DPS

It occurred to me that the Bush administration is America's version of the Taliban; the religious right taking over the country. Our American Taliban is no different in principle than the Afgani Taliban, only the religious flavor is slightly different. The christian right will of course argue that it is completely different because christianity is the correct religion (the Afgani Taliban argued the same thing) and is the best thing for this country. Meanwhile our freedoms will be stripped away.

Its a photo of me nearly getting hit by lightning. My mother in law thinks its a particularly good one of me. Alex took it.

Yup. It is possible, but not fun, to ski in mountaineering boots. I would climb in rando boots before skiing in mountaineering boots.

Who wants to be part of a religion that actively seeks out the worst people to be a part of it? No wonder the religious right is so fucked up.

Eldorado, I Tent, ID MK1XL are all fine tents, but are really better suited for alpine climbing where a small foot print and high strength to weight ratio are important. A double wall tent such as the MH Annapurna (a very sweet looking tent) will have fewer condensation problems than a single wall tent. I use my single wall tent for Alaskan and winter climbing where it is colder and drier.

VW4ever mentioned he was headed up to Hood today, but I think he was going for the NF. Unless they could not get up the road and decided to do Sandy Headwall..

There are more stupid people in this country than smart people.

Young, highly educated, married couple seeks new country for long term residence. Bush supporters need not apply.

Thanks a bunch! I agree with your comment about MDs, they seems very prescription oriented rather than rehab. I am currently following a weight lifting program designed to balance out the muscles. It was working great until I started hanging out in the monkey cave =(.

Don't neeed a helmet, I got a hard, hard head.

You can rent tools, crampons and boots. Harness, ropes, screws you gotta buy or borrow.

Last winter I hurt my shoulder ice climbing. The doctor said take Alleve and stay off it. I followed his advice and it slowly improved. I re-injured it the other day bouldering at the gym. Not sure what exactly is injured, but it hurts pretty much all the time and especially when I do certain motions like turning a car steering wheel with that arm. Any idea what it is and any stretches, etc I can do to promote healing? Thanks, Dan

That's it then, I am going after Cascade this winter for sure!

Beckey first ascents vs non Beckey FA?

Beautiful site, but I just spoke with God, and he wanted me to tell you that he really doesn't care if you climb or not. He did mention, however, that he would really rather not have people killing each other in His name.

Ruth Mountain-Icy Peak traverse.

I missed the part of the question about buying from guiding companies. Of course Gene is correct on all points.

I bought a used pair of crampons for a fraction of retail and they have been great. Many of the new crampons have replacement front points available. I had a 10 year old down sweater with a broken zipper. The manufacturer replaced the zipper and re-stuffed the down for free. It had a life time warrenty. Most good manufactures can do the same for a nominal charge, if not fee. If you buy a used down garmet, you can always get it re-stuffed and repaired. Just be sure to buy good quality. I have seen some terrific bargains on used plastics. Maybe worn once on Rainier. Replacement liners are available as are thermofit upgrades.

Passages Northwest is an outdoor program for girls and women, aimed and raising self esteem.

The nearest ice to Seattle is in your freezer. Bwahh, ha, ha. But seriously, there is a guide book to Washington State ice climbs. Nelson's guide has a few ice climbs in his books as well. The closest semi-reliable ice is in Lilooet, BC. About 6 hours away. The closest reliable ice is in the Canadian Rockies, about 13 hours away.

Looks like washington pass?

I think this quote is an urban legend. I have heard it attributed to a number of different people.

I was thinking in terms of the best of the different types of climbs and geographical areas.

5 must do for everyone, or is this a personal tick list? If there were 5 must do's I would have to say: Liberty Ridge, Rainier West Ridge McMillan Spire (Or anything in the Pickets) Triple Couloirs, Dragontail North Ridge, Forbidden Outer Space-Orbit link up. Fisher Chimneys, Mt Shuksan

Cryptopsporidium. It has been known to kill people. No shit. Any number of bacteria: campylobacter, shigella, cholera etc. That is not to say these are up high in high abundance, but it is definitely possible to catch one of these bugs.