Matt

BATTLE CAGE!

[This message has been edited by Matt (edited 07-14-2001).]

Probably Vantage/Frenchmen Coulee where its always dry when the rest of WA is in the clouds.

Julie, Send me an email and let's meet up. I've found that all climbers are scrappy climbers at some grade so no worries! I went to Little Si yesterday and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! There are ripe berries on the trail and even on some climbs. Not too many people and there was no "scene" which I like. It was peaceful. Let's climb together! You can reach me at: matthew_heller@hotmail.com

I'm a writer. I write and research grant proposals for non-profit organizations when I'm not working on more creative writing projects for myself. It allows me to work at home which I love and I have a flexible schedule so the occasional midweek climb is allowable.

Sounds good.

Hey Dwayner, What do you think of the Whistle Stop Pub in Renton? Ever heard of it? It's southend, lot's of good micro brus, pool table, and I think a good compromise for T Towners vs. Belllevue / Seattle folks. Just a thought. Do you know of any good bouldering around Tacoma where we could meet? A beer and a boulder session sounds good to me. Beck, cheers to you for getting this started. Do you think the bar will be overcrowded tonight? I have a feeling Lisa is right and it will be standing room only.

Anyone want to climb after work at Little Si or Exit 38? I have been working out in the gym and am burnt out on the whole thing. I enjoy 5.8 to 5.11 climbing. I'm just a simple climber who enjoys challenging activities in the wilderness. [This message has been edited by Matt (edited 07-23-2001).]

Has anyone done any good climbs naked? I did some really cool naked solo climbs at night in Arapiles, Australia. All very easy and some long enough to be out there. I don't remember any route names, but they were all an easy walk from camp in the pines.

I go skinny dipping any chance I get! The last time I did it was in the Japan Alps near Nagano. We were ice climbing and next to the tent where we camped there were the most lovely natural hot springs. Winter camping is so much more enjoyable when there are a series of pools of varying temperatures to warm up in. If the sun is warm and I am alone or with friends on the trail I enjoy hiking in the buff. Luckily in America this is occasionally possible.

I have seen the bolts in question and they are obnoxious and ugly. What is wrong with top roping? Why did the bolters feel they needed to deface this beautiful piece of rock? Is the route better because those who get on the sharp end feel their egos stroked by clipping big shiny bolts? It really kills me to see those bolts. At a minimum I would like to see the bolts painted over to match the color of the rock. Ray, if you can pull the bolts and patch the holes with glue and dust so that DDD looks more like it did in its original condition then I fully support you in chopping the bolts. The aim of the chopping should be to return the climb to its original asthetic.

Count me in. Tacoma, the mountains, Seattle for beer, whatever. And Dru, if we hang at Eight Mile Campground don't worry about the imports. I think plenty of us will cover you.

Yes, I know nat'l parks are nature preserves ergo are special and should be saved for future generations. In the spirit of conservation I would like to see pack animals banned from parks for in my experience they do much more damage than dogs-- though I admit more people have dogs than horses/mules so this can be disputed. If parks are to be preserved then we should keep cars, especially RVs, out of our nat'l parks. Until this is done I will not feel that the ban on dogs is fair. An army of dogs do nowhere near the damage a single RV does.

Lambone, Yeah, Scout would make a great rope gun-- he's always pulling at the lead, though he's a bit of a hangdogger.

Peter Hopkirk, "The Great Game" Great Britain fights the Soviet Union for control of Central Asia in the 19th Century. Afganistan does both countries up the ass. The title is from Kipling's Kim, "The great game is afoot." Peter Hopkirk, "Tresspassers on the Roof of the World" The race to Lhasa, Tibet. Both of these books cover some real life espionage and exploration from the point of view of a British secret agent. A must read for anyone going to or interested in Tibet, Pakistan, India, Kyrgistan, Afganistan, Russia, Kazakstan, etc., et al.

Hey Holly, My dog Scout likes to climb naked too, though when he has to he wears his mountainsmith dog pack. :-) Last time I took him to Vantage his pink nose started to become burned so I lathered it with some SPF 45 and he was happy with that. I would love to take Scout on up St. Helens too, but after foolishly trying to hike w/ him to Camp Muir and getting threatened by some volunteer patrol I've shied away from populated mtns. Question: Has anyone had luck with putting doggie boots on their pooch to protect its feet from frost bite and/or blisters from sharp rocks? P.S. Apologies to Lisa for making your dating service thread into a pooch thread.

When I was in the Peace Corps some missionaries came to my village to pass out bibles. Everyone was really excited and snatched up all the free bibles right away. The missionaries were so happy until they learned that paper was scarce and the villagers were using the pages of the bible to roll cigarettes. The bible paper was thin and burned well. Do I see the scripture on that joint?

Hey Lisa, Do you have any suggestions for good ski mountaineering trips for pinheads w/ dogs? I have a 70 lbs. lab with tons of energy. I'd like to find a few places that: a) are outside of a nat'l park, b) don't have cravasses, c) are steep enough to be interesting but not so much so that Scout (my pooch) will get freaked out and d) are in reasonable proximity to Seattle. Likewise, cragging can be problamatic with a dog though I sometimes do it. I hate it when Scout becomes an annoyance to other climbers and I fear for his safety from falling rocks. Climbing with dogs may be a subject for another thread, but it sounds you might know a thing or two about it and I hate leaving Scout home while I'm off enjoying nature. What is the saying? Free your heels and your dog will follow? BTW, there are more than a few dirty dogs who frequent this website so beware.

Mt. Katadin with Thoreau.

Will-- I like your style and spunk. Let's go climbing together!

Poor LameBone, can't defend himself b/c he's off climbing in the Valley. Last week he was selling his ice tools to buy a portaledge, maybe next week he'll be selling a portaledge to buy a ring? I think an apropo wedding for Lamebone would be to rent a helicopter and fly all his climbing buddies to Slesse, exchange vows, and then fly to the top. I know he doesn't really want to climb Slesse, but at least the pictures would be nice.

Hey Erik-- BTW, I've hiked the North Dome Gulley, in the dark, mind you, and it is no cake walk. The rap saves at least an hour over the hike, the added bonus being you avoid traversing across the wet dirty runnout slab at the end that's far scarier than the rest of the climb. All this aside, the point I was trying to make was it's better to wait until your feet touch the ground before you toke up. The crux of many climbs is in the decent. Don't smoke crack on Liberty Crack, but if you're just clipping bolts on Pot Ash Road....

If you want to cook inside your tent with an XKG I suggest you look into buying a Black Diamond Megamid tent, or some varion there of. Floorless tents are THE way to go for cooking inside. You are less likely to burn anything and they are easily ventilated. The combination of these two items are perfect for traveling overseas and/or trekking in remote places where clean fuel is not always available and hostels or trekkers huts can be elusive. The XKG is a blow torch and should be treated as such. It's a great product, but it may just bite you back if you try to use it where it's not intended to be used.

[This message has been edited by Matt (edited 07-16-2001).]

Ahem. [This message has been edited by Matt (edited 07-18-2001).]