JayB

Touring/Approach/Etc: -Old-school Karhu 175's with 404's. Usually mountaineering boots. Descent-Oriented Backcountry/Powder-Day-at-Resort Skis: -Fisher Big Stix 185's, Freerides, Lowa Stuktura EVO's or Older Salomon X-Scream DH boots. Inbounds and Jibb-O-Rama: Rossignol Scratch 174 Twin-Tips. Sand/Rock: Pre1200 II 190s with Salomon 747's. Snowboard: Salomon M-400. 159. Skis that will be unlikely to see the light of day again: Salomon SuperForce 205's. Purchased a pair of these off of the demo rack at while extremely hung over at Whister in '98.

That gulley also has some kick-ass rockfall! A Classic.

Some longish, low volume falls found at http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/ All photos and texts linked from the site. Hopefully the owner will appreciate the added hits, but if he tweaks I may have to delete the post - so check out his site on your own. Good stuff. TWIN LAKES FALLS Description: While Rocky Run Creek sprays down it's headwall in a series of impressive waterfalls, the outlet of nearby Twin Lakes puts on a show of it's own, making the fourth major waterfall at the head of the Rocky Run drainage. The small creek flowing out of Twin Lakes skips about 300 feet down the wall adjacent to Rocky Run Falls in two distinct parts. The upper, a bridal veil type fall of about 250 feet, and the lower, a 50 foot horsetail, can both be seen partially from the trail heading up to Lakes Laura and Lillian, however, from most places, either one part or the other is obstructed in some way or another. There is a trail heading up to the middle of the upper tier of the falls, however I did not have time to investigate it when I scoped out the falls. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: The falls are located near the Hyak area, east of Snoqualmie Pass, off of Interstate 90. From the Snoqualmie Summit, head east on I-90 to the Gold Creek exit, and follow the signs pointing towards the Gold Creek area. Follow the paved frontage road past the signed Gold Creek road, to the end of the pavement, and continue climbing on the gravel extension. After 3.89 miles from the Interstate, you'll see a fork in the road, with a sign for Lake Lillian pointing to the right. Stay straight at the junction, and continue for another 2 miles, staying left at all major junctions, and park at a large pullout at the apex of a switchback in the road where an old road heads further upstream. From here, an old road heads upstream alongside Rocky Run Creek for a short distance. Shortly, the road deteriorates into a trail, which crosses the Twin Lakes outlet stream en route to Rocky Run Falls and the lakes upstream. Twin Lakes Falls can be seen from the trail in this area. The upper portion is best viewed before crossing the Twin Lakes creek, and the lower portion can be seen from a few feet off the trail a short distance after crossing the Twin Lakes creek. UNA FALLS Description: This tall, lacy but highly seasonal waterfall is encountered along the old West Fork Miller River road, which has now become a trail. The falls drop down a narrow gorge on the back side of Cleveland Mountain, but because the drainage area is so small, they rarely flow beyond July. The falls really aren't worth hiking to themselves, so if you're interested in heading up to this area, I'd suggest hunting down some of the mines in the area, or heading up to Dorothy Lake off of the East Fork Miller River instead, this one is probably only of major interest to waterfall hunters. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: The falls are accessed from the Miller River Road in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. On US 2, drive 10.5 miles east of the turn off for Index, or 3 miles west of Skykomish, to the Old Cascade Highway, signed for Money Creek Campground. Drive along the Old Cascade Highway for slightly over 1 mile to the signed Miller River Road. Turn right onto the Miller River Road and proceed 3 1/2 miles to a large, unsigned parking area on the right side of the road, with jersey barriers blocking the old West Fork Miller River Road (if you cross the West Fork on a bridge, you've gone too far, you'll need to backtrack for about 1/10 of a mile). Park, hop the barriers, and follow the old road for about 1.5 miles to where the falls can be seen spraying down a narrow gully up on the mountainside to the right. When the brush in the foreground is in leaf, it may be less obvious. SUNRAY FALLS Description: Another rivulet streams off of the east face of Malachite Peak, this one quite a bit less impressive than Shoestring Falls. The falls occur much higher up on the mountain, and are much more distant, but the bottom of the falls can't be seen from the trail. The falls run pretty low in the late summer, but retain some flow into early August. This waterfall may actually be on the same stream as Shoestring Falls (the stream likely splits above the top of both falls). If closer views of the falls are available, a better rating is in order. The falls' rating may also decrease as the summer progresses. