JosephH

It seems reckless, but everyone there does it and folks for some reason tolerate it and don't just drive into them. When you see it done elsewhere you can almost bet they're Boston transplants begging to be t-boned.

No, I've lived in a lot of places, Boston being one of them. Know somewhere else where folks who want to make a left turn go halfway across the road blocking oncoming traffic from the left for a long time until they can make a left? Or that bump you at a stop sign/light if you take too long. They're a lot of things, but asleep and incompetent like Portland drivers aren't two of them. Short of old folks in Ft. Lauderdale, pdx drivers are hands down the worst drivers in the country, at least the cities I've lived in or spent any time in.

Don't get killed on your bike here. The drivers in Boston are probably the most pugilistic in the country, but at least they're awake and focused on trying to get somewhere. If you get hit on a bike in Boston the person was most likely aiming for you - that's not the case here. More likely they simply forgot they were the one driving - or, god forbid, it was raining and they forgot how to drive in the rain. It was quite an ugly toll last year so be careful.

Folks have been down there judging by the footprints. Still a bit of a blur, but I think at the party Dan said he'd been down there on the 31st - maybe doing some aid. Corner definitely went unloved from the look of things.

You do! I've got all your stuff - must have been a pretty wet outing...

Ivan, yeah, I have the lot of it. Billbob, the nut on p3 came out no problem as it fit pretty well to the geometry of the placaement. BTW, how old is that long light blue Mammut sling? Looks ready for retirement.

Hopefully you won't be the first to know if they do blow...

He lives in the fourth tunnel out at Beacon - has been climbing with Opdycke for years.

From the foot prints on the trail I'd say someone had been down there in the last day or two. but anything is possible...

Ivan, I was hungover and late getting out there so by the time I did, around 2pm, it was overcast in the Gorge. It was still pretty cold, but nothing serious. The wind was another story. It was definitely one of the top three windiest days I've done out there and not in the normal way which I love. Instead it was generating pretty unusual and powerful back currents (West and down) which I've never experienced. The tree was also being blown due South or even slightly Southeast towards the river which I've not seen before which set up a large bucking motion lifting the entire tree - root mat, stones, and all the soil - off the ledge an inch and a half. It was bucking so much, I moved myself and the rope, while I restacked it, off the roots so I wouldn't get drug off with it if the tree went. On p3, especially on the technical moves above the tree the wind was funneling straight down the corner dihedral blowing me over backwards towards the tree at every move. On the third 'hump', with the hand jam and decent ledge, I was having a seriously hard time just standing there and had to relock the handjam several times and use a piece to guard that single move in case I got pitched over backwards. All in all a real eye-opener after being away, then sedentary spending weeks stuffing my face. I lasted awhile at Bill's party (thanks Bill...!), but had to bail and take a rest - I'm more thrashed than I expected.

The SE Corner was changed a bit today. Here is the change (with a little scene setting): When you turn the corner at the very top of the p2 slab, at the spot you can stand and get in pro before heading up to the tree, the next move is typically putting your foot out right on a small dip in the rounded arete and reaching around into the wide slot with your right hand and getting the back edge of the square block there. It's the one that helps you stand up on the ledge that keeps going right to the YW p2 anchor. That sizeable block with the perfect edge in the back of it is now gone. The transition from the slab/ledge up to the tree now actually requires a move as that block was also what you stepped up on to get headed up to the tree. Looks like someone yarded too hard on it yesterday or today so it was entirely loose and had to be trundled. C'est la vie - the only thing that is permanent is change...

Does Ivan use gear?

PM me...

Still have them...

Probably not until around 11:00 or so - I like to let the wind get a good head of steam up. The more it rages the better I like it - keeps me moving, awake and howling. If it's really going you have to lean hard about 50 pounds to the right all the way up the corner ridge - eeehhaaaaaaa!

Same to you Kevin...

There you have it - Beacon and Bill's on the first day of the year... Ken, I'm sure we'll get at least a few goes in given how much you're down here...

Can't let what looks to be shaping up like a great day for the Corner get away just being fatter than I already am now. Got places to be later in the afternoon so it will have to be a bit of a dash, but early on the Corner is where you'll find me - anyone else game? Maybe YW instead...?

Surfing - trad, wind, and kite is the word over there. http://www.oregonsurf.com/ Come up to PDX this summer and we'll do some trad at Beacon.

Early on I heard that we are made in god's image which got me to thinking that, hey, if god exists, he must be a lot like me. But, this isn't the way I'd do anything so god must not exist.

'On the first spray of Christmas...' Oh wait, they got to it first - and Jesus H. Christ, I'd hate to see their interpretation of religious symbolism in 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'... ''Religious symbolism of The Twelve Days of Christmas (The 12 Days of Christmas)... 1 True Love refers to God 2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments 3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues 4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists 5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace. 6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation 7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments 8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes 9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments 11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles 12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed Oops! Looks like they made that up too: 12 days Urban Legend link ======================================================= He had no further intercourse with Spirits [or dead horses], but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One [even all you atheists]!

Ivan, sorry I had to bail today - some work stuff came up and scrambled my plans. Bill thanks for finding that link - that's still the clothing system I use except as you said my 5.10 Ascents need a resole so I've been using the Sportiva Ventors in the meantime. I don't like the rubber on the Ventors however, which is odd given I mainly climb Sportivas. Going to have them re-done in whatever 5.10 is currently using. Oh, and I switched to some longer SmartWool socks. The system will allow you to climb with as much relatively comfort as is available under some pretty rough circumstances.

Does that question mean you're a good christian, a christian in doubt, a bad christian, an agnostic in need, an optimistic atheist, an atheist with ethical inner turmoil, or simply another bored bitch troll...?

And you last asked for such source and proof about a book written by men called the bible? Yet, without a shred of either you base entire religions around it? Got it. Amazing how folks can provide no source or proof for one and cling fiercely to it while denying science.

Stick with the Eddy or a grigri. The Cinch Doesn't have any "stop" relative to how much the two halves of it will counterrotate. I've looked at it several times over that past few years and wouldn't recommend it. Also, a device and setup that works great for TR soloing is likely to be less than ideal for leading. Here's a link to an rc thread where I described my rope-soloing system. Search RC and SuperTopo for "roped-soloing" and you'll get a bunch of different views on the topic.