PaulB

Apparently one of the two victims was the founder of Outdoor Research. More info at Telemark Talk

The alpine wasn't closed yesterday, but the Peak Chair didn't open until around 11, and Harmony until noon. I think it was more to do with poor visibility than too much snow. They did let some guys up the Peak chair early, it looked like they were doing a photo shoot on the cliff band to the right. Gave everyone waiting in line something to watch as guys hucked themselves off the cliff.

Sounds like a neat idea..... Esprit Firefly

You can check the forecast for Kamloops at BC Weather The forecast for Sunpeaks is at Sunpeaks Forecast and for Whistler at Whistler Alpine Forecast

Does that include climbs in the Bridge River?

I must have lucked out on seasonal clearances the first year after CMS got bought, 'cause I haven't seen any lately. As for service, a few months ago I noticed they had some Riva Z bindings laying around without any price tag. I couldn't find anyone who even knew that it was a ski binding, let alone figure out the price for it. That being said, I once went into the MEC in Toronto to pick up some ice screws (it was August, but I needed it for a trip) and asked the heavily pierced gym rat behind the climbing counter if they had any in stock. His response was to turn around and ask his co-worker "Duude, what's an ice screw?".

I thought this quote from the Ice forum would be good for some discussion..... Travis' comment reminded me of an article in Friday's Vancouver Sun about MEC laying off (for the first time ever) some head office staff. One of the potential reasons cited was increased competition from CMS, and MEC having missed the boat marketing to the younger demographic. I have to agree with Travis that the service at CMS usually sucks. On the other hand, I've been able to score some pretty sweet end of season deals on gear that I would have otherwise bought at MEC. How do you folks view these two stores? (This is obviously not a TR, so moderators please feel free to relocate it)

Strangely enough, a friend of mine recently got a copy from the bookstore (don't know the name, but others might) a few doors down from Lagan's Bakery in Lake Louise.

For anyone who has bought a G3 Probe lately, you might want to check this out. G3 Probe Recall

Yeah, we did go down to the Coleman Glacier on an ACC trip. I was also part of the group that you were going to meet in Lillooet when you rolled your truck. I believe that was the same weekend that Don & Henry had their adventure on Oregon Jack.

Is this the same as the rolled Explorer from a year or so ago? Thanks for the road info.

Does anyone know if the road up to Welch is driveable all the way to the parking area?

My regular ski partner uses an AT setup, and when he wants more control for in bounds skiing, he just wears regular downhill boots instead of his Lasers. His bindings are Diamir Titanal 2's and his skis are Atomic 10EX's, hardly a lightweight setup.

Check these out from Pika: Sastrugi Binding Very simple, and a lot cheaper than new Silvrettas.

I saw Jim Whittaker's presentation at the VIMFF this weekend, and he had several slides of himself with the Kennedys. He guided Robert up Mt. Kennedy in the Yukon in 1965. Politics being what they are, its not hard to believe that a guiding concession on Rainier could be arranged by the powers that be. As an aside, I was a bit dissapointed in Jim's slide show.... too much political commentary. It was pretty obvious that he's a Democrat with no love for George W., but I didn't think a mountain film festival was the right venue for his message.

Easy enough to do if you're sponsored! If you have to shell out $40 each to replace picks two or three times a season, it gets expensive. Bashing away at the rock is probably more common on alpine routes. On established mixed climbs (such as in Haffner Creek) you'll find that "quiet", precise pick placements are the norm.

So how was it? Were the routes in Phair Creek in good shape?

Went for an exploratory drive up the Phair Creek road yesterday. We were able to get to within 1km of the gate marked at 2.5 km from the bridge on Lyle's map. The main Enterprise Creek road was snow free to about 800m, and appears to be getting traffic from logging further up the valley. So, barring any major snowfalls in the near future, you should be able to drive to within a reasonable walking distance of A Phairly Fast Tick, Just Walkin' The Dog, Airy Phairy, etc. If they clean up the road for the ice fest, you'll probably be able to drive right up to the gate. Note that there is some rockfall on the road before and after the bridge which could cut up your tires if you are unlucky. We didn't actually go in to look at any routes, so I can't give any updates on their conditions.

Suprisingly uncrowded at Marble Canyon on Saturday, only about 10 people, with four or five top ropes in action. All of the routes on the bottom tier are climbable, but pretty hacked up. The first pitch of Icy BC was wet, but solid. The second pitch had a wet, slushy hole at the very top, and is very chandeliered. The third pitch looks good, but is also chandeliered in spots. Fender Bender is also in good shape. Note that if you are rapping off of (or leading up) Fender Bender, there is a nasty bush at the top to deal with.

Yesterday, this section on Rambles Left was much thinner than shown in the photo below. Climbable, but more like verglass. Rambles Right was in much better shape, and a lot more fun.

Whistler Alpine Guides have an ice course on their schedule for this weekend too. Not sure where they usually go, but the choices seem pretty limited.

Guinness Gully - easy access - moderate climbing - fun glisssade descent

Has anyone been skiing around the Duffey Lake Road lately?

Most Canadians have never heard of the Arrow either. As for regrets, many people view the whole affair as an example of the US government exerting influence on Canada to protect their own industrial interests. As depicted in the movie, in return for shutting down the Arrow program, the US offered to supply Canada with BOMARC missiles (nuclear tipped no less) to provide air defence in the North. Whether or not this is exactly true is a matter of debate, but it's a fact that shortly after the Arrows were chopped up, BOMARC missiles were stationed at CFB North Bay in Ontario (Canada's equivalent to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado).

There is a thread about this on the Telemarktips.com discussion board: Telemarktips.com