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: Driving east along US 2 from the Skykomish Ranger Station, proceed only about 1/2 mile to the signed Foss River Road NE. Turn and drive roughly 6.5 miles, following the signs for West Fork Foss trail # 1062. After about 4.5 miles, Road 68 which you came in on goes straight across the river, be sure to turn left at the junction (don't cross the river) and proceed to the road's end and trailhead. The trail starts out over a old streambed and crosses the Foss after about .5 mile. The bridge is made out of a log jam, and the route across isn't the most obvious at first. Shoestring Falls is visible across the valley. Proceed past the bridges for about .1 mile to a semi-clearing where Maple saplings are on the right of the trail. The falls are visible up the mountain to the right. SMC FALLS Description: There are about 5 major streams that descend in tall, narrow waterfalls down the side of the Moon Wall (not counting Rachor Creek). The unnamed stream flowing from SMC Lake is the largest, and along it's reaches occurs one of the more impressive waterfalls in the area. The height of the falls could be argued. From the roadside, the falls appear as a three tiered waterfall, two tiers totaling 50 feet above the road, and another 50 foot plunge below the road. However, if you can get to a vantage on the opposite side of the North Fork, you may be able to see that the falls extend well up the valley wall, possibly totaling more than 700 feet in height. I can't say with certainty how much can be seen however. In case you're wondering, SMC Lake got it's name from a Mill that was situated along it's outlet, which was operated by the Snoqualmie Mill Company. This waterfall is on Weyerhaeuser property, which requires a $65 annual permit for public auto access. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: From North Bend, drive north along North Fork County Road (Ballarat Ave.) for about 3.9 miles to a fork, take the left uphill fork (the right is marked Ernie's Grove). At 7.8 miles from North Bend, reach Spur Gate 10. Check in with the Weyerhaeuser people at the gate (you'll need a permit if you want to drive past here, biking or walking doesn't require one), and turn right and drive 1.4 miles to a four way intersection, just passed a bridge across the North Fork. Take the far right road and proceed another 1.9 miles, passing Luna Falls .2 mile prior, to the roadside falls. The lower tier of the falls can be seen by walking up the road about 50 feet from the creek and descending about 75 vertical feet down the wooded slope, then working back towards the creek. TIN CUP JOE FALLS Tin Cup Joe Falls is one of Washington's hidden gems. While it's obvious that people have seen the falls before, it's surprisingly unknown, considering it's proximity to the Seattle Metro area. The falls, on Cripple Creek's major headwall, are a rare combination of significant height and volume. Cripple Creek, just before reaching the top of the falls, splits into two channels and plunges down the cliff face. The left-hand segment has tiers of 200 feet, 150 feet and 50 feet, while the right-hand segment horsetails almost continuously down the headwall for 300 feet before joining with the other channel. After merging, the creek splits again, though not as evenly, and plunges over another side-by-side falls, this one 50 feet tall. While the falls are almost positively the most impressive in the Snoqualmie River drainage, Cripple Creek is subject to seasonal fluctuation, and the creek, regardless of being fed by 8 lakes, is reduced significantly in periods of prolonged drought (as you can see in my pictures). Probably the most disappointing thing about this waterfall is impossible to see the entire falls at once. The upper 400 feet can be easily seen when the creek is low (and it may be possible, but dangerous, to see at peak flow), the top 200 feet of each segment can be seen individually or collectively, but there is no way to see all 450 feet together. It's likely there may be additional parts to the falls further upstream. History, Naming & Discovery: I don't know where the name Tin Cup Joe came from specificly, but Cripple Creek at one time was known as Tin Cup Joe Creek, so it's thought the falls were either named after the creek, or the person whom the creek was named for. Either way, the name is of local origin, and has been in use, albiet quite unknown, for some time. Directions: Located in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River drainage, northeast of North Bend. From North Bend, follow Interstate 90 east