Important Talus Announcements!

I have some important talus-related announcements this week.

First, the long-overdue announcement about pronunciation.  I had always considered myself somewhat of a talus expert, and yet it turns out that I'd been pronouncing the word wrong!  You probably have been, too.  The word is pronounced "TAIL-us."  Seriously.  Yes, it's weird.  I am still not used to it.

This is earth-shaking news in the world of Talus Slopes.  To help us cope with the sense that everything we knew is wrong, here is a photo that reminds us that life will go on, and so will talus.  This photo is talus from 1899!

Photo from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Second, once again, I no longer blog for beer!  My fellow "iron blogger" has stepped out of the competition after raking up a debt of, I believe, 4 beers.  I need to cash in.

Would anyone else like to join into an iron blogger blog-for-beer pact?  Just let me know!  Remember, threatening me with owing you beers is an excellent way to keep high-quality Talus Slopes content coming to you every week or two!

From Dru!'s flickr photostream

Lastly, you should go check out my brother's blog.  Cole and his friend Simon have created a blog about adding tasty foods together in order to make gross foods.  It's called "If You Like A..." You suggest disgusting combinations, and they post a video of themselves making and eating said combinations.  Here is the first video they posted:

Check it out by clicking here!

Welcome to Talus Slopes!

Talus Slopes is a blog that I am starting as part of the Iron Blogger project.  The idea is that I make at least one post a week, and if I ever miss one, I am required to donate $5 to the Beer Pool.  Then once a month or so, all the Iron Bloggers go out for subsidized beer!

The initial focus of Talus Slopes will be outdoor expeditions and extreme sports of interest.  Expect discussions of beautiful mountains, backpacking routes, natural wonders, and people jumping off cliffs with skis on their feet.  As the blog goes on, I may branch off into discussions of other excellent activities I am passionate about, such as music and roleplaying.

(On that note, a shameless plug: my band that just formed up wrote a song last week for a competition called "Song Fight."  You can read about Song Fight here.  Go listen to my song by clicking here and clicking on my band name, "Soap Yourself."  If you don't think the song sucks too much, consider voting for it!)

Finally, a bit of information about the title of this blog.  A "talus slope" is a slope of accumulated rocks, generally formed at the base of cliffs.  I learned about the term on a backpacking trip through Jefferson Park with my friend Eli A-J.  The route directions told us to hike until we saw a talus slope, and then turn.  As neither of us knew what the term meant, we had some fun speculating on how "talus-y" each of these slopes looked.  Since then, we've become fans (perhaps even connoisseurs) of talus.  Here are some characteristic talus slopes (click for larger images):

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nonsooth/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/druclimb/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Pretty, aren't they?  Maybe it's just me...  Well, welcome to Talus Slopes!  Enjoy your stay.