of us making off with many of the Pardee estate's crown jewels. Jim was kind, however, and explained at length how either her children or the new buyers had previously fallen upon the manor stripping it like Piranahas and that we did no more than sift through the rubble trying to distinquish Jim's non-video valuables from the general debris. But she wasn't having any of it at first until Jim went all Christian on her and she eventually relented, departing empty handed and complaining she didn't even know her children had sold the family home. Now this wasn't your run-of-the-mill "move to Beverly" operation, oh no! It was logistically masterful ballet - think Leaf Cutter Ants working in a syncronicity of flurry and fodder to recreate the moulding for a new subterranean colony of one. We were dedicated and efficient, only occasionally stumbling over each other and the various assembled and disassembled artifacts d' Opdycke. All was going well until we stumbled upon the 800lb. trove of large mountain graphics archived with care since the last move. With a full UHaul and a stunned realization they had not been mulched long ago we sat addled, I mean idled, until Kenny charged to the fore rearranging his Volvo to accept the mighty load. Once we and everything were loaded, we piled into our rickshaw caravan and struck out, zig-zagging on a NE diagonal that cut across grain and grit of SE portland, heading for the Eastern slopes of far Mt. Tabor. That's where Jim's cousin, Tom, lives in a nice neighboorhood with stunning views of St. Helens and Mt. Hood. Jim has rented the basement apartment there and it turned out Jim, Geoff, and Kenny had (thank god!) already moved a significant percentage of Jim's boxed treasures in the days prior to our swarming over the last remains of the Pardee manor. On arrival we conducted our ballet in reverse with equal confusion around where things that weren't broken in the move should go in the new abode. Jim once again lept in to direct a choreography of the absurd and inspite of all our best efforts we completed Jim's decamping without incident and retired to Tom's patio for well-earned beers and smokes. We remained there on the Group W bench for some time before realizing some late stragglers might be marooned at Jim's old place so we launched ourselves out of our stupor and back into the caravan for a last round of tall tales told in the hedge-lined front yard of Jim's old homestead. Just as we were getting into the good lies Arent showed up with perfect timimg to join the the post-move glory with tales of his own. All in all it was a successful event - mission accomplished even though still I haven't the slightest idea how to get back to Jim's new quarters. Thanks to Kenny, Geoff, Kyle, Wes, Bill, Arent, and whomever else has been helping Jim get the job done.

They'd scratch your eyes out...!

Do you always know you're online? Come over tonight and ask him...

bump...

We're on for tomorrow, show up anytime from four on. I'll probably get there about 5:15pm depending on traffic from Hillsboro.

As far as I know we're still on for tomorrow after work unless I hear otherwise from him today...

Thanks Bill, not sure what was up with that...

Four random, used, but in basically like-new condition Aliens off climbers' racks were tested and three of the four pulled below their rating. And yes, they don't want to get publicly involved, but I did previously post those results at the time. Your tests will be public and I suspect you will also pull some below their rating - we'll see. It should be interesting, but regardless, the bottom line that's been proven to-date is that you can't trust any Alien - pre-recall, recall, or post-recall geneartion - when you place it unless you've whipped hard on it or had it tested by yourself or an independent third party and even then you have no assurance it will hold it's rated strength. edit: not sure why this won't display as an image: http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=46110&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=6113 2nd Edit: these were post-recall Aliens...

Infinite Limbs?

Bill, glad to hear it. Sounds like progress to me...

Let's break down what I said: We're the only user group which can visit the eyerie on Big Ledge and deliberately get within "close proximity" of a Peregrine which, for my purposes, would be under 30 feet. In short, we're the only user group capable of threatening an eryie by our travel.

Oh, and as of this morning, they're confirmed nesting on Big Ledge.