to Exit 34 (Edgewick Road), and turn left. Proceed for about 1/4 mile to Middle Fork Road and turn right. Proceed just over 12 miles to the Taylor River bridge. Shortly after, the Middle Fork road proper makes a hard right, while the main road goes on straight. Take this right, and proceed another 5 3/4 miles to the Dingford Creek trailhead. Take the trail on the right (south) side of the road, leading downhill to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. In 1/4 mile, the trail intersects the Middle Fork Trail. Follow the signs pointing right (west) towards Cripple Creek. In another 1.15 miles, you'll cross Cripple Creek below Lower Cripple Creek Falls. About 5 yards past the bridge, find a faint path leading steeply uphill, paralleling the creek. The trail climbs steadily next to the creek, becoming more obvious after a few minutes, for 3/4 of a mile, where it appears to end at the base of the falls (the 50 foot lower segment). To see the 400 foot main part of the falls, you'll have to scramble up the slopes to the right of the falls, which is very brushy and very difficult. I do not recommend trying to reach the base of the main part of the falls if the creek is running high unless you have some sort of masochistic tendancy. To see the uppermost tiers individually, backtrack along the trail for a few hundred feet, and watch carefully across the creek, for where the trail starts climbing to Derrick Lake. Ford the creek (again, do not attempt when the creek is running high), and follow the now brushier trail for about 250 vertical feet to where there is an obvious spur leading to the base of the upper tier of the falls. BIG HEART FALLS Description: The largest and most impressive waterfall in the Foss Lakes region also happens to be the most difficult to see. The outlet from Big Heart Lake is essentially one huge waterfall all the way from Big Heart to Delta lake, dropping 600+ feet, pausing, then dropping another 600+ feet to the lake. My reaction when I first saw pictures of the falls was more or less brain numbing excitement, and when I saw the falls in person, I was impressed to say the least. Before I get anyone too excited about this one, let me say that in order to clearly see the falls, you need to proceed about 1/2 way around Delta Lake on a very ugly "path", travel which is not for the inexperienced or weekend walkers. The trail circumnavigating the lake apparently goes all the way to the base of Big Heart Falls, so if you are backpacking in the area, take an hour and walk over to the base of the falls (likely the best views). To give you a vague idea of scale, I took this picture with an 80mm lens, from 1/3 of a mile away from the base of the falls, and those trees in the foreground are probably a good 150-200 feet tall. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: First, let me say that hiking to this waterfall should not be attempted by those inexperienced with backcountry travel. From Monroe, drive east along US Highway 2 for 1/2 mile east of the Skykomish Ranger Station to the signed Foss River Road. Turn and drive roughly 6.5 miles on the Foss River Road, following the signs for West Fork Foss trail # 1062. After about 4.5 miles, Road 68 which you came in on goes straight across the river, be sure to turn left at the junction (don't cross the river) and proceed to the road's end and trailhead. Hike in along the heavily used trail for 1.5 miles to Trout Lake, then another 1/2 mile to where Copper Creek comes into sight. From here, follow an unofficial but decent path downstream past Middle and Lower Copper Falls, all the way to the Foss River. The path crosses Copper Creek and starts on the other side about 75 feet above the confluence with the Foss. Get across any way you can, and pick up the trail on the other side (finding it is half the challenge!). Follow the trail from here for 1/2 mile to the base of Lower Foss River Falls. The trail starts to climb significantly here. After another strenuous 1/3 of a mile, you'll reach Upper Foss River Falls, where the route becomes VERY obscure. If you lose the trail, stay within earshot of the river, but do not ascend next to the falls. Delta Lake lies about 1/10 of a mile upstream from the top of Upper Foss River Falls. Cross the logjams at the outlet (if the lake is high, the eastern channel of the outlet may have submerged the logjam), and find the campsite on the far shore, and then follow a nasty path uphill (it switches back and climbs above the cliffs to the south of the outlet), which works around the lake. After about 1/3 mile the trail levels off and drops back to lake level where the falls begin to come into view. About 1/2 mile from the logjam, you'll cross the Otter Lake outlet stream, where the best views of Big Heart Falls can be had. If you want to continue around the lake to