ericb

http://www.nwac.us/products/archive/OSOMUR.2 No need to speculate when you have real data...according to the telemetry, Monday at noon, the temp at Muir was 22 degrees and the AVERAGE windspeed was 46 mph.

"super fun" is content

I need to replace my ASICS gel Trabucos. I'm trying to add trail running to my routine an've been keeping arch issues at bay by limiting my mileage and ramping slowly. My less than expert opinion thus far is that I need something more supportive than my Trabucos that double as a cragging/approach shoe. Given a touchy right arch, and my relatively recent ACL surgery I'd like to be put in the right shoe by someone that really knows what they are doing. Any recommendation on a Seattle area store that has both a good selection and knowledgeable staff....for trail runners specifically?

Agreed as far as the "not necessarily" part but I have a hard time imagining how we are going to be able to talk about what to do next and to repair the damage done without acknowledging, at least, that "mistakes were made." Understand - the question is how public that "acknowledgement" needs to be. A forward looking strategy can incorporate learnings from mistakes made whether they are publicly acknowledged or not. Whether you agree or not, the Republican view generally is that one of the primary deterrents to radical islam and terrorism is the threat of reprisal - often more extreme than the original offense.....see Israeli history and "Hamas Rules" This requires a showing of strength and resolve. This will inevitably set up a constant tension between what may be best for public trust/opinion and what may be the best strategy to "win the war on terror".

True that, and in the case of Iraq I think that will include showing a willingness to speak truthfully about what is and has taken place there rather than putting a whitewash on the whole thing and offering cheerleader stuff like saying it was a good idea and still is a good idea and we gotta honor the fallen; I actually think that the key to success in Iraq (aka a successful withdrawal) is understanding the mistakes that have been made, learning from them, and using them to shape a successful draw-down. How a person chooses to acknowledge them in the public realm...well....that's politics but not necessarily leadership.

The investigation concluded that 3 of the "Keating 5" had "substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings"....John McCain was not one of them. Also, the special investigator at the time recommended that the Senate Ethics Committee not pursue charges against McCain because of "no evidence against him". Please note, not a lack of substantial evidence, but rather NO evidence.

IMO, a persons true colors (depth of character, integrity, etc.) are revealed when the shit hits the fan. I think it would be foolish to elect someone solely on what he did 40 years ago. This account, simply adds dimension and perspective to a man that was huge amount of proven leadership experience. What will happen to Obama when the shit hits his presidential fan???? Who knows, and quite frankly the job's a little too important to risk it. He talks a great game (if you agree with his ideology), but has yet to demonstrate that he's anything more than a windbag of insprirational ideas.

Porter - what about this man's eye witness testimony (in the Mccain video) do you question? Do you think he's lying?

sounds like a man of character to me

how ironic, I remember hearing this argument before, like 8 years ago. How is that ironic?

can we instead make tasteless black jokes? I'm in. Let's not sink to their level gentlemen. I am sure we can ride off of the coke useage, shady realestate deals, slum lord buddies, flip flopping on the war, his anarchic pastor (whom he said he would never abandon... we see how long that lasted), his wanton disregard for the common man and for just being a smug bitch! The big question is, what attribute is more valuable in a president....character, or charisma. My vote's for character.

Ummm....just what ARE his accomplishments?

Great pants! - I love mine. IMO less extra fabric in the legs is a good thing as it lowers the odds of catching them with your crampons.

Haven't used my ski rack in 3 years!

I grew up with Boxers and my hunny grew up with Mastiffs. we are very familiar with bully breeds. i am not a fan of any dog being off leash. some don't need to be leashed but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be. but then i don't like other peoples kids to walk up to me either. they don't bite (usually) but it is still awkward. The bully breed dogs that i have known were absolutely docile unless they thought that someone in their family was in any kind of danger. I had no doubt as a kid that Lady would not let anyone in the house who would hurt me. yet my ritual with her every morning was to lay down on the floor in the morning so we could wrestle and she would lick my face. my mom babysat kids and Lady would just sit there when the kids would paw all over her and pull her ears. Mom mom ran with Lady every morning. she was well behaved on a leash and would sit by my mom's foot if any other dog was around. she was not very socialized and I think I will do that differently. I would like my dog to be more social. however, I will not ever leave my dog tied in front of a store, or at the bottom of a climb. that is not fair to the dog or the other people around. (I am really excited to get a dog ) So if you want a dog to play nice with the kids, get a lab. The question is what do you get with "pit" that you wouldn't get with less aggressive breed.....why risk it? Given the litigious nature of our society, are you really going to trust your family's financial future to a dog's ability to rightly judge "when someone in their family was in any kind of danger". The breed is not agressive they are protective. I don't care for Labs. Bully breeds are no more a risk than any other dog. they require training and like any other breed if they are too inbred they are more likely to no function well in society. as far as the protective nature of some breeds Mastiffs Boxers Pitbulls Rots and others, they were specificly bred to go to war (mastifs and rots) Bull mastiffs were bred to attack people who were tresspassing. It is in their breeding to know when someone is not suposed to be on the property. I am fully aware of how you and other uneducated people view bully breed dogs and frankly i am totaly uninterested. The only dogs i have ever seen attack inappropriately were not bully breed. one was indeed a black lab that nearly tore the face of it's owners child. so there. Muff...I'm hardly uneducated, but we can compare pedigrees via PM if you'd like. Agression is due to both nature and nurture....so my point was why would you want a dog that you had to train to not be a lethal weapon given all the other options out there. I've not yet heard a person list a strength of the "bully breeds" that isn't present in spades in other less aggressive breeds. Can you list some positive traits of pit bulls and will see if they are somehow unique? Once will biking down the Burke Gilman (at the park near bothel), I came upon quite a spectacle. Two pitbulls, apparently from the same litter, on a forked leash, in a death match, tethered together by the same leash that the frantic screaming sobbing owner was walking them with not 2 minutes earlier. Apparently something triggered a disaggreement, and they both "snapped". She tried in vain for 3 minutes to separate them while their blood was running all over the paved trail. Finally, after 5 minutes, someone heeded my advice (I might have stepped in myself but I was in bike cleats and not particularly nimble) and dragged the duo by the leash into the lake until they could no longer touch bottom and they had to separate or drown. Actually one slipped it's collar and swam to shore, and once secured, the other was carried in. I think they both lived, but it was pretty traumatic to them and everyone within a 300 yard radius. Every since, I've been pretty down on pitbulls. Of course, not all breeds have the wow value of a pit bull, but if you need a dog to look cool, you've got problems.

