Thanks, Romain! Regarding icy conditions I was more worried about descending Glacier Notch to the north. We were considering descending the S Fork of Big Pine back to the S Side of Contact Pass, or to the TH, as an alternative if that section required significantly different gear than accessing the Swiss Arete.

It sounds like we'll forgo snow equipment and make a nice loop out of our outing.

Chad, you're an ass and making a sad attempt to carry out your retributive threats against me. Grow up. Also, one ax for two people works just fine in the right conditions. I have used that system on several occasions with good results. I'm happy to share how it works, but I know you have no interest in learning. Carry on with your pathetic bullying.

Threats? You said you were suing me for libel. Do you want to point out for us where anything said was libelous?

"Uh... your honor... this guy thinks I am partly responsible for the SARs I have been involved in."

LOL!

Just try to keep it safe out there.

Fuck you you fucking liar. Pull your head out of your ass and maybe your bullshit won't stink so much.

I'm not going away despite your threats to drive me off this site because I'm calling you out for what you are - a pathetic maggot who feeds on human misery. Based on what you've spewed to me in PMs about people you don't know, and events that you are ignorant of, you are more than an ass. You are a pathetic, two-faced, sexist, immature little brat and you deserve to have your teeth kicked in. May karma give you what you deserve.

Bunnies and rainbows and flowers and balloons.

Sometimes you catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar. And most times you catch more flies than you care to. A preposition is something that you should never end a sentence with.

Wow more name calling and immature attacks from little Mark... I suppose I should stop being surprised by now. So let's see I'm an ass, a maggot, two-faced (exactly HOW am I two-faced Mark? I've been very straight, open, and honest with you), sexist (this is the first I have heard about Mark's vagina), and now you want to kick my teeth in? How are you going to get the courage up to do that when your personal deficiencies prevent you from even looking most strangers in the eye? Heck you can't even talk straight with women that's why you gotten no where with your current grade-school crush. Do I need to go into it here?

PellucidWombat wrote:Fuck you you fucking liar.

You are really riled up about something and I can't tell what it is. So what did I lie about? Your poor decision making? The numerous SARs you have been involved in within such a short time after Shasta? Your inability to plan a trip and account for contingencies? Your threat to sue me for libel? Maybe that's what you meant, as that was the only content of my previous post... but it was true Mark.

Mark Thomas wrote:Keep making those baseless accusations publicly and I'll come after you for libel.

PROTIP: You can't sue someone for libel when their statements are true... see my post above.

PellucidWombat wrote:I'm not going away despite your threats to drive me off this site

Uhhhhh.... I never threatened to drive you from this site. Now you're the liar. Tag you're it.

PellucidWombat wrote:Based on what you've spewed to me in PMs about people you don't know, and events that you are ignorant of

Actually I haven't said anything about people I don't know. And you are welcome to fill us in on all your SARs and how they were all someone else's fault with nothing you should have done differently. I mentioned that I've met several folks who believe you make a poor partner, each for varying reasons. Some regarding your decision making, others for your in-person social skills, your inability to adapt. Hell I met a highly skilled climber this week you've attempted to climb with who said you were an 'epic generator'. It's who you are... either get comfortable with it or try to improve.

PellucidWombat wrote:May karma give you what you deserve.

Hmmmm which one of us do you think is going to get stuck in a SAR next Mark? I have zero so far. And you? Are you going to blame it all on your partners and tell us how there is nothing for you to learn... again?

Looks like SP has gotten more exciting in my absence

mrchad9 wrote:Wow more name calling and immature attacks from little Mark... I suppose I should stop being surprised by now. So let's see I'm an ass, a maggot, two-faced (exactly HOW am I two-faced Mark? I've been very straight, open, and honest with you), sexist (this is the first I have heard about Mark's vagina), and now you want to kick my teeth in? How are you going to get the courage up to do that when your personal deficiencies prevent you from even looking most strangers in the eye? Heck you can't even talk straight with women that's why you gotten no where with your current grade-school crush. Do I need to go into it here?

PellucidWombat wrote:Fuck you you fucking liar.

You are really riled up about something and I can't tell what it is. So what did I lie about? Your poor decision making? The numerous SARs you have been involved in within such a short time after Shasta? Your inability to plan a trip and account for contingencies? Your threat to sue me for libel? Maybe that's what you meant, as that was the only content of my previous post... but it was true Mark.

Mark Thomas wrote:Keep making those baseless accusations publicly and I'll come after you for libel.

PROTIP: You can't sue someone for libel when their statements are true... see my post above.

PellucidWombat wrote:I'm not going away despite your threats to drive me off this site

Uhhhhh.... I never threatened to drive you from this site. Now you're the liar. Tag you're it.

PellucidWombat wrote:Based on what you've spewed to me in PMs about people you don't know, and events that you are ignorant of

Actually I haven't said anything about people I don't know. And you are welcome to fill us in on all your SARs and how they were all someone else's fault with nothing you should have done differently. I mentioned that I've met several folks who believe you make a poor partner, each for varying reasons. Some regarding your decision making, others for your in-person social skills, your inability to adapt. Hell I met a highly skilled climber this week you've attempted to climb with who said you were an 'epic generator'. It's who you are... either get comfortable with it or try to improve.

PellucidWombat wrote:May karma give you what you deserve.

Hmmmm which one of us do you think is going to get stuck in a SAR next Mark? I have zero so far. And you? Are you going to blame it all on your partners and tell us how there is nothing for you to learn... again?

Chad Thomas,

I've made it clear to the SP community how I view your statements.

I'm saying this here as a matter of public record since I know you'll keep spewing your crap whenever I post on here now, as per your threat. I'll just refer people back to this and my earlier refutation to save time, as you're like a broken record so I don't see any need to answer the same claims over and over and you obviously have far more time spent with nothing better to do than this sort of spray. I know you intend to make something 'true' by just saying it around enough times, Mr. Goebbels. Frankly I think your dragging this around SP is a detriment to the site (and also for the record, YOU are the one who brought up and continue to bring up Shasta - in fact this entire thing you're doing is your reaction to me calling you an ass after some explanation when you were entertaining yourself around the Langley death).

I'm not name throwing out random words for name calling. If you get out a dictionary you'd see what these adjectives mean and how they accurately apply to you. Here, let me help you since you're challenged with these things:

Ass - A vain, self-important, silly, or aggressively stupid person.

I'm sure I'm not the only one on here who sees you as such. And your casual dismissive response to that dead hikers' loved ones' request to withold speculation until more detail was released really fit this one word. Considering you felt so entitled to hear all the details for your enjoyment and said they should just indulge you instead of you respect them. Which also falls into my deciding you were a maggot after some private discussion with you. Considering your responses to most of my arguments are ad hominems and you completely miss huge gaps in your 'reasoning'. So yes, making baseless and extreme claims without knowledge or in spite of it makes you an aggressively stupid person. Your behavior since I first called you an ass also pretty much makes my case. Why you were so upset about being called an ass, yet in response you threatened and then went about being a worse one is beyond me . . .

Maggot
1. The legless, soft-bodied, wormlike larva of any of various flies of the order Diptera, often found in decaying matter.
2. Slang A despicable person.

Well, both apply, but I'd say more the first one as a metaphorical description of you. You derive nourishment of your ego and "entertain me now!" attitude by feeding off off the pain and suffering of the dead and those left behind. Like Shasta, like Half Dome, like the Langley hiker.

Two-facedness? Consider what you said in the PMs vs. here, pretending to be all sweet and innocent. It's like night and day. You've been open and honest to me in the PMs, and speak quite differently when you decide to run to the forums with your latest attack. We both know exactly what you are.

Teeth kicked in? I won't do it because you're not worth the consequences of committing assault, and I never said I would do it, but it is my OPINION that you deserve it. Use your imagination for similar karma scenarios. Maybe a lightning strike NEXT time you decide to run up to a summit under the threat of a thunderstorm like you did on Starr King? (BTW, do you know CPR by now? It sure sounded like you didn't then. In light of Shasta, I have taken pains to certify myself as a WFR to better aid people in the future even though such training wouldn't have helped Tom.)

I'm not being tactful with you because I'm tired of having to constantly defend myself over the same half-baked theories from narcissistic wackos who don't have critical reading skills. Those who were in a position of relevant knowledge or authority to judge me have, and never even came close to your conclusions (Tom's mother notwithstanding, but she doesn't believe me on the most fundamental details of that tragedy. I won't criticize a grieving mother for this.), which is why I don't respect your conclusions at all. Believe me, I did a lot of serious soul searching and asked the rescuers, friends on SAR, and high altitude specialists whether I made careless mistakes and whether should even continue climbing, and they were quite supportive in saying I should keep climbing that that this was a freak tragedy. If anything, they have a vested interest in me not climbing if your accusations were true. How about you talk to them first before pissing all over SP on what should be a dead issue for the public (it never will be for me, as it should be). How about you get ANAM to change their conclusions first? That seemed like a pretty official source to me that is not looking to excuse bad climbing behavior. I didn't write any of it - the head MSAR director for Shasta and the book editor did. Or shall I just reply to each one of your BS characterizations of that with the article citation? Seriously! Get lost!

What you claim is not true, so it IS libel. Are you wanting to make it worth my time to pursue this in small claims court? Why don't you give me lists of SARs besides Tom's. Anastasia's assistance was not a SAR (rangers voluntarily took initiative and informally assisted when I sent word that we might need assistance in the morning). It was also not my fault. No rescue was even requested and I handled her difficulties in a responsible way that the Rainier rangers appreciated. Are you saying I should have been too proud to not let the rangers know that I might need assistance in safely getting Anastaisa down before it could turn into a serious issue? In fact, the ranger who came to our assistance climbed with Anastasia afterwards! In fact, Vitaliy also climbed with her twice later on in full knowledge of the Rainier trip, including their highly technical FA on Hood! So perhaps you should criticize these people for climbing with her after HER (not MY) difficulties on Rainier. Be consistent if you're going to make such serious accusations. And when I emphasize HER difficulties, I only say that in the sense that I did not bring them about or allow them to happen in a careless way (and I don't see them as her problem in any judgmental or dismissive way), but I sure gave it my all to help her. You say I "don't give a shit" about my climbing partners? What source is this from? That's ludicrous, and my main climbing partners would agree. You never knew Tom, and you don't know Anastasia, so to call them inexperienced people who I lured on the climbs to their detriment (as stated in the PMs you sent me), is well - bull, and also insulting to them as experienced and thoughtful climbers. Also, since Vitaliy see's it worth thanking you for this post, shall I bring up every point of criticism you have of me and point out where he and YOU fall into similar problems? I don't view these as high and mighty as you, but you might as well keep your standards for judging others on the same plane here . . .

