Mount St. Helens climbing permits

Just a heads up for any of you out there thinking about climbing Mount St. Helens this summer.

The climbing permits go on sale tomorrow, Monday, February 1, at 9 AM through the Mount St. Helens Institute website.

Here's what the site says about permits:

Mount St. Helens offers an exciting and challenging climb. While it is not a technical climb and does not usually require special equipment or previous mountain climbing experience, it is a strenuous experience. Be prepared for snow, ice and changing weather conditions.

Permits are required year round. From November 1 through March 31, you can obtain permits at no charge from the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, WA. From April 1 through October 31, you need to purchase a permit in advance from this site. From April 1 through May 15, there is no limit on the number of permits available. After May 15, permits are limited to 100 per day.

(This is from Just Northwest)

Gonzaga loses to San Francisco, world ends

Gasp! I can't believe it happened but Gonzaga University laid an egg against a WCC opponent. Nevermind it's a young team that could make free throws if they were putting watermelons in a swimming pool, this is an outrage to Zags fans everywhere.

I would be surprised if season ticket holders even renew their seats after this season, after all they merely were the 8th ranked team in the country. After all, when you load up on that fine Jesuit tradition and the March Madness moments - this is simply unacceptable for the Bulldogs. 

(Gag. Hurl. )

These long tortured Zag fans drive me nuts. Sure they've been playing like crap but before this season the city of Spokane wasn't sure Gonzaga was even fielding a Div. I basketball team considering all the new faces on the roster. Sure last year's team looked lack-luster against WCC opponents, but they were woefully overrated  despite Final Four aspirations and even their run to the Sweet Sixteen was a bit by backdoor tomfoolery.

(And you're lucky that the team played in the ho-hum WCC because they sleep-walked for half the season. Zag fans wont talk about this. They were completely devoid of any passion or fire whatsoever. My least favorite Zag team ever.)

This year's team has probably met or beat expectations - just don't keep talking to me about how much better Gonzaga is better than other schools in college basketball. They're lucky they play in the WCC, and despite that luck, sometimes it runs out.

San Francisco showed last night that the Bulldogs are mortal and they have a long ways to go. People will jump up and down and talk about how "crappy" this team is... and then in a month when they're playing in the tournament, it will be like this never happened.

Outdoor Photo of the Week: Around Mount Rainier

Nothing says the Northwest like Mount Rainier. This week we are featuring three Outdoor Photo of the Weeks because honestly, I couldn't pick just one.







These photos were taken by Zach Barner of Auburn, WA. Here's what he had to say about the photos:

The first photo was taken in the mountains on the other side of Chinook Pass near Yakima.

The second and third photos are of Mt. Rainier taken from Evans Creek Off Road Vehicle area outside of Wilkeson, WA.

You can check out more of Zach's great outdoor photos on his Photobucket account.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just Northwest? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Epic Photo: The iPad nano, ladies and gentlemen!

Epic Video: Green men mock hockey player

This is what Casey and I do during the weekends...



Found this on Deadspin.

Movies I'd just rather avoid...

I've found myself with a lot more free time lately, giving me more chances to watch movies. However, I've discovered I should probably stay away from these piles of poo...

1. Land of the Lost 2 - Unless this is about Balloon Boy and his parents, I'm not paying eight bucks for Will Ferrell to do his best impression of Adam Sandler's career.

2. Any movie starring post-POTC Mel Gibson - Since the bubbly "What Women Want" image has been totally ruined with that nasty bigot attitude he decided to take on. I mean at this point, couldn't they just re-release Lethal Weapon 2?


3. Michael Moore's documentary on how the government makes people fat - because I'm pretty sure it's not the government, I'm sure it's Moore's addiction to french fries.

4. Sex in the City: The Movie - aka the search for more money because the cast blew all the money they made during the TV series on shoes. Every guy goes through a phase of his life where he watches this series with his girlfriend, finds that it's actually pretty funny and then he sees one of the cast members naked and wants to stab his eyeballs.

5. Any movie based on horses - really? Who gives an flying F about horses? If I wanted to see large furry beasts running around with guys on their backs I'd rent "Montana Girls Gone Wild"

6. Canadian Movies - they're in french and they use the metric system.

7. That movies with the computer animated smurfs - I have barely heard of this one, I think it's called Ervertar or something.

8. ESPN Original Films - otherwise known as "we just wanted to take three million dollars and set it on fire just to see what it does" or "what not to do if you're a film student at USC" or "we've officially jumped the shark and we're not showing sports anymore."

A sign that you're in a rough part of Spokane

This is your apartment complex...

Ground Frog Day

Are you looking for something interesting and new to do tomorrow?

Why not head out for Ground Frog Day.

Everyone talks about Groundhog Day, but the Northwest has their very own version of this day.

Tomorrow, Saturday January 30th, the Northwest Frognostication Ceremony will take place in Snohomish, WA.

Much like Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather for the next eight weeks, so does Washington's very own Snohomish Slew the bullfrog. And Slew gets his prediction out three days before Phil.

