Alpine_Tom

KYVE, out of Yakima, carries it as well. Same bat-time (10:00 PM) same bat-station (KCTS owns KYVE)

My wife said that, despite what seems to me eternal rains, we're actually below average for rainfall this year, and significantly below average since November. So maybe the watershed isn't quite so primed as it seems.

bump -- And, another one. May 13, Frontline is showing David Breashears' film, "Storm Over Everest" about the '96 tragedy. Not that the story hasn't already been done to death, but Breashears is a talented climber and filmmaker. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/everest/ And then, again, call or email kcts9 and tell them to show more climbing and outdoors stuff.

There's a place mentioned in one of the Footsore books called the Devil's Rock Garden. It's an easy walk into, in the Arlington area, and seems like a potentially fruitful place for bouldering -- there are rocks from the size of suitcases to the size of houses. Has anyone spent any time there? Is it worthwhile?

There's a good reason why retailers and manufacturers who start out in a specialized technical niche turn into mass marketers -- Eddie Bauer / REI / North Face / Helly Hanson / Mountain Hardware / et al. There's probably 500 back-to-school packs bought every fall, for every one climbing pack. I bet REI sells more heart-shaped and dog-bone-shaped caribiners than PMS sells ALL caribiners put together.

After my smart-ass comment above, it occurred to me that an issue for them might be a problem with kids using it as a place to hang out and drink, etc, and the parks folks wanting to control that, more than wanting to screw the climbers, who probably bring a fair amount of business (going into town for beers afterwards, etc.)

Well, gosh, Mt. Erie being such an pristine gem of untrammelled wilderness I guess it makes sense. Imagine how much the experience of those who drive to the top to take photographs will be conserved. Plus, parking will be improved if those tiresome smelly climbers aren't taking up spots.

KCTS has a series called About Us, and on April 22 at 10:00, they'll be showing "In the Shadow of the Chief: The Baldwin and Cooper Story," about the first ascent of the Stawamus Chief. I just got to watch it last night, and though there isn't a lot of footage of the actual climb (it took place in 1962) it's well worth seeing. Watch it, and then call or email KCTS to tell them to show more of that sort of thing.

yes, it is for that ten-day period. Of course, depending on the weather, that may be the only summit opportunity. Maybe we shouldn't cry crocodile tears for folks who can afford $60,000+ and months off work to go climb Mt. Everest, but if I were one of those down there in base camp, I'd be pretty pissed. And, what happens if the weather doesn't cooperate for those ten days, and the torch-bearers end up not being able to summit until the 15th, or later? Does everyone just sit on their butts until the heroic People's party says it's okay to climb? The arrogance of that government never ceases to amaze me.

Actually, the Chinese were able to close the ENTIRE mountain, south side as well as north. "To make sure that nothing does disrupt it, the Chinese closed the mountain's north side in Chinese-occupied Tibet last week. At the weekend came the news that they have persuaded Nepal to close it from the south side also." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/climbers-banned-from-everest-as-china-seeks-to-stop-protests-on-summit-796782.html The Olympics have never been about unity and freedom. They're about nationalism and marketing. Oh, and athletics in there someplace.

My personal pack whining: I hate it when the the top pouch is oriented in such a way that when you unzip it, everything falls out of it. Pack cloth shouldn't be as heavy as a circus tent. BZ on the sailcloth idea! I like side pouches, so you don't have to dig to the bottom of your pack to get a Cliff bar.

I've not actually used a vapor barrier in a bag -- do they block ALL vapor? I have always expected that a vapor barrier would be too damp. Then, last summer I finally used the emergency shelter I've been hauling around with me for years. It's basically a long plastic tube, and I was SOAKED from normal skin evaporation within an hour. It was pretty amazing. I'd recommend carrying an extra layer of polypro to keep you warm in the bag if necessary. That way you have something you (or your partner) could use outside the bag as well, if necessary.

It's interesting that this article only talks about ropes breaking. I thought a bigger issue was that the lack of elasticity made for bigger loading on pro. You almost never hear about ropes breaking, but falling on what approaches static line would cause a much higher impact force on the pro, as well as on YOU when you hit the end of the rope.

Sounds like they got caught by the Mount Hood Triangle. I'm relieved that this one will end okay, though.

