hasbeen

Medium. I think they are about 4 years old. I got them new and only used them a few times before I switched to Dynafit.

Excellent condition with very little use. One of the few bindings that work with mountaineering boots (because of the wire toe bail). Of course, they also work with AT boots and downhill ski boots. Carbon fiber rails for light weight. Includes safety straps. Perfect for your spring mountaineering appriaches. Asking $200. I'm in Seattle and would prefer a local purchase but will consider shipping for cost. PM me if interested. Thanks.

Northwestern Mutual was unwilling to underwrite my long-term diability because I indicated that I was a climber. They did not seem to care about any other of my outdoor pursuits. The interesting thing is that they were willing to underwrite my life insurance, which confirms your suspicion that the actuaries have concluded that you are more likely to get disabled than killed climbing. Unum/Provident was willing to underwrite my long-term diability, for a pretty competitive rate.

Anyone have any recent information on snow level/conditions in the area of Singing Pass/Musical Bumps? I'm particulary interested in whether there is any skiable snow below Singing Pass on the way down to Whistler or if it will be all waking from the pass down. Anyone? Thanks.

I was on the N. Ridge on Monday. There is still some ice in the bypass. There are just a couple of places where you might have to take three to four steps either along an edge or sort of on top of the ice. There were also some steps visible across one of the ice/snow patches but those might be melted out by now. Hope that helps.

I'm looking for some rock shoes for my son. I'm not picky about the style, as long as they have some life left in them. He currently wears about a U.S. size 3-3.5 or a Euro size 34 or so. If you have any shoes that your child has outgrown and you'd like to get rid of, contact me at cfeig <at> nicollblack <dot> com. I'm in Seattle.

I went up to Three O'Clock Rock yesterday. I frankly cannot believe the road is closed. There is a bit of a washout on both sides of the road where they put up the barrier but the middle of the road seemed perfectly passable. The road was then just fine (OK, maybe a little rough in a few places) until about 150 feet from the Eight-Mile Creek trailhead. At that point, there was a washout on the left side of the road (as you are going up) but, again, the road appeared passable to me on the right side. I took pictures of the barrier and the washouts and the washout at the trail head and if I can figure out how, I'll try to post them. Having said all that, however, I have to say that the bike ride up to the trailhead was quite pleasant and it was screaming fast on the way down! The climbing was also great -- it felt like spring, maybe even summer. It was warm, sunny, and there were only a couple of patches of snow (one of which made for an excellent water bottle refill source). We climbed Cornucopia and Under the Bored Walk. It was a fun day.

Five to six months after surgery seems pretty typical for enough recovery for faily intensive activity. I had surgery in May (Memorial day weekend) a couple of years ago and was skiing by December. The suggestions about PT are good ones. Get yourself a good therapist who understands sports medicine and what you want to be able to do and stick to the regimen religiously. I have to say that my leg strength/balance, etc. is better now than before my surgery. I'm skiing better and climbing better. One word of caution, however. My doc said that there is no brace made that is going to prevent reinjury and that if you use a brace, you have a tendency to rely on the support it provides, rather than on your musculature. I'd say talk to your doc but consider leaving the brace alone. Good luck.

I have a Khamsin 30 that I use for day trips and a Khamsin 52 that I use for multi day. They are light but seem pretty tough. The 30 holds skis reasonably well and has a hypalon reinforcement on the bottom compression strap to resist cutting by ski edges. I cut a small hole in the 52 at the top compression strap with a ski edge but a little seam grip fixed it right up. For lightly constructed/lightly padded packs, they carry weight surprisingly well. Because neither pack is particularly adjustable and rely on "crush pods" for padding, fit seems to be pretty important. I like the packs because they are simple and light. Too bad the 30 is no longer made. I can't remember if the 52 is still available.

Check out Click me . It's a video from ttips.com. Worked for me.

I blew my acl skiing April before last. Complete rupture. Had 'scope procedure, using patella tendon for replacement on Memorial day weekend. I was walking in about 4 days, biking inside on stationary bike in two weeks, commuting to work by bicycle in about 4 weeks. Lots of PT/strengthening work. Light hiking by early July. Skiing by February. Pretty much fully recovered in one year with no real problems. Running, skiing, pretty hard alpine climbing all OK. Still a little uncomforatble to kneel on the knee, because of the tendeon harvest. If you want more info, pm me and I'll be happy to give you the blow-by-blow.

I scrambled up the S. Ridge so I wasn't on the snow that gives access to the E. Ridge. However, I don't think you will need an axe or crampons. I got to the snow leading up to the S. Ridge at approximately 11:15 a.m. and I was in approach shoes with two treking poles. The snow was quite soft by that hour (but not so soft that I was postholing) and going up the slopes was quite secure. Coming down things were a little softer and it was no problem at all without an axe or boots, for that matter. I can only assume that the snow up to the E. Ridge is similar. If you head up significantly earlier, it may be a bit firmer.

Thanks, HappyCamper. Just a cable. I never really thought a U-lock was necessary. You can bet I'll use one the next time I ride in.

OK...It's not climbing related but I thought I'd see if anyone can help me out. My commuter bike was stolen yesterday from a parking garage downtown (Washington Mutual Tower) . I ride to work and really want to get it back. My homeowners insurance will cover it but I'll have to eat the deductible... Anyway, the bike is a Surly Karate Monkey, small frame with pretty much full Shimano XT except for Avid mechanical disks. It's got a Salsa stem, raceface bars, Flite saddle, and Salsa Delgado X rims. It's got a Turbocat headlight. It's running pretty skinny WTB tires (at least it was yesterday). The bike is pretty distinctive... If anyone sees it at a shop or hears of a bike like it for sale, I'd really appreciate it if you would pm me. Thanks.

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.

Just in time for spring touring I am selling my '01-'02 Scarpa Titans. They are in excellent condition, having been skied fewer than ten times. They are Scarpa size 10 (Shell is 9.5/10) and they fit my feet very well (I usually wear a 44.5). Liners are barely broken in and not packed out at all. The shells look new. Sole has no wear at all. For those of you unfamiliar with the model, the boot uses the same shell mold as the Denali but it only has three buckles plus spoiler and power strap. The boot is a bit more touring oriented than the Denali and is very comfortable for all-day touring. They work great with Silvretta or Fritschi binders. I am asking $115. If you are interested, PM me. I live in North Seattle. I can e-mail photos, if necessary.

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