AlpineK

Once we resolve binding issues we should go rip it up!

I'm afraid I didn't get any action shots.

After looking at the forecast it seemed like going east was the best way to get good visibility conditions.

I'm sure you're right to some degree about the, "average Americans," view of Native Americans. However there have been quite a few, "nonnative," Americans who have put a lot of effort and time into fighting to improve the Indian's lot in life. I've seen a bunch of time and support given to Indians by whitey right here in the NW. As far as the Tibetans go I don't think they want a government like other countries. They just want a little control and say over their land.

Trip: White Pine Peak - North Chutes Date: 3/15/2008 Trip Report: JH and I had a nice day of skiing just south of HWY 2. I didn't have a topo, so I just had to go off memory on the route. Also I believe the peak is not labeled on the map, so the peak may just be a point above White Pine Creek. I'd skied this peak once before in '06 with Rat and tanstaafl . At the time it seemed like a pretty cool descent with both tree skiing and a big open chute off the summit. Here's a picture of the face. The approach is on a flat road that you follow till you see a thinned track that loggers cut in the failed hopes of making money off timber. Uptrack Eventually you get into uncut timber past the cut. There are nice views of the surrounding mountains. Rock Mountain We got up to a high point near the summit. We could have summited, but the wind drift was depositing new snow on the NE face we wanted to ski and we worried a bit about avy danger. We decided to head down. Our high point with a view of the summit. From here we had a super descent down the edges of the big chute. A couple shots looking back at the descent. From here the chute necks down to a gully. You might be able to ski it this year, but in general it was better to finish the face on a logging road. All in all a fun day. Gear Notes: Skis Approach Notes: Send me a PM for details.

I've witnessed first hand how some of the Chinese government officials that came with our climbing team treated the Tibetan locals. I did meet a couple cool Chinese working as interpreters, but in general to the Chinese Government.

Well you still get better gas mileage with most diesels. And although this isn't a practical solution for the average person, you can convert a diesel to take waste oil (think McDonald's grease) that you can get for free. Costs around $1000 to convert, then you just have to go get yer grease... Or you can buy fresh veggie oil for $2/gallon at Costco. Ever hear of the "Veggie Van" guy...he drove around the country in his vehicle fueled solely on post-consumer oil (used fast-food grease). Yes, another mention...he's the guy who made the documentary Fields of Fuel that's coming out soon. I was burning biodiesel in work vehicles 5 years ago. The main reason I did it was doing work where you stand behind a machine spitting out exhaust for 4 hours a day you start thinking about the amount of pollutants your sucking down your lungs. But that doesn't mean I buy into the whole bio/global warming line. A boatload of CO2 gets produced from production of biodiesel. We as a country need to do something so we can burn something that we produce and doesn't spit out as much CO2 as regular or bio produces. I like the talk I've heard about algae, and I think some aspects of the biodiesel movement are good, but I don't buy into the biodiesel is the future argument.

Right now you have to search hard to find diesel of any variety less than $4/gal.

Jordop and I talked about doing something like that back a few years ago. Start at Lizzie Lake then ski and come out around Pyramid Mountain and Kwoiek Creek. I don't know what vehicle parking is like, but it looks like a fun trip. Sorry we didn't do it, but you should go for it.

It seems like a big political figure could hook up with a couple Staff Interns for a lot cheaper than $80,000.

I didn't start climbing till late, but my earliest memory in life is my dad putting me in a pair of skis and giving me a push down a very small hill. I was 1.5 at the time.

That's really really helpful John.

Um Don, Bolts are different than dirt biking or any other activity that trashes the soil where tons of animals hang out. Climbers confine themselves to the cliffs whereas dirtbikers and other folks with ORVs are driving all over the region trashing places where a lot of the animals live. Sure ORV folks need a place to pursue their activity of choice, but they shouldn't be roaming free everywhere and anywhere. You can make the same case about ski areas. There should be places that get developed for a recreational area, but there shouldn't be ski lifts up every mountain. Your obsession with bolts is quite funny. Yes there are stupid sport climbs in lots of places, but placing a bolt in any manner doesn't do much to destroy habitat. climbing unlike dirt biking is low impact, but yes low impact does not equal no impact.

Actually I bought a pair of Husqvarna kevlar pants, but I only wore them a couple times since they're way to hot to wear and get any work done without sweating quarts of water. The kevlar is only on the front side though.

Fuckin rad. I tried to do that back a couple summers ago, but we couldn't get a permit due to a grizzly bear camping out at the base.

Dude they're chaps. They aren't a fashion statement. You wear them to protect the most likely part of your body to get tagged by a running or idling chainsaw chain.

You're welcome to use mine. (chainsaw kicked back, went airborne, and flew into my shin while working on a log railing.) Yeah, blood and chainsaws. I went to the emergency room a couple times over that one. I've taken one employee and a former boss to the hospital because of chainsaw cuts. If you're going to use a chainsaw a lot in the woods I recommend kevlar chaps. You can get kevlar gloves too. Nice woodwork despite the blood rmncwrtr.

I like it Sherri.

Minx, If you want I'll come over and give the boy a talk about the importance of wearing a helmet even on something that appears to have low risk. As for skiing/snowboarding. That's a tough lesson he's going to have to learn on his own. I was brought up to ski at a very young age. Snowboarding wasn't around then. Since then I've tried boarding since it looked like a cool new thing. The truth is it is a cool way to slide on snow. I think your best approach is to tell the boy that ski areas are training for the real thing which is backcountry skiing. I learned that from my dad at a young age. Offer to take him backcountry skiing a lot. I'd even offer to buy him an backcountry setup, but tell him that he's going to have to work to earn his own money to buy a snowboard or splitboard.

Trip: Mount Snoqualmie - Slot Couloir Date: 3/8/2008 Trip Report: The Slot Couloir on Mount Snoqualmie is a great ski descent. I skied it with JH. There's a little ice at the top, but it's not too bad. There's not much to say, but I thought I'd add some photos from the day. Hemlocks at the top of the couloir. Midway down the couloir. Looking back up. A view from the base. The Crooked Couloir looks phat. Gear Notes: Skis of some variety or a snowboard Approach Notes: Park at Alpental then go up. The crux of the route today was the descent back down the Phantom slide and over the waterfall at the base. The south facing snow is gloppy right now.

Jamin, Combining newbie with just purchased a drill isn't the best mix. Why not meet up with and climb with one of the guys in the Central/Eastern WA forum on CC who's involved in maintaining the Minnehaha area. I'm sure they would have some hands on practical experience they'd share.

Hmm, Well I guess I don't know much. I'm just basing my comments on the lack of high heels among ballerinas.

I have a feeling that as the price of oil goes up folks who live in, "dream homes," will feel the pinch of transportation costs. In the end they'll all buy condos in the city and take the bus.

I got some hash oil, but that was back in the 90s.

High heels don't look very practical for climbing.