jared_j

Hi, Are you wanting to hit the NE slab or the S face (standard route)? Either way, I'm interested, also the SW ridge of Red Mountain as an alternate for a quick day trip. I've got experience, and I've already gotten out on ice a couple of times this winter during the cold snap. My schedule is flexible, as I am no longer employed (got laid off from Wamu). As a selling point (if it is one), I'm willing to carry all the gear; I'm trying to put together a trip to Alaska, and getting serious about conditioning. Jared (206)948-7159

Look for a guy on rockclimbing.com named "Magic Ed" or "Potrero Ed" or something like that. I think he is on that site a lot and lives down there.

Patagonia micro puff hoodies and non - hoodies mega mega on sale here ; doesn't get much cheaper than that for new stuff, and they still have non - Lou Ferrigno sizes available.

Hi, I want to go climbing in Alaska for approx. 4 weeks in May. Not interested in Denali, but open to most other climbing objectives, particularly those in the Ruth area. I'm looking for a partner interested in making the trip. I live in Seattle, and would like to get out climbing several times this winter; ideally you'd be located in the area. I am motivated to train, dial in our systems this winter in the Cascades, and can truly commit to such a trip (e.g. have the budget and time to make it happen). If you have similar motivation/circumstances, drop me a line. Best, Jared

What he said. In addition, if you put on a fleece under a softshell with a such as the Arcteryx Gamma MX (which has a 'fleece'-y texture on the inside), there will be a lot of friction between the fleece and the softshell when you're moving.

Did that one early in the summer. Those three good pitches are worth the looseness, and the approach is hard to beat. Nice dihedral photo!

Wishful thinking on my part.

Sorry to hijack, but I've got next week free (thank you Wamu layoff) and looking to get out. akicebum, if you're looking for a partner, PM me. Jared

Is ice near Lillooet in yet?

Wild Things also makes one that's more affordable than the Patagonia, but lacks a zipper.

There is definitely little love on this site for clubs in general, and the Mountaineers in particular, as the previous poster alluded to. I took a course with a small Seattle - based club called the Bushwhackers in 2006, and had a very positive experience. The aspect that I appreciate the most is that there is nothing dogmatic in their approach. The instruction is accompanied with justification of the approach being taken, and there is consistent acknowledgement that there are a plurality of approaches that all deserve merit besides the approach being taught. Also, they're a nice bunch of laid back and intelligent folk. Their website is here .

So that you don't have to carry a shovel handle / shaft? Has anyone had luck jerry-rigging one?

For those of you using alinedave's mod, how are you attaching them to your tools? I've got some previous generation BD Cobras with a jerry-rigged 'Fang' on 'em.

I did this with a friend two summers ago. I recall sketchy rock and little pro. Very scenic and moderate climbing, however.

Bump - anyone interested in getting out Wednesday? I'm thinking something like Outer Space/Orbit at Snow Creek, or Paisano / Burgundy around Washington Pass. I'm open to suggestions as well. Cosley / Houston looks nice, though I'm not quite up to leading 4+ in the alpine yet. I'm in Seattle and can take off Tuesday night to bivy. PM me.

I am looking to get out on the weekdays over the next few weeks - burning up the vacation days from work before Wamu's sinking ship goes completely under and I'm let go. All of my partners are 9-5ers, and I'd like to find some folks who can head out during the week. I'm a solid rock leader up to 5.9 in the alpine, and was new to ice climbing last winter but eager to do more. I'm open - minded about climbing objectives; weather permitting, it'd be nice to knock off another alpine rock route before the year comes to a close. Also interested in ice to the extent that it is available this time of year, say at Colfax or Eldorado's NW Face Couloir. I would feel more comfortable with these routes if you were a more seasoned ice leader. Failing that, I'm also game for some cragging out in Leavenworth and the desert. If you're interested, let me know.

If by warm you mean potentially cold and windy as f**k with snow dustings and your water freezing solid in the night, then yes, it is warm. OK, hyperbole aside, that was my experience in J Tree once in February and once in March. You've got better odds with Red Rocks; even if it's cool out, chasing the southern aspects can work. In addition, Red Rocks grades are a little soft, which should keep you outta trouble since it will have been awhile since you've touched the rock up here.

