Eric T

Hey, I'm former 2nd batt, WEBCO, 90 to 93 Ranger class 12-91. Who's your brother please?

Getting into sinister isn't easy. I think many climbers set off to climb dome and sinister in a day from itsawoot ridge but conditions shut many down. Thanks for the report, the snow pack won't quit this year.

Would anyone like to go climb at wa pass today and tomorrow? I like moderate trad routes. I lead, have gear and ropes. Eric ( 425 ) 329 5167

That looked like fun, thanks for taking the time to film, edit and post that video.

Hell Yeah!

Ditto, Alex Lowe #HERO....Among the best that ever laced up boots.

Nice work fellas, those slabs in Darrington are hard to read distance on for sure.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2060586/arizona-mine-poses-biggest-threat-climbing-access-history

Six shots in John Lenon and he can't hit Yoko once? WTF? Prolly got the piece at Cabelas.

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article55465600.html The commercialism of the Yosemite name grab by Delaware North is getting national publicity, but the battle for the heart of Yosemite National Park was lost decades ago. For much of the late 1970s, the National Park Service went to extremes to draft a master plan that would guide Yosemite National Park through the years. Thousands of park loyalists were involved in that effort, and hearings and planning sessions were held throughout California. Yosemite Valley was the spiritual home and cradle of the American preservation ethic. Countless suggestions were advanced, including banning cars, removing buildings and restoring natural systems. The park was a national shrine and citadel, and it was no place for small dreams. After much hand-wringing and controversy, the 1980 general management plan was adopted with the aim of “de-urbanizing” the park and providing the guidelines for a more natural park experience. Under then-Superintendent Robert O. Binnewies, several buildings were removed. It was an auspicious start. Then things went terribly wrong. The Yosemite Park & Curry Co., the park concessionaire and MCA affiliate at the time, saw the management plan as a threat to its bottom line – and Binnewies was terminated under some spurious, trumped-up charges. After that, it was downhill for the management plan and the concept of a more natural park. Today, the de-urbanized Yosemite is in shambles. Echoes of “Disneyland North” or “Yosemite World” once again rumble through the land. Some park veterans admit that Yosemite Valley is a “lost cause” and they are just trying to preserve the rest of the park. What happened? After spending countless millions of dollars and a couple of decades of dreaming and planning, MCA and the Reagan White House – and a compromised National Park Service – torpedoed the dream of a restored Yosemite. Gradually the dots came together. Binnewies and his stewardship were sent packing, and the Yosemite Master Plan was shoved to the back burner. AFTER SPENDING COUNTLESS MILLIONS AND A COUPLE OF DECADES OF DREAMING AND PLANNING, MCA AND THE REAGAN WHITE HOUSE – AND A COMPROMISED NATIONAL PARK SERVICE – TORPEDOED THE DREAM OF A RESTORED YOSEMITE. Back in his Hollywood days, Ronald Reagan had Lou Wasserman as his agent. Now, fast forward to the Reagan White House. Wasserman and his MCA hirelings didn’t need an appointment to see the president. Today, Yosemite Valley lies far removed from the vaunted general management plan. Instead of removing facilities, the park service adds more. Through a succession of park superintendents and an indifferent public, the “nibbling away” at the Yosemite dream continues. Those concerns are evident today as one walks through the urban jungle of Yosemite Valley. A more natural park has become little more than wishful thinking. The ongoing construction of a new restroom facility near Ahwahnee Meadow is a case in point. While the project ostensibly complied with the management plan, the prolonged review transcended the intent of the plan. The transformation of the area across from Camp Four into an unplanned parking lot is a blight upon the land. The relocation, instead of removal, of the tent cabins from the rock fall area is another indignity to the spirit of the master plan. More facilities will only demand even more. A more natural park … dream on. The new concessions contract with Aramark – with an estimated value of $2 billion – underscores that premise. Against ever-increasing park visitation, that new contract should have required a gradual reduction in the number of overnight units – a staged reduction – that would, perhaps in a century, offer a more natural Yosemite Valley. Overnight accommodations need to be moved outside the park to the gateway communities. Back in 1990, Herb Ewing, a third-generation “Park Service brat,” saw the gradual erosion of the preservation mission. Park use and visitation began driving park management. He believed that the Park Service had become lost in the wilderness of Washington, D.C., and had become part of the bureaucracy. Money and commerce became the master plan. The park’s founding mission of preservation was pushed aside. TODAY, PARK APOLOGISTS CLAIM THAT THE AGENCY SUFFERS UNDER A DUAL OR CONFLICTING MISSION, THAT IS, PRESERVING THE PARK WHILE PROVIDING FOR VISITOR USE AND ENJOYMENT. THE PARK SETS QUOTAS FOR ITS WILDERNESS AREAS BUT NO LIMITS ON ITS ITS CASH REGISTERS. It was a hundred years ago when Stephen Mather and Horace Albright – both graduates of the University of California and Yosemite advocates – lent their collective energies and personal wealth toward the creation of a new American institution: a National Park Service. As the first two directors, they saw the future – and it was the preservation of the best of America. Yosemite was central to their efforts to create a greater national park system of the nation’s most significant lands and cultural areas. Essentially, the park charter was to hold these national treasures inalienable for all times while providing for reasonable public use. Today, park apologists claim that the agency suffers under a dual or conflicting mission – that is, preserving the park while providing for visitor use and enjoyment. The park sets quotas for its wilderness areas but no limits on its cash registers. Binneweis’ heart is still in Yosemite. In his book, “Your Yosemite,” he maintains that the national parks have become the pawns of the politicians and money changers. Later this year, the National Park Service will mark its 100th year under the lofty banner that it was “The best idea this country ever had.” With the approaching centennial, the Park Service need to revisit its stated mission. That is: “to regulate the use of the … national parks … (whose) purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Unimpaired – Yosemite is not. Compromised – the National Park Service is. Gene Rose is a former Fresno Bee reporter and photographer who covered the Sierra and has written several books on Yosemite. Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article55465600.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/30833071/hiker-injured-in-fall-at-red-rock-canyon The young man was from Spokane. I don't know the exact details of this accident other than it was rappel related and on solar slab. My sincerest condolences to his family. The NW climbing community hasn't had the best track record with rappelling over the last few years. Let's make a collective climbing community New Years resolution to have a accident free 2016 with all safe rappels. Please ensure both ropes are through your device and always sit your raps before removing yourself from the anchor. Stay alert, stay alive and don't commit rapicide. Blake Herrington wrote an excellent article on this site about rap safety. http://cascadeclimbers.com/local-deaths-can-inspire-safer-rappels/

