sobo

quote: Originally posted by rbw1966: "I've tripped and I can't come down" ok, ok, here's another one, from Cheers: Woody the barkeep: "Hey Mr. Peterson, can you I get you a second beer?" Norm: "Yeah, sure Woody. I'm gonna need something to do between the first and the third." How many climbers can relate to that, eh?

"We took risks. We knew we took them. Things have come out against us. We have no cause for complaint." Found in Admiral Scott's diary in Antarctica, after the entire party froze to death. Could be said of anyone who's spent the night on an unplanned bivy. Or worse... [ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

quote: Originally posted by beefcider: Dudes! Benton City rocks! What, with the mecca of Umatilla not far away. <snip> So is the bumpin town of Othello as well as Waterville. Oh, ok, now i get it! climberted gets the bum steer. You shouldn't have tipped him off to Othello, then. It *is* right next to The Potholes, just another Frenchman Coulee. I *think* you can still climb there, but I know the BLM/DNR/DFW frowns on totin' off the columns fer use as decorative driveway pillars...

quote: Originally posted by beefcider: c'mon people, there are far better towns in the NW than I have seen posted here. Nobody mentioned <snip> Benton City <snip> Uhhhhhh, that one's lost on me. Have you ever BEEN to Benton City? Do you know what POPULATES Benton City? We are talking about the little anachronistic narcosimulist commune upwind of Hanford, aren't we? Please to elucidate...

Whoooooa! A 5'10" blond fire-fightin' climber babe who wants to meet more climbers?! Lemme see, yakima to eugene is about 6 hours... Hell, i'll just skip work on thursday! See YOU there!

Thanks erik. Sad sad story. Totally senseless. Fry 'em!

quote: Originally posted by vegetablebelay: With a title of the thread "woops" you'd have to expect it wouldn't work... Things you wouldn't want to hear from your cardiovascular surgeon.Things you wouldn't want to hear from your elevator repair man.Things you wouldn't want to hear from your condom (if it could talk). Now *there's* a topic for a thread!

quote: Originally posted by Bronco: ...Researchers say that marijuana has grown in popularity among youth in the last four years, so more study is needed to fully understand the consequences of both current and previous marijuana use. hmmmmmmmmm... more study is needed. Sounds like a call to action, guys. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

quote: Originally posted by Bronco: I had a cop tell me once that if you justifiably shoot someone, make sure and kill them so they can't sue you. Works for me! Those peckerheaded mo-fos don't deserve to live if they're theiving from me! My wife's a former Seattle area copper. She kinda said the same thing, although she said you need to be able to show your "life was in danger". Busting up a car prowl/break-in might not seem to qualify. "...but he came at me with a knife, Officer, and all I had to defend myself with was this .44 Magnum..."

I'm agreeing with willstrickland here. It is an option, depending upon snow, weather conditions, and of course, party experience/intelligence, as we all know. To categorically recommend that it is a BAD idea is unjustified. Yes, people have died descending CS, but many have not, myself among them. I've done it both ways, first time w/o a shuttle, when the snow was dense after a long (week+) period of consolidation. Another time, you'd have been an idiot to attempt a descent by the route, so we went down the donkey trail and had a bitch of a time getting back around the mountain to the rig, and we missed work Monday. But i believe i'm still alive because of it. Don't let pride, laziness, or the desire to get back to the cars quickly drive your decision, CraigA. If the snow/weather/party condition/attention span sucks, head for the lodge, get some beers in ya, and hitch around to your car. One thing we did learn: On the descent, if you're going to need a ride back around the mountain, hit up every climbing party you see on the way down for a ride until one is secured. It may even cost you buying them some beers, but WTF. Climbers will be more likely to give you a ride than the skiers and boarders, and they're more fun to drink with anyway. Get yourself some education on snow/avalanche conditions and what constitutes "dangerous", watch the weather for days before your trip, know your (and your party's) limitations, and be prepared for the eventuality that you might have to bail off that route if conditions suck. As for 50 degree snow slopes... [ 04-03-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

good one!Don'cha just love a good parable? Aesop must be doing 720s...

