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From Alpenglow.org: 1971: Wy'east route, ski descent by Sylvain Saudan: chronology. 1992: North Face (right gully), snowboard descent by Stephen Koch: chronology. 1997: North Face (left gully), ski descent by Doug Coombs: chronology.

Bummer His weekend ascent of Mt. Fuji (from Seattle) was a cool idea I always thought.

The Swatch Skin is probably the thinnest lightest watch you'll find.

The Airforce Times Bush’s Air Guard stint started well, then faded into mystery

Indian Creek

Judging by this years WSJ article on RMI he may well be getting rich - or at least doing quite nicely for himself. Why wouldn't the RMI guides be employed at whatever concession ended up taking business from RMI?

mtnfreak- It's a way to run a business. Not good business IMHO. Here's a link to an AAI summary of the management plan (MRNP has taken the offical copy off the web) http://aai.cc/rainierinfo.asp According to the above Emmons is the only route permitted for guiding if you aren't RMI. http://aai.cc/rainierinfo.asp

Flash's take alot of energy; this isn't surprising. I don't use them outdoors.

www.dbskis.com Fat, Light, and not noodly (by all the reviews).

I wasn't aware soft was a good thing in a ski.

It's good to see the DC 'tude wore off on you J Fisher. I left DC 2.5 yrs ago. I make the same (a bit more actually) at an equivalent position in PDX - and my standard of living is much better than it was. It's great if you can live in DC. Depending on where you work (i.e. if you don't work downtown) this isn't really an option - unless you want hellacious commutes. So you're stuck in the neverending burbs of DC. DC is a great experience to have for a year or two - it's a Capital city, with all of the aspects of court life. A unique experience to say the least. Just don't expect to live the outdoor lifestyle you can in the west.

Huh? This is so untrue it makes my head spin. where did you hang out, the mall at Tysons Corner? The people I hung out with were from all over the country and the world and had huge diversity of backgrounds and view points. Contrast to here where apparently you get issued your green suburu with a dog and a "free tibet" sticker when you get your 206 phone number. J_Fisher apparently never left the square (DC + Alexandria). DC itself has some of the most interesting, driven, intelligant, people of any city. My apartment building had people from Croatia, Argentina, England, Italy,... The DC Suburbs are some of the most bland, boring, provincial tract housing sprawl of any city in the USA. And the poverty of Appalachia & bits of the Delmarva is shocking. I wouldn't count of getting paid much more than you'd make out here - so be prepared for a downgrade in your standard of living.

And RMI is welcoming the new guide service's with open arms "They want to cut my business by two-thirds, but they didn't give us much say in the matter,"

GregW's right.I used to live there. There's cragging close in at Great Falls/Carderock, a couple of climbing gyms (www.Sportrock.com - Alexandria, VA, Rockville, MD & Sterling, VA; www.EarthtreksClimbing.com Columbia, MD), without traffic (it's about as bad as Seattle traffic) it's 3.5hrs from the city center to Seneca Rocks W. Va, 5ish to the New River Gorge, W Va, 6 to the Shawanagunks, 10 to the Adirondaks. 2hrs to old school Granite cragging at Old Rag VA. Check out "Rockclimbing Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland" by Eric Horst. It has everything of merit within a long days drive. Culture wise there isn't much of a climbing community (at least not to the degree in the PNW), nor much of a cycling community. The big outdoor circles were WW kayaking and sailing. Feel free to PM me if you want more information.

Only if they are really stoned.

Cheating Death

Blowe Triple Point Your joking right?

Free Career Advice: Don't embark on a career as a merc unless your Mom was Prime Minister

Most the jumps are more fibrous - something like Snowflex . You wouldn't be able to do squat maneuvering wise on a cutting board.

Doesn't that demand on how good a job the ski shop did on alignment? I've seen somepairs with barely enough clearance for the boot to squeeze by (i.e. alot of pin in the boot), and some with alot more room (less pin in the boot). Would also be dependant on how soft your ski is. Mine seem to stay on no matter what, jumps, etc.

My Dynafits have less play than my Freerides's & Silvretta's, and I find they ski better. Supposedly some German Climbing/Skiing mag did a review and marked Dynafit's the best AT bind for skiing performance.

Yes they do exist. For the most part they aren't worth knowing. Definitely do not make the mistake of dating one

Sort of like a dogwalking service, only with people?

I haven't met a very strong skiier who hasn't spent a good deal of time on the lifts at some time in their life. Learning in the backcountry will get you better at BC conditions where you live; it won't necessarily make you a better skiier. You my also end up with some serious technique flaws that will hold you back later. It's also much easier to hangout with friends at a resort than in the BC (unless they are extremely patient waiting for the slowpoke).

If you've never skiied before, buy cheap used alpine equipment. You should be able to get something for much less than you'd pay for AT gear, and you'd probably shred the AT gear before you'd be good enough to really enjoy it. Iain's plan sounded about right.