sobo

As CFF and Skeezix have pointed out/implied, print off the Get Your Bearings sheet and take it with you, and a device with which to use it (compass or GPS). It should be intuitively obvious to know how to use the chosen device(s). Other than that, stay hydrated and have fun! And sunscreen - LOTS of sunscreen. And sunglasses, with side shields. And - well, you get the idea...

No apology required. BTW, we weren't called either.

too bad you didn't Ba-dum, ching!

Now that's just not funny. Unlike the Sportka commercial where the cat gets his head lopped off by the sunroof. Now THAT was funny. The one with the pidgeon and the hood is even funnier.

I can't help muhseff, but I thought that was really funny. Sorry, 'bone...

Thanks Keith. I only included SMR (via edit) because of this statement, from your post above: "Bellingham Mountain Rescue volunteers and the group Snowmobile Volunteers plan to search the area in the lower Coleman Glacier. Skagit Mountain Rescue will also search the east side of the mountain in case Lafleur went into the Baker Lake area." I don't know how wide Gilder and friends want to cast their net, so I was being inclusive of both MR units in my last post.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... the similarity is distinctive...

Not trying to stir up the pot here, but Gilder, if you decide to donate to the mountain rescue folks that looked for Kevin, be very specific that you want your donation to go to the mountain rescue folks, not to SAR in general. Let me explain... If you contact the BMRC (and/or Skagit MR) folks directly, or use the link woodchips provided and click on the PayPal toggle, rest assured that they will get your donation. However, if you contact the Whatcom (and/or Skagit) County SAR directly, which operates out of the county sheriff's office, the likelihood of your donation reaching BMRC (and/or SMR) is considerably reduced. Your donation will likely go into a "general fund" of donations. If that's OK with you, so be it. But I sense by your post that you would like to donate directly to the folks who were on the mountain looking for Kevin. That would (primarily) be the BMRC (SMR) folks. The Whatcom (and/or Skagit) County general SAR types, probably not so much. As Bug tried to explain, us Mountain Rescue folks are all volunteers. We have a skill, and we lend it when it is requested of us. We get that request through the reporting party calling 911. The 911 call/request for help is then routed to the county sheriff for the county where the assistance is needed. The Sheriff's Office for that county then makes a decision that SAR (in general) is needed. Once it is determined which specialty group (i.e., mountain rescue in this case) within the larger, general, SAR organization is needed, that group is contacted. It is primarily those folks that go up the mountain to search and rescue. Why do I say this? We in Central Washington Mountain Rescue (CWMR) have had several missions whereupon the conclusion thereof, the parties (or their next of kin) have wanted to make a dontation to CWMR. These people send in their donation to the Yakima County Sheriff/SAR (who we operate under, as previously described), who cashes their check and deposits the money into the general county SAR operating fund. We (CWMR) never see the money. Sometimes, we run into these people again somewhere, and they ask about their donation. What have we to say? "We never got it. It went to SAR." So the lesson: Be very specific to whom you want your donation to go, if in fact you want it to go to BMRC (and/or SMR), and not the general SAR organization. Thanks, Paul Soboleski Immediate Past President, CWMR

The parting of the hair would give it away, but he's shielded it from view with the non-Mountie-certified double bandana scheme. Curses, foiled again!

HTF did I miss this razor-sharp exchange (b/w Mark and Dru) of witty banter? Hilarious, yet informative (sorta).

Ya know, Bala, I never put 2 and 2 together on those pics. Figures that a smart guy like you would do the math!

Post 'em here when you get 'em. Pics of R&D are always well-received. For some reason, I just never take pics on climbs anymore.

Ar! Ar! Ar!

Those guys sure are playful and curious. Had the same thing happen in the San Juans several times. One of them tried to hug the bow once. My wife has a great pic of that one somewhere.

The klenke has been moderated??? WTF is this world coming to?

IMO, Ironically, I think the only way for you to gain credibility here is to have 5 fewer posts My vote for POTD. 5 stars.

Keith, I was going to add that little factoid, but decided I'd said enough. However, you are right about that statistic. The assumption is that some climbers think that "the hard part" is over once you've summitted. Add to that: they could be tired, thinking about the chillin' beers back at the rig, spooning with their SO when they get home, etc. Easy to lose focus.

The American Alpine Club publishes Accidents in North American Mountaineering (abbreviated throughout this site as ANAM) annually. It's a highly informative read of the accounts of incidents, with analysis and comment. In the appendeces, the statistical tables categorize the myriad ways that people got the chop. You can find ANAM in your local library, or order it online from any number of book suppliers.

It's really not "that" bad. My fiance' still married me after that epic descent outing.

5K- Nice job on R&D. Ten years ago, I took my fiance' up that route. At the top of the fourth, I reached into my pocket and pulled out "the rock" and handed it to her (I had already proposed at Punte Hilbrunner in the Italian Alps about 6 months earlier, but didn't have a suitable ring at the time). She almost fell off at the belay. That's when I realized we still had that last pitch to go to finish. Kind of the story of my life: just when you think the effort is over... Sherri- Noticed your beat up shins, too!

I learned a little ditty from my former climbing partner who got "kidded up" before I did (hence the "former" appelation): (Every toy) "Starts out as a hammer; ends up as a rattle. Except drumsticks!"

Wow! A "two-fer" for the bull!

ScottP- Joker's Wild arm blockage Academy. So inputting those three words into a popular interweb search engine returns... Joker's Wild Fighting Academy Google... it's a wunnerful thing. 'bone- this sort of shit happens all the time at Pamplona. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it was not PS'ed.

OW- Nice pics and entertaining read. Looked liked a spanking day out there! PS: That old axe is rad, man! PPS: Is the double-bandana Mountie-certified?

It's in post-production right now. Here's the recently released theatrical trailer.