Snohomish Slew, who also goes by the title of Meteorologist Frognosticator extraordinaire, will come out tomorrow to make a prediction if the Northwest will be enjoying spring soon or another eight weeks of winter.

His predictions are of course announced by his scribes.

The festivities begin at Ferguson Park at 10:30 AM. This years GroundFrog Day will also feature a park bench dedication that honors Daryl Bertholet. Bertholet was the founder of Ground Frog Day five years ago, but passed away in July.

Following the weather forcast and the dedication ceremony, the festivities will continue at the National Guard Armory for lessons on living green, vendor booths, games, demonstrations and live entertainment.

For more information visit the official Ground Frog Day site.

(This is from Just Northwest)

I cheered for Gonzaga for the first time in a LONG time

A note to Gonzaga fans out there, you guys are are kind of ridiculous.

Sitting at the bar last night watching the Bulldogs trail Santa Clara for most of the game, fan depression reached ultimate mass when they were down by double digits.

Problem was... there was 11 FREAKIN MINUTES LEFT.

After supposed die-hard Zag fans shut off their televisions - evident by the amount of texts and twitter updates I received on my phone - I thought to myself "well this is just ridiculous, GU's the better team, they have a chance for a final push to cut that deficit."

I started talking to my friends around "you know what, Gonzaga is going to win this game." I dunno, call it premonition, call it me being a snooty a-hole sipping on my martini, but I figured I'd go against the grain. After hearing everyone say the Bulldogs were playing like fecal matter, I decided I'd give the uber young team the benefit of the doubt. When you're a bunch of sophomores, you don't always come out with your best game.

I started cheering as soon as Gonzaga started proving me right. Santa Clara froze up since they haven't played this big of game... ever... and the Bulldogs took control of the game. Now there's  hitting a few threes and take the lead, that's not taking control of the game... then there's dictating the tempo and out hussling the other team on the floor. That's taking control of the game.

One the Zags took the lead, I knew it was over. Check please.

So question for all you Gonzaga fans, why did you jump ship so quickly?

Northwest Photographer of the week: Isa Farnick

It's Friday and what better time to highlight a great photographer in the Northwest? This photo comes from Isa Farnik, currently of Shoreline (30 min. north of Seattle.) Here's the caption she has for the photo.

Taken on the first evening of night skiing at Steven's Pass where I worked for a stint at the beginning of the season. This photo (as well as most of the rest of mine) are simply pretty moments that occur in my life which keeping my camera at my side at all times allow me to capture. There's beauty every where. I don't believe in having to work hard to find it.

Click on the link to see her photo on Flickr and make sure you leave a comment!

Would you like to be featured as the Northwest Photographer of the Week here at Just South of North? Send submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, location, a description about the photo (location and what makes it a great photograph) and a link to your other work (website, blog, flikr, etc.)

And check back each Friday for a new Northwest Photographer of the Week.

Reasons why you're still single... akward Piano Bar guy

So imagine yourself at the piano bar, enjoying the night, having a few drinks, requesting some songs.

And then he stopped playing those said songs.

My Piano Bar guy, wearing his cowboy hat and awkwardly tucked in dress shirt and jeans. He's been manning the piano all night and has been doing an alright job. Serviceable. Decent. Okay. I mean he wasn't bad. You could make out the songs.

Then when the number of people in the bar dips below 12, he decides to freestyle. Badly.

The following songs about women's chests is so bad and offensive the remaining 12 people leave. And these were the same people cheering on a badly played rendition of "Livin' on  Prayer" and "Like a Virgin" just a few minutes before. Yup, that bad.

Epic Photo: EWU Red Field

Well that doesn't look so bad does it now?

JustSON Numbers: Breaking down the lowest-attended teams in the NBA

Okay remember how they said nobody showed up to Sonics games? If you compare it to conditions now in the NBA, things were just fine in the Key Arena. Look at the lowest attended teams in the NBA this year. Those numbers are their average per game.

New Jersey Nets - 13,709 - This is actually pretty impressive considering they have FOUR wins overall.

Indiana Pacers - 13,578 74 - The Pacers have had some terrible years and they've been at the bottom of the NBA attendance lists for some time now.

Philadelphia 76ers - 13,510- They've had a dissapointing season so far and they've been "rebuilding" for some time now.

Sacramento Kings - 13,375 - This number is somewhat misleading since they play in a small building, but they aren't a hot NBA ticket either.

Memphis Grizzlies - 12,990 - The remains of another Northwest NBA team, and look how it's turning out.

And you want to know how much the Sonics were drawing before their last season at The Key Arena? (Note: The last season before the move doesn't count because the fan base was disenfranchised, however two years before they went to Oklahoma is much more impressive.)

Seattle SuperSonics (2006-2007) 15,955 - The Sonics sold 93.5 of their seats for the season and this was after it became somewhat apparent the NBA was going to let them move. Wonderful move Stern, wonderful move.

