Bigtree

Will do. That should be an interesting conversation later this evening.

How does that saying go...my money is her money and her money is her money? Oh never mind. She knows she's appreciated when she's being called in to perform "major surgery" on the family jewels.

My dog and I get them all the time north of the border. In fact I (well, really my wife actually 'cause I was spazzing out) pulled one off my left testicle a few week-ends back with some tweezers (note to self: never wear loose fitting boxers during tick season).

Did someone say Slapshot and the Hanson brothers? ua9u8-WGHFY

Seems like a pretty steep price for one of these things (i.e., $10 canuck bucks)... ...especially when it looks like I could use one of these things and achieve the same, if not more absorbent, feel...

Dechristo, I particularly like the "gene gun" and the part about human-kind practicing biotech for more than 6 000 years vis a vis beer making.

You can find the bittorrent download for the film here: http://www.torrentspy.com/torrent/616787/Future_of_Food_XviD_avi

I noticed it last night as well, just after (or was it before?) a commercial for the stuff. Didn't trouble me since I think Kelly's a knob and never listen to anything he says (remember that goofy blue head band he wore for years under his mask?). Next week on Don Cherry's spot they'll be pitching Cold FX - watch for it.

Thanks BackCountryPunk. I've heard others give similar advice, but my 2 mates were keen to do a trip based out of the Kain hut so we've booked 4 nights starting Aug. 19. My only "must climbs" will be the West Ridge of Pidgeon Spire and the Kain Route on Bug Spire - all else will be cream.

I can relate Spotly. The fastest technology of the day took me on my last street bike (before I moved to dirt on a KX500 2-stroke that constantly hurt me every time I touched the beast) was 245 km/hr on an old 1980 Kawasaki Z1R. Here's some more eye candy - 300 km/hr on the autobahn... 6JvhtB8Jiys or how about a 200 km/hr extended power wheelie en route to 300 km/hr... aE5PhDsW7SE

Thanks for posting kevbone - I loved it.

Don, I just finished watching Warren Miller's Cold Fusion DVD which had some great heli ski footage of Waddington in it. Seems to me the young bucks flew in via Whitsaddle heli from a ranch on the Chilcotin Plateau. I know you're opposed to that kind of stuff in the area but it still looked very cool, particularly one scene where a guy takes a spectacular/lengthy tumble which ends as he bounces off the downslope side of a 'schrund or crevasse and then stands up and shakes it off like its an everyday occurrence. Coincidentally, I bumped into an oldie but goodie article about your Waddington traverse in Mark Krosse's Fifty Favorite Climbs. I have a better appreciation of your passion/motivations.

Beautiful photos Gary (I like the nude cyclists and and Pigeon Spire pics the best).

I bought a pair of K2 Shuksans this season (181 cm)and am very pleased with their performance resort riding and in the backcountry. The testers in my '07 Backcountry Gear Guide magazine describe the K2 Mt. Baker as: "Designed on the Work Stinx footprint and also sporting Titanal laminates but in a softer-flexing layup, the Mt. baker is big and beamy and damp - no tester called it lively or best suited for tight trees. testers found this year's version less contentious than last year's. "Nice damp ski. Can plow through anything. Super stable, [produces] a nice, solid, round turn" said one. Added another: "Feeling a bit blocky and planky at ow speeds, they tend to plow through, rather than float on, soft snow. Crank it up a notch and they plane-off nicely in deeper snow, windpack and chop" If the price is right and they're anything like my Shuksans buy 'em.

Maybe a new KFC outlet with a take out window - yum. Would save me the drive into town. Then again, all those greasy climbers fingers might warrant a new special YDS rating system (eg., 5.10 - KFC, or 5.10 - TH). A serious problem to think about.

Exactly. Look at pics of the Chief prior to the old fire that burnt up the face (I can't remember how far back that was) and you'll see how weed-like hemlock, pine and spruce really are.

A multi-cultural apple tree - very cool. What kind/variety of apples did you go with? I've got robust one that produces fujian and the other that is the focus of my angst is unknown to me (produces a large yellow apple).

Methinks the issues might be misplaced priorities and/or the sanctimonius attitudes of the "save the the trees" crowd. Like I said before, if folks are truely moved by the issue they can put their own money up and buy the property like the climbing community did with the access to Smoke Bluffs a number of years back.

Not if you have ""deep roots" in "Old Squamish", and close ties with some significant community members, including a couple of members of Council" and certainly not if you are a card carrying disciple of David Suzuki (he's kinda the Al Gore of the north except smarter 'cause he's a scientist you know).

Dear Abby, I was harbouring thoughts yesterday about cutting down an apple tree in my back yard. The tree is old and decadent and long past its prime. Oh yeah, it also produces dry starchy apples - blech. On two occasions I made a move for my Stihl 034 but chickened out and grabbed a beer instead afraid that someone with far purer motivations than myself and certainly one more in tune with the environmental values of our time would hear my saw and report me for unauthorised tree euthanasia. Worse than the horrendous fine I might incur from the local Victoria city council, my biggest fear was that I would be banned from climbing in Squamish for ever once those pure souls learned of my transgressions. What should I do - I'm so confused?

Sure sounds like an intolerant, narrow view of the world you've got going there Jim. Lets check back in a decade shall we once the gentrification of Squamish is complete and the quaint heritage/history of the region has been further sanitized and all those trees on the surrounding mountains have grown another few metres?

Unlike hypocrites like you, I'm comfortable and guilt free living in a world that values trees in both their living and unliving states. As a side bar, next time you're driving the Sea to Sky highway up the Squamish/Whislter corridor look around, there is no shortage of trees.

I was at a search & rescue meeting last week with the Provincial Emergency Program folks in Victoria. The boys were pushing personal locater beacons (PLBs) for climbers quite strongly. The stats were thin for north of the border but I heard over 10 000 units sold/in use south of the border. Seemed a bit high to me given all the chatter and negativity about their use (and MLUs for that matter) in previous posts (perhaps the number is inclusive of recreational boaters?). Nevertheless, am starting to think it might be useful to purchase one of two for use on some of our Alpine Club trips. I see that REI has a couple made by ACR but I can't seem to find much else suitable for backcountry/mountaineering use (i.e., small and light). Does anyone have any experience/recommendations on other makes and models (apparently the integral GPS chip is a desirable feature)? Some good basic information on PLBs here by the way: http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/cospas-sarsat/locaterBeacon_e.asp

Are you for real? ... Yup...and trust me, whacking down a few second (or third?) growth trees across from a 1 ac paved parking lot and a 4 lane highway will not despoil your sacred "wilderness" experience nor will it make a material difference in the ecology of the area. Climbers will continue to flock to Squamish, tourists will continue to blast up the highway to Whistler in their gas guzzling SUVs, and in 6 months you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about.

No more so than you being a home owner and some wanker comes along and starts telling you what you can and can't do with your freehold tenure that you paid for. You guys have a problem with it, get your checkbook out and deal with it like the FMCBC et al did across the road a bunch of years back otherwise bite your tongue; unless of course you want to promote a society that thinks it OK to pass idiotic bylaws that purport to fine property owners $10K/tree for unauthorized harvest.