Matt

Happy B-Day ehmmic!

Did you check to see if your partner "accidentally" put it in his pack?

The Tooth, Ingalls Peak East and South, SEWS S Arete, Midway--- I'm a ckicken and will only solo things I know I can down climb in the rain. Heart of the Country!!! Damn! By the time I place that last #3 Camalot I'm dyin'!

I can't say "fear" but rather "amped up." Non climbing related, but interesting to some, I think. I've recently become a firefighter and am dealing with entirely new kinds of fear and adrenaline. This morning at 0600 I had my first CPR call. My unit was first in the door. When we walked into the bedroom, the patient was unconscious and unresponsive and his wife was screaming bloody murder as we started breaths and compressions. I shocked him once with the Lifepak 12. Pushed on his chest until his ribs cracked. Medics tubed him and stuck him with epi and other drugs. I alternated between bagging him (giving him 02 with a bag valve mask) and doing compressions until my back was sore. Medic called it after 45 minutes. We waited until the Chaplain came. The guy had a history of a left bundle blockage ( if you don't know what this is, just know it's a bad thing). Now I know my training will kick in when it's too early to think so I'm feeling okay about that. The code went smoothly, unfortunately our patient did not recover. He's been on my mind all day. The air tastes sweet today. As for climbing fear, a few weeks ago I found myself soloing class five moss/dirt looseness in the dark four rope lengths off the ground on the Minuteman trying to get to a better tree to rap off. For a few brief seconds I could hear my heartbeat in my ear.

Survey shows Fox led in misleading public Full story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2001757992_kay06.html Fox News Channel, like the White House, got a ratings boost from the aftermath of 9-11. The tactics were remarkably similar. Network executives gauged the nation's anger and panic and recognized war in Iraq as a rallying point, provided they gave viewers the sort of firm leadership unsullied by second-guessing. It was a smart call. Once war arrived, of course, Fox wasn't alone in the media campaign to win audience hearts. Other cable channels and networks made self-promotional hay from dashing correspondents, surrendering Iraqi soldiers and masterful bombardment set to music. What great TV we got. Too bad a lot of us were knuckleheads about the facts. A just-released report by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy (PIPA) finds a majority of respondents have misperceptions about the war.* The results show 48 percent incorrectly believed that evidence of links between al-Qaida and Iraq has been found; 22 percent that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq; and 25 percent that world opinion favored the United States going to war with Iraq. A walloping 60 percent overall held one or more of these misperceptions. How did we get to be such dopes? PIPA quizzed respondents on their main sources of news information. Their findings are at right. As you'll note, Fox's audience scored lowest. That's fodder for arguing the only place its "fair and balanced" motto really belongs is on the cover of a satirical best seller. "The more closely you followed Fox, the more misperceptions you had," said Clay Ramsay, PIPA research director. "No other news outlet came anywhere near that." He said that in a separate examination of viewers citing Fox as their primary source, 45 percent held all three misperceptions. Back to that chart. While the findings for Fox may not be a surprise, second among ill-informed viewers is CBS, long considered a bastion of anti-war liberalism by subscribers to Web sites like www.ratherbiased.com. Apparently, benightedness cuts across ideological lines, and no network or cable channel can claim its viewers are well-informed about the war's most critical issues. We're like one nation under "Duh." According to PIPA, political position was a minor factor: Supporters of President Bush and Republicans were more likely to have misperceptions. However, the report adds, Americans with opposing political beliefs held misperceptions, too. Three explanations spring to mind while contemplating this equality of ignorance. The first is that our entire for-profit television sector is engaged in a sinister conspiracy of misinformation. The industry so desperately wants favors from the White House, it suppressed facts contradictory to support for invading Iraq. But this is too wacky. It also unfairly discounts many reports; for instance, on ABC; that pointed out our grounds for war were shaky. And poor ABC still ended up with 61 percent of its audience believing at least one of those justifications. A more persuasive notion is that television's emotional story-telling superseded its factual reporting. All those stories honoring soldiers who died in Iraq had a self-justifying impact. So did the endlessly replayed scenes of joyous citizens toppling statues of Saddam Hussein. So did the patriotic frills adorning network graphics and that thrilling martial music. The end effect was a tacit endorsement of the venture. Let's also not forget that in the case of cable channels, this position had a practical payoff: The war raised ratings. Still, it's hard to sell a product that doesn't resonate at some level with consumers. That brings us to a third possibility: The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, created a passion for action that overcame core beliefs. "We found a plurality of Americans felt a value conflict with the war," said PIPA's Clayton. "They had serious reservations even when they went ahead and supported it." Clayton also volunteered a fact about respondents asked to describe how closely they follow news. It turns out that print readers and those who listen to National Public Radio or watch PBS describe themselves as being devoted to keeping abreast of events; a profile that did not fit most commercial television viewers. In any event, both the news media and the audience could use some self-improvement. Luckily, it's never too late; I hear there's a presidential election just 13 months away. * The PIPA report analyzed seven nationwide polls conducted from June through September of this year. Margin of error is 3 percent; sampling size for the seven polls was 9,611, and sampling size for in-depth analysis was 3,334 respondents.

Typical Fairweather bs Get a life.

Friends, Stories of each other's folleys and brief moments of triumph are what climbing is all about. The Minuteman brought out what good writers of fiction call "pleasurable tension," only instead of fiction, it was real and we were there and it was good, like Crazy Jamie's bivy kit.

We found little rocks that had fallen off the face all over the snow and we tiptoed across in our rock shoes. I also held a small sharp rock in my hand and used it as a ice axe, Ed Abbey style.

