hasbeen

I was just there on Monday. The road is in fantastic shape. It's not even very bumpy. I was in a Trooper but you should have no trouble going 30 - 35 mph the whole way in any vehicle.

Well, six weeks is probably out of the question now... I tore my ACL (completely) in April of last year. I had surgery on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend last year and consider myself just about fully recovered. I was walking without crutches in about a week, bicycling on the road in about three weeks and went on some pretty good hikes by late July. I was skiing with no restrictions by late December and managed to ski pretty hard this spring. I am firmly convinced that one of the keys to recovery is a lot of bicycling (I commute to work by bike) both for quad strength and for range of motion. I did not have any meniscus tear and I understand that the meniscus repair may result in a longer recovery time because the knee often must be immobilized after the surgery for a time. If you want any information about the surgery and about what I went through in recovery, drop me a PM. Hope your wife has a sppedy recovery. Curt

Nice photos. Thanks for posting them.

Yeah... It's hell getting old. Not only did I forget how to spell, I couldn't see accross the street to read the signs. Upon seeing a trusted landmak had disappeared, I stumbled around town for the rest of the day mumbling incoherently about lost youth and damn sushi restaurants.

Thanks. That was easy (and if I could spell, it probably would have been easier). I realized just after pushed the "Ok, submit" button that it is "Metsker," not "Metzger."

So, the other day I head down to Metzger Maps on First Avenue by Pioneer Square. It's gone! Anyone know where it went? Guess it's been a while since I bought a map... Thanks.

I was there last Friday, May 7. There was no snow from the parking lot until approximately 3100 ft. It was pretty spotty from there until about 3800, I think. Given the gentle trail through the woods, this seemed like about a mile or so of hiking. It will be worse now I'm sure.

I've never had my poles "pop out." I haven't had the tent in a really high wind situation, though. The ID design does not use that little snap thingy in the corner like the Bibler. On the ID, the whole corner of the tent is reinforced and the pole just sits in the reinforced corner. There is really nothing for the pole to pop out of. The velcro wraps around the poles also do a good job holding the poles in the corners. The ID design solutions may at first seem a little less high tech than the Bibler but, imo, they may actually work better.

I have a MKI XL. I love it. Breathes well, good ventilation (got two vents) even with a single door. Bombproof and simple to set up. Integral Designs is a great company to work with. You can customize the tent to some degree with things like the number of doors, weight of floor material, number of vents, and whether the bug netting is inside or outside of the door material. I can't recommend the tent highly enough.

You might want to check out Lou Dawson's FAQs about the naxo on www.wildsnow.com

Anyone else bothered by the 1997 date of the article? Don't think we are going to have to worry about 2004, at least not on the basis of this article. Happy New Year, everyone.

I read it differently. I believe that the "alpine" refers to alpine ski boots that conform to the quoted DIN standards. It is a little ambiguous, I'll admit.

I've used the old red G3 skins for two seasons and have not had any problems with the glue...just luck I guess. I use them on a pair of pretty skinny skis (67mm at waist) and haven't found them lacking in climbing ability. Just my $.02.

Comcast was down in Maple Leaf this a.m. and last night. I don't know about now...

This may be the best thing I have ever read on cc.com. Seeing the world through the eyes of our children really puts things in perspective. Thanks for posting.

Try www.mvsta.com for grooming reports. I think they have gone to spring rates now and reduced grooming.

pete_a: I would recommend that you bring the pressure cooker. While I can't recall the specifics (as I climbed the West Rib over 20 years ago), I did bring a pressure cooker and seem to recall that the fuel savings more than offset the weight of the cooker. I wish I could recall how much fuel we brought and I don't seem to be able to find my planning notes but as I sit here, I remember being very happy to have lugged the pressure cooker up the mountain. I hope you have a great trip. Curt

Try the blue ones if you don't have much of an arch. I've got really flat feet and the blue ones work for me.

If you can scrape together the cash, get a Feathered Friends Snow Bunting with 2 ounces overfill. It will be all the bag you need for winter around here and points further north and for spring and fall as well, without the collar and with the down shifted to the bottom.

Here's another vote for the Khamsin 52. It's simple (yes, even the lid/fanny pack is very straightforward and contrary to jordop, I use it a fair amount for trips out of a base camp). For the minimal suspension, it really does carry loads in the 20-45 lb. range very well. The only downside that I have been able to see after a few years with one is that it is pretty lightweight and can't take a lot of abuse. I like mine.

I tend to agree with Dru's assessment of Krakauer and Cahill but I'm with Off White on ROAD FEVER. The book is a good read. I laughed so hard I cried a number of times. I think Cahill did a pretty good job of capturing just how ridiculous the whole underaking was but I have to say, I ended up caring whether they made ot or not.

I have used a roca 8.5 totsec for a couple of years and have been out in some pretty warm, wet spring conditions on glaciers and have found the ropes to stay very dry. They don't gain much weight at all and handle well in the sloppy conditions. I don't know how the waterproofing is accomplished but it sems to work. I hope you let us know how they handle to conditions at Littlewet.

The Baltoro is not quite the same. It is not Newmatic crampon compatible as the heel has no place for the heel lever to hook and the sole is a bit more flexible (a litle more comfortable to walk in). I love my Trangos and was sorry to see them discontinued. The replacement Trango S looks pretty sweet, though.

Anyone have any recommendations for goggles that fit over glasses? Time for a new pair and I don't know what's out there. Thanks.

You can get the netting on the inside, if you ask for it. I've been very happy with my MK1. I was at firat a little concerned about ventilation without the Bibler vent scoops but I have found that with the double snorkel vents you get plenty of flow through. The construction of my tent is outstanding. I do think the velcro pole fastner things are a little less convenient than the Bibler twist jobs but the velcro sure is strong.