Sherri

Right on, Crillz! Looks like you guys had a well-rounded ticklist, covering a variety of styles, grades and areas. Nice going bagging Triassic and Wholesome Fullback. Pics look sweet!

hi there, I'm in Sequim, too. Interested in the rope bag, the Metolius #0 and the BD #3.5 I'll shoot you a PM...

I want to be like Drew when I grow up.

Exactly. It's what's inside my skull that tells me to where a helmet.

Good to know we had company.

I noticed that my partner and I were about the only ones wearing helmets at the Lower Town Wall in Index this Saturday. I always wear mine. It's cheap insurance. If my partner wants to go without one on lead, it's their call. But I believe that it's good etiquette to always wear one when belaying. You've got somebody's life in your hands.

What an incredible story, Steph. So sorry to hear about the accident but the way you two handled yourselves and the wonderful response of the rescue team really inspirational. Thank you for sharing it with us. Please add my get-well-wishes to the stack!

I like how they are arriving a year later than than they are departing.

Studding for 4 hours?

I've stayed at the Cliffs several times and really enjoyed the place. It was a very comfortable atmosphere, lots of amenities, sweet condos, and friendly staff. I usually found the best price by booking through worldhotels.com, as they would run specials that the other sites didn't offer. World hotels: Cliffs at Peace Canyon Call the front desk of the Cliffs the day before you arrive to see if they'll put you in a first floor room so that you don't have to haul your gear up the stairs to a 2nd floor unit.

If you plan to do all of your climbing in the Loop, the road is paved and any car will do fine. If you plan to do any routes at Windy Peak or in Black Velvet Canyon, you'll need something with a bit of clearance. For hotels, I think there's a La Quinta in or near Summerlin that a lot of climbers prefer because it's closer to RR than to the Strip. Suncoast Hotel is also at that end of town(near Whole Foods and the climbing shop). You'll have to check around for prices; they can be all over the place depending on exactly when you go. Price is not necessarily an indication of how good or bad the hotel will be.

Several of the Supertopo folks live in Vegas. Might be worth throwing up a post on that forum to see if anyone has a parking spot at their place they wouldn't mind opening up to you.

Yaaay for Buddy! I love a tail with a happy ending! Nice work, Bri!

:tup: +

It seems as if the squeaky wheel does get the grease. Park hours to return to normal. Release Date: 09/23/10 Contacts: Hillerie C. Patton , 702-515-5046 , hillerie_c_patton@blm.gov Red Rock Is Free Saturday; BLM to Return to Regular Visitation Hours BLM Notice Las Vegas — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites everyone to help celebrate National Public Lands Day at the Red Rock National Conservation Area on Saturday, September 25, for a "fee-free" day when site entrance, standard amenity, and individual day-use fees will be waived. The entrance gate at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) will remain open until 8 p.m. through the end of September. The BLM is reversing an earlier decision to move to winter hours and close the gate at 5 p.m., after members of the public expressed concern, and some frustration, about the entrance gate closing early. "We hear and understand the concerns expressed by people who visit Red Rock, and we are changing back to the standard hours of operation," said Tim Wakefield, BLM Red Rock Canyon Assistant Field Manager. "Evening visitation had slowed, so we moved to seasonal hours of operation a few weeks early; however, people have made it clear they do intend to recreate after 5 p.m. during September and October." Standard hours of operation for the 13-mile Scenic Drive, Red Rock Overlook on State Route 159, and Red Spring are: October 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. November – February 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. March 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. April – September 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. The Visitor Center hours are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. year round. Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada's first National Conservation Area. Red Rock Canyon is located 17-miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159. The unique geologic features, plants and animals of Red Rock Canyon NCA represent some of the best examples of the Mojave Desert. In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, changed the status of the Red Rock Recreation Lands to a National Conservation Area (NCA), the seventh to be designated nationally. The BLM manages more land - more than 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands. --BLM-- Red Rock Sloan Field Offfice 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130

Thanks, Joseph. I caught the recent one on knee replacement over there. I'll dig a little further into archives for other body parts.

