spotly

That's the Nightmare Needles. With the exposure there, I imagine it would have been very earie watching them move in and out of the clouds. That pic of Crystal Lake is very nice - what a great spot to camp.

Too many personal variables to know. Your comfort level and navigation skills are two big ones. If you're familiar with the general area, which it sounds like you are, I'd bring just enough to mark the path through the trees and maybe a half dozen or so to get me from camp towards that direction. Of course, if the weather closes in and you decide to summit anyway, several dozen wouldn't be too many. I have a friend who's had a few "issues" with that approach and he looks like a porcupine heading in there every year. He typically places a few dozen just on the approach. Personal preference.

Wand early. Wand much. If you get turned around coming off the Lunch Counter, it's alot of nothing out there for a long ways.

I'd agree. If you break the law, pay up. I think some judges take it as a personal afront when you argue the logic of the law after-the-fact. That's what lawyers do all the time though. Us "ignorant" little people tend not to get away with it. Still sucks that he felt the need to raise the fine - that was a dick thing to do.

The shot where she's got a shoe on one foot but not the other seems kinda odd. I suspect most viewers wouldn't notice anyway though

What brand are they? La Sportiva Exum Ridge

Throw in a bolt to protect the scarey start up Bat Crack (direct) and there'd be un uproar. Throw on a couple gallons of paint and it takes awhile to get noticed

Steve, not sure how I missed your email on that list but it wasn't intentional. Just sent original message via PM. So far I've recieved zero interest but it's only been a day. As for scrubbing, of course not. As a last resort, I intend to scrub off as much paint as possible on a few of my favorite bouldering problems though. Naturally I'd prefer to clean up the whole crag. I'm certainly not adverse to sand blasting but the idea of pressure washing with baking soda crystal aggitants looks like something to investigate as well. It's supposed to be better on the rock but it also sounds like it would be difficult to get the water into some of the areas. As for me, I'm willing to pitch in with donations and labor. Unfortunately, the email I sent hasn't generated any interest yet other than one person who thought the time would be better invested in a stake-out to tar and feather the offenders...one option I suppose. I also contacted the county parks commissioner and suggested that some of the funds generated from leasing out the park to a production company recently could be used to help with cleaning up. He wasn't interested either. On a positive note, it's possible (based on the scrawlings and paint type and short time-span that most grafitti appeared) that the "artists" for most of that stuff may not be local. If that's true, the rock might stay clean for some time....hopefully.

How'd you get back over the roof? If she was unable to make it back into the crack following, how'd you do it on rappell? Who belayed whom back up the 44 feet to the anchor...and how? I'd think the best option would be for her to prussik over the roof. Short of that, since you were only 44 feet above her, set up a pully system and haul her up - that would suck. Why wasn't she able to ascend the rope on her own?

True. I think it's more complicated than that though. The last "effort" was 3 years ago and due to equipment problems, we were only able to get a few pieces of "art" removed. There was a big clean-up a few years previous to that though and much of the grafitti was removed from mostly the main climbing area. The stuff you see in these pics was done mostly this year so there were quite a few years where the fresh canvas went untouched. I don't know what's different about this year. I can say that there have been FAR fewer climbers out there this year and last (many local craggers are spending time at Post Falls). Don't know if that's because of the mess at Minne or maybe even the mess results from the lack of presence?! Post Falls does have some terrific routes so maybe no relation at all. Either way, the area is about as bad as I've ever seen it and the local climbers need to decide if it's worth cleaning up. One or two teams on compressors won't do much at this point. It's gonna take lots of dough for material and commercial equipment rentals/loans and lots of labor. I sent an email out looking for some ideas on how to organize this so hopefully there'll be some interest. If not, I'll fork over the time and scrub the crap off my favorite bouldering problems on the upper bench and leave it at that.

Yeah - the poison ivy is just everywhere this year!

