Beck

Regarding telemark boots and the disadvantages of the 75mm Nordic Norm sole that has long been the standard : Paul Parker, the designer of the Scarpa T1 (now designing boots for Garmont!) has been working with the euro boot manufacturers to cooridinate a switchover to the NTN (new telemark norm) boot sometime in the next couple of years- don't hold your breath for the new system, i'm betting it is going to be a problematic one. why wait to enjoy the outdoors? The telemark turn is the way and the light, the most pure and intimate way to connect with the snow, travelling over great masses of white, surfing a sublime dance across the frozen landscape. Come out for Demo days today at Stevens Pass, tommorrow at Snoqualamie Pass and ski the latest gear.

what did the doe say when she came out of the woods? "Well, that's the LAST time I take two bucks for that!"

Telemark ski demo days tommorrow at stevens pass 9-3 and at Snoqualamie pass 3-? wendesday. Bring your own boots, try out a huge variety of telemark equipment- try out the Hammerhead binding, and new skis from k2, tua and others.

The Radium hitch is a nice one to know for crevasse rescue, or litter raise/lowers. essentially a munter hitch and a tieoff on a cordalette between anchor and pulley, to allow for controlled lowers off the anchor in rescue rigging.

rockin' finish to the tour!Glad you stayed safe!

Do you mean the K2 8611 Ascent skis? The yellow/navy graphics randonnee ski? If so, It's a not so fat, stiffer, not super light, carbon fiber sled, 102 in the shovel with a 70 waist, well suited for randonee but less for freeheeling-a serious, randonee ski suited for the rigors of steep, difficult snow and grand traverses, less appropriate for the inbounds crossover rider.. does this help?

the phone number to call (206)526-6677 , updated daily, by the most excellent NorthWest Avalanche Center. or check in at your ski patrol headquarters when you get to where you're going- Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol is generally very happy to dispense Backcountry avalanche and skiing conditions, if you just go in and ask.

...Trapping season, was one we kept on top of as youth...muskrat stew, anyone? But my tastes as an adult have matured and run more towards a little beaver...

What if the guy is wearing a set of kevlar falsies?

Wow, you guys and girls totally SCORED! all that booty, kind of gets me misty eyed....

ya, I am driving in the city, for the first time in seven years, Allison, and I won't tell you how much I dislike it. This is the first time in seven years i've been a regular car commuter, I'm so green I'm mossy- but the downside to riding a bike to the eastside, in the winter, in the dark, really gave me cause to reconsider... It's not that I'm scared of the dark, I'm scared of all the idiotic SUV driving, cell phone talking eastsiders! But on the up side,by spring I will be riding my bike out to Marmot - it takes me 1:10 minutes on bike, each way, versus :45 minutes by car... i'm just waiting for the greater safety margin leaving work during daylight will bring. As a reiteration against SUV's as a vehicle of choice, although it sounds like you WANT one, Allison, is that although a new one may be cleaner than an old subaru (but i doubt that, greg W, in terms of particulates/NO2 emmisissions vs. automobiles) it is still going to be a much greater polluter, a bigger drain on your pocketbook, and how much more ground clearance do you need? Lots of SUV's have 9-10" clearance vs. 5" in a Subaru (outbacks have 6.5") is it REALLY that important vs. a cleaner, less costly ride for 80-90 percent of the ON ROAD DRIVING you will do in your automobile? if you are having a problem with ground clearance, bring along 1)a shovel 2) a prybar 3) a saw 4)a comealong 5) a couple stout planks 6)a four foot jack or two and you will be covered for almost any road hazard.

Allison, you say you do "some" driving in the city, does that mean "I do most of my driving in the city" and "My car goes to the mountains with me when i go, but hauls my ass around town to run errands and go to work mostly"? Most SUV's, even driven by dirtbag climbers, get driven on paved roads to and from the trailheads, with less than 5% of the driving on gravel roads. I'd reccommend fuel efficency over SUVing it; plus those things are dirty, dirty polluters- get a nice little station wagon for gear AND mileage. If you were living in Provo, Utah, or Pinedale, Wyoming, i'd have a different recomendation for auto. But you live in Pugetopolis.

three homemade marbles from a friend of mine, and dim sum.

my holiday wishes to cavey and icebaby- " fleece, neve, dawg." and a happy holidays to everyone else as well. Enjoy your hounds, get the dogs out, they think every day is Christmas, i think. I'm working on deadline, no christmas tree or presents for Beck, just some chinese food later today.