I love the Sirocco. I've had mine for a year and wear it from sport to alpine and I wouldn't go back. I really like how muted it is if you bump your head on the rock compared with a hard hat. I'm with you on the buckle being upgraded or redesigned. Check out the abuse this thing takes in the video. [video:youtube]

Good look Erik, that sucks but our maritime environment is tough on hardware. I found the below link with info on proper sea cliff bolt installation. Perhaps we could all chip in... http://www.safeclimbing.org/education/deepbluesea.htm

Is that what we're calling ISIS now, "a religious group"???? Only it's not just the west shitting our pants. It's China in the east and Russia in the north and since the whole of N. Africa is in flux it's the south too....do you see a pattern emerging? And it back fired in their faces....kudos? Bullshit. Wake up.

I think what you mean to say Ivan is that ISIS is on par with the Nazis and we need to move to stamp them out in the same way. Islam literally translates as "submission". France, the same France that didn't even want to fight the Nazis until they were sipping coffee in downtown Paris, has chosen submission through their liberal policies and decided to give their nation away. Is that what you'd choose for us Ivan?

No Choada Boy, i'm way out in front of you on this. FUCK THE CAMPS!!!!! Any person that is down with ISIS should be killed. No gitmo, no trial, no bullshit! These are enemy combatants and should be treated as such. Give them the Virgins.

FUCK THAT! She pledged allegiance to ISIS. We should have raided her home upon that declaration.

San Bernardino attacker pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader, officials say... https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/12/04/san-bernardino-attackers-tried-to-cover-their-tracks-official-says/