Trip: Minnehaha Fall Color Bouldering - Several Date: 9/29/2007 Trip Report: Went to Minne yesterday to enjoy the Fall colors and get in some bouldering. Parking lot was packed but they must have been the paint ballers and dog walkers - very few climbers out. Swung by the main wall to see if there was anyone there I knew. The red haired dude that I see in Wild Walls during the winter was there doing some insane traverse problem - Smokey Overhang Traverse (gravity defying). Wandered around taking pictures of the colors everywhere and grabbed a few bouldering problems along the way. Spent most of my time on the upper bench - there's a cool wall there that's got some high ball (for me) stuff that's fairly easy but good for the head. Worked the traverse along the wall and got all but the last 5 feet on the left - peeled at the tee pee (see pic). Chilled on the rock and enjoyed the fall colors for quite awhile till the wife called and summoned me home. Hope the pictures are inspiring Main Wall Goodness Novice Rocks Traverse Problem. Crux moves across chimney on far left - Finally got it right to left! Fuc$ Arete - Below Jam Crack Main Face Right - Fun Scrambling on Low 5th Still can't get this problem! Don Q. Face Starting Moves on Don Q. Secondary Face - East Coaster Traverse (Right Side) Secondary Face - East Coaster Traverse (Left Side) Upper Bench Bouldering Upper Bench Bouldering - A favorite "High Ball" and neat traverse Lots of Poison Ivy This Year

I climbed on my last Beal for 2 years before retiring it and it hadn't fuzzed. Maybe they've solved that problem with the latest ropes?

Are you such an absolutist that you equate advertisements of the army with the support of war and Bush? Damn. I have no idea how you figured that question out. I was thinking it was just some random, drug-induced blurt. Maybe it was

Looking for some route options for this winter. A trip to get a winter rock fix. So far we've come up with Solar Slab at Red Rocks as a good one. Any other recommendations? Something mild to moderate; multipitch; warm enough to keep away the screaming barfies. Since the rotator continues to be an issue, I think easy (5.7 or lower) would be the best option. We're thinking maybe 4 days including travel, which would most likely be flying....on a plane

I agree - more lateral support in the trail runners. Mine have a sticky dot rubber sole and a defined heal which provides great traction on the trail but makes them unsuitable for pavement. I think they'd get chewed up pretty fast. I've worn my standard runners on the trail before and they work ok in some cases but not on steep or wet terrain nor on uneven trails where my trail runners excel. They'll do even better when I put in a stiffer in-sole to protect the dogs from the really rocky trails though

It took us much longer than 5 hours but I still thought we made decent time. We had to do the side trip up Little Annapurna and throw in some scrambling and bouldering problems just so I could post here. Plus, my camera kept getting stuck on the views.

Trip: Enchantments Traverse/ Little Annapurna - Stuart Lake TH to Snow Lakes TH Date: 9/23/2007 Trip Report: Did the traverse on Sunday with a side-trip up to Little Annapurna. My first time through the Enchantments - excellent! The larches are turning nicely but still a week or so out from full color. Perfect temps and no wind till near Snow Creek Wall. We spiced up the trip even more with some scrambling when possible. Nightmare Needles look like....a nightmare. Saw a team on one of the crack pitches of Outer Space around 6ish. Sure puts the size of that wall into perspective seeing little people on it. It's on my wish list. Brian got the bike ride up to the car. Dang him for hoarding all the fun.

Nice work. That's one of the neater Glory Optical Phenomenon shots I've seen too. Chuck - thanks for the pointer on the scramble option!

Looked at it yesterday - looked like solid ice. I was surprised at how far up the slope it's retreated - up near the steeper section. Maybe it's like that most years at this time - don't know. Was just surprising because when I went in there early summer(first time) it ran all the way to the water so I just assumed most of that was glacier. I'll post a pic later tonight when I get home.

No leash. Sounds like a pain.

Watched the litters fly overhead Saturday night. Way sad

Heading to Seattle. Let us know how it went.

That's weird. I'd figure anything abnormal like that should be looked at.

I followed this down to the brush you see at the bottom. There's a trail running through the trees to the right of that brush which takes you to Ingalls Creek trail. From there, Longs Pass cutoff is roughly a mile west. We actually went into the next gully east of this and it was directly below Sherpa. The bottom - Ingalls Creek trail about a hundred yards further: