sobo

I went to the meeting when it was here in Yakima a coupla weeks ago. I spoke my piece about us "unguided infidel dirtbags" and the "guided and guiding elite". Even after all that, Big Lou came up to me afterward and mentioned that he was thankful for "our" perspective about how some of his folks seem like arses out there sometimes. Pete sez he's working on improving their guides' attitudes. ...sobo PS: Don't you mean "eric" simonson...?

Jason and Alex, You guys are to be heartily commended for the efforts you have put forth thus far in making this guide happen. And you even thought far enough ahead to provide the website for updates and add'l data collection. You guys ...sobo

It wasn't - it was fall of '99. Correct.

I use Fritchi Tour bindings (not Daimirs) mounted on Fischer Ultra Air AT boards. Skis are not radically side cut (track better for touring), and 165 cm long. I am 5'-10" and I weighed 165 lbs when I got them. Let's just say that they are a little harder to control now, being married and with a kid and all... My boots are Koflach Artis Extrems (no longer available in US - due for new boots anyway...). The toe and heel bails are just fine for use with the Fritchis. This set-up has served me quite well for approaching ice climbs and winter alpine routes for almost 10 years now. Pretty much sucks for downhilling from the upper reaches of some climbs because of lack of ankle support on steeper terrain, but then you want them for approaches and touring anyway, right? YMMV.

The waaaaaaay sandbagged 5.7 Alcoa Presents at Seneca Rocks, WV. This quintessential "Seneca 7" kicked my ass in my early days of climbing. When you announce around the campfire that you "climbed Alcoa", the first question posed to you is, "Did you step on the pin?" You hang your head and humbly nod in agreement that you did. Many a climber who fancied themselves a 5.8/.9 trad leader has stepped on that aluminum pin from which the route gets its name. Damn near everybody does it on the first try. It's a humbling experience...

A search of the site yielded this thread. I did not check it for content regarding your particular request. I leave that to you. That is all.

Congrats, dkemp! R&D would make an excellent second trad lead. It's got it all: slab down low if you veer up and right instead of the traditional first (veggie) pitch, rambly-blocky moderate angle stuff in the middle, a "ship's prow" squeeze chimney that leads to an "easy chair" belay, then good exposure of your backside for a very short bit of crack up near the top, then a pitch or two of easy walk-up/walk-off to rap station. Enjoy!

Did you climb at the roadcut near the north entrance to Steamboat Rock, or did you drive up the gravel road to the east that is signed for Northrup Canyon?

I don't know if I understand the reference to Rock City, but it certainly brings to mind the following famous movie line... "This river don' go ta Aintry. Now you git them panties down 'round them ankles, Boy"

Harness, rope, shovel and crampons to clear 30" of snow off the vacation cabin in Sandpoint. Ice tools and crampons for tree limbing and branch removal. Truck and static line for "gardening projects" (fahq'n Russian olive trees). Static line for towing. And of course, slings and biners in the boudoire. But that was nly in college. We've got more expensive toyz now.

Mountain Gear could USE a little more comp. Bastards still owe me a pair of ice tool picks that I bought by credit card several years ago and they never showed up. MG just kept pleading with me to not cancel the order and wait for them to show up. After 6 months, I gave up and wanted to cancel the order and get a credit balance on my cc. MG: "Oh, gee, we're sorry. It's too late for that. You shoulda canceled the order months ago." Me: "Uh, yeah, that's what I wanted to do, but you insisted that I sit tight and wait." MG: "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." ME: "We'll see. I'll talk to my cc company." CC Company: "Gee, we're sorry. That's too long ago to be covered by the fraud protection." End result: I'm out $75 or so, had to pay again somewhere else to get the picks, and MG absconds with my $$$ and thumbs their corporate nose at the little guy. FUCK THEM AND ALL THEIR PROGENY!! I will gladly support anyone who is in direct competition with MountainGonad. This concludes the latest rant against MG. There! I feel better all ready.

And let's forget Bubby Strident in Yentl... Oy ve!

Any movie starring Stephan Segal

Straight shaft, bent shaft.. WTF? You will learn to climb with what you learn to climb with (Is Yogi Berra out there somewhere?). Seriously, I started ice climbing over 15 years ago with Lowe Hummingbirds long before this bent shaft shiz became all the rage. Replaced the 'birds with BD x-15s (straight shafts) with drooped picks a few years back. I can climb WI-4 easily with straight tools, and have climbed WI-5 with tehm as well before I got married (and fat). So Dave, it's all about good technique. You will be required to use good technique on vertical ice with straight shafts or you WILL bash your knuckles, but it CAN be done without getting hurt. And vertical ice will require droopped picks for security. Just don't bash the shit outta the ice. Accuracy counts. As others have suggested, get Craig's and/or Duane Raleigh's ice books, and maybe even Jeff Lowe's vid and others, and study up with whatever tools you choose. And climb safely.

No we don't. Embrace it, it's very empowering. We mean people are very happy, actually, and lead fairly productive lives. Join us... Resistance is futile... you will be assimilated. We shall add your collective intelligence and technology to our own.

"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. I listed it in one of the recent "whutchyareading?" threads. Fahq'n hilarious! Couldn't wait to get back to it, hard to set it down. Read it over a weekend.

Or, "I got mad at my woman so i CONQUERED on the head."

Thought that this might liven up your Friday afternoon. It's safe for work, Muffy. Be sure to check out the images of the alternate links at the page bottom and especially the link to the technical design discussion. Too funny! Enjoy!

here it is

Do a search on this site for slackline. There was a considerably lengthy discussion (albeit with some spray) not too long ago.

Driving the short hop to work and heard it on NPR. Couldn't believe it. Both towers had been hit, but only one had fallen down as yet. Got to work a little late, and everyone was already in the conference room huddled around the tube. Saw the second tower come down live. I was dumbfounded. The "office asshole" (not our boss, but his brown-noser) came by and gave us the "Let's all get back to work - nothing more to see here - go back to work" speech. We all looked at him a scant second with the squij-eye, and turned our collective attention back to the TV. Fuck you, Loser! What really got me enraged was the scenes from the Middle East - reaction to news there of the attack. The image of that Palestinian woman "yodelling" her satisfaction at the death of hundreds aggravates and enrages me every time I think about it. I hope that she is dead now, and died horribly on her way out. We all went out for a long lunch at Jack-Sons Sports Bar and watched it all again on the big screen, and drank a lot of beer. Nothing much got done that day, nor much for the rest of the week for that matter.

As far as climbing went this summer, I really sucked. Only got out on rock like three times, nothing spectacular. On one volcano, nothing spectacular. My summer went like this... 1. Brought our baby boy home from Vietnam 2. Went family camping with our baby boy for the first time 3. Celebrated our baby boy's 1st birthday on Orcas Island I have become domesticated. Some of you out there who've been through "The Dark Years" with your first-ones, please tell me it's not all over for me...

I must be one of the few, too... sobo ski polak spiggles spig

I haven't tried it, but I would imagine that the MW radiation would excite the filament in the light bulb and cause it to illuminate (briefly). I would also assume that prolonged exposure of the bulb to MW radiation would cause it to... well, you know, the poodle-in-the-microwave trick, only with flying glass instead of poodle parts. Am I right, mattp?

Where does Attitude stand on this...?