PaulB

Actually, he's playing them tomorrow night at the casino in Richmond. Does Chuck have a musical talent???

On the topic of stretching, does anyone have experience with La Sportiva Barracudas?

Give the guy a break, after all he's 60, not to mention that he had surgery to fix a brain aneurysm about a year ago.

Instead of following the summer trail, if you head into the woods behind the outhouse, you can follow the Grouse Creek drainage to the upper part of the ridge. Much more direct, and a better ski when you're coming down.

These informal test results show that loss of strength due to UV exposure varies, and that nylon does not always fare worse than Dyneema. Granted, it's a small sample size. As a Honeywell employee, my corporate programming compels me to point out that Spectra was originally licensed to AlliedSignal, which bought Honeywell in 1999.

Garmont is the US distributor for Rottefella, so you might try contacting them. An inquiry on the Telemarktips forum will likely generate some leads for you.

None of the underwriting questionnaires I've seen have asked about WW paddling. Climbing, SCUBA diving, flying, auto racing, hang/para gliding and sky diving seem to be the things that worry them. I too often feel more at risk when I'm paddling a river than when I'm climbing, but that's probably because I'm a better climber than I am a paddler.

To further emphasize that you'll want skis, here's a recent picture of the Elfin hut: For comparison, here's how it typically looks in early winter, or late spring: I wonder how much extra money they get every year from people who put in a fiver 'cause they don't have the exact change for the $3 fee?

I pulled out my policy for a look-see, and it's got the same clause, which I think is pretty standard.

I've also heard of this strategy. I've also been told that if you have a policy with no exclusions, and if you don't die within two years of getting the policy, you're pretty much covered for any cause of death. Of course that assumes you didn't lie on the application, or that the underwriter can't prove that you did.

Easter is usually prime time for the Spearhead traverse, but I doubt too many groups went for it this weekend. If you're going for a couple of nights, it doesn't make much difference if you start from Whistler or Blackcomb. If the weather doesn't co-operate for this weekend, definitely consider starting from Whistler another time. You should be able to ski out to Blackcomb's upper parking area (or darn close) for a few more weeks.

I have a policy which excludes death due to mountaineering. I've recently had an insurance broker do some research, and they found that it is possible to get policies which include mountaineering, but that they cost an extra $2.50 - $5.00 per $1,000 of coverage, on top of the base cost of the policy.

If you were to compare the user fees collected to the yearly expenses, I'm sure that all of the huts in the Coast Range would be in the red. They "get by" because the groups involved (BC Parks, ACC, VOC, Flavelle family, etc.) budget/contribute funds above and beyond whatever user fees are collected.

For anyone who's bought one during this sale, did it come with the 2.8 update?

Why didn't we do that coming out from Pebble Creek???? Sounds like a good trip, despite the weather!

For whatever it's worth, it's the #1 pick at BeaconReviews.com.

Not quite true anymore, but in any case, a free heel is a lot more forgiving on the knees in a cartwheeling yardsale than a non-releasing fixed heel would be. The 404s have a laterally releasing heel, but not a releasable toe. My advice would be to not mount the 404s, and keep an eye out for a used pair of modern AT bindings, preferrrably Dynafits. If you don't find any in the next month or so, you will definitely find some in the fall.

Stay away from Whistler the weekend of April 22/23 as the two races at this event will be the exact opposite of what you have described.

In a similar vein, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee has been putting the squeeze on businesses in BC which have any variation of the word "Olympic" in their name. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/s...alSmallBusiness

I've only driven it in the fall when there was a bit of snow, but in general it was in good shape. For winter/spring access, it probably depends on if there is any active logging going on. If there is, the roads may be plowed, but the various gates may be locked. If there isn't, things probably aren't plowed. The Chilliwack Forest District road conditions page classifies it as "seasonally deactivated".

Lots of good info and some recommendations here.

Re-visit this related thread.... you might want to set down your drink first.

Even for the really fast folks (4-5 hours), they'd be cutting it close to catch the second ride before the uppper lifts closed. I'm pretty sure I've read/heard that many of the "X times in a day" events on the Spearhead involve slogging back and forth between the East Col and Singing Pass, with a final run down the Singing Pass trail. The proposed challenge was to ski the Spearhead one day, and the Neve the next, or vice versa.

Well, six of us (three going each way) did the traverse on Sunday, but none of us climbed Garibaldi. At midday, my group was just getting up out of Ring Creek and onto the Bishop Glacier. The other group was starting the climb from Sentinel Bay up to the col below Glacier Pikes.

Nope, G-ROC couldn't get anyone to step up on Saturday.