Epic Photo: Controls for new Twilight Movie game

They forgot the annoy the crap out of guys everywhere button.

What the hell is this Tablet thingy?

Have you seen this crap Apple is coming out with? Look to your right at the next big thing for hipsters with black-rimmed glasses. The Apple Tablet - which is basically the further transition of reality into Star Trek: The Next Generation - has one button and a big touch screen.

That's right, if you want to right click, you're f-ed.

After months of hype and rumour-mongering that only seemed to get more intense the more tight-lipped Apple executives became, Jobs stepped on to a San Francisco stage yesterday to declare the opening of a whole new category of electronic device. Halfway between a smartphone and a portable computer, the touchscreen-operated iPad will provide a whole new way to buy books and newspapers, play games, watch films and TV shows and surf the web, he said.

"We want to kick off 2010 by introducing a truly magical and revolutionary product," he said. "It's so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone."

If I see one of those... I'm spilling coffee on it.

Poo Poo Point

The Northern Rangers headed up to Poo Poo Point in Issaquah, WA. It was a great hike on an awesome winter day in Washington.



Here's some of the other times that we've hiked up Poo Poo Point.

Poo Poo Point Trail

The Ten Essentials

Trekking Poles

(This is from Just Northwest)

Wallace Falls State Park

Wallace Falls State Park is almost 5,000 acres outside of Gold Bar, Washington. The park contains three waterfalls with each falling more than 200 feet.

Here's the Northern Rangers video review of this trail.





(This is from Just Northwest)

Epic Photo: Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace

Words cannot describe this photo. (Found this on Deadspin)

Are you ready for the Ginger Turf?

We reported it first on Just South of North off of rumors, and now it's official, Eastern Washington will be playing on red artificial turf - making it the first football team in history to do so. ESPN is going to love this.

Former Eastern Washington University football standout Michael Roos of the Tennessee Titans has pledged $500,000 toward the university's "Red Turf" project at EWU's Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash., Eastern President Rodolfo Arévalo announced today.

The project is slated to take on a very unique twist with the installation of the red synthetic playing surface. The red artificial field will be the first of its kind, not just in NCAA Division I football, but in the entire country.

Eastern Athletic Director Bill Chaves, who is working with associate athletic director for development Marc Hughes on the project, said EWU needs to secure additional funding through private contributions before actual replacement can be started. It is hoped that the project can be funded and completed in time for the 2010 season.

"There is no doubt that one of Boise State's claim to fame has been their blue turf and like it or dislike it, it has certainly brought them a tremendous amount of notoriety," said Chaves. "In a similar vein we have a tremendous opportunity at Eastern to do the same by differentiating ourselves with the red turf while providing a superior playing surface."

I remember when I first started going to EWU and the football field consisted of a ice cream stand for a press box and the main grandstand. That was it (well there was the visitors bleachers too... which they really need to improve). Now they have a huge press box, end zone bleachers and upcoming red turf? Talk about improvement.

Stay tuned, Casey and I will be coming up with other things we'd like to see at Woodward Field.

Epic Photo: Weapon of mass destruction

Hey North Korea, be afraid, be very afraid...

Man has 44 lizards in his pants

And no, not those lizards... sickos.

A German reptile collector has been jailed for 14 weeks and must pay a 5,000 New Zealand dollar ($3,540) fine for plundering New Zealand's wild gecko and skink populations, a judge has ruled.

Hans Kurt Kubus, 58, is to be deported to Germany as soon as he is released from prison, Judge Colin Doherty ordered Tuesday.

Kubus was caught by wildlife officials at Christchurch International Airport on South Island in December, about to board an overseas flight with 44 geckos and skinks in a hand-sewn package concealed in his underwear.

He admitted trading in exploited species without a permit and hunting absolutely protected wildlife without authority, pleading guilty to two charges under the Wildlife Act and five under the Trade in Endangered Species Act.

Um, you went to jail because you're smuggling lizards? Yeah you're totally being someone's submissive partner is the slammer, dude.

Mars Rover is no longer a rover

Well this is depressing as the development of humanity has hit a snag, well some soft dirt actually, as the Mars Rover is officially stuck.

After months of unsuccessful attempts at freeing the rover from a sandtrap, NASA on Tuesday said it has decided to make the best of the situation and instruct it to conduct scientific experiments from its current location.


The rover became trapped last April when one of its wheels broke through a crusty Martian surface and dug into the fine, powdery soil beneath it. After many so-called extraction activities, including wiggling the wheels and rotating them very slowly, NASA scientists have decided to stop trying to extract the rover and refocus their efforts.


"Spirit is not dead; it has just entered another phase of its long life," Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement. "We told the world last year that attempts to set the beloved robot free may not be successful. It looks like Spirit's current location on Mars will be its final resting place."

How bad must the guy who got the thing stuck be? His name is probably Harold and his desk has probably been moved to Nasa's basement with the mail clerk. At least that's what I would do to him.

Anyways, we will no longer be roving on Mars, which is lame. But hey! At least Jersey Shore in on my DVR!