I've got a 97 civic with 150K miles. Other than routine maintenance, and one $200 CV Joint fix, I've not spent a dime on the car. Another thing to consider (if this is for climbing pursuits) is a secure trunk. My civic has a locking mechanism on the interior trunk latch and fold down seats so someone who breaks a window doesn't gain auto entry into the trunk and its contents. A determined thief could certainly find a way no doubt, but it does give a little added security if you are leaving it at trailheads etc. This is one reason I prefer a sedan over a hatchback.

I grew up with Boxers and my hunny grew up with Mastiffs. we are very familiar with bully breeds. i am not a fan of any dog being off leash. some don't need to be leashed but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be. but then i don't like other peoples kids to walk up to me either. they don't bite (usually) but it is still awkward. The bully breed dogs that i have known were absolutely docile unless they thought that someone in their family was in any kind of danger. I had no doubt as a kid that Lady would not let anyone in the house who would hurt me. yet my ritual with her every morning was to lay down on the floor in the morning so we could wrestle and she would lick my face. my mom babysat kids and Lady would just sit there when the kids would paw all over her and pull her ears. Mom mom ran with Lady every morning. she was well behaved on a leash and would sit by my mom's foot if any other dog was around. she was not very socialized and I think I will do that differently. I would like my dog to be more social. however, I will not ever leave my dog tied in front of a store, or at the bottom of a climb. that is not fair to the dog or the other people around. (I am really excited to get a dog ) So if you want a dog to play nice with the kids, get a lab. The question is what do you get with "pit" that you wouldn't get with less aggressive breed.....why risk it? Given the litigious nature of our society, are you really going to trust your family's financial future to a dog's ability to rightly judge "when someone in their family was in any kind of danger".

The sweating thing is definitely possible....the "breathability" aspect of a goretex boot lining is quickly compromised as the pores get clogged by dirt and oils from your feet. Also, it's possible that the outer fabric being wet allowed the boots to conduct cold more readily to your feet, making them feel wet. I had a pair of trangos, and scotchgarded the outer fabric to make it more water repellent to avoid this, especially since they aren't particularly warm boots to begin with.

Are they goretex....if so, are you sure that water made it's way into the boot through the membrane, or did it go down through the top of the boot?

I had a similar experience and it was my IT band.....look up the various stretches for it on the interwebs if you get a chance. Also, I bought a foam roller and give it a couple sessions a week.....haven't had any issues for a couple years.

Blake - I've got a WM Hilite, and the synthetic version of the MB - #7 ~ 50 degrees. I think the WM is a bit lighter that the MB down offering, but it's also cut fairly narrow (I've got broad shoulders), so not much room to move, and the stretchiness of the MB is really nice considering you are in an already close-cut bag. Also while I've not snagged/torn either, the shell fabric on the MB seems a bit more resilient, at least based on the touch test. I think you could see both of them at Jim Nelson's shop, and he'd have a more educated opinion.

We warned you about the scene in SLC, and you wouldn't listen. Now look at what your idea of "entertainment" is

I've got the Garmont Towers and love them, but they are a bit heavy to end up in the pack. Vetta Plus is a similar design, but lighter. I've climbed ~ 5.5 in the Towers pretty easily. Now that I've got a heavy duty pair of leather mountaineering boots, I wish I had the Vettas vs. the Towers. The only thing about the Vetta is they are still over 3 pounds....for a non-waterproof low-top, this still is a bit on the heavy side. Garmont also has a ~ heavy duty approach shoe out this year called the Dragontail....looks pretty cool, but too new to have any reviews, and I don't know what retailers in the Seattle area have them to try on. They are supposed to be a step up from the "Sticky Cat" in support and durability, which is good because I blew through the lightweight mesh on my sticky cat on the first day out.

Thanks for the tip on the guidebook, got it last week and have been thumbing through it....getting Psyched! Other questions to throw out there..... The book calls for double sets of stoppers for many of the routes, and says hexes work well. Thoughts? - should I bring the hexes? Also, what are your thoughts about the ratings at the Leap compared to say, Leavenworth or Index or J-Tree. We are trying to pull together a tick list of climbs, but want to make sure we're not overshooting our leading abilities.

have you looked at the Garmont Vetta?