freeclimb9

www.roadrunnersports.com has great deals on occasion.

If you've purchased a Natl. Parks Pass (for example the yearly Golden Eagle which is $50, or the weekly permit), then you've already paid a user fee. Additional fees, if charged, should be for additional services --to cover rescue costs, for example. But that should be optional, IMO. Drop an email to your Representative (www.house.gov), or Senator (www.senate.gov) expressing your dissatisfaction with additional "pay to play" trail fees.

The Montrail Vitesse has achieved legendary status among ultra-runners. They've got a new shoe this year, the Diablo, that looks great --doesn't have the funky clunky sole of the Vitesse. The NB 704 and 804 both look great, too. I prefer Asics (the Trabuco is a current favorite) because they fit my feet. Adidas and NB fit me also, but I'm brand loyal after the many great times that Asics Excalibur GTs carried me to and through. Hours long slogs with wet feet will give anyone blisters. Gore-tex comes into its own if you're mud-bogging, or going over snow. It also helps keep out trail grit, but is pretty steamy in the heat. Ultra-running websites will have more info.

It depends on the brand, but typically trail running shoes are a little closer to cross-trainers in being able to withstand lateral forces (stuff that would blow out the sides of a track shoe over time). The trail running shoes often have more agressive soles which can wear faster than road shoe soles, but help with ascents and (especially) descents on loose, or muddy, terrain. The NB shoes I've looked at don't differ much at all from their road counterparts though the road shoes were white whereas the trail ones were colored.

I've had very fast help from BD. When you call, try to talk with Elmo. He sent me replacement crampon bindings (original one didn't fit Salomon boots) within a couple days.

quote: Originally posted by fern: I'm sure that girl is very nice and a quality climber but why is she sitting in corner with such an unfortunate haircut? ... very amusing. the short explanation is that she's British.

another babe who climbs harder than you ever will (single and climbs trad, too):

My girlfriend thinks I should be more understanding. I don’t know why. My last girlfriend couldn’t take criticism. At least that’s what she wrote in her suicide note.

Years ago, I climbed with a guy named Huw from England. He pointed out that in his home country "safe conversation" centered around topics like weather, but in the western US it was bear stories. It seems that everyone has a bear story to share. I once shared a rooftop eyrie for a few tense night-time minutes with a bear who'd climbed the ladder to get the trash we stored on top. We quickly climbed down once the bear retreated to the edge of the roof, then we pulled the ladder thinking we'd trapped the bear. The next morning: the bear was gone, but had left us a mess of pee-covered garbage and a steaming pile from the growler he's had. We caught him in a barrel trap a few days later, and he was transported into a wilderness area.

As my schedule gets more defined, I find I have several two-week long stints without parenting. Long rock routes in the Tetons on good rock. Really. Like 5,000' routes. Light and fast, or light and slow. Drop me a note. Let's go.

climbing booty

In the year 2020 will everyone have good vision?

If you chuffers insist on glissading, check out http://www.yatesgear.com/climbing/ice/glissade.htm#2

The skinny: I spent a few minutes on the phone and found out about sending images on a satellite phone. The lightest setup I found is: A Compaq IPAQ that connects to a digital camera through the "CF jacket" (or other connection. there's a lot of options) and to a satellite phone (wt. 13 oz) that is "Hayes Compatible" and connects through the serial port. "Phojo" software on the IPAQ (from http://www.idruna.com/) allows drag and drop transfer. So, in under two pounds (though with extra batteries, it's gotta be more) you can send voice and images anywhere. [ 04-25-2002, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: freeclimb9 ]

quote: Originally posted by Dru: Pink Flamingo. As in the Movie? Are you a fan of Divine?

just moved into the PNW. Issaquah. Is this yet another example of his masochism? The dude will be biking to and climbing up all the mountains within a 7,000 mile radius, no doubt.

westernbackcountryskier: "marginal expedition support"? Is this a personal gripe? Because TNF has supported many expeditions.

quote: Originally posted by Gaper_#2: breath mints. Decorum (courtesy, really) demands that one should never refuse an offered breath mint.

quote: cj001f: Thanks for the links. They're very helpful.

Any technophiles out there? I've been tracking a couple expeditions this Spring through their online dispatches. (For example, Ed Viesturs at Annapurna http://www.edviesturs.com/dispatches and a couple hauling to the North Pole http://www.thepoles.com). It seems that they call in their reports which are transcibed and put online. They also send images. I'm curious as to how this is currently done. Who are the main satellite phone carriers? How much does a phone weigh and cost? How much do minutes cost? Is it possible to attach a palmtop and send and receive text on a faster timescale than voice? How are images sent (via FTP?)? What about sending video?

quote: Originally posted by Jarred Jackman: Has anyone made their own pack? I've sewn a few. One has been my crag pack since '90. They're more durable than storebought since I used a heavier thread, 1000 denier nylon cordura, and sewed each seam at least twice (just simple seams). They're custom sized to my specs, and very comfortable. I knocked-off the pattern from a prototype made by a former employee of Gregory (a pattern maker). I still feel the waistbelt is a better design than anything on the market, but the commercial designs are coming along. Padding is extraneous in the hipbelt, IMO, but the pattern is crucial. For dimensions, it's pretty easy to measure commercial packs, then cut your own pattern. Also, has anyone done seam-taping at home? The sewing is the easy part but getting the waterproofing back on, I'm not too sure about. I am confused as to what you mean by "seam-taping". If you're thinking about the heat-sealed seam tape that comes in some shell garments, you won't have the specialized equipment for that. Few packs are actually waterproof anyways. And there's always liquid seam sealer. Materials (cordura, webbing, hardware, thread) can be purchased in small quantities --by the 1/4 yard at some places-- from several suppliers (eg. http://www.thru-hiker.com http://www.seattlefabrics.com/ etc.) and are the real deal. Use nylon thread. Gudebrod is the best, and can be found also at fly-tieing shops. If I were to sew another pack today, I'd probably use Spectra gridstop for most of the body to save weight. You might actually find a pattern online. The ultralight backpacking crowd are way into making their own gear, and share patterns freely. good luck

happens every year.

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: What are your plans in the winds? and in the tetons? I'd like to cruise the highline trail in a day, or two (Big Sandy opening to Green River Lakes). But, going from south pass to green river lakes (or further to togwotee pass) touching on the Fremont trail with side trips and variations (maybe through the Ciruque and over Lizard's head, or over Gannett, for example) would be worthy --albeit a different kind of- trip. My dream Winds trip would be a week, or two, based in Titcomb basin. For the Tetons, I've got a long list of route objectives. For traverses, I'd like to do the Cathedral traverse, the ice-palace traverse (my own coinage. Northeast snowfields of Owen to Black Ice --maybe into West Face-- on the Grand to the Northwest couloir on Middle, and maybe the Grand Traverse. Any of the three is ambitious. For the Sierras, a 5-6 day cruise on the Muir trail would be compelling. But there are climbing traverses that would be great, too. I only live a few hours drive from Big Sandy opening, or Jackson Hole.

Check out the consequence of prolonged sleep deprivation: "Prolonged sleeplessness weakens immune function. Animals tortured in sleep-deprivation experiments eventually die from massive bacterial infections of the blood..." And I thought the hallucinations were bad enough. I've got some Teton traverse goals for the summer. And in the Winds. And in the Sierras. Anyone up for torture and risk of blood infection?