New Northern Rangers video

Due to time constraints it has taken me longer to get the Northern Rangers video up then I wanted.

But tomorrow, instead of just one video, I'll host TWO NEW Northern Rangers videos.

We went on a hike up Poo Poo Point in Issaquah, Washington today.

So check back in tomorrow for TWO Northern Rangers videos.

The magic and madness that is a DVR

So my roommate and I have finally upgraded to the 21st century with a DVR. Sure we'll be eating ketchup packages and saltine crackers for the next month in order to afford it, but dammit, we won't have to worry about missing any television.

However, the following problems have cropped up.

1. My roommate decided to record everything in standard def - which when you have an awesome high-def television looks like crap - causing me to through numerous items at him, including his prized Washington Capitals toliet seat cover. Really? 24 in standard def? Is that Jack Bauer or Ryan Seacrest?

2. Random alerts pop up asking if I want to stop recording or switch to another channel, causing me to have a minor heart attack wondering if something is recording or not. This is seriously a very stressful situation. Heaven forbid I have to go to Hulu and watch "Community" on a computer screen.

3. I stayed up late watching every show I recorded to ensure I had a maximum viewing experience. Basically I watched every prime-time show between 6 pm and 9 pm. Here's hoping I don't get fired from work.

Now I can see why so many people are unemployed... with options like this, who needs to go to work?

Idaho presents Robb Akey new contract

You've probably noticed that Idaho has had like 15 coaches in the last five years and really didn't have stability until Robb Akey showed up there. Now that he's riding on the top of the world after his big bowl game win, and the university wants to keep him around for a while.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said the school has presented a new contract to Robb Akey and is waiting to hear back from the third-year football coach who led the Vandals to their first winning season in a decade. Spear, who was interviewed before Monday night’s nationally televised basketball game between Boise State and Idaho, said the offer “has been out there for a while.” Akey just completed the third year of his original five-year contract. Idaho finished the season 8-5 and won the Humanitarian Bowl

Found this on Huckleberries. Let me be the first to say... Robb Akey! Please Stay! You're the best thing to happen to football in the Inland Northwest since Erik Meyer.

Lebron James wasn't happy with this ref

Or he was impersonating a bird.

Epic Photo: Sounders kick off training camp

Who's ready for some soccer? It's hard to believe but the season is gearing up for the MLS as the Seattle Sounders just had their first day of training camp yesterday. Phew! Just in time to fill in the gaping hole that football will leave - only without the annoying NFL fans that won't stop talking about their fantasy football team.

There are is an issue though, a possible MLS lockout would be a huge downer. In fact, Casey and I might end up drinking ourselves into a stupor. Any suggestions as to what sport we should follow otherwise?

Lakers sign Obama

And he'll get more playing time than Adam Morrison.

Found this on Huckleberries.

"That Couple" ... the ugly couple

Some individuals have caught on to my seemingly relentless ability to make fun of peopleand feel compelled to tell me that I'm an a-hole.

Oh well, a lot of Gonzaga girls are ugly, get over it. I know I'm not the best looking tool in the shed, but you can start a blog and call me out on it too. Go on ahead.

With that said, I would like to move onto another ugly "thing" that drives me up the wall... the ugly couple.

The problem with the ugly couple, as opposed to a good looking couple is that they're so insecure about their looks, they feel the needs to leapfrog the acceptable line of PDA and makeout while standing in line at Walmart.

While most couples are resevred to holding hands in public, the ugly couple finds the most public places to display acts that should only be shown on Cinemax. And you know they know people are looking. And you know they want people to look.

I dunno about you, but watching somebody in matching Dungeons and Dragons costumes do the dirty while I'm trying to buy a movie ticket to "Sherlock Holmes" is not something I want to be a part of. They probably have an ugly couple house, where they could do their ugly couple things in private so I don't have this image burned into my brain. Could we enact some sort of law?

Epic Photo: The Barney fossil

I think we've found the missing link in human evolution.

Epic Video: Monday sucks

Sorry readers. It's Monday. But you're not alone in your dislike for this day.

Eagles to install red turf

This is just from the rumor mill and I have no official sources, but word on the street is that Eastern Washington will be installing red field turf to become the Boise State of the Big Sky Conference (errrr... second coming of Boise State in the Big Sky Conference?).

Another rumor has it that Michael Roos is donating a sizable amount of money, a half a million dollars, to get this project done. If this does happen, I don't know if EWU football will ever be the same. After some research, the only one Div. I team has installed different color turf - Boise St.- and EWU would obviously be the first school to sport red turf.

And what would we call it? The Ginger turf? Eag-turf? There's so many possibilities.

(again, this is not official, just looking at some rumors)

Another reason you'll be single... LEGO Multi-player game

I know that playing with Legos after the age of 12 is a sure sign of somebody who doesn't have a girlfriend, but stay with me here... the trailer for this LEGO game is epic.



And I'm a nerd. Excuse me as I sleep alone.