How is it any worse today? The combination of the Arab Spring, terrorism, religious extremism, energy hungry super powers, climate change and civil war have rendered the middle east unrecognizable. We have US, Russian and Chinese aircraft carriers in the Med. (although ours may have left or be switching.) Russia even sent it's big navel muscle....The Muskova, which is, to say the least, quite an escalation of force. There are usually subs escorting carriers. Multiple Air Forces are bombing multiple ground forces in totally uncoordinated efforts leading to aircraft getting shot down. Russia is carpet bombing cities, using cruise missals and has loosed it's Special Forces on ISIS. The House of Saud is fighting in Yemen against the Houthi Rebels & AQAP that are Iranian backed. The Saudis are also bombing ISIS in Syria and as G-Kiss pointed out funding terror. The Iranians are involved in multiple overt and covert operations with many partners including The Russians, The Iraqis, Houthi Rebels, Hamas, Hezbollah and Al Qaeda. The good news is that Iran is fighting ISIS. Meanwhile at home they are clearly developing Nuclear weapons keeping Israel on edge. Iran could come out better than any Nation from this conflict. Millions of refugees are on the move all over the middle east and north Africa headed to a financially fragile Europe that is getting hit with bold terrorist attacks. ISIS it's self is unprecedented in world history with a combination of wildly extreme religious beliefs, first order violence and barbarism backed by a large web of finical supporters and a seemingly endless stream of recruits. The human rights violations are staggering. Mass killings, mass graves, mass rapes, mass kidnappings, refugee camps, torture, secret prisons, slave markets, burning people alive and disemboweling them. On and on.... The craziest thing is essentially none of our interests really align with any of our allies interests. I honestly don't think any person could tell us what's going to happen next. I guess one could make an argument that Jerusalem standing by to be overrun with tens of thousands of sword wielding Muslims is pretty fuck-krazy but not as fuck-krazy as shit is today. I always enjoy reading your comments Ivan with your humor and historical insight...

I'm sure that was Europe's exact sentiment at some point. I'm also sure they're not telling themselves that lie anymore. "We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquest—will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades." Colonel Muammar Gaddafi 10 April 2006 God Dammit! He was right and you're still asleep! These are our oldest allies falling! If it were Russian tanks or German solders rolling into Paris we'd be mobilizing. Why are you all so comfortable with the Muslims taking shit over? The entire middle east is a boiling cauldron of fuck and you're going to shoot from the hip that "Islam is a side show"?.......really? Perhaps it has to be seen, actually lived before it sinks in. You guys sound like climate deniers at this point. It's really that bad. I'm not trying to tell you this to "be right" or enjoy an discussion with the guys. I spent years of my adult life in that boiling cauldron of fuck and I'm giving you a first person warning. The only bigger problem we have than Islam is the NPS....

Gentlemen, I climbed yesterday with a French Mountain Guide and had this same conversation. He admitted that France will be muslim in two short generations. He said "It makes me sad". The rest of Europe isn't in much better position. There isn't going to be wine and cheese once the Muslims are a majority. They have no interest in being French. There are entire neighborhoods in France where the French police won't go. That should be a fairly accurate view of the future. Who ever said that the French will rise up at some pint and fix this is deluded. Here's a military fact for you: If a population supports an insurgency it succeeds, if a population shuns an insurgency it fails. Now extrapolate that fact out over Islam in general supporting the radicals worldwide. This "peaceful Islam" you speak of is a bright shining lie. They preach peace out of one side of there mouths and support terror from the other side. They believe everyone of us is an infidel that must convert, submit or die. It's great to be peace loving and liberal and open minded, but not so open minded that your brain falls out on the floor or you simply give you entire nation away to the enemy.

G Kiss, i'm sure you're much more educated and traveled than Dr. Dawkins. Please tell me how he's wrong for saying Islam is evil? I'm sure your understanding of the Global War on Terror is profound....right....hahahaha Or is he a clueless fuck and a complete retard for not agreeing with your views as well? Ivan, My family tree from northern France in the year 1050 shows births in France and deaths in Jerusalem. Knights fighting on the crusades. I get it. Still my words about France becoming a Muslim nation are accurate. Research it, don't take my word for it. It's a mathematical certainty.

[video:youtube]

Only your reply of showing radical Christians isn't apples to apples. The jesus freaks you show aren't even statistically significant. The Muslims in the above video are a dime a dozen and they're fucking serious. In fact there's more than a billion of them. CWC01 is right, ISIS is a problem and the entire religion of Islam is a problem. Tvash is right when he says we need to turn ISIS into a grease spot. As for France, they're a bunch of cheese eating surrender monkeys that already gave their Nation away by letting so many Muslims immigrate. Then none of the European couples are having kids and the Muslims are having 8. I've read that by the year 2040 there will be more Muslims in France than French. Then Sharia Law will be introduced and you'll hear the prayers broadcast from loudspeakers five times a day....in Paris. FRANCE WILL BE AN ISLAMIC STATE BY 2050!!!!! Every time someone says the terrorists are a minority and most of Islam is peaceful I just cringe. I spent years of my adult life in the middle east, this isn't my cnn opinion.

Wow, that was an amazing adventure!