rbw1966

I'll second Matt's assessment. On the first gendarme I got about 3/4 of the way up before running out of rope. I looked around, dug around but couldn't find any place to set an anchor. Best bet: watch your partner carefully and jump off the opposite side if he/she falls. ;-) In hindsight, I'd set the belay closer to the flank of the first gendarme and just run it out to the top. Pickets came in handy for the rapell of shame when we bailed due to weather. Rob

Hey Jarred-- Might want to check out the Mazama's annual garage sale Nov. 9th in Portland. A bit of a commute from Hermiston but might be worth it. Good luck on Denali! Spectacular place.

The bathrooms in my barracks during basic training at Ft. Benning not only lacked doors on the stalls but lacked stalls as well. After chow it was a mad race to get to the barracks for some alone time before the infamous Heissler made it there. One foul human being with a stench far worse than mustard gas. Once the line started forming the magazine was more for deflecting eye contact then reading. Couple of friends of mine, the Newell Bros. (also known as the Stool Brothers) love to leave their calling card at parties: Dry Docking: throwing a handful of toilet paper into the bowl prior to crowning so your "ship" stays afloat. Then walk away leaving it moored.

hey Tex-- Drop me an email if you are still looking for a partner. I've made one attempt at it in winter but bailed from the first genderame due to weather (got some great pics). I know someone who climbed it in August (totally bare) and its a total choss pile. Personally I have zero desire to climb it barren.

I'll give you 8 but you have to deliver it to Portland.

Tires equal gear in the NW. If'n you can't get to the mountains, you can't do any climbin'. I'm sitting here with nose pressed to glass praying for more snow. More snow. . . more snow. . .

I've climbed extensively in the Cascades, Ecuador and eastern europe in my makalus. Bought 'em in '95 or thereabouts. Still going strong for me. I treated them once with nikwax when my feet got wet. Haven't had to retreat them since then. YMMV

I'm reading Don Delillo's Underworld right now. Great book, I can appreciate it more now that I am not hauling it all over like I did on denali. That was a big mistake.

Toss an extra biner in the mix and you're gliding smooth and slow.

I'd much rather listen to DFA's contribution to the debate then your showcase of Tourrettes Syndrome.

Backcountry is where its at baby. Anyone been on snowdome lately?

Rumor has it that Wild Country is making a pack with folded linoleum as a back support for those spontaneous moments of breakin' Thats fresh!

D'oh! There goes that idea

quote: Originally posted by sketchfest: It'll take ya to a place you never thought imaginable and a place no boardhead could ever get to. Just once I'd like to see a day here without a topic turning into soft porn.

Hero loops are also attached to aiders as hand-holds for moving up in the steps. Also, you can use hero loops for tying off short on pins or rigid friends.

Gore dryloft baby.

Ever bouldered at the large boulder a bit away from Beacon Rock itself?

Nope--I am referring to the "top" of pitch one before you traverse over to the anchor for the start of pitch two. Whilst we were rapelling down I saw a guy girthing some hand-tied runners to the hangers for his anchor point. We didn't even get there until about 1 p.m. or so. My other friend had never climbed before and got sketched about 20 feet up so we lowered him and the girl and I finished the route. Ran into my friend Larry there but aside from that I didn't see anyone I knew. I was surprised by how free SE corner was. Jills Thrill is a great route.

quote: Originally posted by Greg W: ...And Trask and I are just the guys to do it. A new amateur porn video? All this time I thought Trask was into goats. My bad.

quote: Originally posted by Dru: Wasnt Hussein pretext for kicking out the inspectors the last time the incredibly overt actions of US & Britain Covert Ops teams posing as weapons inspectors and placing bugs while they diligently searched for bombs and germ warfare factories under saddams bed, etc.? I hope they pretend to be weapons inspectors a bit more proficiently this time around.[/QB] I can't believe the U.S. would do something so devious. Are you sure they weren't cannucks?

What did you climb Erik? I was there with a couple friends from out of town and all we had time for was SE Corner. By the way, how do folks here feel about girth-hitching webbing to hangers? Seems a rather questionnable practice to me.

I don't think it mattered to Bush much if Saddam allowed inspectors back in or not. You'll recall that he preempted this posture by stating that Iraq has to deal with all 16 UN resolutions in order to prevent war. Allowing inspectors back in is but one of those resolutions. My moneys on Bush pushing this all the way. I don't want to see war but I bet its on the way.

FYI when my partner and I bought our bags for denali (Western Mountaineering) we got a 15% discount for buying them together. Got 'em at Oregon Mountain Community. I've never been happier with a sleeping bag before except when my wife shared it with me. 'Course we weren't married at the time. . .

No condescension was meant my friend. I just don't see the use of nuclear weapons on a par with conventional bombing of military institutions. I also don't agree with the use of conventional weapons (or nuclear wewapons) against non-combatants a la Afghanistan. This is not winning their hearts and minds.