Outdoor Photo of the Week: Cape Mears Lighthouse State Park

The photographer, Alex Neun, had this to say about the photo:

The photo was taken at the Cape Mears Lighthouse State Park in Tillamook County looking South towards Cape Lookout. Please note after this photo was taken a vandal shot up the very old irreplaceable glass condensers, virtually destroying a part beautiful northwestern history and craftsmanship. Here is a link to the story on KATU. Photo by Alex Neun, Portland, Oregon.

View more of Alex's work at Alex Neun Photography.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just South of North? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

If you give a hockey fan a ladder, he'll crawl up into the rafters

You know your sport is doing well when the biggest story of the night is something that your fans do. Then again, I don't know how many fans in baseball and football that would crawl up into the rafters of the stadium. Sure, we had that douche that jumped on the backstop netting at Yankee Stadium but since it was a Yankees fan - everyone was disappointed the net just didn't give way.

Well this coming from Detroit, the city of Awesome-ness (just ask the Lions)...

Details are scarce, but we know three people found their way into a restricted area of the fifth floor of Joe Louis Arena. At that point, the section directly below them was evacuated, security perhaps anticipating the return of the Blue Blazer.

Two of them were arrested on the catwalk. One climbed even higher, onto a conduit, before freezing like a cat in a tree. He was eventually coaxed down, and fans returned to section 124, just in time to watch the Wings blow a lead.

The line of the night goes to the Kings announcer who said,

If he falls, that's too many men on the ice for Detroit."

Having been on quite a few arena catwalks, i have to say that you're either drunk or stupid to go out on one of those things. They do give you a certain sense of vertigo and if you don't have the right press pass or verification, you might find yourself in a jail cell in a hurry. And was the hockey game that boring?

Epic Photo: Bread gloves

You know what? Sometimes I get hungry. And sometimes I dont want to have to make a sandwich. Well apparently somebody very smart understood my laziness and came up with this fine invention which is sure to make losers like me excel at life.

I mean think about it... I can just eat straight from a peanut butter jar. Epic!

Conan gives NBC the bird

The who mess with Conan O'Brien and NBC has been something I've been following very closely mainly because I think Conan is the best late night show out of anyone and I think that he's been getting the shaft royally. However, the way he's been handling things shows just how classy this guy is and what good a sense of humor he has.

Friday night's final Conan episode was something like the Super Bowl of Late Night. It was possibly the best hour of television I've watched as he just did what he's always done - made us laugh. He handled NBC with class even when they did not, and for that I'll be a loyal viewer on whatever channel he lands on.

As for Leno and NBC? Forget it. I use to think Leno was funny but I'm not watching that guy out of protest. Mark my word... that chin is not showing up on my television.

I just looked up the ratings for Conan's show and it appears that a lot of people of my generation thought the same thing about his last hurrah...

In preliminary national late-night ratings, Mr. O'Brien scored a booming 7 household rating, which was almost triple the number he had been averaging for months in that measure. More impressive was the number for 18-to-49-year-old viewers - the gold standard for NBC because advertisers seek to reach that audience. There, in overnight numbers from the country's 25 largest cities, Mr. O'Brien hit an extraordinary rating, a 4.8. Not only would that be by far the biggest rating in that age group for any kind of show at any time Friday night (if it holds up as a national rating and it will probably decrease only slightly), it is also a better number than almost every prime-time show that has appeared on NBC this television season.

Good job, Conan.

On tap sports for tonight....

If you guys are bored tonight, here are the local Spokane sporting events going on...

Eastern Washington Men's Basketball at Weber St.
6 p.m. on 1050 AM The Key

Eastern Washington Women's Basketball vs. Weber St. (at Reese Court in Cheney, Wa.)
7 p.m. on Big Sky TV, check out my good friend Mike Miller with the play-by-play call.

Gonzaga University Women's Basketball at Loyola Marymount 
2 p.m. on 1050 AM The Key

Gonzaga University Men's Basketball vs. Loyola Marymount (at the MAC in Spokane, Wa.)
5 p.m. on 1510 KGA AM

I'll be running the board for the EWU men's game, so tune in!

Signs you're stuck in the 90s

The co-writer of this blog, Casey, has a bit of a crises sometimes when it comes to what decade he's living in. You see, he still connects to the internet via dial-up, says things like rad and tubular, and watches the movie "Speed" a lot.

Let me be the first to say that he has a bit of a problem. Those are some of the warning signs, but if you are also questioning what decade you think you're living in, here are some red flag warnings.

You're still asking people if they think OJ Simpson is innocent - Meanwhile, he's in jail still looking for the killer of Nicole Brown. Good job.

You're wearing a Colorado Rockies jacket along with a Charlotte Hornets basketball jersey - Two mainstay sports paraphernalia items that every 10-15 year-old wore during the 1990s.

Your still have to pump-up your shoes before you go out - They give you at least a foot of extra jumping height.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go check out my new Alice in Chains record.

