Beck

Allison, do the D & H regulars like yourself make consessions for cunning liguists in the crowd? but, ya, so we'll try to see ya'll there after a Nat Brown ski waxing clinic tonight.

Now heres' a blast from the past! for you! Mr. Thompson, have you learned how to deal with winter yet? How Northern let you get away with leading trips at your level of incompetance, demonstrated on Mulligan Plains,is totally beyond me. Betcha he got the tools on prodeal and is sticking it to the manufacturer.

A nice piece of pine, or cedar shelving to preheat your stove, if you know how to operate a fire. Maybe. Don't try it in a snowhole, and always put in SEVERAL airvents, regardless.

sorry about the thread drift on other directions on this topic, just thought I'd kick in my two cents 'coz i work in a gear shop and just saw the Ski rep's presentation on Fritschi, like, two weeks ago.

Don't forget a stove board, shovel work, and sleeping with your footwear! Seriously, try camping anywhere higher than 4500 feet in the winter and you'll be winter camping, pretty much, I think it's all about the same, long nights. sleeping 14 hours a day on neve takes on more enjoyable dimensions when enjoyed from the inside of a warm sleeping shelter. There are so many tricks to comfortable winter camping, you need to go be miserable a few times before you begin enjoying yourself camping in the winter. [ 11-18-2002, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: Beck ]

I'm not rando skier myself, but can help clear up some basic differences, and options: Fritschi Freeride, and Fritschi Diamir 3: virtually the same binding. In the freeride Freeride, a bit more toepiece heigth adjustment, the DIN setting to 12, the lack of return spring, and standard brakes. A slightly burlier rail (mfg says) and a slightly higher integrated riser setup. Brakes can be left off of you want to use powder straps (way better than leashes for BackCountry powpow; tuck them up in your gaiters or pants cuff w/ rubberband) Also, if you're going to think about using this rando setup with your climbing boots, go with the Silvretta 500. And for the Dynafit user out there salivating for the new Scarpa F1 as a lightweight touring boot, DON'T DO IT. That is a Randonee Racing boot for the Rando skier who already has a dynafit boot and wants a second boot for the two races (or twenty if you're a EU citizen) they're goint to do- it's flexible bellows makes the F1 a flexible boot, and in the dynafit system.....

good snow, no planks, snowboarder buddie talked me out of hauling them for the heinous approach!??! WTF, why i continue to listen to bad judgement boarding buddies is totally beyond me, I'm just an idiot too i guess!

no go on the double leather boots, all of the advantages of leather, light weight, closer fit, abrasion resistance, etc'-are redundant once you go into a double boot- Lots of the newer insulated leather boots are plenty warm enough for Rainier winter, and not tooo toasty during the summer volcano thing I've not frenched in koflachs, I'd bet it's pretty tough. The Lowa civettas are more traditional mountain boot dimensioned, and would perform better there. Asolo plastic boots, have a more traditional, no hinge, plastic shell with a lower cut, that has an even more mountain boot dimensions,and go pied a plat, or pied assis quite well. And please, please DON'T order boots online or mail order, particularily from "closeout" houses. They often have limited size runs available, and once you go thru and return an ill fitting boot, they may not have the right size for you, also each maker's boots fit diff (and ya'll know THAT already). AND, the troubles of European boots/gear not warrantible in this country. Don't forget upgrading the factory footbeds with a good insole.

Just got back from an "outside myself" shopping experience from one of our local co-ops. I had difficulty finding clevis pins and glacier goggles; these had been replaced by thirty varieties of color coded keychain biners, 15 types of collapsible doggie bowls and bins of "Northwest" chocolates. When I asked the staff if they had any piolets, they said they didn't carry those anymore.

i need a nappy fleece latte holder to cruise the aisles at REI supership and pick out some gourmet candy and colorful keychains, while updating my pile motif for the year and picking out some new athletic slippers to cush my tootsies in the new SUV I put 80 dollars a week's worth of gas into. Man, I love Seattle.