the base of the falls, it's another 1/4 mile from that point. CRATER CREEK FALLS Description: This is the only waterfall along the Moon Wall that is visible from a road. Of the 5 major creeks, and many minor rivulets that stream off of the west faces of Mt. Si, Mt. Tenerife, Green Mountain and Bessemer Mountain, this is the only one that is freely accessible (sort of). Calligan Creek Falls, Rachor Falls and the several "Falls from Bessemer Mountain" are all on Weyerhaeuser or other private property. (See details in Lost Causes). It may be possible to see the falls better from closer to Rachor Falls (which I haven't visited yet), but I have to check whether the property is open to the public. Crater Creek Falls would deserve a much higher rating if closer views were possible. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: To see Crater Creek Falls, drive north from North Bend along North Fork County Road (along the...you guessed it, North Fork Snoqualmie River...) for about 4.7 miles to a pair of yellow gates that mark the beginning of Weyerhaeuser's property. From a stretch of road about 500 feet past this gate, there are many vantage points where you can see the falls hurtling down hundreds of feet across the valley (the falls will be in back of you going uphill). Unfortunately, this is about as close as you can get. LILLIAN FALLS Description: Rocky Run Creek is a rather non descrept stream as it passes under Interstate 90, flowing into Keechelus Lake just east of Snoqualmie Pass. However tame the creek appears at it's mouth, it's personality at it's source is quite different. Headed in scenic Lake Lillian, Rocky Run Creek exits the lake, and flumes down a narrow crack in the headwall below the lake, dropping 200 feet into a pile of talus before veiling another 50 feet directly into Lake Laura. Because the beef of the falls are located in a narrow crack in the cliffband, it's difficult to see all of the falls from any one place without some part being obscured by trees, or the gorge. Rocky Run Creek at this point is almost entirely dependant on snow melt for fuel, and though the small basin above Lake Lillian retains a significant amount of snow into July, the falls become less impressive as the summer progresses, and may even dry out entirely in drought years. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: The falls are located near the Hyak area, east of Snoqualmie Pass, off of Interstate 90. From the Snoqualmie Summit, head east on I-90 to the Gold Creek exit, and follow the signs pointing towards the Gold Creek area. Follow the paved frontage road past the signed Gold Creek road, to the end of the pavement, and continue climbing on the gravel extension. After 3.89 miles from the Interstate, you'll see a fork in the road, with a sign for Lake Lillian pointing to the right. Stay straight at the junction, and continue for another 2 miles, staying left at all major junctions, and park at a large pullout at the apex of a switchback in the road where an old road heads further upstream. From here, a trail climbs very steeply alongside Rocky Run Creek, passing Rocky Run Falls and Laura Falls, ending at Lake Laura in about 2/3 of a mile, where the falls can be seen dropping out of the basin containing Lake Lillian. The falls can also be accessed by hiking in on the official trail to Lake Lillian, then dropping off-trail to Lake Laura. Neither hike is easy, so pace yourself if either way. SHOESTRING FALLS Melt water from a glacier on Malachite Peak drops off a series of cliffs in 5 distinct tiers, two of which are virtually hidden from view from the trail (some locations yield through-the-tree glimpses). The lower tier can be seen from the trail through the trees, but not clearly photographed (shown here are the two largest tiers, totaling about 700 feet). The falls deserve a lower rating in the late summer when it's flow is significantly decreased. I've decided to rename the falls such because "Siah Falls" (what it was previously listed as) wasn't really appropriate. If the base of the falls yields more exposed views, a higher rating may be in order. History, Naming & Discovery: No Information available. Directions: Driving east along US 2 from the Skykomish Ranger Station, proceed only about 1/2 mile to the signed Foss River Road NE. Turn and drive roughly 6.5 miles, following the signs for West Fork Foss trail # 1062. After about 4.5 miles, Road 68 which you came in on goes straight across the river, be sure to turn left at the junction (don't cross the river) and proceed to the road's end and trailhead. The trail starts out over a old streambed and crosses the Foss after about .5 mile. The bridge is made out of a log jam, and the route across isn't the most obvious. The falls are visible across the valley for a length of trail just before and up to the bridges.