Epic Photo: How we grow up

Don't get me started on how I used to re-enact Game 7 of the NBA Finals as a kid and now I'm reading a statistical breakdown of the turnover-to-assist ratio of the 1974 Boston Celtics.

Epic Video: Wild vs. Man

Watch the vines, roots and boulders. Awesome.



The Northern Rangers are out today on an adventure. We'll report in later.

Video Bites: NFL Championship Picks

The January 22nd edition of the JustSON Video Bites. That's right, bite-sized videos!!!!

Enchantment Lakes new permit deadline

Near Levenworth, Washington lies one of the most popular backpacking areas in the Northwest.

Enchantment Lakes.

I first heard about Enchantment Lakes last year in an article in one of the outdoor magazines that I get. And I knew that one day I had to visit this place.

And I'm thinking the Northern Rangers will head out there in 2011.

But if you want to hit the trail and take in the views of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in 2010, then you better take notice as the deadline for applying for a permit has been moved up to February 1-8.

The cost for a permit is $5 a day per person. Head over to the Forest Service's Web site for more information and to download the application forms.

Now, since I've never been to Enchantment Lakes (not yet anyway) here's a little bit about the area from the Washington Trails Association:

The Enchantment Lakes is a high alpine basin full of lakes, larch, mountain goats, and fantastically stark granite that is considered by many to be the best hike in the state. Options abound - plenty of places to camp, side trails, summits, and more.

And if you're thinking about heading up there without a permit better think again. Rangers hike the trails during the busiest months of the season and those hikers caught without a permit will be asked to leave and given a $125 fine.

The area is also given a difficult rating so make sure you come prepared. That means being in shape and also carrying the proper gear. This is the mountains after all. A sunny summer day can turn to cold and snow very quickly. Come prepared to stay safe.

(This is from Just Northwest)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs drinking game

Want to have more fun watching your Gonzaga Bulldogs? Here's the handy-dandy Bulldogs drinking game that is sure to get you sloshed before the second half.

Take on drink everytime...

- TV Broadcaster and former Michael Jordan whipping boy Craig Ehlo says something that makes you question his soberness.
- Dimitri Goodson misses a three pointer. Take two drinks if he makes one.
- You see an ugly GU female student when they cut to the crowd. It's amazing the percentage of hot/ugly girls in the student section, it's at least 20:80.
- The announcer says "brought to you by Les Schwab Tires."
- They mention the 1999 Elite Eight run by the Zags, any pan to the banners hanging from the Kennel is also fair game.
- Robert Sacre smiles (sorry I'm trying to get you guys really drunk)
- Something causes you to think "The Zags can't guard the three!"
- Mark Few flashes his patented "about to strangle a puppy" face.
- Somebody says "I think the WCC is catching up to Gonzaga in terms of competitiveness."

Chug a beer everytime...

- Gonzaga pushes the lead over a WCC opponent to 20 points. Keep in mind you'll probably chug a beer every WCC contest.
- Casey Calvary is mentioned by the announcers. Chug two beers if they mention him breaking the backboard at the Spokane Arena.
- Spike hops in on the broadcast, trying to interrupt Craig Ehlo being drunk.
- Photo of John Stockton is shown with the old-school Jazz jersey.

Finish the Keg when...

- They show footage of Adam Morrison crying after losing to UCLA.
- Gonzaga is bounced from the tournament.
- Richard Fox breaks his chair on-air during the radio broadcast of the GU game.

There are the rules. Live by them.

Northwest Photographer of the Week: Nicole Jovich

We're big coffee fans here at JustSON, and when you think of coffee, you think of the Northwest. Here's a shot from photographer Nicole Jovich, who said this about the photo:

I feel like nothing is more comforting than a nice latte in our dark, cold, northwest winters... This was taken at Sam's Espresso located in the Greenwood Fred Meyer, the barista was Rick Catib.

You can see more of Nicole's photography at www.nicolejovichphotography.blogspot.com
and we will have more excellent outdoor photography from Nicole in the future.

Would you like to be featured as the Northwest Photographer of the Week here at Just South of North? Send submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, location, a description about the photo (location and what makes it a great photograph) and a link to your other work (website, blog, flikr, etc.)

And check back each Friday for a new Northwest Photographer of the Week.

Casey before he lost a bunch of weight...

Yeah, he use to be a ninja warrior...



Best part of this video, is at the end when he's absolutely exhausted after SIX MINUTES of awkwardly swinging swords.

Woman's iPhone saves her from bear

Yesterday I wrote about an iPhone application that was designed to scare away bears.

Either that, or just spark their curiosity and bring them to you.

Well, while researching that post I came across another hilarious story involving a bear and an iPhone. Apparently bears have a thing for Apple technology.

In a story from CIO, Kris Rowley was hiking in Vermont when she came across a young bear.

And she stopped it with her iPhone. Yes, her iPhone. Allow me to explain.

As the bear approached she wasn't sure what to do. So when the bear got to a distance of 30 feet, she threw her iPhone at it. The bear must have wanted to download a few apps of his own because he sniffed and pawed at the phone. This gave Rowley a chance to make a get away.

