billbob

We thought that our trip last year mid-August would be successful, until three days of crap weather hanging at Muir convinced us to seek elsewhere. Good choice since the weather remained another three days. Just goes to show ya, the best laid plans...

Drink LOTS of water or just drink heavily. works for me Things are rarely as bad as one thinks. Or they're worse So think positive(ly) get over it Pray? Be About Love.

Hi, my son is 15 and has spent 6 years competing in the USA Climbing circuit, altho he's a bit out of practice right now. Problem is he's never climbed (rock) outdoors and is hot to go for it. Last year he was leading 5.12 at Club Sport and summited Hood once. Are you all in the Seattle area? We live in PDX... BB

I'm a sex addict, can't seem to stop doing it! I have no control over it, it's like every other night or so (not as young as I used to be) I want to have more sex. My girlfriend is the enabler, always trying to get more (yep, she's way younger than me). There have been times when I desperately wanted to stop the cycle of addiction but have not found the willpower, like somehow I'm hardwired for it. Seriously, having been thru AA and NA programs in the past for good reasons, yet still continuing to drink and smoke (Much more moderately these days) while not yet self-destructing or becoming incarcerated, I might add to the above commentaries in that there are a wide range of personalities to consider when making rather general statements on addictions. Do we addicts function on different levels? Are there truly "functional" addicts? Does an Irish heritage preclude any reasonable chance of not becoming what some people consider an alcoholic? Does a desire to consume 2-3 beers every day mean I'm (still) an addict and will I be a addict if that drops to 1 beer every day? Can this disease be managed over a lifetime such that it does not result in problematic behaviours?

BC, I've used the Garmin 60xxx for a couple years and found it to be an asset. Don't know if other brands have the same issues as mine, to wit: 1) Ya gotta keep it relatively warm. Last winter in a whiteout the screen went black, reportedly from the 22F temps and the fact it was sitting in the outide pocket of my shell; and 2) While it does have a compass function, if you are using the map and are not moving, then just turning and pointing the unit will not provide accurate spatial orientation. The unit has to be traveling (horizontally), something not always possible, maybe a bit risky watching a screen while climbing. BB.

Maybe we could meet in person, you know, way up on the S side around 9,500' elev. I would be grateful for the opportunity to point out a few things, for example the view of the beautiful White River canyon. Just over there, yep, a little closer and you can see all the way down...

Hood is a hike? Call TMG. Please.

Triton X-100 and its brethren are ethoxylated phenols and are particularly environmentally unfriendly, if that matters to you. It breaks down to produce various toxic congeners of phenol. Phenol as you know is rather carcinogenic, mutagenic, and all those other -genics. As to the composition of tech wash or sport wash (IMO a better buy) one could send a sample to such laboratories around the country that perform such reverse-engineering services at rather high cost. One might also try blend varying amounts of nonionic block copolymer-type surfactants along with a mild sequestering agent, an appropriate dispersant, and perhaps a fluorinated wetting agent. Add in some deionized water and mix at the right temperature and you might come up with something. Alternatively you might search the US Patent database (USPTO.gov) and try to copy someone else's fomulas, which works as long as you don't try to sell or give away anything produced. There is another and more expeditious manner of getting started in this area but one would need an expensive laboratory and business license to avoid legal issues. Or you could just go to Walmart.

There seems to be a wide range of what folks consider as white-out. Last winter we had weather move in quickly around dawn on the SS, bring serious white-out and freezing rain that quickly built up on our gear to over 1" thick. We were by Crater Rock at the time. Couldn't see past the end of my trekking pole. As we slowly headed back down, a couple small slab avis went close by, no doubt as a result of precip-loading. Sure wish I had remembered to bring the gps, even with altimeter, map & compass we ended up W of the Palmer lift and had to traverse E for an hour. Fun stuff.

uh, I left those there to help others who might also be climbing in the cold wet slippery-ness!? Forgive this newbie dumbass, but you might need a hammer to get the P3 nut out after I stood on it for almost half a freaking hour.

Lots of stories have happy endings thanks to the excellent people in mountain rescue. This humble author remembers all too well his own such story and the profound gratitude for the help. Moral is: Don't forget to send a donation to your local rescue group, the next ass they save could be yours.

