nolanr

Or Sierra hardman rather. It must have been the tea, that's about all that guy seemed to ingest when he was rambling around for days on end. I think it would be a little easier to go w/ the minimalist gear approach in the Sierras where the weather isn't likely to turn to crap at any moment, any time of year like here in our good ol' Cascades.

Kings Canyon rocks, Dusy Basin is one of the coolest places I've been, too bad we were passing thru and didn't spend the night up there, probably would have been some awesome alpenglow reflecting on little alpine tarns.

"Cheap" and "climbing gym" don't fit in the same sentence. I'll admit I've done it a few times, but I can't justify buying a membership, i.e. paying for something that is a poor substitute for the real thing, which is more or less free.

OK, time for a new topic at the top of the list. I used to be a musclehead, haven't lifted for several years, didn't want to spend the $$$ on gym membership or take the time to workout. My roommate just got a Bowflex, I figure what the hell, I can use it for free and it's better than nothing. It's a little cheesy but it's actually better than I thought it would be. Although I hate all of the leg exercises, I won't even use them. Anybody else use this or similar home gym type set-ups? Courtenay, got an opinion on this one?

I just can't resist...wool keeps you warm and dry no matter how wet and cold you are.

"Conquistadors..." is probably my favorite. I've enjoyed everything I've read by David Roberts and Krakauer as well.

Sure was. I can't believe there weren't more people out there. Didn't look like anyone was climbing along Icicle Canyon on Sat., and on Sun. we were the only ones on Castle Rock. While my buddy took his time working out some of the moves on the second pitch, I was basking in the sunshine on the belay ledge working on a tan (or burn?). Spring has sprung already, at least on the east side of the mountains.

Okay, I might be inviting a flame fest here, but I'm going to risk it. We didn't have a guide book w/ us, but according to my buddy I climbed w/ on Sunday, we did Sabre (5.4?), then a testicle shriveling step-across move and onto pitch 2 of Canary (5.8?). Does anybody else think that's a pretty stiff 5.8? Lucky for me I led the first pitch so I got to follow on that second part. After that step across when you get onto the face, there isn't a whole lot in the way of holds for several feet. That would've been a bitch to lead, it wasn't a walk in the park seconding. 5.8 my ass I say. Okay old school hardmen, spray on about how you soloed it blindfolded or something... [ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: nolanr ]

Look out, pack face! (That's if the person in front of you stops suddenly and you run into their pack face first, particularly dangerous w/ ice axes, crampons etc. protruding outwards)

Re: Denali, the interior of Alaska (like, oh, say Fairbanks, relatively close to Denali by Alaskan standards) is flat and low, probably not real far above sea level. I don't know for sure, but I would buy that Denali is the tallest from base to summit above sea level.

Went up from Paradise on Memorial Day weekend in '99. The whole first day, about as far as you could see in front of you and behind you was a string of climbers. Sucked. Least enjoyable climbing experience I ever had. Good weather that weekend (at lower elev.), hardly anybody summited due to high wind. We did get treated to 60-70 mph winds on our retreat, between the Flats and Cathedral Gap. Most "interesting" traverse I've ever done.

We climbed on Castle Rock on Sunday, couldn't believe nobody else was out there. Maybe the angry hordes will arrive next weekend after getting the updated beta.

Anybody answers that smoking weed is better than sex, just proves how many brain cells that stuff kills.

Yeah, I wouldn't even think about going to Leavenworth yet. It's horrible, terrible conditions. Deep snow, ice, rivulets of water running down the rock faces. Umm, just kidding. I was there last weekend, it was awesome. You can drive up the Icicle to Bridge Creek CG, plenty of bare dry rock along there. Patches of snow on ledges on Snow Creek Wall, a little bit wet, mostly bare and dry. Castle Rock is bare and dry, we did Sabre and Canary on Sunday. Hard packed snow on the approach trail, a little icy, sport climbers better not try it but alpinists can get up there okay. I walked up Snow Creek trail on Saturday, probably a couple miles beyond Snow Creek Wall, it was consolidated enough I didn't need snowshoes. No excuses boys and girls, cragging season is upon us!

I work w/ John's niece, and he never mentions her in any of his books.

Um, pardon me if this sounds stupid, but aren't you supposed to be sore? That's a very subjective term, there's good pain and bad pain w/ strength training. Back when I was a muscle head I WANTED to feel extremely sore the next day or 2 after a workout so that I knew I accomplished something. Normal muscular pain is one thing, shooting or radiating pains or joint pain is another. Just thought I'd bring that little point into the discussion. I was never a big fan of dead lifts myself, but I liked squats. That was a lift that seperated the men from the boys. I can't believe after all this time Courtenay let it slip she's married. You've just been stringing all of us pathetic lonely climber guys along all this time.

Hey Juan, where's all those beers you owe us for breaking trail and sharing the route w/ you? Actually we prefer donuts. A dozen or so, glazed should do the trick. Next time you break trail, we sleep in and follow easily in your tracks.

I thought corps. already were getting out of paying for Superfund sights all the time anyway. Definitely w/in the mining industry. Foreign company w/ an American subsidiary leases U.S. land for next to nothing, extracts resources, leaves an environmental disaster, goes belly up and declares bankruptcy, leaves costly clean-up bill to American taxpayers. The Seattle Times ran a week long article on the mining industry and made it sound like the above scenario is pretty typical.

I saw some yuppie chicks trying to return some Tevas that were probably 10 years old and totally worn out, expecting to get a brand new pair for free. Wouldn't hardly take no for answer.

There were 2 guys in the parking lot REALLY early Sunday a.m. that were intending to climb Chair, I guess they didn't get very far. A fair bit of traffic by the Tooth on Sun.

I finally ordered the jacket from Campmor (Christmas gift certificate--thanks Mommy & Daddy), took it out for it's first outing, very pleased. Temps around freezing or below w/ some wind, stayed warm enough. It's amazing, it seems so flimsy and light, but it does the job.

Dan E. Were you up there yesterday? Me and my buddies were over on the NE Slab of the Tooth.

Dude, where? What? Need some captions.

Dru, you're just Caveman's Canadian alter ego. Didn't you know that eh?

Don't mean to beat my chest, but I've made it from Narada parking lot to Reflection area in not much over 30 minutes on snowshoes, it's not very far at all.