However, being addicted to her iPhone (like all those Apple users are) she returned to the spot to retrieve it. And what she found was one mauled and scratched up phone. I guess the bear got upset with the cellphone coverage in his roaming area.

But wait, the story doesn't end there. Oh no. Rowley then went to her Apple store and in the hopes that they would replace her bear-attacked phone. I wish I could have seen the workers face as she tried to explain how her iPhone saved her life and she just wanted a new one.

Rowley eventually just bought a new one. But hey, now she can download the Scare Bear app.

Or just carry bear spray.

(This is from Just Northwest)

Things not to say around your roommates

Living roommates is a complex thing, here are some things you probably shouldn't say to them.

1. Wow, hopefully that itch I have isn't something commutable to the toliet seat. Anyways, hope the Taco Bell was good man.

2. I let my girlfriend borrow your toothbrush, she forgot hers the night before because she had to get her herpes checked out.

3. You know that priceless family heirloom that you had? Oops, I'm a clutz.

4. So I'm just going to start smoking a bunch of pot. Your police cadet friend is coming over? I'm sure he's totally cool with it. Should I tell him about the phosphorus-rich dish soap you have? 

5. Your parents called, I told them you were in other room doing your girlfriend.

Take this advice to heart!

Epic Photo: My Diet

Yum, sometimes I wonder why my pants don't fit.

Note to world, Susan Sarandon is not hot

So I get on the internet yesterday and log onto MSN and guess what I see? Susan Sarandon's breasts (covered, thank god) and a story saying "Susan Sarandon is still sexy at 63" ... what the hell Microsoft? Susan Sarandon was never sexy and the ravages of time have made her look like a prune from hell.

Not only is she old and not hot, but don't let her talk otherwise you'll be throwing something sharp.

When Tim Robbins broke up with her, he was probably like William Wallace... "FREEEEEEEDDDDDOOOMMMM!"

Video Bites: Bo Duke to Seattle

The January 20th edition of the JustSON Video Bites. That's right, bite sized videos!!!

Epic Video: Bear Grylls in Montana

All new Man vs. Wild tonight. This time Bear is in Montana. I hear that he wrestles a Montana Griz fan, talks to some Griz fans in their trailer and get's back to safety once he finds the only city in that state.

All kidding aside, looks like an awesome episode. Can't wait! I mean, it has a train!

iPhone app to scare bears

Today I stumbled upon an article in the Aspen Daily News Online about a new iPhone application that was for bears. And I laughed out loud.

Apparently Alex Tiger (no wonder why he's scared of bears) invented an app called the "Scare Bear Trail Companion."

This app is downloadable for 99 cents and is supposed to do as it's name suggests, scare bears. By shaking the iPhone, users are able to recreate digital versions of sounds like bear bells, air horns and hands clapping.

The article states that Tiger, had hoped the application would allow people to alert bears that they're coming without the use of cumbersome tools like actual bear bells or horns.

Now here's the catch. The application is still limited by the power of the iPhone speakers. Which happens to not be nearly as loud as actually clapping your hands, or actually having a horn.

Because of this, the app is listed as a novelty item. But still, how many people would seriously ever use this?

I don't have an iPhone, nor will I ever get one, but there is no way that I'd be like, "I'm going on a hike today. Thank goodness I have my Scare Bear app."

To me, the best part of hitting the trail is leaving my cell phone off. I'll bring it for an emergency, but it's off and in my backpack. I'm out to enjoy nature, not get texts from ESPN.

And what if it's a multiday hike? Sure hope you have a solar charger.

Heck with that. I'll deal with a bear bell, or actually clapping my own hands. I'll also follow these rules and stay safe without Scare Bear.

And what if the bear charges? Is there an app for bear spray? Better hope so.

(This is from Just Northwest)

Why Farmville is an abomination of the human race...

See this photo to your right? No it is not a screen shot from a 1994 video game for the Super Nintendo. This is a game on Facebook called "Farmville" and is one of the most annoying creations by humankind.

By playing this game, not only are you wasting your life with some crap-tastic 2-D junker game that belongs in the bargin bin at Walmart, but you also fill your friends' NewsFeed up with stupid crap like "Jerry found a new spring chicken egg!" and "Jerry wants you to help him get little Timmy out of the well."

I don't care if you waste you life with the dog-pile of a game, but please, don't drag me along with you...

Who said soccer wasn't a contact sport?

You hear a lot of complaining about soccer players being wussies, but let's not forget that football players are the ones going on the injured reserve list for things like "turf toe."

Seasons are longer than football, players are usually splitting time with their national and pro teams. The pro teams have a regular schedule and then these weird " Cup" schedules that are even more contests that basically boil down to being exhibition games for bragging rights.

The main problem is the fake out fouls... but don't we see that in basketball? Should I show the footage of Duke players flopping again? These guys are running for an hour and a half straight, while some baseball players can't run hard to first base.

