scheissami

Anybody been up lately? What's the scoop? I was thinking about going tonight unless the weather craps out. Cheers.

Sucky. Catch you guys later this week, hopefully.

The last few times I've flown, I've carried my rope and rack as carry-on to minimize the weight of my bag (stupid 50 lbs max ). I haven't run into any problems yet, but certainly check to make sure sharp stuff (your nut tool, that knife you have stashed, etc) is all in your checked luggage. They won't even let you pack a lighter or matches anymore--asinine! Have fun in the desert!

I think part of the problem, too, is that it's difficult to really "prove" that these things work. There's just so much that goes into people surviving avalanches that it's difficult to say that this device or the other really is what kept them alive. Yeah, it's quite a chunk of change, but if you figure that it may just help you live, well, it seems more reasonable. You could always volunteer to prove it works... (Actually, the experiments this guy did in Utah for hypothermia in burials required that the volunteers have continuous core body temperatures measured...with rectal thermometer probes!)

Sweet!!!

I don't think so. I spent a few weeks at the University of Utah for a wilderness medicine course; one of the docs who developed the Avalung is faculty there and gave our lecture about avalanche medicine/safety. The way he presented the data led me to believe that the benefits have only been shown with controlled mock "burials" though it's certainly reasonable to extrapolate that to the real situation. Clearly, the Avalung is not capable of minimizing mortality from non-respiratory sources, nor is it designed to do so. One could conceivably pair it with other devices being developed, such as the Air-Bag System, which is designed to keep you from being buried as deeply. At the end of the day, though, while you are probably more likely to get killed from other causes in the wet PNW snow, I figure wearing one of these certainly can't hurt.

You might check out a gear sling like the BD Zodiac. It's technically a "big wall" sling, but I find that it's comfy and doesn't swing around due to the backpack style shoulder straps.

Hey, Does anybody have some fave websites for checking the weather forecasts? Specifically for the Snoqualmie and WA pass areas? I'm still pretty new to all of this stuff, so links to avy conditions would be sweet, too (I'm not comfortable figuring that out on my own just yet). Cheers

If the weather dries out, anybody down for this evening at the Butte? Otherwise, I was gonna head to the Circuit. Pretty much the plan for the rest of the week (preferably rock but DT always an option if things get soggy).

Yo, Where in PDX can I get my hands on a season pass for Smiffy? Last I heard they were 20 bucks, yeah? Cheers

Hey, Glad to hear you made it back safe despite sub-optimal conditions. Do you have any pics? Do any of you folk think the south face route would be climbable now? Mostly exposed rock or is it covered by tons of snow/snice? I'm a super noob but thought it might be an accessible climb this weekend. Any ideas? Cheers.

Hey, Any recs for headphones that you can run with (including the ubiquitous rain)?

Hey, Does anybody have any suggestions for alpine rock climbs near PDX? I'm a total newb in the PNW and am interested in multipitch easy-ish routes (prolly 5.8-5.9 max difficulty). Especially interested in stuff that could be done within 24 hrs pdx to pdx. I'm looking for stuff throughout the year, but also in particular areas that are in condition now... Appreciate the help. -e

My aunt's name is Edeltraud. She's from Austria. Clearly German can occaisionally be an unattractive language.

Can't make Tuesday but I can do Thursday if youse guys wanna do 2x this week. Have fun...without me

Clearly, I could benefit from this helmet. Or would I look more manly if next time the adze knocks out all my teef? Women dig men with a busted grill, right?

Anybody been up more recently? I was thinkin' bout headin up tomorrow night, standard south side route. Do any of you folk haul a snowboard up? I know a few folk who do it for Adams, but I'm not sure about for Hood. (man, gotta learn to ski...)

Dude, the dancehall scene! "Send me an angel, right now, Right now..." What could conceivably be more entertaining than flatlanding with a discoball and some killer eighties threads and do's? That movie's the shit!

Dude, whaddya mean not "world-class"? You're the shit. Sorry I can't make it to Hood tonight--stuck in the hospital on call. Next week!...

Thanks for all the advice (and gettin my back!). I suppose I wouldn't be gettin all dissed on if I had asked some questions about skiing, huh? The snowboarding I do doesn't seem particularly well suited to cross country travel (although I would look rad skating for 8 hours). As soon as I'm rich I'll invest in some skis.

Yo, This'll be my first winter here, and I'm stoked that we seem to be getting snow this year. I was hoping to go snowshoeing this weekend and planning on cruising around on Hood. Do you guys have a better suggestion or specific recommendations on where to go within a couple hour drive of Portland? Thanks. Oh, yeah, I'm not really up for a crazy backcountry adventure--don't wanna have to deal with glacier/crevasse stuff or any avy prone areas. Cheers.

You also won't have any teeth, but they're just dead weight anyway! Climb stronger without teeth! (Teeth are aid)

Unfortunately, dietary supplements do not typically fall under the FDA's jurisdiction. Often, consumers are not aware that these substances are not regulated. However, the ban of ephedra supplements is the first time that the FDA has jumped through the tortuous bureaucratic hoops to ban a dietary supplement. "In February 2003, results of the Rand Study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of ephedra-containing products for weight loss and athletic performance, were published.11 Investigators evaluated 52 controlled studies and 65 case reports and included formal meta-analyses when possible. The results suggested that short-term use produced modest weight loss (0.9 kg/mo). There was no evidence for enhancement of athletic performance. Safety data from 50 trials showed a 2.2- to 3.6-fold increase in the risk of adverse events." "Adverse events associated with ephedra and ephedrine alkaloids include headache, hypertension, insomnia, irritability, motor restlessness, tachycardia, and urinary retention. Serious AEs include cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, psychosis, seizures, stroke, and death." "On December 30, 2003, the FDA alerted the public that it planned to ban dietary supplements containing ephedra because they presented "unreasonable risk of illness or injury," and on February 11, 2004, the FDA issued its final rule declaring dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids to be adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The ruling, which prohibited the sale of ephedra dietary supplements because they present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury, went into effect on April 12, 2004." What's this all mean? Well, for starters, I wouldn't use ephedra supplements myself. Sure, you may lose up to an extra kilo per month, but another study I looked at showed no difference in body fat percentage. So, yippee, I lost weight but I'm still relatively just as fat. Does not seem too beneficial. I think the fallout from this whole deal is that the public is becoming aware of the limitations of the FDA to evaluate substances that certainly can have an impact on our health, but, due to the way they are marketed, can avoid safety testing. Hopefully, this will lead to more stringent requirements for the manufacture of dietary supplements. Just my two cents. "More Evidence Supporting the Ban of Ephedra Dietary Supplements." Chavez, Mary. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 895-897.

Yo, yo...who's this band? Am I retarded for not knowing this?

I'm leaving in two days for Red Rocks....I'm absolutely stoked, and reading your tr has certainly helped. We'll be doing some of the easier stuff to start with (Cat in the Hat, Olive Oil, Crimson Chrysalis), but I've heard it's the best moderate stuff in the states. I'm not sure how hard we're gonna push the grades, but probably not above 5.10ish. Any other recs for routes? Cheers...