grandpa

This one is the best for the purpose of repelling intruders, etc. And, the sound of a shotgun slide is unmistakable, no voice should be heard (don't say anything), let the slide action's sound do the talking. FORGET the handgun. Too likely to either miss, or worse, hit someone else in the next house, etc.

Reminded me of a book I just read, and I was hoping this story wasn't going to end like the third one in "In the Zone" by Peter Potterfield (The Mountaineers Press).

Ok, I can see that. I did not know about the amount of stretch a rope exhibits. I know that to be the case, I work for "the FEDS". Thanks for the well thought out reply. Dave

Something I've been wondering about for a LONG time is why are rock climbing harnesses not similar to the harnesses that steel workers, etc use? You know the ones with "D" rings in the middle of the back that support the body after a fall. I attended Gravitec's climbing school (Bainbridge Island) last summer and VSI's climbing school sometime before that, and everything I've been told indicates that falling, and/or hanging from a waist belt (as opposed to wearing a full-body harness) is inviting an early death. It seems to me that climbing above the last protection, wearing a belt type harness is inviting a serious problem after a fall, even assuming the protection holds. Clue in a newbie someone? Dave

Well, it's not an issue of memory, I saw (and recalled) your reply that you folks do have concealed weapons laws. However, in that case, I believe that the thieves are banking on the fact that they think that they'll not be confronted, especially by anyone with a weapon, that's why the crime rate (in this particular area anyway) hasn't dropped. So I guess my question would then be, what IS the answer (in your view)? I really would like to take my grandkids out hiking (when they're old enough, soon) without having to concern myself with the likelyhood of encountering lots of low-lifes somewhere in the parking areas, having my car broken into, having to rent a car with extra insurance or whatever. What do you folks (who live here) think the answer is? grandpa...

[ I guess the point is they don't know if you're 4 miles away or 4 seconds away from the car. Anyway, I was just wondering. We don't seem to have that problem here (admitedly, not many mountains and trailheads), and we do have concealed carry laws. One day I'll be "out there" more often than I am now, and am deciding on how to conduct business. That's it..... grandpa

Well, I guess I'd have to answer that if it were me doing the breaking in, having to concern myself about the owner, or anyone else coming along with the tools to stop me dead in my tracks would cause me to re-think the whole idea. However, perhaps we're talking about a completely different type of person here. I understand that there are many low-life druggies out there, and they don't think, just do. That was your point, I take it?

A question from an "outsider"... does Washington state authorize concealed weapons (we do - North Dakota)? My guess is that if so, this would cause a drastic drop in this kind of problem. I read on many of these forums about the apparent prevalent problem of vehicle breakins and general thievery at trailheads, and think that a short barrel .357 in the vest ought to be standard gear. What say ye?

I don't live "out there", but have been following this with some interest because I used to (MANY years ago), and my question is this: have any of you local folks written to the legislators? Is they only hears the whiners, they'll most likely only take that position when it comes time to make laws. If you have written, and they take this position anyway, let them know they're "outta there". I REALLY hope this doesn't pass, I so despise further regulations, especially by people who don't know what they're talking about, but like to sound big and important, and so on.... Dave

Yes, I know and understand that point. What was pestering me was the question (in my mind) of how I would get a compass to read, say 337 degrees, when the true direction is 355 degrees. I've been thinking about this today, and have come to the conclusion that the compass would indeed read 337 (vs 355) if I had not adjusted my compass for the local for declination (18 degrees in this area of the country), and was reading the compass "raw". Is this what you understand this map to be telling me? Dave

That's the one I was looking for (don't know why I coulsn't find it before). Tell me that the Mag and True headings are indeed reversed, or why I'm looking at it all wrong if they're correct, please. Mag north is EAST of true north in this part of the country. (Now if we were in Maine, this map would be more correct). Dave

For a LONG time now, I've been intrigued by the prospect of hiking up Mt Rainier "a ways". I get out there maybe once or twice a year and last summer I drove up to Paradise and looked around and decided that I can do this. So the planning started. One thing puzzled me right away, and that was that the compass bearings as given on the NPS website (and now the specific page I wanted to reference is gone), (but seems tp be replaced by: http://www.nps.gov/archive/mora/general/maps/ParadiseRoutes.pdf)was the fact that the mag and true bearings seemed to be just reverse from what I thought they should be. I wrote to the NPS and asked about this, but got no response. Now the original page is missing, and the abovementioned page alludes to GPS coordinates "on the reverse side" which apparently is also missing. And it also does not have any compass bearings indicated. I'm spending time now re-learning to use a compass (it's been many long years since I've needed one), and also have a GPS, and am learning what it's all about too. But, without some good idea of what direction is correct in the to/from category while hiking up to camp Muir (or however far we make I decide to go), I'll have to rely on what I can see, and I don't think this is a good way to navigate, especially since I've never been there. I'm planning on a mid to late summer trip in a year or so with my son and his two cousins. I am planning on taking a look this summer some time, and perhaps a lone trip next summer before I take the kids up there (they're all 30+). Anyone want to point me in the right direction(s) here? Yeah, pun intended.... thanks, Dave

Yup, just added my 2cents worth and the poll is now down to 92%. I also sent a message to KATU. Won't be read, but it went anyway.