Erwin

All ya PNWesters on skis need to throw on a board. Been skiing all my life in the east coast. Tried a board one demo day with a fresh blanket and was hooked. In the east, you have an excuse to ski with the ice and moguls. Not out here. Those pot-head boarders sitting on their ass (wasting their money) watching riders rip the half-pipes give the sport a bad name. Boarding on virgin snow and in some trees will blow skiing away. So sold on the excitment for a real winter (not this rain i see in Portland, as well as the possibility of being laid off), is sending me to Steamboat. Here great things of it. Any beta out there?

Thanks a lot for the input. I think i'm going to take your advice and go for the mini-waterworks. Rodchester, I highly appreciate your opinion and understand your point. But next time i'm backpacking and filtering some murky, pond water w/little critters swimming around, i will be glad to not have taken your advice and carried the extra weight.

I'm thinking of getting a purifier with my upcoming paycheck. Just wondering what you guys use or think is good/bad etc. I'm looking for something: Not too expensive Not a pain to maintain Not too expensive to maintain Iodine vs. not, what do you think I want to be able to purifier mud if i need Thanks for your help.

Rednecks have confederate flags. Anyone who waves this around is an ignorant fool and should be deported from the states.

Not to beat a dead horse, as with every single posting on this site, but we don't need flags on any summits. I'm proud to be an American and I wear my proud, but do not pollute with it. And I hope the people who are leaving these flags are not the same people who criticize every bolt or rap sling or chalk mark ever made on rock. Garbage is garbage, but at least bolts serve a purpose in the outdoors. Thank god its Friday.

In relation to everything going on right now: "...I have slipped the bonds of Earth and, from my vantage point on the Moon, I stand watch over the uncharted new frontiers of Space. I have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours. But my finest hour comes when I am torn in strips to be used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle-when I fly at half-mast to honor my Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, and when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving mother, at the gravesite of her fallen son or daughter - I am proud. My name is Old Glory -long may I wave. Dear God, long may I wave." -Old Glory, unknown

The Antagonizer's mom lost her cherry to a Sarge. Its on the internet at www.consumptionjunction.com The weak at stomach need not apply

I wouldn't call myself a newbie or so much a veteran climber, so being in the middle I have something to say about all this. Being a newbie is great. You get to learn much and the first times on rock, first leads, first falls, first times seeing hot girls climbing 5.12s are the best ever. Nothing beats this purity. You first climb because your buddy needs a belayer and than your hooked and that is all your mind can focus on. Its these great times as newbies that make us strive to do it again and again. Its like having sex or taking acid. The first times you do it, you want to do it again and again to reach that rush again. Go newbies, enjoy your virginity and your love for climbing before you learn what a scene climbers are involved in. Trad vs sport vs bouldering...blah blah blah climb to climb, newbies don't care

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life" and i'm working on saturday. how pathetic

I don't know where your from, but I do know that being from Oregon (Actually orginally the Northeast), I have been mocked by them Washingtonians on the few postings I've made. Oregonians unite And spelling must be off due to the Nitrous in my more youthful days.

Glacier, Good call. If we ever climb I'll be happy to belay ya. and bring a camera so you can be on faces of death. smugg's ice is nice. snowmobiles in the notch suck ass. half hour of work left. someone please say something funny.

I went to school in Burlington, Vermont. The deadheads there (and phishheads in more particular) don't need a show or a reason to get a tank, they just do. Ice climbing in Vermont: Awesome (respectively) Rock climbing in Vermont: Go to NH or NY

Gas Huffing and Sharpie Sniffing Washingtonians. You guys make me sick. Ever hear of nitrus. Hippie crack will solve all your problems, especially having an excess of brain tissue. Good to know Sharpies are fine on rope, though

Just to be safe for those of you with a microbe prone stomach: up the dosage to 900ml of hard liquor with a splash of water. Let there be snow. I'm ready to ride (oops, wrong site). Any backcountry riders out there? Don't be ashamed. Any backcountry riders from Oregon. Yes we have reason to bow our heads.

now your talking, Will. I'll be cruising in style as your peddling and I'm packing bong rippers for us.

when that earthquake comes and destroys the Seattle area, we'll see how much fun it is when you have no computers to search this site and no bars for your gatherings. what will you do then, huh? climb? uh, nevermind, i refrain my comments... Looks like i got no fuel here being new to the NW, new to Portland, and totally outnumbered on this site. come on oregonians, back me up here

I assume all you guys are just staring wastefully at your screen and waiting till time to go for the weekend begins. I'm ditching early today cause the manager is gone, taking off at 4:30. what time do you guys have to suffer till on Friday afternoons?

How bout getting some kind of gathering in the Portland area for us Oregonians? Anyone else out there I am always looking for a climbing network being relatively new to the area and am always up for a pint after work. Let me know what ya think?

Will-gotta agree with the Sammy Smith's Oatmeal Stout. I think American beers are often written off way to soon by foreigners and Americans. yes, budweiser, coors, etc. is water in a can, but the microbrewerys in this country can't be beat. Oregon and Vermont have the best microbrews in this country, with Vermont taking the cake. Stouts, Porters, the closer to tar the better for me. My favorite of all is Rock Art Brewery's Stout in Vermont. Many of you out here haven't had it, but if you like stout, this is a winner. Its not served outside of Vermont, and even there you can only get in in 5 gallons, barrrels, and growlers (spelling).

Dru, is that your date this weekend?

For getting in shape around Portland, there's plenty of hiking to do in the Colombia River Gorge plus Mt. Hood and St. Helens are really close. To get in shape I would hike Mt. Defiance in the Gorge, the hardest hike (so they say) in Oregon and puts the legs to a test as much as Hood can.

Just wondering if any of you guys and gals have climbed out there. Will be there for a week with the lady and looking for some routes. I hear there is some climbing near Emerald Bay and I have seen climbers on the rock outside the tunnel you pass approaching Stateline from the Nevada side (is this bolted or trad lines). Sorry about being so vague, I don't know the road names. Any info helps and this will keep me away from losing all my money at the casinos. Is there a guidebook for the area, I didn't see one at one of the climbing stores in Portland. Thanks a lot.

Is the campground there just for climbers or is there other stuff to do? I got to bum a ride and it would be a lot easier if my ride has something to do.

How do you get to Lover's Leap and what kind of climbing and climbers are there (sport, TR, trad). I am looking forward to it. I have always had a blast in Tahoe whether its boozing, gambling, snowboarding or biking. Unfortunately, the ladies there seem to be in low abundance. Any of you local folks ever bike the rim trail. I am not much of a biker, but riding that almost made me one. great views of the lake and a great ride. Thanks for the info and directions to Lover's leap would be great, although I am sure I can ask the locals

Jon Bernard, I am interested in taking a mountaineering class as well. Sorry to change the subject, but being a newbie to the Cascades I do not know the best way to go about taking a class. Any beta would help. Thanks