Rei is teaming up with RJRRenyolds and RedHook/Anheiser Busch to push fleece, overrosted coffee, heady beer and ciggs onto Seattlites, keeping them in doughy, pasty condition and too pussy to enjoy a little weather. They are hosting Joe Camel night at your local pub soon.

why a canook would be drinking budwiser is beyond me... try a Kokanee, indeed. I'm trying to remember my last trip into a Canadian "Beer Store" and what the cheap choices were, In america Budwiser is brewed with trace amount of Formeldehyde as a preservative, as well as other cheaper beers. Doubt any Canadian brewery except Elsinore is that devious!

try to be brief on some death defying epics. Fall thru thin ice into Lake Michigan (thanks, Dad, for saving my life!!) in with skates on hypothermic in woods twice as kid, serious enough to have been dead if wasn't found... fun wandering around in woods, wet, and delirous, curling up under pine tree to sleep the big sleep swimming half mile in Lake Superior to rock island, both me and friend hypothermic in swim, sluirring words, friends swimming in circles... we get to rock, thunderstorms roll in. Peel off cliff, 40 foot to deck, luckily slabby, brush at bottom falls out of tree, wake up with concussion fall off 3rd floor roof, go back into party, thinking i crashed bike, missed rake/cement hazards by inches and lots of less scary events

Neccessity, no. Valuable safety feature, absolutely. That's why you're considering them. A few options to consider: Voile release plate or Completely Releasable Binding (CRB) time tested, bitch to reenter at mid to high range DIN settings. rottefella plate- easier reentry, heavier plate, not available in binding combo, harder to field adjust DIN in field. Silvretta's design team's tele binding- the 7tm- easiest reentry, not as time tested as prior two. looks hinky but melds with modern tele boots real well without overpowering them. Ski on lighter equipment, go old school, try three pin w/o cables and focus on technique, slow and in control. Don't discount proper avalanche awareness as the BEST way to stay safe, and skiing in control on every slope a close second. As a nod to our north of the boarder brethren, who are more advanced in the ways of Backcountry science then us Bushittes, they tend towards towards releasables as part of the total safety package.

well, being a townie, I'm down with al's, I can't seem to find any bar with soul on the eastside, except the Roanoke on Mercer Island. Since I'm working on the Eastside now going to a place there after work is easy for me, and i thought a couple folk expressed interest in downing some beverages that side of the lake. But isn't Al's kindof small to accomodate Pub Club numbers? A much bigger bar nearby would be Goldie's on 45th- or we could go to a bar with Free popcorn, free apps (you old farts remember free appetizers at happy hour, don'tcha? There's still some bars that offer chafing dishes of free grub) or rediculously low food prices for us non-yuppie climbers.

I had plans to ski, but got talked out of carrying my boards by a snowboarding climber buddy- what a mistake! We were slogging thru a foot of dense powder that more than covered up the rocks, The touring and turns would have been Fantastic! Why do i keep listening to bad judgement snowboarders?

I think there's some prestablished precedent for an eastside pubclub meet tommorrow-

the bus for Mount Dainiel freshies leaves 6pmish tonite! for a stop at The Brick before a trailhead bivy, to set out on a killer day tour Sunday- anyone interested (coz' if not, I'm not going to go, partner flaking and not wanting to face early avy season solo)shoot me a PM.

Fendall's back in on the tour, room for 2 more snow riders ready to get the planks out tommorrow. Leaving Seattle 6p- ish

I've seen thisd vicius wabbit, indeed! Run away! The Rabbit, she has fangs like THIS!! Good thing Teddy Rux tried to get a date with "old toothy" and distracted her whist we made our escape

wool sweater thrift store 70's athletic suits (pick good, like Adidas Xc outfits, etc.) webbing food bank food don't buy tent learn to like the cold and wet sell your other non climbing shit to buy gear closeout section,used gear, learn to sew enjoy your inner dirtbag

Everyone should take a MOFA course. The "scenario" approach to first/extended aid instruction via the overnight field trip is INVALUABLE and worth the guilders spent in GOLD. Learn emergency skills in real life settings! Rain, fatigue, cold, wet, dark, on a hill, in the trees, THIS is when an accident occurs, and learning how to cope with THESE situations make MOFA tops for recreational backountry user. The Mounties require it for basic climbing class graduation.cost, 150-180 or something therabouts. Call Red Cross for details.

Hey, TLG, you should come down to Daniel this weekend with Fendall and myself. Not exactly a high altitude 02 brain starve (7980',) but long walk to some great early season sliding on Hyas Creek Glacier. Bring partner and ice tools if needing an ice fix by cruising over to Lynch Glacier. But I think the weathers going to be dropping freshies in a whiteout on us.

Yes I know his" theory" on packs, I call his no thermoform, no load lifters BULLSHIT, retro grouchism-- or just plain old refusal to recognize progress and innovation in industry. Similar to the combustion blowback valve debacle as it related to fuel economy and the automobile industry. [ 11-07-2002, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: Beck ]

thanks, Tex, you're such a sweetie- Did you know, Teddy Rux was asking about you as a snowshoe "partner" for this weekend?