Thanks for that info, Tvash and Jim. I thought so, too, Jim, but I have no experience with joint replacements so I wasn't sure if he was just prescribing a blanket, out-of-the-textbook ban on an activity with which he was unfamiliar or if, as he implied, she'd be nuts to even think of climbing with a hip replacement. Advising that she take up running instead was what raised the red flag for me. Out of the two activities, I would think running would be the hardest on a joint.(Especially given that she is NOT a runner and doesn't have any interest in starting) Our occasional climbing outings are one of the few outdoor activities we get to do together. If anything, we'd hoped that the hip replacement would allow us to do more, not less. Nice to hear that perhaps that is still in the cards, at least to some extent.

Thanks for the feedback, folks. Sure is helpful to have some real-life experiences to evaluate alongside the generic medical advice.

Thinking of the pain that your friends, and you, are going through...takes the wind right outta me. So very sorry to hear that news. Thank you for putting your thoughts and feelings out there, though, to give us all something to think about. My partner and I have built two houses together in our 15yrs, and nearly gotten divorced over dumb things like paint colors and light fixtures. Sure puts it into perspective when something REALLY important comes along to remind us of what matters and what doesn't. Sucks to learn that lesson the hard way.

My life partner is scheduled to have her hip replaced in November. She's never been hooked on climbing the way I am, but occasionally we get out together to enjoy a mellow cragging or multipitch session. (The approaches have always limited her more than the climb.) We asked the surgeon if she would be able to continue doing that after the replacement and he said, emphatically, "No. Climbing is too hard on the joints, with all of that sudden jarring movement, you could dislocate the hip or wear it out too fast." Sounded to me like he has no idea what climbing actually involves. Ironically, he said she could take up running if she wanted to. ??? I'm wondering if anyone out there has experience climbing with a replaced hip?

Sometimes the person doing the "flipping" is actually doing the animals a favor(even if it's not their intention). Free-to-good-home ads can attract unsavory types who will give the animal anything but a good home. Putting a price on the "merchandise" weeds out some of the riff raff. I've known boutique cafe's and coffee houses to employ this sort of tactic in order to ensure a well-heeled clientele. If you sell cheap coffee, you get cheap customers.

There's a thread going about this over at Mountain Project, also. Mountain Project thread They recommend contacting Robbie Mcabboy about the issue: "I just called and found out that Kirsten is a the blm's media person and is not the right person to complain to. You should call Robbie Mcabboy. You can and should call robbie at 702 515-5074. You can also email her at Robbie_mcaboy@blm.gov " The late exit supposedly only buys you three hours past the posted loop closing time. With the earlier closing in place, even with a late exit permit you have to be out by 8pm(which was the old closing time for Sept). That's going to equal a lot of $125 tickets.

This was the old closing schedule(and as it appears it the guidebooks folks will likely be relying on as they plan their climbing day): Winter (November 1- Feb 28/29) Opens 6 a.m. Closes 5 p.m. Spring (March 1 – March 31) Opens 6 a.m. Closes 7 p.m. Summer (April 1 – September 30) Opens 6 a.m. Closes 8 p.m. Fall (October 1 - October 31) Opens 6 a.m. Closes 7 p.m.

BLM Notice for RR Loop Hours Release Date: 09/20/10 Contacts: Kirsten Cannon , 702-515-5057 , kirsten_cannon@blm.gov Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive Hours to Change Las Vegas – Beginning September 20, the 13-Mile Scenic Drive at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area will close at 5 p.m. The gates will still open at 6 a.m. The closing time of the scenic drive is adjusted seasonally based on daylight and visitation. All other closing times at Red Rock Canyon will remain the same. The Red Rock Overlook on State Route 159 and Red Spring will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. through October 31. The visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Say what???? This should generate plenty of income for the park, given that they implemented it on the SAME day the notice of the change was released. Heads up for folks planning to crag in the evening(no late exit permits available for first two pullouts and Willow Springs.)