sobo

I think, and this is just my opinion, that it's the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). I heard an article on NPR last week where there were indications that ELF was planning a nationwide ecoterrorist strike. They were supposed to be centering on SUV dealerships, was what I thought I heard though... Just my opinion; it sounds like ELF's modus operandi.

Well done, Brad! Nice to hear that somebody is getting out. BTW, who'd you partner up with? So, Iain catching the snowcat, eh? Hmmmmmmmmm...

Sounds like you're headed up the Kautz or mebbe Feuher's Finger, yes...? If you're staying at Turtle Rocks, you'll cross the lower Nisqually on your way to the ramp/gulley that leads up towards the toe of the Wilson. The lower Nisqually is the standard crevasse rescue practice area at MRNP. Start out early, and pick a slot on your way to the Turtle and have at it. Finish up the day by ascending ~4k feet to your bivy site at Turtle Rocks. Or, if you think that might be too tiring at the end of a hard day of crevasse practice, you could probably also find a decent slot on the Wilson, a bit closer to your intended campsite. Or, since you said you've got an extra day, hike out to the lower Nisqually, practice, then head back to Paradise for and and a good night's sleep, and start your climb the next day. Now that's what I'd do. Whatever you do, be safe, learn something, and by all means have fun.

Did someone call me? wally, Here is the "testing" thread to which ketch referred above. My results are about nine or ten posts down on the first page.

91 since 1887, when records started being kept. Source: Seattle Times, June 7, 2004

From what I've been able to glean from what I've read on the subject, I think it has something to do with the honor of success, shame in retreat, and mebbe even Bushido or something like that. Of all the things I've read about people failing to summit on big mountains, the thing that struck me as quite odd was the "fact" that a lot of "Far Easterners" (Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Chinese, etc.) do not stop to help their failing climbing companions, but rather just leave them where they drop and carry on themselves towards the summit. What struck me as the absolute oddest thing was that on the way back down, the "successful summiteers" didn't usually stop to pick up and help the people they left behind on the way up. Every man/woman for him/herself, I guess.

Ah, but was it the mountain that killed them, or saved them? Read the original question...

Classic, ivan!

A research paper or morbid curiosity?

DOH! Zero points for reading comprehension! 10dance: It'll be fine. Trust me. Know your glacier navigation and crevasse extraction skills. Do you care if the weather sucks, or not?

What route? It does make a difference... Oh, BTW, have you seen this thread?

Mine cuz I have a really hard time stomaching stupid people. So I just want to whack some sense into them with a stick.

Martin is correct. Too many people cornfuze columnar basalt with andesite. Move upstream about a mile to The Bend, and you do start to see a more classic exhibition of what most peeps regard as columnar basalt. Still, it's andesite. Moon Rocks, still further upstream, is the same stuff. Now, if you want to see a really classic example of columnar basalt (and capped by entablature), go to Wildcat Wall, up the Wildcat Creek drainage. Now that is columnar basalt!

Seen on a bumper sticker: "No matter how hot she looks, some guy is tired of taking her shit!"

Naah, just finished a "lectures on tape" series from Great Courses about the Low Middle Ages (~700 AD to ~1000 AD). Just started the High Middle Ages course yesterday.

I'm not much of a bitter fan. I prefer the beefier brews, like BB Porter or Obsidian Stout. As my beermentor used to say, "A loaf of bread in every mug!"

Pffft! You have to answer in the form of a question. The correct question is: Who was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas Day of what year?

Ya know, that was the same thing that interested me about this post, too.

If there is, I don't know about it. Go to Joe's site ^^ and navigate through the links to the topos for the given routes (RTL, S&A, CommandHo) on Goose Egg. The topos are good from what I can tell.

MtnHigh gave you the goods. I've been out in the field all day, up in Grand Coulee. Just got back in. Stopped by Northrup Canyon on the way home for a mini-boulderfest.

Does anyone really think the spotters and crash pad are going to matter in a fall from that height? What is that, like, five or six body lengths?

skyclimb, You win! And I offer a correction to my max rappel height from 974 feet to 876 feet, per this site.

never trust a fartWhat does that mean? Can you "lay that out" for us? I think it means that the "post-40" sphincter cannot distinquish between solids and gases "at the gate", and hence, cannot be trusted to hold back any unanticipated expulsions of deleterious substances.

There have been caving accidents attributed to this, where the sheath became so hot it liquified, leading to an out of control rappel and the victim in a pool of nylon at the base of the line. And this was with a brake rack. No doubt, iain. I was involved in a BR with the Va Tech Cave Club years ago that resulted from an OOC rappel with a brake rack. It still takes an operational brain to operate one of those thingies.

Glad to see that you made it home OK. As you predicted, I returned to the office, but no work was done (other than the TR!).