Ivan, Thanks for your patience and leadership in getting my skinny white ass up that route. Never woulda kept it together were it not for your frequent words of encouragement and advice. You really do this shit for fun, huh? Actually I was kinda wondering about the dearth of other people out there on Friday.. like aren't there supposed to be lots of other climbers out here too? At least now I get to write my own BR story on the board and yes I do want to climb that rock when its dry (OK, just once) because at this point the fear has changed to pride and it feels pretty freaking great. Yah, IMO the best way to keep warm at Beacon is to borrow the extra sweater in your partner's bag about half way up. It helps to be shaking uncontrollably with fear as your partner will prolly think you must be freezing yer ass off. Downside is that then you gotta focus and somehow stop the shaking freakies or else he's going to want his sweater back for sure. Off-Topic but worthy comment: Damn I have new-found respect for rock climbers in general along with a better understanding of the reasons for doing it.

dude, don't go telling everybody.

too funny

To wit: last December, weekend before the "Lost Climbers on Hood" storm-of-the-year began, conditions couldn't have been better than the styrofoam snow and clear blue skies at the SS ...

Ranger office is saying they plan to leave the road open thru Thanksgiving W/E, also the Cooper Spur Lodge received 8" of new snow last night so one might find the road impassable for most vehicles.

Hood Rangers reports today the CC road still open and will prolly remain open thru this weekend. Road conditions reported as "frosty", good news because they want to avoid ruts that occur when the road is wet.

Does the ban on nudity extend from summit down to Base Camp? "Nepal bans nudity on Mount Everest Last updated at 14:31pm on 26th September 2007 Attention climbers: Please keep your clothes on while climbing Mount Everest. Nepal's mountaineering authorities are calling for a ban on nudity and attempts to set obscene records on the world's highest mountain, officials said today. Last year, a Nepali climber claimed the world's highest display of nudity when he disrobed for several minutes while standing on the 8,850-metre (29,035-foot) summit in temperatures about minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Nepalese authorities have banned attempts to set obscene records on the mountain, which they revere "There should be strict regulations to discourage such attempts by climbers," said Ang Tshering, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association. Other record-setting attempts that sparked controversy included a Dutch man who attempted to scale the peak wearing only shorts. The people who live on the foot hill of Everest worship the mountain as a god and mountaineering authorities have asked the government to ban disrespectful stunts on Everest, Tshering said. Mount Everest has always attracted record-setters, including the oldest climber (71 years old), the youngest climber (15 years old), the first climber with one foot and the first blind climber. In 2005, a Nepali couple exchanged vows on the summit as the first couple to get married on Everest." Excerpt from London Daily Mail

N Hood Ranger station says the road to Cloud Cap/TJ will be closed soon. This may be the last weekend you will be able to drive all the way up until June-ish next year.

Sold yet? What kind of condition are they in?

Dude, get a grip. Do your homework. It's just going to piss people off if they have to come save your newbie ass.

I drink a bottle of over-priced water and then pour in the favorite adult beverage. Aluminum will quickly form an oxidation layer at the surface and remain relatively inert unless / until exposed to liquids below pH 4.5 (or above about 11). Recommend you avoid also any liquids containing salts (electrolytes)in Aluminum containers. Further recommend avoiding cookware not coated with an inert (Teflon) layer. Health effects of aluminum Aluminum is one of the most widely used metals and also one of the most frequently found compounds in the earth's crust. Due to these facts, aluminum is commonly known as an innocent compound. But still, when one is exposed to high concentrations, it can cause health problems. The water-soluble form of aluminum causes the harmful effects, these particles are called ions. They are usually found in a solution of aluminum in combination with other ions, for instance as aluminum chlorine. The uptake of aluminum can take place through food, through breathing and by skin contact. Long lasting uptakes of significant concentrations of aluminum can lead to serious health effects, such as: - Damage to the central nervous system - Dementia - Loss of memory - Listlessness - Severe trembling Note that excessive alcohol intake will result in similar symptoms....

Huckleberries are IN above Elk Cove, Vista Ridge trail. Ropes not needed.

Note to potential partners: Mr Clam is one strong climber, as in he carried a full pack from Paradise to Muir last weekend in under 4 hrs, and I don't think he was really trying. That was after he got maybe 2hrs sleep the night before. Then two days later he solo'd up Colchuck Peak in about 45 min from the bottom of the snowfield. In the rain, with no ice tool, just an axe. Oh yeah, if you aren't familiar w/ current route conditions on Colchuck, it has a 60 degree bare ice section about 200' long. Then he ran down the snowfield, ran down the moraine, and ran back to the trailhead. Damn kid didn't even look tired. Mr Clam is one good guy and you'll be lucky to climb with him.

What he said! We waited Sat and Sun at Muir for a break in the weather, decided not to follow you guys Sat nite and were glad for it. Our megamid got knocked down from that storm, forcing us to drink our last bottle (made sense at the time). Would have enjoyed the whole thing much more if only we had thought to bring more adult beverages etc. Isn't August supposed to have the best weather? Just goes to show ya that 1) Mountain weather is unpredictable, and 2) Bring more consumables than you expect to consume because it's much better to carry back than to run dry. Hope to see you back up there soon.