sobo

A workmate sent me this. I offer it to you as today's "funny". Enjoy!

Would it really matter if it were either one...?

That's a wonderful idea - but in practice it raises the fiscal bar fairly high to enter the backcountry (unless you have access to cheap, reliable rental beacons - THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO USE! - it's alot harder to practice if you use a different beacon each time). My point is $300 is best spent on a class that will open your eyes to the dangers around you - not on something to get you into trouble (skis) or give you a false sense of what you could survive (beacon). And honestly the Avy danger isn't THAT high in the cascades if you know when to go, and where not to go (and yes this is an absurd generalisation) I don't disagree, carl. But it's a decision we must make if we decide that this is to be our form of recreation. And if we decide we want to keep on living! True, money may be better spent on education, but who wants to do that when toyz can be bought with that same $$? And true also that we can minimize our exposure by choosing wisely the times and places we decide to go. But my point is that me and my pals have placed a value on both education *and* equipment to better our chances of returning home, whereas DustinB's friend has categorically denied the value of both. Also, being a member of a mountain rescue unit, I don't mind going out to help pull someone off a mountain who got in over their head a little bit, whereas I do mind going out for a body recovery because someone decided to be just plain cheap and stupid. My $0.02

Cetainly not me, mattp. I think it was a snip well timed.

I own a beacon. I use a beacon. I have taken several courses and seminars in the use of the beacon and avalanche awareness/safety. So have the people I go into the backcountry with. In ALMOST every case, we all insist that all others in the party carry/wear/know how to use beacons and shovels. That's right, a shovel for everyone in the party as well (what good does a shovel do if the guy with it gets buried ). DustinB, your friend, is practicing a *skill* we refer to commonly as Recreational Darwinism. We'll see if he *evolves* in the future.

Orrrrrrrr, you could prolly get a few pointers from this guy!

Here is the discussion from last year. Many hints and opinions to be found. Enjoy your kakeandjelly and eat it, too.

I could be an ass and suggest that you do a search of this site, as there has been many discussions on this topic (go back over 1 year), or I could suggest my own personal favorite: National Ski Patrol, Level I and II. You will soon have many responses to your query, some not as nice as mine. I suggest you do your homework now and start the search.

Geezus! Am I ever glad I clicked on this thread. I used to use DP but haven't needed a resole in a few years. I remember he did good work back the last time, on my rock shoes and mountainh boots, but was kinda cantankerous. I'm getting ready to do this year's resole of shoes and I was just gonna go straight to DP. I'll be rethinking that move now... Thanks for the link to Ramata, guyz.

Interesting to note that this thread has been split and the offending half has been moved to Spray...

Ah yes, Joe Puryear's site. Have known about this little gem for a few months now. Good on you to bring it back up. He's got route topos for some new lines on Goose Egg.

I have the Matt Christensen guide from ca 1987. It's good only for the Royal Columns area. It's out of print. Norm Ried and Yale Preston put out "The Quick and Dirty Guide to the Tieton" a few years back. It's a comb-bound affair with not much route description or topos, and the photos turned out quite lousy in the reproduction process, but it's fair tool if you just want to locate the various areas it covers and do your own route exploration from there. Not worth the 10 sheckles they want for it, IMHO. As erik sez, wait for the Yoder/Ford guide due out soon. I expect I'll start seeing a bunch more of you westsiders over here once that guide comes out.

Ohhh, what the hell... Unloved fest couldn't help it.

Tomorrow is the fall rigging practice for my mountain rescue unit. I'll be "rescuing" a big, heavy, broken climber on high angle rock. Unsure Sunday, but prolly sumpin with the wife and young'n. Took the boy hiking up at White Pass last weekend. He got the shoulder ride for 8 round trip miles. I got a sore neck. Fun all the same. The little tater thought that Sand Lake was cool. Crawled right on in.

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.