And I don't want to get into details about groin-to-cleat injuries but I can guarantee you, I'm never walking out onto a soccer field without a cup.

What are your thoughts?

JustSON Numbers: Average salaries of professional athletes

Let's check this out, if you're wanting to strike it big in sports, you should probably start working on your jump shot. Check out the average salaries of pro athletes...

* Basketball (NBA) -- $5,000,000
* Baseball (MLB) -- $2,800,000
* Football (NFL) -- $1,750,000
* Hockey (NHL) -- $1,500,000
* Men's Golf -- $973,495
* Women's Tennis -- $345,000
* Men's Tennis -- $260,000
* Women's Golf -- $162,043

The NBA is actually no real surprise considering the number of players in the league is probably the least out of all the sports - therefore the higher end players drive up the average AND agents can ask for more because the demand for quality players are higher with fewer roster sports.

The NFL is kind of a shock considering it's the world's most popular sports AND it's one of the most damaging sports physically. You'd think the player's union would be clamoring for extra dough because of that.

And then there's women's golf - yep, that's still a buttload of money.

My getting old moment...

Go over to Sean Widmer.com... he has a great podcast where he talks about signs of getting old. I can completely relate since the following is happening...

1. Go to the bar, or stay home and watch The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Barney wins.
2. I keep it under the speed limit because there's no way I'm dishing out money for a speeding ticket.
3. When I go to the mall, I spend the entire time thinking "all these f-ing high schoolers look like a bunch of wannabe vampires and Lady GaGa knock-offs. What the hell is wrong with them? Damn kids!"
4. Two beers gets me drunk.
5. I saw an ad for "a healthy liver pill" that would "give you more energy" and thought to myself "hmmm, I should probably go for that"
6. I'm starting a retirement fund.

Awesome. I'm now old.

Well, the navy was never considered that bright anyways...

Epic Photo: This year's NBA All Star game jerseys

According to the Yahoo NBA Blog, this year is the first time that neither All-Star team will have white as their primary color. It is interesting to see the inlaid graphics on the solid colors, and I think this is some of the better looking All-Star jerseys we've seen.

I mean look at the alternatives in the NFL and MLB.

Gonzaga the best team on the West Coast?

While the Pac-10 continues to be terrible, Gonzaga keeps climbing the polls and probably could be considered the best team in the western United States. I'm usually the one saying that Zags are overrated but not this season as they've slowly but surely moved up in the polls after one quality win after another. Nobody in the big "BCS" conference of the Pac-10 can even take a sniff close to Gonzaga or even some teams in the WCC. Wow, how weird is this season?

Gonzaga continued to climb up the rankings, moving up to 15th in the A.P. poll and 10th in ESPN/USA Today. GU (14-3) moved up two spots in A.P. and four in the other poll. Saint Mary’s lost a few votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll, receiving 16 compared to 25 last week, after its home loss to the Bulldogs.

The Zags were No. 10 in ESPN/USA Today’s final regular-season poll last season and finished 13th after advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

Keep in mind that Gonzaga played the toughest part of it's conference this last weekend and came out smelling rosey. Assuming they don't have a brain-lapse and get upset, it should be all downhill for Gonzaga the rest of the season.

Cowboys fans continue to show that they're a bunch of douchebags

The talk of the NFL today is how the Minnesota Vikings apparently ran up the score on the Dallas Cowboys en route to their 34-3 drubbing in the division round of the playoffs. Mainly its coming from Cowboys fans who think that it was classless and generally the mark of a jerk term.

Umm... okay 69-0 in a high school game is running up the score. 34-3 is not running up the score in the NFL. When you're playing a professional team, you put your foot on their throat and you push down until they stop breathing. In the playoffs, you want to ensure that there is absolutely no way that the other team comes back.

And even if the other team has no chance of coming back in the game, it's not like high school where you can just run it between the tackles and run out the clock. These are sophisticated NFL defenses with incredible NFL players, you still need to air it out otherwise Brett Favre or Adrian Peterson would have been picking their teeth off of the turf (ask Kurt Warner). And in the professional ranks, if I'm paying good money, I want to see both teams trying to score REGARDLESS if it's a blowout or not. I mean isn't that what you would want for a 50-dollar upper deck seat.

But alas, the Cowboys fans just don't get it, nor do they get that a lot of people don't like their team. Stop whining.

This weekends playoff games in photos

"Maybe I should be worried about this Ravens' defense, but honestly all I can think about right now is how I can knock off Luke Wilson and become the spokesman for Sprint."

"Remember me? I did The Waterboy!"

Anyone who says Manning isnt akward-looking is high.

That's right,the guy on the right is sporting the double decker. That's solid. Good man.

"I'm a sawwwwddd Cardinals fan"

"Wait a minute, this isn't the bathroom..."

That's right, the Minnesota Vikings have actual Vikings playing for them.

"EEEEEE! We win! We win! I haven't been this excited since my 18th birthday! Which was last week! EEE!"