scot'teryx,Maybe you can help me with this, as you've seem to have it all figgered out... How do I get to ski and ice climb, and take my wife, and not have to work? Can you write a book on that? All of us would buy it, i'm sure, Seriously, best of luck in your search. I've been there a couple times myself, but never had the $$ to play while I was looking. Life sucks that way sometimes. [ 04-03-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

You know, you guys should all buy icegirl a round at Pub Club tonight in an expression of solidarity and grief over her loss. She's got a bunch o' bucks to come up now with to replace her stuff. I know it doesn't replace the gear, but like she said, "misery loves company". Sorry about those f#@%$wads out there kiping your gear, icegirl. Kinda makes you want to electrify the exterior of your car as a theft deterrent. My sympathies. [ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

Data transferred to long-term memory storage banks. Thanx,dood.

check the thread from last week in the Acccess Issues forum.

quote: Originally posted by wdietsch: On Chinook Pass, the lower north face of Fife's Peaks also has huge potential for those willing to put in the effort. Wes,Cragg and I were driving around after climbing a couple of weekends ago and stopped by the Fife's Peak pullout on 410 and gazed longingly to the north... He mentioned that you and a bud had been in there a while back, or had talked to someone who'd been in there. Looks like a 3-day trip, with a lonnnnng day of tough skiing to get in position. We put it on our tick list for next season. Care to join us?

quote: Originally posted by willstrickland: <snipped> Seriously though, any guesstimate at the rating for this thing? I'll weigh in, Will. By the looks of the last three pics, I'd give it WI3+, based on its (perceived) angle, stepped formation, and height of vertical curtains. I base my grading on Jeff Lowe's "Ice World" and Duane Raleigh's "Ice". Between 75 deg to vertical, easy rests, pro where you want/need it, and short vertical sections broken up by easy-to-find rest stations gives a WI3. The vertical sections appear to be about 3 to 4 body lengths (20-25 feet), for which I add the "+" modifier. If the vertical stretches were any longer/higher (>30 feet), I would give it a WI4. However, I've often been accused of underrating ice climbs by about one-half a grade... Just my $0.02 [ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

Ooops! caught by flood-control. [ 04-01-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

And the winner is....... pindude!!! Only 5 hours after my post. Thanks, all the rest of you, for playing our game. We have some lovely parting gifts waiting for you backtage...

quote: Originally posted by Jarred Jackman: Sobo, sobe, whatever, was it actually Vantage and its anthropomorphic abilities that almost killed you, or a little operator error that almost mamed you for life? I don't think a climbing area has actually ever killed anyone. I actually pulled a rock off of a climb on Lower River, WHEW, I guess Vantage almost killed me. Mr. Jackman,A rope team ahead of us, plus the leader on my rope, passed over the very column that separated from the wall and fell. By all accounts, it appeared as well attached as any other column at the coulee. If anything, it was my "flight skills" which gave me the presence of mind to leap to the side of the column, instead of springing off of it directly into the fall line. Lastly, your pathetic attempt at humor leaves little to be found amusing. And the name is "sobo". Anything else to say, take it to Spray. [ 03-30-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

About 12 or 13 years ago, in the early days of development at Vantage, I rode a column down from about 30 feet up. The only thing that saved my ass was the Wiley E. Coyote-style tightening of the rope that absorbed my forward and downward advance, slowing me down just far enough above the ground to slap me into the talus at a survivable velocity. Walked away, but contented myself with a very sketchy performance on a 5.7 later that day. I've hated Vantage ever since, despite all the recent furor over the "gardening activities" of others in another yahooGroup about cleaning up the choss. Goddam place almost killed me. And yes, back then when shit was falling everywhere, we wore helmets... [ 03-29-2002: Message edited by: sobo ]

The Bend, 2 miles upriver from RC, is always open, as is Moon Rocks, even further upriver. If that's not hard enough, go even further upriver to the "Rimrock Store" just before the tunnel, and turn north on the forest road that goes past Jubilee YMCA camp (can't remember the #). Keep heading up into the Wildcat Creek drainage. Lots of steep (read: vertical) cloumnar basalt bolted and crack exams that end at the entablature. I think they're in the hard 10, 11, and low 12 range. Too tough for me, they are. No word yet from the OCGS on lifting of the closure.