One Piece Down Suits may have their disadvantages, but one-piece ski suits absolutely kick ass. Observe:

Claim: In a 1996 interview, Mariah Carey said the following: "When I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." http://www.snopes.com/quotes/carey.htm Status: False. Origins: After a satirical Mariah Carey "interview" appeared on the Internet in a web publication called Cupcake in early 1996, the damaging sentence cited above was lifted from it quoted in VOX magazine (a British culture/movie/music publication), from which the British newspaper The Independent picked up the story in May. The quote spread like wildfire on Internet newsgroups beginning in June, and by August the quote was being reprinted (without question or verification) by dozens of newspapers and magazines throughout the world (including Ms. magazine and The San Francisco Chronicle's usually reliable columnist Herb Caen). The quote was frequently attributed by news reports as having been uttered by Ms. Carey in an interview with the UK's Radio 1 (as reprinted in the British publication The Face, a style/fashion magazine) or on the World Entertainment News Network, and although debunkings of the story appeared in print as early as July, the fictitious quote was still being spread as true by the media into September. Ordinarily such obviously satirical material doesn't gain such widespread currency, but sometimes it does when it strikes a particularly resonant chord with the public, as this quote did — perhaps because it embodied widespread perceptions of the insensitivity of thin people towards the non-thin, and the callous attitude of the wealthy towards the poverty-stricken. If either if these were the main point that caused the legend to be so easily believed and spread, however, the subject of the rumor would most likely have been someone such as ultra-thin model Kate Moss or wealthy and stylish Marla Maples Trump, not Mariah Carey. The association of this quotation with Carey would seem to be another instance of the "celebrity is not what he/she appears to be" legend type, a weapon usually launched at people who, in the public's perception, have come to fame and fortune in too facile a manner. (Other victims of this type of rumor include children's radio host Uncle Don and another pop singer, John Denver.) Mariah Carey is regarded by some as an unsophisticated "pop diva" with the pretty face and figure who has achieved massive success by appealing to the lowest common denominator in musical taste and cranking out empty, soulless Top 40 single after single about "fulfilling dreams through hard work and perseverance." (Her chart success, some claim, also had to do with the machinations of her husband, who was the head of the record label for which she recorded.) A news item portraying her as uncaring and self-indulgent (and none too bright) was therefore one many people were all too readily willing to pass along unquestioningly. Carey has actually engaged in a number of philanthropic efforts, including performing benefit concerts to raise money for Camp Mariah, a camp for impoverished city youths in Fishkill, N.Y. Additional information: Mariah Carey 'interview' (Cupcake) Last updated: 24 October 1996

