pindude

Great trip, Marlin. Thanks for the excellent TR and photos. Happy for you and Joe. -Steve R.

Great work and excellent TR Joe! Very proud of you and Marlin! --Steve

Wow, great site, Splattski. Gotta love your avatar name, too.

Drederek: PM McCall Boater. He'll know the best places for sure, including for what is near Slick Rock. He's fairly active here on CC, and likely hasn't seen your OP yet.

Great TR. Love (hate, really ) that ball and chain!

Very well written, Wes. Great photos, too, especially of your son. Appreciate your sharing, and your expression of the sentiments of our community that you embody as well. May your partner heal quickly and fully. --Steve

You go FNG! Don't stay that way for long. And I'll say it too: be safe!

1. Alpine touriing and randonee are the same thing. Yes. Above all, don't start off telemarking, unless you're a masochist. And this is coming from a telemarker of about 35 years, well, one who's been trying that long anyway. 2. Develop your ski skills first. Until then you'll be a liability to your partners, or yourself, in the backcountry. Yes, lessons are an excellent start, but developing your skills will be more a function of TIME ON THE SNOW. Wherever you go, get a season pass, and use it, not just both weekend days but during the week (night skiing) too. Get a pass at the hill that will benefit you the most, whether it be where buddies go, there's night skiing, or terrain that will not just allow, but force you, to improve. 3. For BC touring, the lightest Dynafit setup possible. But for inbounds, you may want a regular alpine set-up that's appropriate--depends on your financial situation of course. I know many others here are better versed than I on AT, and downhill, equipment. If you're fairly athletic, get in many days during your first season (30-50?), you could conceivably be ready in the spring for backcountry, harvestable corn snow such as we have now. Skiing powder is a whole different story, and typically takes longer to learn--you'll want to develop your powder skills by skiing the off-piste inbounds first, and I wouldn't expect you to be able to ski BC powder until at least your second year, even with many days on the snow up to then. Lastly, and most important, you need to develop your own knowledge for the BC, where it's all about avoiding avalanches. Head into the BC with knowledgeable partners, who know where to go, and how to avoid avalanche danger, or, if God forbids it ever happens to you, know what to do if you do get in an avalanche. You can get only so much by reading. By learning from others and actually experiencing it at the same time will you learn the most. So, for that matter, you'll at least want to take a Level I course early on. No hating, there's plenty of love to go around in the BC. Have fun and good luck.

Damn Sobo! I should read cc more often. I missed this thread until now, *and* I just read for the first time your columnar basalt cowboy riding. Jealous that you got to ski Dubai. Best of everything to you on your adventures in Afghan land, and stay safe. In the 1990s I worked for a contractor providing outdoor equipment, in particular industrial-type shelters, to clients including the DOD. We eventually lost out on contracts to KBR and others. Curious to know what type of shelters are over there now, and who makes them. I'm buying when you get back, and I'd even meet up with you in Yakivegas.

Sound assessment, Joseph. Thanks.

HOR, thanks much for your frankness, and non judgmental account. I've much to learn from you. May you heal fast and fully. Looking forward to having you out of the hospital, and helping to do whatever is needed to get you back on you feet.

Right on! I love hearing griz stories, and glad to know there's at least one productive sow in there. I like coming in from the Pack River side, but the vast majority of my trips I access via the Priest Lake side of the crest, which of course is more traveled by folks thus less bears and wildlife seen overall. If we ever meet in person, I'll share my Montana and Canada griz stories with you. Cheers!

Sorry Toast. Though I never knew him, it's obvious he influenced many and lived a big, full life. Just reading his obit is inspiration. Lewy Body Dementia is a new one for me--it must have taken much courage to deal with that.

Cool! Where exactly? When? Big, or young? Most of what I've seen of griz around there has been digging (most obvious), and possible scat which could easily have been from regular black bears. While griz is around, it's rare to see them.

Ditto what pu says, going back almost 40 years of trips to the Selkirk crest, 95% of the time on or near Chimney Rock and Harrison Peak--which is more to the south from where I understand the herd frequents closer to the Am-Can border. Would love to see caribou in the Selkirks, as well as other animals I know exist there but I haven't yet seen in north Idaho: griz, cougar, and wolverine.