Well, I was thinking I would place a cam on one side and a nut on the other and he was insistent that this was an inferior way to protect this section of rock. My thought was as long as the two pieces were equalized it didn't matter cam & nut vs. nut & nut. He argued if the nut was weighted first it would push the cam, the cam would compress, and the flake would come out. I thought if the cam were weighted first or the nut and cam were weighted together it would be fine, and I might get through the section a little quicker. I was annoyed because I was psyching myself up to lead the pitch and he was going on and on about how the flake pulls out and I was like, shut the fuck up biotch. I was leading it. We worked it out during the descent. Anyway, I placed two nuts. ON a side note, I also lead (yes chest beating) the double roofs pitch on the Boving Route on SEWS. We did is as a variation of the SW Butt. Very cool. It's not often you get such killer hand jams on a big ass roof. True alpine cragging. WA Pass is such a killer place to climb.

Climbed the Minuteman this weekend. This is a great piece of granite with interesting climbing in a spectacular position tucked under Liberty Bell's shadow at Washington Pass. First two pitches are pretty straught forward, following the left corner dihedral system up to well recognized belay ledges. The third pitch was interesting, as Burdo reccomends to traverse to the right on the pitch. I went up and to the right for almost 50m to a solid tree belay. Looking up, it appears that the 5.10 hand crack is above, there is even a tree with slings to tempt the foolish climber. Luckily my partner C knew to traverse right further through the only unpleasant pitch of rotten rock, up and around to the base of the 5.10 pitch. Burdo says there is a poor belay here, but we found an excellent crack from which we could build an anchor and set off on the off-hands 5.10 crack. The best advice I can give is look for the yellow headwall. 10 feet into the 5.10 crack there is a loose flake. My partner insists that the only way to safely protect it is with two stoppers, one on either side of the flake to prevent it from coming out. I loved each and every hand jam on this pitch, each more secure than the next and the crack widened and took my fat fingers. The next pitch starts with a roof right off the belay, much easier than it looks, and a 5.8 hand crack that some say is equal to the money pitches on Outerspace. With one more scramble we were on the ground. A great climb and an easy 1/2 day makes this a must do at the pass. Be sure to dress warmly as this time of year you're in the shade.

Hell yeah Uncle Tricky!! Sweet climbing was done as well as some quality beer swilling at the Twisp Brewery. I say we have a pub club out in Twisp! As a side note, I think your shack definitely qualifies as a cabin. Nice place to build a home, man I wish I had it in me to move out there. Scout keeps telling me how much fun he had and how we have to go back. He's a dirty happy dog. Next time I'll lead that roof.

Thanks erik. darrington to hiway 20 was my initial guess, but then looking at the map it seemed like maybe I was wrong. Let's get out and climb sometime, eh?

What's the shortest way to drive to Twisp? Just looking at the map it looks like I-90 to 97 thru Wenatchee.

Thanks! I just TiVo-ed it.

The rainy season in Nepal and India should be ending soon. Himalayas might be fun, just watch out for those Maoist Rebels.

I've recently given up a planned two week trip in Yosemite in the fall for a two week trip in december in Paris and Chamonoix (sp?). Round trip tix from Seattle to Paris were $320 and I couldn't resist. I've climbed in the valley on 4 trips previously and have never been to france. What would you do?

1. turned 30 and finally figured out what I want to do with my life 2. became a volunteer firefighter/emt (still working on the paid position) 3. climbed north ridge of stuart and gendarme

Index this Sunday? I'm free Sunday for either Index, 11worth or something close. I'm craving some hand crack. PM me.

I'm looking for a partner to go cragging at 11worth or somewhere cool (Squamish, Smith, etc.) for the weekend. I have Friday off, but could be pursuaded to spend Friday doing other things and leave Friday night. I have car, rack, etc. I prefer trad routes in the 5.easy to 5.10 range, harder if you want to lead. I've been climbing for over a decade, EMT, pretty laid back, just looking to soak up the good climbing. To all my old partners, after a year of wierd work schedules working weekends and nights I now have a somewhat friendly shift-- Monday thru Thursday. I guess I'm back in the world of the weekend worriors. Gimme a call. I am free almost every weekend from now until Thanksgiving. Gotta love three day weekends. My Email is bunk-- to much spam forced me to close it. PM me.

Find 'em hot and leave 'em wet Sweet photos! Too bad wildland firefighters make so little money! What a fun job!

Ski Patrol stuff (OEC) is roughly equivalent to an EMT-B course - and EMT-B courses are available at most community colleges. It's over/underkill though - you won't have the tools/knowledge to do much in the field. Probably best just to go for a 2-3 day course. I took an EMT course and it's a lot of fun. Some may say you can't do anything with the knowledge in the field but I disagree. BLS is exactly that-- basic life support. There are so many simple things you can learn in an EMT course that, when put together, give you as a first responder enough skill and knowledge to keep your patient alive. Learn to adapt and overcome. It's what climbers do everytime we go out into the mountains and a medical emergency presents us with another type of challenge. Be prepared for it through training and practice. It's not a question of if you will see a medical emergency in the field, but when.

It's called Exfoliation Dome for a reason. The rock sheds it's skin like an onion. Maybe your yellow alien placements won't be so good in a few years. Just something to think about...

Just happy that me, trask and WJC are all in the same boat!

Right on trask. We agree on something!

We have resolved for our time a great debate over the role of government. Today we can declare: government is not the problem, and government is not the solution. We, the American people, we are the solution... We need a new government for a new century, a government humble enough not to try to solve all our problems for us but strong enough to give us the tools to solve the problems for ourselves, a government that is smaller, lives within its means and does more with less. Yet where it can stand up for our values and interests around the world, and where it can give Americans the power to make a real difference in their everyday lives, government should do more, not less.