JosephH

That foot hold was really loose and someone who liked to climb more or less straight up and used it for a hand hold had marked it with an 'X' earlier in the year. It's amazing it stayed as long as it did; must have tipped your foot to the outside as you went and it was just the luck of the draw. Kevin and I have both felt the big 'horn' handhold is loose as is the big block up and behind it. The whole sequence is over rock that is dubiously put together so do tread lightly...

Afganistan you can make a case for if you are speaking of the first year or so. After that W handed the country back over to the very warlords that caused the people to accept the Taliban as the lesser of two evils in the first place and we're playing that cycle all over again. With regard to NK and Iran, if you consider no diplomacy of any kind other than demonizing sermons spot-on than you have a case. Otherwise, the handling of both by the administration will be a foreign affairs case study in how to create and enhance problems. The administration's only approach to Iran was to gamble everything would turn out great in Afganistan and Iraq thereby isolating / containing Iran. Instead we've spent a half trillion dollars to greatly increase Iran's influence in the region and the world and to promote Shiite/Sunni violence across the Middle East. Way to go team. Their "handling" of Iran has been an unmitigated disaster at every turn...

I should add a caveat, at least in NW basalt, that only med-long Bugaboos, Lost Arrows, and Soft Euro spades end up lasting for the long haul as fixed pro. Angles, knifeblades, and short pins are problematic - angles have too little surface area in contact with the rock, knifeblades corrode, and short pins work loose eaiser. At least that was what was found in the course of checking/reset/replacing all the fix pins at Beacon. Small angles in particular should be treated as suspect. Knifeblades can look completely fine on the outside where you clip and be badly corroded inside the crack. But overall and on average, pins have stood the test of time out there much better than the bolts most of which were quite bad. In alpine granite I'd likely tend to check any pins I came across and would probably carry a hammer/funkness if I thought I was going to...

By and large these days, pins should be considered fixed pro. That may not be the case in all alpine settings, but for rock climbing, they should definitely be left fixed if used.

Yeah, that baby's been loose all along and it was just a matter of time. I always paid attention that I was on the inside half of it. Not a particularly big deal then. Could have been worse - could have been on one of Ivan's solo laps.

So what exactly broke? Was it the outer half of the right foot in the stance where you place that big stopper below the lip? Or are we talking something around the stopper where your feet are as you start making the moves over the lip? Or was it part of where the stopper itself is placed? Pretty much everything up through the entire sequence getting over the lip is loose to one degree or another - you definitely want to tread lightly as opposed to yarding on any of it...

Pair just got listed - not your size though... http://cgi.ebay.com/La-Sportive-Climbing-Shoes-sz-44-44-1-2-Worn-one-time_W0QQitemZ110081947627QQihZ001QQcategoryZ1299QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No, I didn't and it varies. I got two pairs of them this past year and one was for essentially nothing and the other fairly expensive.

No, I didn't and it varies. I got two pairs of them this past year and one was for essentially nothing and the other fairly expensive.

Ebay, a pair went by recently in a 37 I believe... none up there at the moment.

Ken, wait! Sorry - I've got my thinking all screwed up!!!! You're asking about this weekend and I'm thinking next weekend - I have to work this weekend. Sorry, yet again. Maybe someone else is up for some aid?

Supposed to be raining, but you never know and one could still aid through that if you were equipped. We could warm up aiding up and checking on the state of the two angles at the top of Stone Rodeo (probably pretty sad I'm guessing). Thursday is supposed to be sunny and 50 degrees - may have to play hooky... Shuts down Feb 1st...

Not shipping until the check clears seems reasonable if you don't know each other - even if it isn't especially trusting. But then who do you really trust here, or in spray? Trusting them with your life is one thing, $30 bucks is another. Good luck with it all (both of you)...

Ask them if they do that with their own ropes...

You live in paradise that close to Beacon. I and others have been getting out on it every time there's two dry east wind days in a row. Enjoy and I'm sure you'll be part of the tribe in no time this coming season...

People here can't drive in the rain let alone snow. Coming from Chicago I really enjoy the Monty Python quality that comes out in PDX drivers this time of year. Or at least I would if they weren't attempting to drive on the same road as me...

Mark, unfortunately I don't think so - hence the name - it's interesting, but not for the purpose we both had in mind. As far as the independent line thing goes I agree with you - they all start and finish the same. Ujohn came up on the second but went a bit right and stumbled on what we assume is the pin that Jim sent me up find in the first place. It is on the next line to the right, which looks quite a bit nicer than this one, but the pin would beg the question of whether that line wasn't done some time ago as well. I suppose it could be an upward, right-traversing line, but either way it doesn't end up at the same place. I more suspect it might have been a direct start to 'Flying Circus'. Hard to say for sure...

Good one, they probably do. Maybe they should have let the railroad have a couple of more weeks before they shut them down back in the beginning...

It's a third way up to the same spot, but its name comes from the fact that, like in a subway, the third rail (electrified) is the rail of the three you don't want to end up on by accident...

That's what I thought...

Oh, yeah, sorry - I can't make it. But I did have a great time climbing with you yet again. Have a good time tomorrow. Kevin, good to see you, Jen, Larry, and Ben out as well. Kudos to Ben and Larry for doing the much belated clean-up job...

Ken (112 here) is in town and looking for someone to climb with out at Beacon tomorrow.

Well, hmmmm. Was looking hard on the way home from Beacon today and there appeared to be climbable ice here and there but you really had to look hard for a lot of it. Across from the Dalton Point boat ramp there is a large gulley and there looked to be a servicable line on the main face to the left of that gulley. There was another short one right off the road down east of Mist falls about a hundred yards or so. Up by Ainsworth up behind the farms on the leftish face of several there are three lines and the leftmost one look reasonably solid and thick (if narrow), but on driving past it, it appeared to end up in a recess cavern much like Mist falls so you'd have to dry tool up to it. There appeared to be one or two below the road on the WA side you could rap down to. In general, I think if you went real early and really scouted hard you might be able to find something; might be close to the road, might be a hike - maybe bring binoculars. On all the main falls, like the pic above, you'd need a mask and snorkel still. Good luck...

I still have this damn right shoe of someones (Madrock / EU 42.5). Surely someone else has noticed they only have one as well...

Actually, I'm specifically looking for * [cummulatively] 2-#8's * And then any others I can between #7-9