JayB

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.

JRCO- you've got a point there. That was a pretty sweet deal, and when the snow actually started to kick in in late March/early April the skiing there was actually pretty sweet. If you are a jibber CO Summit county is also pretty good - as Breckenridge, Vail, and Copper all have reasonably good parks. The Park at Keystone sucked big time - get enough air to clear the table-tops and you were sure to knock out some fillings on the way-too-flat landings. Multiple knee injuries kept me out of the parks most of the time, and my retinue of tricks was limited to weak old-school maneuvers and combos thereof - but it made things quite a bit more engaging when the conditions sucked.

I think that for the average climber, mono versus dual frontpoints will be less consequential than the quality of the overall design. For me the strength of the overall design hinges first and foremost upon how well the front and secondary points work together to provide a stable platform. How well the frontpoints work in terms of ease of placement and penetration, extent of shattering upon placement,etc are also important - but secondary for me. The Sabretooths are an example of a well designed crampon on all of the fronts listed above. I think this is the only BD crampon that I'd be willing to say that about. The Grivel Rambos/Rambocomps are another example of a well designed crampon - my favorite for waterfall ice. The frontpoint penetrates well, and most importantly, the secondary points are designed in such a way that they engage right away after you drop you heel, and provide a solid, stable platform. I've also found that my footwork is a bit quieter and more efficient in these as it often only takes a single kick to get a good placement, and I can achieve such placements in convoluted ice quite a bit more easily, and displace less ice with the Rambocomp monos than I could with my old dual points. Speaking of my old dual points - these may have been some of the worst waterfall crampons ever made - the BD Switchblades. I pretty much hated everything about those crampons. The worst feature was the fact that the secondary points were recessed so far that you had to drop you heels about 50 degrees past vertical to get them to engage, at which point the frontpoints were well on their way to levering out. And the frontpoints were too thin to provide much resistance to shearing, had a metal brace between them to thwart efficient penetration, and were too close together to work efficiently. Bad design all around IMO.*** Dale - since you must consult with BD on their designs - what is the deal with BD's secondary points? After looking at the Bionics I was stunned to see that they had tiny, over-recessed secondary points - just like the Switchblades, Makos, et al. Also - what do you like about the Sabertooths beyond the secondary points? Must be some other attributes that make them stand out as well. I have a pair and think that they are the best all around crampons on the market, but still prefer the Rambocomps for the few forays to the ice that I've managed to make each year since moving back to Washington. ***Usual disclaimer. It's not about the equipment, Jeff Lowe Soloed Bridalveil with hinged crampons and bamboo-shafted tools, etc, etc, etc. Agreed. These are just some of the things that stand out to a mediocre hack that gets out occaisionally.

The Butte does apparently have some decent terrain - but how oftent is it open consistently? A-Basin has some decent terrain - bit it too suffers from an inconsistent snowpack most years. One lift with decent terrain out of several dozen is still pretty sad. I probably logged around 80 days in Summit County and during my stay in Colorado and it wasn't terrible - but it certainly didn't live up to the hype. I grew up dreaming about skiing at the big Colorado resorts after taking in the hype in the magazines and elsewhere - and shortly after arriving concluded that they were good places for church groups from Texas and middle aged executives to shred corduroy in their one-pieces and white rear-entry one-buckles, but had very little to offer in the way of steeps, and even less in the way of deeps. Seems like no matter where I go my favorite resorts are Blackcomb/Whister and Crystal, in that order. Incredible terrain, and tons of deep snow just about every time I ski there. It's heavier than the continental stuff, but the bottom line is that if you couldn't ski the stuff with the old straight skis, the problem had nothing to do with the skis, and if you can't ski it with the new mid-fats, you suck beyond all redemption and should probably hang up the boards for good, and/or contemplate suicide.

Way to time it. After skiing at Snowbird it's clear to me that both the terrain and the snow in Utah just absolutely destroy anything that Colorado has to offer.

Toying with the idea of hitting/checking out O.J. on the way to Canmore next week. Anyone have any idea how much more driving we'd be in for if we took that detour on the way?

Glad he doesn't share the memories that flying over Monument Valley must bring forth...