Never done it but from most reports I've heard the time, energy, and mess involved are more painful than forking over the cash to have it done at a shop.

I thought my partner and I were the only ones desperate and misguided enough to head for Alpental falls this morning - but as my partner (superlurker Mothboy 88) was following the pitch - a column of 11 people showed up at the base, and apparently they were not part of an organized class. The Horror.....

E. Ridge of Quandary makes for a good skin-up ski-down outing and has relatively little avy hazzard - if you do decide to do any skiiing out there. Drive past Breckenridge on 9 and turn right at the base of the Mountain......

April 2-3 in Smith would be dope.

Rest or endure chronic problems. A few months off won't kill you.

If you are looking into hitting some ice, check out the Mt. Lincoln/Hoosier Pass Icefall (1-70 --> 9 to Breckenridge --- S on 9 over Hoosier Pass --- Right turn towards the Resevoir Obvious Icefall below Mt. Lincoln.). Not that much further away from Vail and deserted most weekdays. 1-2 (60M) pitch stuff, with pitches ranging from WI2+ to IV+V-. More or less zero avy hazard. If you are pondering rock at all, Shelf Road has hundreds of limestone routes, with many South facing aspects that permit climbing in a T-shirt even in the depths of winter. Also an amazing view down a Jolly Green Giantesque Valley to the Sangre's in the distance. Also lots of stuff in the Park that might be in.

Calling for daytime temps in the low teens in the passes on the West Side by Monday and getting even cooler by Tuesday.

Killer. Way to exploit an amazing weather window.

Heard something on NPR about the NWS calling for some of the coldest temps in years to settle over the PNW in the next couple of weeks. "PROGNOSTIC METEOROLOGICAL DISCUSSION FXUS06 KWBC 042023 PMDMRD PROGNOSTIC DISCUSSIONS FOR 6 TO 10 AND 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOKS NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD 300 PM EST TUE JAN 04 2005 6 TO 10 DAY OUTLOOK FOR JANUARY 10 - 14 2005 . . . . . . . THE NUMERICAL MODEL SIMULATIONS OF THE PREDICTED STATE OF THE MIDDLE TROPOSPHERE ACROSS THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE CONTINUE TO STRONGLY SUP- PORT A NEGATIVELY PHASED PNA-LIKE PATTERN. THIS MEANS THE CONTINU- ATION OF A VERY STRONG RIDGE OVER THE ALASKAN DOMAIN - A DEEP TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN & NORTHWESTERN U.S. - AND AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN STATES. HOWEVER...IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ALASKAN RIDGE IS OVERDONE BY MOST SOLUTIONS...AND THE SURFACE PROGS WILL HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY. ALL OF THE PRINCIPAL MODEL SOLUTIONS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CANADIAN ENSEM- BLE MEAN) ARE ALSO FAVORING SPLIT FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PACIFIC...WITH A PRONOUNCED SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE FEED FROM HAWAII DIRECTED TOWARD FAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ADJACENT NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA. THIS POSSIBLE SOUTHWARD SHIFT (ALONG THE WEST COAST) OF THE PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE PINEAPPLE CONNECTION APPEARS MORE LIKELY DURING THE WEEK TWO FORECAST PERIOD. SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN QUARTER OF THE NATION AND ACROSS THE WEST COAST STATES DUE TO THE FLOW OF ARCTIC AIR FROM WESTERN CANADA." But that's all I could find on the NWS site. Anything else about the big arctic extravaganza out there...

Might be the best thing about Vancouver. http://music.download.com/fivealarmfunk/3600-8554_32-100362955.html

