ericb

my two cents.....if you are poor, or have a lot of time on your hands, you can do it yourself. I think its a classic "what's the value of your time" question. I did some research a while back, and many recommend you use special down soap, and commercial washers and dryers. Others recommend hand wash and multiple rinses in a bathtub. If you don't rinse the soap out thoroughly, you might do more harm than good to the down. I think down soap alone is ~ 15 bucks another $5 for a commercial washer/drier...plus sitting for a three hours in a laundromat. You could also spend quite a while carefully massaging it with multiple rinses in your bathtub with uncertain results. If it were my Bathtub, I'd also have to spend an hour cleaning it before I put my sleeping bag in there I decided to drop it off at http://www.rainypass.com/ and have it professionally cleaned for $35....not that much more than the materials to do it per spec yourself, much less time, and proven methods. I personally wouldn't want to ruin a $350 bag (I have a pinnacle as well) to save $20. BTW, the loft is now excellent and it is noticeably warmer.

We were cragging in Leavenworth this weekend and saw a dusting above about ~ 4,800 feet, with what looked to more up higher - not sure how much fell at higher elevations though.

I'm interested in buying a big crack cam, and having a hard time deciding between the #5 BD C4 and #5 Technical Friend. It looks like price/weight/range is pretty close with the Wildcountry a little cheaper, lighter, smaller. I've seen reviews that said WCs were the most stable for big cracks, and others that say the same about BD...thoughts? Any experiences on the relative strength/stability?

I'm going to have to dissagree with the last statement - I don't think Spokane is in the same category as the enchantments. I grew up there, and let me just say that one weekend of being chased around by goats for my urine was more entertainment than I found in my 15 years in Spokane.

I'm just trying to have fun too....anybody up for a game of who's the real climber behind Kevbone's avatar??? me first

Jeez....jokes on me....I got sucked in to the whole split personality/avatar thing. I can't believe that I fell for it as I spotted the "Eastern European ice climber with broken English and a brown dog" almost immediately. Alpinfox - how in the world did you come up with the idea for the "I don't have time to finish my GED because I'm too busy slamming my mini-truck" avatar....brilliant and touche'.

You never cease to dissappoint....haven't heard that one since highschool

As far as the weight/bulk thing.....I think I read that the new skinny dyneema is something like 1/8 the weight equivalent strength nylon, and it's is much less bulky (in the pack and over the shoulder). If you are carrying 8 - 10 slings, this adds up (maybe a pound). Dyneema slings also makes nice manageable extendable draws. This gives you a lot more flexibility than carrying slings and draws. I carry a cordolette for anchors that can double for bail anchors. You may spend $50 bucks more out of the gate, but it's worth it for the reduction in weight and bulk. Saving a pound in other areas (tent, stove, titanium pots, etc) will likely cost you more. I've seen guys wearing 8 nylon runners over the shoulder, and it didn't look comfy.

Post it! The Mods can move the thread to spray if need be

Hey all...I'm hoping to find a good Chiropractor for my wife close to her work (Federal Way) Any suggestions?

exactly

No, have you? Is that a requirement to be cool on this site? No, it not a requirement. You just aren't cool. My two cents.....we are in agreement that Kevbone is not cool. While I may or not agree with or enjoy all the spray on this site, I find it to be quite clever nonetheless...some very quick-witted funny folks. Many of them also post TRs with great pix that get me psyched to climb....many of them don't.... Then there's Kevbone. No sharing of meaningful information, generally stupid or certainly unimaginative comments. He surfs the boards, and sees a subject that intrigues him - only to be dissappointed that it's got some sort of political bent...not about furry camel-like creatures as he had supposed. Confused he scrolls down through all of the intellectual banter beyond his grasp until (gasp) Anal Sex!!! "Here's something I understand!!!" and thus seizes an opportunity to entertain us all yet again.

Kevbone....have you ever posted posted an actual TR on this site? Just curious

Sounds like my recollection as well. Typically squeeze chimneys don't get 5.humorous, but there's a gigantic ledge below it. If you are not in a hurry, set up a belay below the chimney like we did and then you can laugh at each other instead of just the leader getting all the laughs.

When we did it, the snow was soft, and what I could see of the remnant from the liberty bell group looked to be icing up. That said, from what I remember, the snow necessary to gain the ridge was very low angle, and could be skirted on rock for the most part. Here's a pic that shows the crossing. I'm not positive, but pretty sure you could be on rock the whole time up to this short stretch. Hopefully someone else has been up there more recently. you could probably bring one axe for the group, send it with the leader to a belay stance on the rock in a pinch if it was necessary at all....IMO

guess i'm going to be hitting up my buddy that just moved within an hour of j-tree

OK...so a slightly different direction here....if this happened to you, would you go to the media? I'm almost scared of the potential responses

I second the "must jam" theory. Classic Crack (5.8+) in leavenworth absolutely killed me.

awesome pics....looks like the air quality has improved significantly since we were in the area on Thursday (9/7). Hopefully the forecasted snow in the area Thurs/Fri will put the fires to rest for the year. I think the smoke in your #6 pic is the cedar creek fire...looks like it's blowing to the south but mellowed

http://www.aliencamsbycch.com/recall/nw_report.html Christmas is around the corner!

The O/W-squeeze that can be seen from the bottom of the pitch is not the easy squeeze chimney finish - the easiest finish is around to the right....following the line of the lie-back flack. It's awkward, but only a couple minutes of grunting. If you can't fit more than a butt-cheek in this one, you should take up a different hobby I think the O/W visible from the base of the pitch is more like a 5.8.

Few thoughts - even the east of crest forecast looks iffy...40/30/20% chance of precip on fri/sat/sun and cool That said: There's 5.6 3 pitch route on the north face of Concord....good pairing with the Beckey Route as you rap to the base of the climb - both are reasonably done in the same day. Agree with Blake....especially given the iffy forecast, Le Petit Cheval might be good as you can easily bail in a single rap into the descent gully...exactly why I did it last October - this is a full day. They call it 5.7, but I think that's conservative. Kangaroo Temple has a couple routes...the North face is ~ 5.6 I think....lot of approach for 2-3 pitches. I just did the NW face - great climb, but it is a solid 5.7. If I was going all the way to Black Peak, and comforable leading 5.6, try the Northeast Ridge - much better climb than the south route, although I'd not like to get caught up there on either ridge in bad weather, especially the NE. Freezing levels are dropping and Black is 8900 feet.

you did? I don't see it. An example please? An example please? -Self-loving-narcisistic-tool-chestbeatingFox AF - it wasn't my intention to name names, nor to call out any paricular person but I believe my non-answer to your question was actually embedded in my post

As a noob, generally, my TR's have been well received despite the moderate nature of my alpine climbing. I did get flack for my Vesper TR, but it was in the context of a greater politics/religion/ideological debate, so I guess the gloves come off there. I've also chatted a bit with some other CCers and learned for the most part not to take anything too seriously, and to feel free to completely ignore the comments from some. Experience has also shown who posts TRs with useful information and who just seems to be a big fan of themselves. I've also read some TRs from the "self-lovers" (that were nothing but chest beating) that I thought for sure would draw serious fire, and folks were pretty gracious and complimentary. I guess the thing that confuses me is that this some in this community can be so prejudiced against someone because of their religious beliefs and intolerant of people with different ideological bents, but yet tolerant, and even gracious to some narcissistic, chest-beating tool.

Ya....later in the season, once it's dry, it's quite doable, just a little spicey. I can imagine that when it's wet, it's a whole different story. I'm not going to get in the bolting debate.....