That sounds like a pretty great idea. There must be warehouse-type spaces in industrial parks around Bothell, Tukwila, places like that, where a lease would be manageable. I don't know anything about liability issues, but if the participants are over 21, and sign waivers, it seems like that wouldn't be an unmanageable issue. There are lawyer climbers around here who would know where to start. There was a law change a few years back that changed cities' liability wrt skate parks, but I don't know how on point that is. If the gym didn't provide the ropes or harnesses, that would be a huge avoidance of liability, I'd guess. The real issue is, a few people would end up doing the lion's share of the work, and then others (like me) would want to skate along and pay a few bucks a visit.

This is one of those "if a tree falls in the forest" questions -- if you don't have any beta, and are routefinding as you go, is it qualitatively different than a first ascent? It does seem hard to believe that there are any genuine first ascents left in such an accessible area, but aside from bragging rights, I don't really see that it matters. Unless, of course, they had to bail partway up, and then claimed that no one else could touch their project for the next six months. Good job finding a fun, worthwhile line, and sharing the information with others.

Alex Mineev and I did the west ridge last summer, and it is a fun mountain. Did you find the summit register we left up there? Just curious whether it's still there.

We did the W. ridge of Stuart 2 weeks ago, and saw what looked like that same herd of goats on the Ingalls trail, and then a couple of them high behind Long John Tower.

I come down pretty strongly on the pro-mutt side. That said, some of my personal experience: The best climbing companion I ever had was a yellow lab-coyote mix. He did shed a lot, and he was more like 70 pounds than the size you're looking for. Snow came right off him like he was teflon, and he never seemed a bit cold. I did a one-day climb of Glacier Peak with him, and between chasing marmots and other things, he probably did twice the distance I did. Our Westie is pretty game in the mountains, and doesn't shed much at all, but the snow does ball up on her fur pretty badly. And, being small, she's on the wrong side of the square-cube law, and tends to get pretty chilly if she's just standing around in the cold. A good friend of mine has a Weimeranner, and he will go for hours, in fact he's more like a 60 lb Jack Russell Terrier than a calm large dog. (Don't get a weim if you want him to sit regally next to the fireplace!!) I've had him out in the snow, and he's crashed through ice into streams, but never acted cold. Again, he's kind of big. They don't pick up any burrs, though! Standard Poodles are supposed to be smart and well behaved, and they shed very little. I have thought that a Brittany Spaniel would be a very conveniently sized dog (my parents have one) but I have never hiked with one. I don't think he sheds much, and he is pretty smart. I suspect that nearly any dog would adapt well to being an outdoors dog. A crucial trait is the willingness to come when they're called, and the Weimeraner mentioned above is the only do I've known who will ignore absolutely every other stimulus to come when he's called. I have no idea if that's a characteristic of the breed, though.

I'd be sort of surprised to find any real differences between climbers and the general population, or at least the general population of athletic-type people. I know intelligent climbers, not-very-bright climbers, super-motivated climbers, "I dunno, wanna go climb something, maybe?" climbers. Especially if you lump together everyone from 5.14 sport climbers to twice-a-year volcano sloggers. Seems like the one thing that sets us apart, only half-joking, is the inability to learn from our experiences. You spend a miserable night shivvering on an unplanned bivvy on Stuart and six interminable hours slogging out, and a few days later you're telling everyone what a great trip it was!

How much dirt & rock you encounter depends totally on the time of year. (two weeks ago we descended the route, and it went down the Ingraham direct, so there was no rock travel at all.) In my oh-so-humble opinion, stopping a couple of times to remove or replace crampons isn't a big deal. If your partners can't abide the 45 seconds or so it takes to crouch down, take off the crampons, and clip them to your harness or pack, then to hell with them.

It does seem like there is a subset of people who get into climbing, get really enthusiastic and buy lots of gear and do lots of stuff, then get bored with the whole thing after a few years. I wonder if that's different for a pursuit like, say, golf, or bicycling.

Alex Mineev and I once climbed the wrong peak -- we climbed the south ridge of South Ingalls Peak, rather than North Ingalls, the proper one, and I couldn't figure out why it was so easy.

Way to go! You and Ulee are an inspiration to us dads!

Hey, if you can't get on a list someplace, what's the point of climbing?