Buckshot

I carried all five of my clones in a Kelty kid carrier. It came with a rain cover which I may have used a total of two times (Eastern WA). I carried them on day hikes, pheasant hunting (makes shooting harder but doable)and all over the state over a thirteen year period. It is rated and will fit kids up to 45# but I usually kick them out and make tham walk by age 3-4. I just passed it on to a buddy and it is still 80-95%. I tripped ass over teakettle once and my daughter was still secure in back, unphased. I loved the kick stand for taking breaks. I saw the stirrups for sale but declined them. I did get the bag attachment that fits below the seat; it made a great diaper bag and came with a changing pad. My only issue with it was that their pant legs liked to crawl up and then they got cold so my wife would pull them down occasionally. The kids loved the thing and often slept on my back while I walked.

For that kind of cash, they'd better be.

friggin thing NEVER works!

With 18 BILLION technically recoverable barrels of oil in the Bakken formation, why bother?

Sherpas are a great idea! And cheaper than you might think. My brother actually proposed picking a few up at Home Depot for a trip we were planning. He figured he could get some for about $80 per day.

I like my Kelty Red Cloud 6650. If I feel like carrying less in it I just remove the "brain" and leave it at home. I've had mine for 4 years. I end up using the entire volume quite often though because I take my kids on longer trips (ages range 3-13) and end up carrying lots of their gear. Since I'm with the kids the speed factor is a non-issue. I'd rather be able to stuff it all inside the pack than have to tie it to the outside. Yes, its way big for a summit pack but it compresses decently and I make it work b/c I am too cheap to buy another pack.

I'm speaking from an E WA perspective: I think that a lot of gyms make the majority of their $$ off things other than hard core climbers. I'm talking about things like kids parties and stuff that the "real" climbers turn their nose up at. Like a previous poster said, once the rocks outside heat up they'll bail and go climb outside. YES, make and maintain some cool routes for the hardcore but don't bet the farm on them. Its not hip, trendy or cool to say this but lots of kids stuff is probably going to be more popular than extremely specialized climbs. Stuff that is novel and fun for novices might be better business, especially in areas with a low population of "real" climbers. I don't think a gym owner, unless there are a lot of other rock gyms to compete against (not like here in E WA) needs to fight as hard to get rock climbers to show up, they just will b/c its the only gym in the area. Its the people who see it as just another fitness option who need convincing and can make a big difference in cash flow to a gym. Just sayin.

I'm not sure that every country CAN pattern its self on our Constitution. Thats why their efforts at fair elections always seem to fail; their culture isn't like ours so our constitution won't work for them. Though if we take Americas exceptionalism for granted we will lose it.

I keep seeing stuff online about tying loops between yourself and your partner while traveling on glaciers. I think the idea is that the knots slow the rope passing over the crevasse lip then the victim can use them to aid climb out of the crevasse. Is this a good technique?

I hope these marines get transfered to Marine 1 next. The Dirka Dirkas cut off guy's heads and hang our dead soldiers from bridges and we are supposed to be mad about a little piss? War isn't PC and Afganistan is a long way from Namby Pamby land. People are finally finding out that war is really kinda shitty. Welcome to the real world. I wish they had stuffed their mouths with bacon first. Go Marines!

I won't forget.

Emmons is sounding better and better.

I deffinately plan on doing a training hike to Muir, among other places. The idea of not needing to haul a tent is REALLY appealing to me though so I am leaning against the Emmons route. Stil though, if it is THAT much better... I'll have to talk it over with whoever I end up going with. Now that everyone seems to be suggesting it, I am looking into crevasse/glacier travel classes. They seem affordable to me. Thanks again for the info.

I appreciate all the advice. A crevasse course is deffinately do-able, I was just saying that driving to Seattle or wherever two nights a week for four months was off the table. I had considered this but it seems kind of unwise. Would it be a smarter option with an experienced partner after I have done the crevasse class, or is the DC cattle trail SO easy that it doesn't really require any special skill?

Eventually I want to climb the Washington Volcanoes and Hood. I have been up Adams twice on the easy route but I need some kind of instruction to get to where I can go up Rainier and the rest safely. Stuart and Daniel are also on the list. I sport climb and have backpacked over 20 years. I'm looking into the AAI Alpinism I or Baker Summit climb trips to get more experience and training. Am I better off to go with these groups or look around here for someone to partner up with who is patient and willing to teach a little? I cannot go with one of the big Western WA groups (mountaineers, Boealps, etc) b/c I live in Eastern WA kinda near Wenatchee.

Is there any way of knowing, when you leave Paradise, if you can, for sure, leave the tent in the car and plan on getting a seat at the Muir Shelter? I'd hate to gamble, leave the tent behind and have to slide back to Paradise b/c the hut is full.

+1 to SOBO

I remember Hyperspud from when I was at WSU, they were a good shop then (1999-ish). I can't say much about them but I agree that buying local is a good thing. (I try to convince myself sometimes that Mountaingear is local but I can't do it) I liked the place in E-Burg. I think it is called Mountain High. The guy there, a bald 38-40-ish year old guy was pretty helpful and seemed to have been there. They have basic mountaineering gear and an ok selection of technical pro and sport gear. Of course their prices are mostly retail but I didn't find them TOO alarming, and I am pretty cheap by nature. Another place I go is Leavenworth Mountain Sports. They gave me a local's discount for not being a soul-less West-sider (present company excepted I am sure) and had an ok selection of stuff but not as much technical gear as the place in E-Burg. I think though that LMS owners and clerks spend more time in the mountains than the guys at E-Burg and have a higher level of experience, just less inventory. Thats my 2 cents.

My belayer is actually 13. He little bro climbed with me. She does pretty well. If its a ways up to the first bolt, or a tougher climb I have her tied to a rock.

No wonder everyone in N Korea is starving, his son, Kim Jong-Un ate everything. He looks like the fat scout kid from the movie UP.

I appreciate all the input from the group. When I get moving forward I'll post more.

I wonder where the panels from Cliffhangers went after it closed and if they would be available to buy? Anyone know?

Sorry I took so long to get back to this. I've been playing a lot outside. Yes, I am considering starting a gym. There's a LOT of issues with this of course, most of them end in $$ signs. Location, unfortunately would likely be in Moses Lake or somewhere nearby, thats where I live and I'd need to work still probably and start the thing on weekends and evenings. I think Wenatchee is a good location but the gym in E. Wenatchee at the airport died a few years ago. What was the cause of death? Anyone who knows please help me out. At least part of the gym will have to be 100% noob-ready. Also it does take a lot of cheese to throw up some walls and make the loan and building lease payments. So its kind of a dream right now, one I am planning on making come true. I am not a businessman, I just want a #$%*ing climbing gym nearby. If I do nothing at all I will build a woody wall in my yard at least and buy a portable wall to rent out to get the startup $$ for the real gym.

Two quick questions for those of you who attend a climbing gym: How far do you currently commute to get to your climbing gym? I know it depends on how good the gym is but how far is too far? 20 min? 30 min? 45 min?

I climbed there last weekend with the kids and, even on easy short climbs on the Feathers, it was hard to keep my fingers thawed out. I wasn't the only one there trying though, several others were groveling up the rocks with wooden fingertips. I wish you well.