Good to hear someone in their jibbing prime chime in. The only thing I would add to your post Aidan - is that you should seriously hit it hard before you are 25. I am not sure what exactly happened - but in my case, and that of several friends, things just kind of went to hell on the crater survival front after that point. Prior to that point, I always walked away from just about any crash-landings with bumps and bruises, (a couple of concussions, a mild sprain, and a couple of broken ribs = total damage from 0-25). Once (at band camp), while attempting to pull off the holy grail of lame old school maneuvers - the full triple daffy - in the Blackcomb Park I I took way, way, way too much speed into the jump and was still heading up way past the end of the landing. I gave up on the holy grail midway into the second daffy, went limp, and resigned myself to my fate. "Shit...Here...It...COMES !". I cratered - literally left a crater 18" deep in the hard pack - while simultaneously blowing out of both skis and boucing upwards. Everything came off - hat, goggles, gloves, poles, skis, fillings - the impact even tore my watch off and delaminated 12" worth of base of off both tips of my skis. When I slithered to a stop with my head pointed downhill I saw the lifties hit the emergency stop button on the lift, and start sprinting in my direction, along with the kid running the hot dog cart in front of the submerged school bus at the base of the park. As they were heading my way I was tentatively checking for toe and finger wiggling capability and tripping to the stars that were shooting across my field of vision. But I was young and walked away with no permanent damage. Four years later - after a minor crash subsequent to a weak move on the halfpipe, I was dragging myself to the bottom of the pipe with my poles while enduring a barage of verbal abuse and snowballs from the waist high groms tromping back to the top. I have a few friend who have suffered the same fate shortly after hitting the mid 20's mark - minor crash and pop goes the ligament. I haven't changed the way I ski that much - but after missing the better part of two seasons on the slopes and quite a bit else in the mountains I can't say that I leave ligament integrity out of the cost-benefit equation either. Jib-On.

One other good feature of the Rambocomps - and maybe others - is the second row of secondary points (tertiary points?) - which point backwards. I've found myself using that feature quite a bit to cop a rest or two for the calves on downward sloping features.

Trad-only purists and pad-people seldom cross each other's paths in real life, but the seem to have found a way to perpetually slag on one another in virtual meeting places like this one. Ditto for the wool-knickered three-pinners with bamboo poles and the jibbers. Not many pure archetypes out there, but my sense, after cruising ski related forums for quite a while is that there's a persistent low-grade disdain for resort skiing in general and jibbing in particular amongst the denizens of these sites, much like animus against sport climbing and bouldering - except that there's no way that you can argue that the jibbers are lacking in heuvos.

The bottom was broken off last Thurs-Fri - or at least that's how it looked from the highway...

I modified my Switchblades like that, minus the blade, and they still sucked beyond all redemption due to the secondary point issue.

That is one killer photo - quite the juxtaposition of disparate skills on display there! Lowell - I remember reading about your freestyle background somewhere. Oddly enough - you were one of the guys that came to mind as a living counterargument to the notion that jibbing and backcountry skiing are mutually exclusive pursuits. The record-setting backflip ensemble was especially impressive. Cool stuff.

No lo comprende.

Said like someone who only skis the west coast - and the Pacific Northwest at that. Try SoCal, or New England, and see what you think of jibber skills. I think I know what you are talking about but you'll have to expand a bit. FWIW most East Coasters suck at anything besides hardpack, but the folks who learn to ski and become proficient skiing on glorified ice tend to have better mechanics than most West coasters. I think that this might explain, in part, why an outsized number of the US's best racers have East Coast roots. Only Cascades and Rockies. The Sierras and the Tetons are the only other places I'd bother to visit in NA. But back to the topic at hand...