hey ice girl, I'd be totally down with some drinks tonight if i wasn't under the weather , but check out the Rendevous on second ave downtown... they are open tonight. Happy holidays, icegirl!

although this post has degenerated from original query, i thought I'd toss in my two cents for worst gift ever. For my sixteenth birthday, my parents marched me down to the courthouse, and got me the gift of homeless youth... boy, was that a bitch of a present. i was cold and hungry for a while after that.

damn, james, I'd totally be down with that one, my job will not allow me the time off, however! Have agreat time, be safe.

the snowblades come with skins as standard equipment, Allison. they will be sufficient in an already existing skin track, or spring snow, as already mentioned, but will totally suck for unconsolidated/powder approaches. If you get some, have your friends with traditional skis break trail.

yes, Db , that is the intent of ana/digi transceivers like the Barryvox and the x-1. There are significant differences between the two however...

Ya, these may NOT work very well in the Midwest, if you are heading up to Grand Marais for ice climbs, or anywhere around the Laurentian Shield up thataways, back in my youth, mucking around the wilds of the north Country, we'd use 10x50 inch Alaskan snowshoes for multi day trips, and still sink in under backpack loads... best to use those in the spring,as Jhamaker recommends, you'll more than likely need more flotation for the typish snows found by climbs(?) back there. Say, do they still make "Sprecher" brew?

Snoboy has it right on about the shell fit and space needed. TLG may think Sturtevants has the goods, but I doubt they've got people who have done custom fits with a decades' worth of experience- check with Marmot or the Ballard boot fitter if you want the right fit.

to put it in laymans' terms; avy beacons are, essentially, radio transmitter/receivers. a straight analog beacon receives the target beacon signal just like a radio picking up radio stations, and a digital beacon will have less range and sensitivity, just like having a digital radio tuner on "seek"- they never can pick up as many stations than when you flip thru the channels manually. Having a digital processor do the "listening" for you limits the sensitivity, and hence, the range.

Regarding post: The VE 25 can be pitched w/o the inner tent; get a footprint,and it will function the same as the grommeted straps mentioned by mcnut. Alternately, you can make similar thangs out of cording; small loops in each end with a two-half hitch adjustor strung in the thing, lets you tighten the fly somewhat from inside- I had a North Face Westind back in the eighties (damn that was a fine tent) and it came with those grommetted straps attached to the vestibule. Me, brainiac that I am, said "WTF are these things, they don't help to pitch the vestibule any) so I made some adjustable cords to string the bottom of the poles togther for the fly only pitching, it took me 10 years to figure out what those straps were for! but the cords always worked great! As to a tarp type pyramid tent, a BD BETAMID would be a much more storm worthy system for higher altitudes. These are canterary cut (i.e. tensioned in graceful curve upon pitching) have a circus tent-like look that's much lower profile and is supported by two poles (I got two megamid heigth poles for a snow pitch, you get a six foot high tent with a little digging in) and would probably take it at thumb rock just fine. Adding a snow flap would probably be beneficial; additionally, sewing a couple of tube vents at the peaks will improve ventilation. Check out the BD BETAMID if you want to keep the weight down and have a stormworthy option. 2.2 pounds (w/o poles) and $99. And, as to "why have two tents?" that's kind of a stupid question. I bet most here have several, (as well as a bivy bag,with the exception of Mattp) and find different tents for different conditions a big plus- no way am i hauling my double wall four season in for a summer climb of Baker, no thanks!

intuition liners do not pack out nearly as much as traditional foam liners; additionally, you can rethermoform them to "unpack" the liner a couple of times without causing the insulation value to suffer. if you are planning on getting them thermoformed, go to a bootfitter at Marmot; they know all the tricks for supreme comfort from a thermoform liner.

a vote of confidence for the Hilleburgs; they are stout tents for their weight, some have a massive vestibule, the fabrics are incredibly strong for the weight (three different weights), and for the weight of a bibler bombshelter (which, by the way, weighs in at over a pound heavier than mfg's weight) you get a double wall (i.e. WARMER) tent with a bigasss vestibule. Check them out. The distributor is here in the Seattle area, and she has most every tent set up in the showroom, so you can dig around in figure out which one will work for you... I'd give them strong consideration for a Denali trip.