Squid

I tried this trick once, and was quickly rechristened "Assfire." Next time I'll shiver through the night.

Nacho- I just got great beta on Stuart- It's totally unclimbable. Stay home and drink beer this weekend. It should be in shape next weekend, when I can short-haul your ass up the thing.

blest is the adze scrape, scrape away the nasty rhime deeper, ice is blue

I was just granted a 3-day weekend, and don't want to spend a damn bit of it indoors. I'm looking for some partners for alpine routes- maybe basecamping in the Enchantments, climbing the surrounding peaks. PM me.

Yep, toiling away for Satan.

Jolly Green Giant or tool of Lucifer?

The best part of climbing Denali was...meeting the Rednecks! These boys rock! Nice TR Norm, I think you waxed beautifully poetic on the part about the sun dictating the day. Sooner or later we have to post the group photos of the CC'ers on Denali- who took those photos, anyway?

Ahh, you make me blush. It was a riot climbing with you and Scott- thanks for a great outing! We wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell if we didn't have the two of you showing us the way. By the way, nothing has broken my heart quite so much as watching the two of you sailing away into the sunset while Nacho and I post-holed the long miles back to the car. I'm gonna have to teach Nacho how to ski.

Can I join too? First I lost my courage, then control of my bladder, and now my self-respect. I'm afraid they're scattered all over the Cascades.

There are a bunch of local summer camps designed to expose kids with various challenges to the outdoors. I don't have first-hand knowledge of any of them, but friends who've volunteered for these types of organizations (Camp Goodtimes) say the experience rocks- if you're into that touchy-feely love-and -nurture type of stuff. I considered it, then selfishly decided to pursue my own climbing agenda. Here's a link to some local camps, if you're into that sort of thing.

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I sighed deeply in relief when I realized CC was free from your dancing scrotum. Thank you for changing your avatar. Congratulations on your functional legs.

Not home yet- I'm stuck at Bill's place for the next couple of days with Ash & Ry.

Norm! Teach me how to ski!

Let's call it 'mattress-palooza' and invite some bitchen' bands to play! We could invite some vendors to sponsor it, too. I know a guy who makes cool chalk bags out of recycled stuffed animals. He includes secret pockets where you can hide your stash. I'm down with this.

The snowshoes are a sad pile of plastic splinters by now. It couldn't be helped. Yup, I'm thinking about a fat thank-you fete to show my appreciation to everyone who helped make my AK fantasy come true. Probably around the middle of June, when I return.

Congrats to Pete & Ry!

Hey Duchess! I wanna hear your report of loitering in the Ruth. By far my most interesting moments in the Alaska Range were poking around in the lower Kahiltna, scouting out potential climbs (Ramparts, anyone?). When we turned the corner and joined the masses 'doing Denali', the experience lost a lot of the mystery & magic for me. So, out with those TR's of Barille and Dan Beard and Moose's Tooth- I really want to hear them!

That's a different Jeremy - Jeremy Wilson was planning on doing the Cassin. We met him up at 14k where he was acclimating and caching supplies. He was doing well when we last saw him, and we all wish him the best of luck!

Pub Club is at the Fairview tonight! Starting now!

Naw, Klenke, you can be jealous of every one of us- Chris & Jeremy included. We had a righteous time up there, and we'll all hate to return to the real world. In a funny twist, we summitted right next to Pete A, Ryland and the rest of the 'Rednecks on Ice'. We also spent the next several days swamped in the ebb and flow of a delirious alcoholic haze, which followed us down to basecamp, to Talkeetna, through every bar in Talkeetna, including some of the seedier suburbs. Don't get me wrong- this wasn't all fun & games. Some serious introspection went on up there- interior epics of the soul, if you will. I have discovered (thanks to Dr. Figger8) that I am a GirlScout, and a gumby. Others on the trip may have plumbed the depths of their own souls, but their discoveries remain their own. Excuse me, for I must go now. This land of the midnight sun drives me to drink.

Sleeping bags are aid.

nice photos, Klenke!