Matt

Wow! That is a really big pack!!! What do you have in there? Beer? Thanks for the pic Mattp!

Alpine Tom-- Thanks for the beta. That is what my partner was telling me-- it is not so hard if you are in reasonable shape. Then again, he is a burly marathon runner who was pissed when he only got 3:12 in his last marathon. I think we will try it in a one day push this weekend. Question for Gary: How bad were the mosquitos? I was in the Enchantments on Wednesday/Thursday and the only thing that kept me sane was the bug net I brought for my head and the bug repellent I applied every hour. Even on the summit of Prussik the mosquitos were swarming. Caveman: I think you are a ninja KGB smoking lung. Smoke more and you too will think Eldorado in a day is reasonable. I myself no longer smoke-- trying to treat my body like a temple and find the way This is the natural cycle of things. Om.

How hard is it to climb Eldorado in a day? It looks reasonable, but Nelson's book makes it sound like a death march.

Like Dr. Jay said, the mosquitos are really bad right now in the Enchantments. When I say bad I mean a constant swarm of 30-40 mosquitos around my head starting at 5 am and there until the sun goes down.

Jon-- As moderator I think you should issue P.U.I. tickets --- Posting while Under the Influence-- whether it be smoking the kind bud as in Redmonk's case or hitting the booze as is trask's case. Don't drink and spray!

quote: Originally posted by trask: Red Monk, I realize that this is a climbers' bbs. All I'm saying is that there are quite a few college boys posting here that can't spell for shit, much less formulate a cohesive train of thought. Unless Daddy is bankrolling them, I would imagine that they will need to seek gainful employment at some point in time. Considering the fact that they're "college boys", one would formulate the opinion that they are looking for a six figure salery within an acceptable period of time. No righteous employer will hire an illiterate college boy. I am an employer, and I refuse to hire someone with poor communication skills (when it's REALLY necessary on a professional level). So you genius' do whatcha' want, but perhaps think about it for a millisecond. Back to shit slingin' -- trask You do realize you spelled "salary" wrong, don't you?

quote: Originally posted by mattp: This one is too loose, that one is too small; the other is too bushy...sounds like _______, doesn't it? Does it stop you from ____ing? Matt, Are you talking about climbing or dating?

Right on Peter! Let's hook up for a climb some time this summer before you go off to school! I owe you many beers from index and 11worth! My guess is you attract cops/rangers just like Mattp--something in your blood. You know how some people get bit by mosquitos while others can chill without any need for bug juice? Same thing. Anyway, nice pics!

A Haiku for Aliens I love Aliens Climbing thin cracks in granite They give me power.

I was out climbing too. Like I said before, we should have a pub club at a crag or at least in someone's home gym. Beer drinking's fun, but climbing and drinking is more fun.

I have also free soloed Waste-of-time Rock (you know, the one where EVERYONE sets up a toprope for first time climbers) at Exit 38. Does that count? ChucK-- I am too homophobic to "do" Gu. Hey man, whatever floats your boat. BTW, What time is it?

please beware-- Chest beating about to occur-- I free-solo-onsighted the Tooth on Saturday!! I'm such a hard man!!! (Just kidding) I thought I would be annoyed at all the Mountaineers that were sure to be there, but since I started late in the afternoon I only ran into one group of former Mountaineers-- their names on their helmets gave them away-- and they were coming down when I started up. When I caught up to them back in the parking lot they gave me a beer for freeing their stuck rope so I just wanted to say thanks guys!!! Mountaineers who give out free beer are cool!!! Beta for the Tooth-- almost every car in the parking lot had a yellow "Notice of Non-Compliance" on their windshield. If you want to avoid this get a late start-- like after 1:30 or so. I can't say I beat Dan Smith's 2:15, but hey, I free solo onsighted a serious alpine route in the Cascades!!!! I'll definitely do it again. It's more fun than Mt. Si and just as many dorky gapers. Saw some guys wearing crampons up to Pineapple Pass-- I mean come on, the snow is soft!

Hey Chuck-- Call me. Let's climb.

quote: Originally posted by michael_layton: How do you get to colchuck col from the top? via the obvious gulley

quote: Originally posted by JayB: I heard a story of a couple of guys who had to endure a lightning storm on Cynical Pinnacle while they struggled to cut their rope with their nut tool...I'd be interested in hearing about any other means of getting oneself out of this situation... While leading the Standard Route on CP I was horrified to see someone's rope stuck far in the back of the crack. Not just a little piece, but maybe 30 feet!!!! That's why they now have rap stations out in the middle of the blank face so you don't have to rap the route. The last time I got my rope stuck I was able to lead up with the other free rope to the bush that the stuck rope was rapped around and then down climb with both ends. Down climbing is a skill gym climbers often ignore.

SPRAY, as in spraying, stands for [stupid Pointless Rants and Yapping]. It requires one to post messages on an internet bulletin board with a computer about anything and everything. It is a fun sport and you get to waste the day at work. Many people have given up climbing in order to pursue spraying because it is so much more fun and adventurous. Matt [ 06-24-2002, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Matt ]

When you drop a prussik it doesn't matter, but if you drop one of your Tiblocs you'll be pissed at losing a $20 piece of gear that you don't use that much.

Caveman-- I have climbed Jap Gardens w/o a 3.5-- it is certainly not necessary. I would also recommend a newby building a rack to get the 3 and 4 before they got the 3.5. What I'm asking is, is it worth the weight and expense?

Lately I've been climbing with a lot of partners who have the 3.5 Black Diamond Camalot on their rack. I used to think it was just an addition to the BD line-up to get people like me who already have the #3 and #4 to buy something new-- new sizes equal better sales. I thought since my 3 and 4 overlap, why bother getting a 3.5? Now I'm starting to think this is the perfect size to carry. For example, last Friday I climbed Them at the Wall of 10,000 Insects at Index. The 3.5 was perfect. Same goes for the first pitch of Japanese Gardens. Same goes for Battered Sandwich-- a friendly offwidth in Private Idaho at Index. I hear on the Nose on El Cap the 3.5 and the 4.5 protect what would be tipped out #3 and #4 offwidths. What do you all think? Is the 3.5 super or superfluous?

Sounds good Michael! Well, I've found some friends to climb with at Index so all I can say is, it's another beautiful day in Washington and the Cascades are calling! You work too hard dude!! To all of you gapers in cubeland I say, hang up your coat and tie, put down your double tall latte and come on out to Index!! The sun is shining!!!

Anyone want to climb at Index today? Send me a PM and I'll get right back to you. I could also be pursuaded to climb at Exit 38 or Little Si if you have your heart set on it. Matt

I wanna go too!!! When I was in the valley in May we even had a cc.com Pub Club!!! I ran into maybe a dozen WA climbers in Camp 4-- Team Washington was strong!!!

The zoo is cool For playing pool. The Alki's cheap And has good eats. I'm a poet and I know it. Hope I don't blow it.

I found the course I needed. Sometimes I feel like my dog Scout when he chases his tail. He spins round and round, but he can never reach his goal, only to collapse in the end, dizzy from his efforts.

Does anyone know of a course on CPR for Profesional Rescuers? I'm trying to get into an EMT course and a prereq. is CPR for Pro Rescuers or Health Care Providers, not your typical CPR course. I would like to find one that starts fairly soon. Yes, I've done the searches and made the calls, but I can't find one that will take place in the next month. Thanks!