Great story. Keep 'em coming. I've only had this once - during the one and only episode when I just flat-out lost every last bit of my composure on one of my first 5.10 leads on a gear-route. I don't have time to recount the entire episode here - but I was convinced that I was staring an honest to goodness death-fall if I came off. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had some faint desire to muffle the undignified stream of whimpering, pleading, profanity, and dry heaving that was streaming forth from my mouth - but it was way, way, way back there - a lightyear away from the reality that I was contending with at that moment. I "decided" to continue climbing. I put that term in quotes because this I was well into the realm of spontaneous impluse at this point. I managed to climb to a marginally better position, with both hands stuffed into a greasy crack that was just a touch too small to permit a secure jam. The only problem was that the consequences of a fall hadn't changed much - at least in my mind - and I couldn't take either hand out of the crack without the other starting to grease out. In the brief windows of time that occured between taking one hand out of the crack and the other starting to slip out, I was able to clip a pre-slung cam to the rope, then unclip the other side from the sling, then hold it between my legs while I jammed my free hand back into the crack, then slide it up and press it between my waist and the rock, then pin it to the wall with my chest. I finally grabbed the back of the cam by the stem, blindly shoved it into the crack overhead, and set off towards a massive jug that would provide me with a secure stance and salvation. I got with in lunging distance of the jug, threw a deadpoint at it, and felt it transmogrify into a sandy-sloper beneath my hands. I took the longest fall I've ever taken on gear, slouched over, dry heaved again, and mourned the fact that I had ever taken up the sport. Unfortunately, my renunciation of climbing would prove to be short lived, as was too far into the route to lower off, and had to finish the lead. I am still slightly embarassed and mortified when I think back on that episode and all of the small mistakes that put me in that position, but the one tangible benefit that I got in return for shedding every ounce of my dignity that day was an improved ability to determine where I am at relative to the point of no-composure, and have thus far been able to avoid even coming close to reliving the experience.

I've had lingering numbness that lasted for a week or so then went away after climbing in similar conditions - no major, permanent damage as far as I can tell.

Buy the manual and tap into the vast pool of sausage on this site. There's gotta be a guy around that will show you how to replace the pads for a plate full of brownies and an intro to a cute girlfriend. For the price - I'm guessing you need to have your rotors worked on or replaced, which will complicate the sausage option somewhat....

That's great Jim. I am all for candor. Hopefully others who share your outlook will follow your lead and be honest about their targets and their motivations when discussing the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan from this point forward.

Most of the stuff these guys want doesn't have as much to do with macro-funding as it does speed. Even when the money is present, getting something that's not part of the standard equipment shipped through the millitary procurement chain can take months and is subject to many layers of approval. With private groups like SOA they can just ask directly and get the things that they have reason to believe will help them and the Iraqis quite a bit faster. With regard to the government's fiscal perogatives, there are quite a number of programs that I would love to get rid immediately and funnel the proceeds into a giant slush fund that the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan could use to buy what they need without going through the supply chain, or that would go towards helping the people directly - such as the project that is supplying tool kits and training in the trades to unemployed men, or sewing machine for the women. I think I would get rid of the subsidies for resource extraction on public lands first, then export subsidies for agricultural products, then subsidies for agriculture in general, and work down the list. However, none of the funding on any of these programs relies upon my discretionary income, and consequently their existence and continuance have not affected my ability to make donations here and there. My point is that if you are really concerned and want to help, there are ways to do so. If your primary goal is to cloak a political agenda in the language of sympathy, and endlessly capitalize on the hardships endured by the troops and the people that live where they are deployed to further the said agenda, there's nothing stopping you - but a bit of candor in that regard would be quite welcome.

Hey Chuck, Jim et al: You've made quite a few statements that suggest that you are profoundly concerned with the plight of the troops serving in Iraq and that of the Iraqi people. There are a number of ways that you can actually take some constructive action to both alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people and provide resources that the troops can use to help the Iraqi people, and in so doing provide them with the means to build bridges with the population in small but significant ways. http://www.spiritofamerica.net/ "Message from LtCol Vold -----Original Message----- From: Vold LtCol Jeffery D Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 8:14 AM To: Jim Hake Cc: Kerry Dupont; Crawford Maj Erik M; Bunn LtCol David Subject: Developing Bonds with Iraqi Children Jim, First, I want to thank you for all of the great things Spirit of America has done for the 1st Marine Division here in Iraq. The sewing machines, tool sets for ICAP students, Frisbees, medical supplies, and the untold number of other items you have provided have definitely made a positive impact on our mission here. As you well know, the current security situation dictates that we continue to man numerous traffic control points, conduct cordon and searches of suspected areas of anti Iraqi activity, and perform foot patrols in local neighborhoods. Unfortunately in doing so, many times we inconvenience innocent Iraqi families or groups who are just trying to go about their business. Many of these families or groups have small children with them, and whenever possible we try to brighten their day with a smile and some small token of friendship. As of late, however, we notice that we are starting to run short on some of the items that work the best in reducing the tension and anxiety that are caused by delays and searches. As part of a stepped up Campaign to "win the parents through winning the children" General Natonski has asked that we rebuild and distribute a stockpile of items to give to children when we see them on patrols or inconvenience them and their families during other security activities. As always, time is of the essence, and our ability to obtain such items in this locale is difficult at best. Thus, we would like to ask for Spirit of America's help in obtaining some of these things. I polled the Marines who are on the ground every day and came up with a list of things that they say brightens up children more than others, and in the end, puts the parents in a more positive frame of mind. Here it is: * Children's Sunglasses * Notebooks and colored pens and pencils. * Inexpensive child's watches with a message of friendship on the face or band. * Frisbees - with or without a message. * Soccer balls - still a hit, especially when an air pump is provided with it. Strangely enough, another item that helps develop bonds is Polaroid Cameras. The children love to have their picture taken and to receive a copy on the spot. Many teams report that they have been able to open many doors and break down many barriers with something as simple as a Polaroid picture. Again, unfortunately such cameras are in short supply and difficult to obtain on the local market. However, in the end 200-300 Polaroid cameras with plenty of film spread across the Division zone may go farther in establishing enduring relations than a thousand soccer balls! Jim, again we thank you so much for your support. With Iraqi elections coming up it is more important than ever to reduce tension, cement bonds with the good Iraqi people, and provide them and their children a message of hope for a better future. I look forward to hearing from you. Semper Fi, Jeff Jeffrey D. Vold Lieutenant Colonel United States Marine Corps Deputy G-X 1st Marine Division" And - of course - there are quite a number of organizations that provide convenient ways to send care packages to the troops directly. You all seem sincere in your concerns, so hopefully some of you will take the next step and translate that into action. (Yes. $50 to the "Gifts for Iraqi Children" project via paypal.)

