bellemontagne

Yeah, the fair has gotten pretty bad. I realized the fair went downhill when I started hearing those Motorola walkabout radios everywhere. Damn, it was like going boarding at Bachelor or Willamette Pass. I went last year, and I doubt I will ever go again. Too bad I didn't get to check out the fair during its golden era. I've heard some wild stories about what used to go on at night. Just imagine the E! network having Wild On at the Oregon Country Fair.

C'mon, surely there are more than two Eugene climbers on this board? Nah, they're probably all playing on plastic at the Crux. Maybe it's just me, but Flagstone is one of my favorite climbing areas. It beats Smith on a crowded weekend. Some people aren't into slabs though. Yeah, I've been doing some snowboarding this winter. I've made a few trips over to Bachelor, but I haven't even made it over to Smith for some winter climbing. Oh well...

Here we are in Eugene, Oregon awaiting the day for the snow to melt so we can climb at Flagstone again. Well until then, are any Eugene area climbers interested in a pub club??? If you are, post a response, and I will set somethin up. bellemontagne [ 02-20-2002: Message edited by: bellemontagne ]

For some time I used Bolle's RX system on a pair of their sunglasses. I had problems with the prescription insert coming off of the lenses. They have come out with a new system where the RX insert snaps into a nosepiece. I haven't tried this system before. Frustrated, I then moved to Smith's Moab sunglasses with their RX insert. I even had problems with this system. In particular, the insert would sometimes unsnap from the nosepiece. This really sucked if I was climbing or cycling. Sometimes the nosebiece unsnapped from the lens too. Even though their RX system sucked, Smith was pretty good about sending me free replacement nosepieces when the nosepads became unglued. Personally, I do not think there is a good system out there. I finally got tired of my lenses fogging up, so I went out and got contacts. What a difference! I don't have to worry about my prescriptions unsnapping from my sunglasses, and best of all, my lenses don't fog up! Wow! what a difference. However, there is a good place called Opticus (www.opticus.com) that makes prescription glacier glasses. I have heard really ood things about the company. Try them out.

Dick is probably right. $4,000 sounds way too much-it could be better spent on travel costs and gear. Plus if you are really serious about a pastime in the mountains, a Wilderness Firs Responder an Avalanch Level 1 Certification is a wise investment. As far as mountaineering and ice climbing go, start out simple. Try and find a mentor (avoid the Mazamas and the Mountaineers), then practice your skills on easy and forgiving terrain. Gradually work your way up to harder and more challenging terrain. Just don't take on more than you can truly handle. Know your limits. Hiring a guide for some day or 2-day trips is not a bad idea. You can learn A LOT from a professional guide that you might not learn from a book or a mentor. As far as guide services go, Timberline Mtn Guides in Oregon has a pretty good reputation. I have heard AAI is pretty good, but I have heard you don't always get as much individual attention as you might receive from other professional guides. I would not hire a guide necessarily for a peak bagging trip, but I would hire them to learn as much as you can from them.

Probably the best things to take into the backcountry with you are avalanche education, experience forecasting and examining snowpack conditions, the willingness to back off of a route, and a competent buddy with the same training and experience. I had an avalanche instructor tell me that in all his years of spending time in "avalanche terrain," he has been in an avalanche only once! He was skiing with a buddy, and he allowed his friend to persuade him into continue on even though HE KNEW the snowpack was unstable. He did not listen to his gut. Sure enough, the slope failed. Luckily, they were able to ski out of it without any injuries. He examined the snowpack but he simply failed to listen to his gut and accept the snowpack was highly unstable. Maybe I am being too simplistic, but if people educated themselves, had experience forecasting avalanches, examined the snowpack, and backed off when conditions were high, it seems like we would have far fewer human triggered avalanches.

Yeah, I know this is *a little* off topic, but I have some questions about a backcountry boot and binding setup for my snowboard (a lovely Ride Timeless). I am purchasing, new boots and might go with Salomon or Northwave boots and strap bindings. However, I am contemplating purchasing hardshell step-in bindings (they have a front and rear bail-they look like crampon bindings) and using plastic mountaineering boots instead of a traditional snowboard boot/binding setup. Has anyone used this kind of setup for snowboarding before? Likes / dislikes / raves / complaints? Let me know if you have any kind of experience with this setup. Thanks!!

If you check the manufacturer's warning on just about all helmets, they will advise you to discontinue their use in the event of a hard impact - no matter if they are plastic like the Ecrin Roc or high density foam like the Meteor. The materials are designed to absorb one severe impact. After a severe impact, the helmet has lost its ability to absorb an additional impact. The Ecrin Roc's are a little heavy-that's what I use. But, they are easy to attach a headlamp to, and they are pretty durable. I have heard good things about the Meteor, but you have to buy special clips to attach a headlamp. Black Diamond has a new high density foam helmet that's pretty stylish, and it is easy to attach a headlamp.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it! The advice is great, so keep the beta flowin my way!!!