Well as it turns out - between getting worked by Amtrack cuisine related food poisoning (day before departure) limiting my endurance on the drive, and the artic snap that settled over most of Canada once we got there - we did absolutely no climbing after arriving in Canmore, and hit the slopes instead. Gave it a thought in the morning - briefly - but quickly concluded that we'd have a hell of a lot more fun skiing than whaling away at plaster-of-paris-brittle ice and generally freezing our asses of in the process. That was a shame, but I suspect we'll be back before too long. The only reason I'm dredging this thread up again is to thank everyone for the recos - and to hand out some props to a couple of businesses in the Canmore area. The first is the Rocky Mountain Ski lodge, which another poster recommended at the Slideshow. The rates, the rooms, and the service were fantastic. They even declined to charge us for a room on Tuesday night - which they totally could have given the rental agreement, after we called in at about 10:00 and notified them that I was too sick to continue. I didn't even ask - I showed up at the desk, the person their asked how I was feeling, and notified us that we wouldn't be charged for that night. Awesome. The hot tub and sauna were also definite plusses, as was the fact that the kitchenette was stocked with real pots, pans, and utensils that you could actually cook a decent meal with. Another thumbs up for Musashi. Friendly staff - and I got absolutely stuffed on sushi for $13 Canadian - and had leftovers to take back to the room. The only thumbs down of the trip goes to Patrinos. Stopped in for a drink and dessert on New Years in clean-but-casual clothing that was hardly out of place in a town like Canmore, and got grilled by some middle-aged greek looking chick with an East Coast accent about our attire "Why aren't you dressed for New Years?!," acted like she wasn't going to seat us, then put on a pained look and reluctantly led us to a dark, corner table outside the main dining area and disdainfully jetted off - just before my fiance and I gave each other the "WTF was that?" look and bailed on that joint. May not be typical, but I'd look elsewhere if you are in town to climb and looking for a place to eat at the end of the day.

I've been wondering about this one for a while. What's the deal? I can see the validity of the critiques directed at the dudes who never seem to leave the terrain park, which seem to hinge on the fact that they have focused on developing a fairly narrow range of skills. A further assumption of this critique is that these guys are not likely to have the skills necessary to ski the whole mountain, let alone those required for safe, efficient travel in the backcountry. These critiques may ring true for some of the park afficionados - but I have yet to see a skier capable of pulling off moves that would cripple the average backcountry-only purist if they were foolish enough to try them - cower in fear at the sight of deep powder, breakable crusts and/or any other condition that the backcountry snobs seem to pride themselves on their mastery of - and let's not even talk about moguls. There might be some extremely young guys that arrived on the scene after twintips that might have a hard time in BC conditions, but their numbers are small. It seems to me that in terms of limited skills, no one can compete with the folks who learned in and insist upon never leaving the backcountry. They are few in number, but rank up there amongst the least capable skiiers I have ever witnessed. Way worse than most avid resort skiers in "natural" conditons, much less competent on resort turf, absolutely hopeless on moguls, and incapable of so much as a spread eagle when the time comes to hit jumps. But even if there's something to the limited-skill-set critique, what I really can't understand is the notion that these guys are hopeless pussies who would cringe in fear an wet themselves if they were to stare dow something as daunting as... the moderately steep slopes that make up 90% of backcountry skiing. I'm not talking about the hairy descents in fall-and-die territory that guys like Patrick Vallencant put up, or lines along the likes of those that the crew hunting down first descents are putting up - but the sort of shit that get's yo-yoed every weekend. When it comes to heuvos - even something that's become as basic as a 360 is to most jibbers is leagues above anyone who keeps both skis on the ground on moderate slopes in the BC. The many beatings I've taken throwing weak old-school maneuvers and the odd-over or under rotation related thrashing I've endured in my bolder moments have given me - at the very least - the ability to appreciate the risks and the boldness required to commit to even the most basic new school moves like a switch 180, let alone the corked 720's and other crazy ass shit the new-schoolers are pulling off, so it amazes me when people who have clearly never even tried a 360 talk like they are the brave one's for linking turns in the BC. And - it's not like the skills learned in the park have no bearing on the BC, as the gut-check and confidence require to commit to any decent sized drop is quite a bit like that required to hit an especially big jump in the park, or try any maneuver that's on the edge of your capabilities, or puts you at a very real risk of injury. So in summary, of the two principal critiques leveled at jibbers - the first (not well rounded) is overstated, and the second (no ballz) is a crock. IMO these charactizations are more accurate descriptions of the once-forever-and-only the backcountry crowd than the jibbers. So - what's the story. Why the hate? Vs Please.