Take the belt-sander with the 40-grit to those rock-skis!!!! The season's on it's way!!!!!!!! "Tonight: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow. Snow level 500 feet. West wind in the passes 10 to 15 mph. Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Snow level 2000 feet. Afternoon pass temperatures in the lower 30s. West wind in the passes 10 to 20 mph. Tuesday night: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Snow level 2000 feet. West wind in the passes around 10 mph. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Freezing level 3500 feet. Afternoon pass temperatures in the mid 30s light wind.. Wednesday night: Mostly clear. Freezing level 4500 feet light wind.. Thursday: Mostly sunny. Freezing level 6500 feet. Afternoon pass temperatures in the mid 30s. Thursday night: Mostly clear. Freezing level 8500 feet. Friday: Mostly sunny. Freezing level 7000 feet. Afternoon pass temperatures in the mid 30s. Friday night: Mostly clear. Freezing level 6000 feet."

Where is Crazy Polish Bob on this one...

Maybe while you are replacing the exhaust manifold you may want to consider including the optional 3.0 VZE Engine attachment. That might help address the power issues.... Seriously though - how is the 22RE on passes and on the highways? The 3.0 VZE seems weak as hell to me, and the mileage is 19-20mpg tops. "Finally - a truck that combines the fuel efficiency of a mid-80s F250 and the raw, unbridled power of a Tercel...." Good thing for Toyota that their engines seem to last forever.

Exhaust manifold on the 3.0 VZE engine might not be that hard to replace. If it's not a gaping hole you can cover it with some of the exhaust system patch deals that they sell at most auto parts stores and defer the pain until the next paycheck...

Get a set of tools and a manual. If you are reasonably competent you can do quite a few repairs yourself and save some $$$.

Anyone looking for a cautionary tale regarding mission creep need only look South of the border. REI is good at what it does - mass market retailing of mid-market and-up outdoor equipment - but it has long since abandoned the pretense that it is still dedicated to the principals and objectives that it was founded upon. To the occaisional shopper from the South - it seemed as though MEC was tangibly different, and at least making the effort to stay true to the mission outlined above. If they're heading in REI's direction - intentionally or otherwise - this might be a good time for the membership to weigh in and make their preferences known to the board.

My thought is that you are STOOPID. Seems to me that Marriage is a social institution with conventions of behavior and serious expectations, some transparent and some not so transparent. It requires hard work and sacrifice. Emphirical evidence suggests that men who are UN-willing to pony up for the real thing (a multi-$1000 rock) are generally not as committed to the idea of marriage as those who do. They tend to have the failed engagements or endless engagements where a wedding date never seems to get set. So ladies if your man wants to be buy you something "unique" and you're being PC enough to buy into that crap I wish you the very best luck. I think that Dberdinka is onto something here. There are plenty of conventions and customs in society that I don't especially care for, and would leave out of the blueprint entirely if I were designing the world, but the reality is that one has to contend with such things from time to time. The fact of the matter is that the notion that one must solidify an engagment with a Diamond ring is indisputably a modern, marketing driven convention, thanks mostly to the power of DeBeers. There was really no way that the average guy could ever dream of being able to afford a diamond ring until the early-to-mid 20th century. DeBeers also limited the supply of Diamonds they would sell in any given country by the number of expected engagements that would occur in the said country. Etc, etc, etc. However, the bottom line is - even though I may know all of this - if you don't cement the engagement with something that shows some sacrifice on your part, be it in the form of a diamond, a ring from ore you dug out with your bare hands and smelted yourself, etc - every person that she knows she is engaged is going to think you are a cheap, shiftless, p.o.s. and wonder about her choice. There's a price to be paid for going against the grain - I say pick your battles.

Hey Tim & All: Many thanks for the suggestions. Sounds like good stuff. How long would you guess that T.H.O.S. takes an average party with average conditions? Also - how long does the descent normally take? I have a 95 Taco with 31" tires, tow strap, chains, come along, shovel, etc - is that enough to get into the TH for T.H.O.S. or does it normally require mods like a locking diff, extra lift, etc?