Thanks, guys. I'll make note if the fashion police are there. Do ya'll think that these are good areas to get your game tight (or just create one's game if you're new to it like me) in preparation for the moderate classic winter ice / mixed climbs in the region?

I've only seen vague directions on the site to established drytool areas off the I-90 corridor near exit 38 or 900. Any beta on location would be appreciated! I did a little ice climbing last winter, looking to do more this winter.

I did a little ice climbing last winter, and I'm looking to do more this winter. I've got a lot of experience free climbing on rock, but no aid experience. I'd like to practice pin placement somewhere not too far from Seattle. Rather than spending time tromping around in the woods searching for a crag no one cares about yet with some cracks in it that would be good to practice on, can you guys fill me in on where you went out to practice the first time or two?

I think you can't see the NE face here - this is from the southeast.

DJ Shadow's "Preemptive Strike". His approach towards making music is novel, but not a gimmick. All samples added up to make something beautiful.

Might be going up to Ingalls for some mellow climbing this weekend. Is there snow on the slopes up from the lake to the face still? I was up there late July and there was still tons.

Fair enough; it isn't terribly costly to transfer ones' accounts these days. I believe everyone should make careful, measured, thoughtful decisions regarding their money. Just seems to me that proclaiming the end is nigh and celebrating all the accompanying schaudenfreude (sp?) is pretty capricious in light of, you know, facts and numbers and stuff. And, no, I am not sucking up Wamu stock right now. I'm not saying everyone should get into the company. I'm just saying it is oversimplifying to compare their situation with the others.

The devil is in the details, people. What makes you think Wamu is anything like AIG, Lehmann, or Fannie / Freddie? What do any of you know about Wamu's balance sheet? Is Wamu on the hook for tons of mortgage backed securities, highly levered instruments? Oh wait, no, actually. Just a lot of mortgages, some of them risky. Are they posting big losses? Yes. Are they in a position where they could fail at any moment? No. THey're simply not exposed to the same kinds of financial instruments that could bring such an event about. It's not your fault - the media is stupid as well. The exposures that AIG, Lehmann, and Fannie / Freddie had that brought them to the brink with a quickness are not the same exposures Wamu has. Period. Even after downgrading Wamu bonds to junk status, S&P and Moody's both acknowledged that Wamu is in good liquidity shape and well above the required capitalization levels. S&P went as far as to say that Wamu has enough cash on hand to pay all of its expenses through at least 2010. Wamu is heavily exposed to the housing market, but not through shit tons of highly levered instruments that the investment banks and mortage insurers are. If the housing market tanks worse, it's gonna hurt Wamu even more. Is it gonna drive them outta business? Maybe, possibly, in the future. But to think Wamu is gonna tank in the next few months just demonstrates illiteracy about the financial industry. But, alas, most people are dumbshits. Including many traders on Wall Street. Right now all investment analysts are coalescing around a negative view of Wamu. Why? If anyone says "hey, this isn't as bad as the rest of you think", then they're on the hook for explaining why. There's a lot of groupthink out there. It is also handy for analysts who happening to be shorting the fuck out of financials. Most of the negative outlook articles on Wamu are quoting one analyst - Dick Bove. He happens to take a particularly harsh view of the financials. He's also got a great PR agent who gets him interviews with tons of papers. It is far preferable for everyone on the street to coalesce around the same view to avoid being asked to defend their ideas. The analyst reports aren't even reporting model results - they're looking more and more like ad hoc speculation. How do I know? I read those reports (it is part of my job). I'm not saying that Wamu isn't having a hard time. They're having a really hard time. Just not enough to justify junk bond ratings and $2/share stock. So go ahead and assume that all women can't drive, all black men want to rob you, all hispanics will stab you, all asians are hard working and good at math, and that all financial isntitutions are the same and are gonna tank. Stereotyping sure helps us avoid all that critical thinking and understanding of facts.