So here's the deal. Eugene's rainy and dreary winters are getting to me. It's not a bad place at all - especially if you are into the outdoors but don't mind the winter rains. I need a change. So, I am considering relocating to a more climber friendly and less rainy locale. I do not mind cold temps or snow at all. It's just that the damn dreary days are gettin to me. My problem is that I would want the town to have it all - Multi-pitch climbing, ice climbing, and some pretty good slopes for resort and backcountry boarding all relatively close by. Plus, it would be nice if there were a few cool places to hang out at, and outdoor shops with a good selection of technical gear. Bend isn't a bad town at all, but man, it can get foggy in the winter! However, I've never been a big fan of Smith's welded Tuff. Who knows? I've spent some time in the Salt Lake area, and it seems like a mecca (except for the conservative momon auroa of the area). SLC is definitely a town I am considering. So all you CC.com climbers, where are some of your favorite mountain towns. Where do you guys live and what do you like about it? I'm sure many of you ar partial to the Pacific Northwest, but I just dunno if I can handle the maritime climate on the west side of the cascades. So, throw some mountain towns at me and tell me what you like about them.

For the last eight years, I have only used bibs. I love them!!! I am a big guy, and the bibs stay on very well, and they are very comfortable. One definite advantage is that they offer more coverage and keep snow and water from going down my pants. And if the weather is not too bad, bibs provide enough coverage so that you do not always have to wear a parka. It's definitely a personal preference, but I love my bibs. Tyler

I tried on a pair of Salomon Super Mountain 9's (last year's model. They're a little different from the Super Mountain 9 - Snow and Ice. They fit great, and weren't too bad to walk in. I bought the Super Mountain 8's - the Super Mountain 9's were more boot than I needed. They felt great though. I would definitely try them on if you get a chance. Tyler

I have insurance, and I was lucky enough for them to cover the cost of some custom orthotics. If you have insurance, get your doctor to write a prescription for them. It's also important that your orthotics manufacturer know a lot about biomechanics. The guy who did mine was great, and he was able to spot and correct abnormalities with each individual foot. Orthotics take a little while to get used to, but they provide a huge improvement over time. I have worn Koflachs, and they are pretty deluxe. I have wider feet at the toes, and I had a very hard time trying to find boots. I found the Salomon Super Mountain 9's (they come in rock and ice versions), and they were totally deluxe. I ended up buying the Super Mountain 8's - the 9's were a little more than I needed. I have also heard very good things about the Technica's. The best piece of advice I can offer is that if it does not feel right in the store-do not buy it. Lister to your instincts. If it does not feel right, do not buy it. I ended up having to drive from Eugene to Portland to find the right pair of boots. I think I spent hours at different stores trying on boots until I found the ones that fit just right. I do not know where you live, but consider going to a larger city with more specialized gear shops to try on boots. I have a lot of experience with super feet, and I think they suck. Don't get me wrong, they are better than nothing. I have heard good things about "Downunders" - they are a competitior to Superfeet. I have seen them, and they look much better than Superfeet-plus they are $30.

I was stupid enough to have a platypussie from day one. The valves always leak, plus the seams always come apart. You cannot beat a Nalgene bottle. I will admit that the Camelbak big mouth hydration sacks are pretty nice. I use mine for day hikes, plus I tend to stay mor ehydrated when I am using a hydration pack over a Nalgene bottle.

The best guidebook I have read is Alan Watts' gudie to Smith Rock. It's pretty entertaining and somthing you can definitely skim over cover to cover. Two of my favorite climbing Biographies are Lou Whittaker: Memoirs of a Mountain Gude and the Burgess Book of Lies about the Alan and Adrian Burgess. I frequently re-read some of the chapters of these books. Some of Adrian and Alan Burgess' tales are a hoot! You don't get a lot of that in some climber biographies. John Long's Close calls is pretty hilarious too. The best climbing magazine? Climbing of course. Rock and Ice seems a little kind of dudish and short on substantive articles. The Falling Season by Hal Clifford is pretty interesting for those involved in SAR. Marc Twight's Extreme Alpinism while meant to be instructional provides an insight into Marc Twight and his fast and light ethos. If you are a bulletin board wanker, check out http://www.crag.com. The ultimate wanker board for climbers. And of course the absolute best non-climbing literature is by Tom Clancy (IMHO).

I just purchased a pair of Salomon Super Mountain 8's. they are super deluxe. They are great for approaches and for rock. They accept step-in crampons, but they are a little too flexible for front-pointing. Salomon also makes the Super Mountain 9 Snow and Ice and the Snow and Rock. I tried on a pair of the Snow and Rock's but they were a little too stiff for what I needed. They would be great for situations where you needed a stiffer boot for front pointing. These boots can be found on sale at US Outdoor Store and OMC in Portland. I paid $150 for mine at US Outdoor (a savings of $80). I owned a pair of the older Makalus, but they just never fit my feet very well. After my last trip, my feet begged for a new pair of boots. I had the worst blisters I ever had in my life!! LaSportiva's are more for people with narrower and lower volume feet. My feet are wider, and they fit the Super Mountain 8's a lot better. LaSportiva makes great boots, but your feet have to fit them. Plus, you need to be willing to endure some pain when breaking in some of their boots. I'm still breaking them in, but so far they feel pretty good (for mountaineering boots that is). Everyone I have talked too about these boots have given them really good recommendations. I have also heard good things about Technicas.