And Steph? Yes, I warned her about you. Don't pretend to be tactful with your 'threats' there when you clearly don't intend to be. I would hope you'd have the decency to not speak about her as you have in the PMs and to leave her out of your rampage. Really disgusting, and about a great & kind person who has done NOTHING to you. Seriously, if only SP members know how truly shallow of a human being you were, maybe you wouldn't have so much support with those left here (most of my friends have since mostly left SP for other climbing sites). I have deep friendships with many women (not on SP - as is most of my life that you claim to know so much about), some I ask out, some I don't. Seeing women as people and respecting them as such adds a lot more complexity to relationships (platonic & romantic) if you're not only thinking about women as sex objects to 'get with'. Even your comment on the quoted post is sexist and immature. Are you sexist? By all means!

Do you have Asperger's syndrome?

PS: Chad and anyone else out there.... DO NOT EVEN TRY TAKING MY TITLE AWAY AS SP'S KING ASSHOLE!!!!!


EDIT: REPOST!

I have a friend who has had three emergency rescues recently-- really, just rotten luck, or caused by someone else's behavior (loose rock, group mutiny). Sometimes, sh*t just happens.

Of course this stuff is risky-- if it were not, we wouldn't do it.

I'm not asking to "forgive and forget" -- a lot of harsh words have been said. But it's natural for people who have "lost someone on their watches" to react strongly to "what if" scenarios-- they harbor lots of guilt and are the brunt of implicit accusations, no matter where responsibility lies.

It's also natural for people who have gone through life-and-death, tragic events to try to rebound by pushing the envelope. When you are trying to overcome the nightmares, it's hard to tell if you are being reckless. OK, gotta go before I start telling personal stories.

-

Mark, don't listen to these nattering nabobs of negativism. Just fart in their general direction!

btw, you and Steph make a great couple. Go for it!


woo! woo!


-

What you claim is not true, so it IS libel. Are you wanting to make it worth my time to pursue this in small claims court? Why don't you give me lists of SARs besides Tom's. Anastasia's assistance was not a SAR (rangers voluntarily took initiative and informally assisted when I sent word that we might need assistance in the morning). It was also not my fault. No rescue was even requested and I handled her difficulties in a responsible way that the Rainier rangers appreciated. Are you saying I should have been too proud to not let the rangers know that I might need assistance in safely getting Anastaisa down before it could turn into a serious issue? In fact, the ranger who came to our assistance climbed with Anastasia afterwards! In fact, Vitaliy also climbed with her twice later on in full knowledge of the Rainier trip, including their highly technical FA on Hood!

Since you want to bring me up as an example...per your trip report Anastasia first experienced hallucinations around 12 or 12.5K on Rainier? Since you brought 10lbs of camera gear and 4 stubbie ice screws (?), not even a long screw, you did not give yourself a chance to bail down (as you know getting down is important when someone is hallucinating due to AMS). So if you had the right gear, you would have the ability to bail. You did well getting her down after you went over the false summit, but if you had the right gear you would be able to avoid having to drag a hallucinating person 1500-2000 feet UP!
A week prior to this you bivied on the summit of Rainier in a storm, after deciding it is a good idea to climb the route even though the forecast was total crap. According to Anastasia, she did not join you guys on that trip because forecast was clearly for a storm. So you bivied on the summit again, were overdue, and your partner's parents contacted SAR.
Two trips up Rainier, two episodes of headache for SAR personnel. Well done.

May karma give you what you deserve.

Not sure what you did in the past to have so much crap happen to you in the mountains. But you are the only one I know to require a SAR, and have a forced bivy on the summit of both Cascade Volcano 14ers. Exclusive club there. Thank god Anastasia ended up well, and you did not have another death to write 3 trip reports about.

Maybe a lightning strike NEXT time you decide to run up to a summit under the threat of a thunderstorm like you did on Starr King?

You were climbing on that same day (Snake Dike) with that same forecast (20% chance of rain). Funny you would criticize someone for it.

mrchad9 wrote:...So let's see I'm an ass, a maggot, two-faced (exactly HOW am I two-faced Mark? I've been very straight, open, and honest with you), sexist (this is the first I have heard about Mark's vagina), and now you want to kick my teeth in? How are you going to get the courage up to do that when your personal deficiencies prevent you from even looking most strangers in the eye? Heck you can't even talk straight with women that's why you gotten no where with your current grade-school crush. Do I need to go into it here?

God...I love a good Nerd Fight.

Incidentally, I need to get my jaw worked on so I can YAWN wider.