iain

Is this guy boarding or falling over on a lake?

probably the upper station of Vista at MHM

uh, sorry dude....uh, sorry dude.....uh, sorry brah didn't see you...uh, sorry...

It must have been an awesome hike down that sweet corn. Jus' kidding, good to see folks out there today.

The plastic and polycarbonate shovels will work too, but are often smaller than the metal ones so they don't move as much snow. They are nice, however, if you have limited room in a pack. A nice large scoop makes it easier to build a camp with a megamid, etc. As for probes, most models out there are good enough. I like having alternating colored sections or measurement gradations on the probe so I can see how far I'm sinking the probe in relative to previous probes. This can help you identify what you are probing, and it also can be used for doing pit work (though if you get more involved with pit analysis you might want a folding ruler). The carbon probes are nice, but they will get thrashed by a rutschblock cord if you bother to use those things. Be sure you practice setting up your probe quickly and correctly. It seems like almost every probe has a different trick for assembling.

no. skiskiskiskiskiskiskiskiski

I thought you were talking about a new discovery of some dangerous organically-grown bacteria that lives off hemp and pretends to be a dirtbag bacteria but actually lives in the nice upscale part of the sinuses.

anyways, climbing, shlimbing, it's time to ski.

Dammit, they fixed it. Before the overnight low was -30000°F with 30000% chance of precip.

It's looking a little cold and wet at Smith this weekend. Check out the overnight lows! http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/i...;lon=-121.16625

Next time I'm at smith I'm definitely going to say to my partner "do you want point?"

After it starts dumping up there for the year that route turns into a ski run (or a long slog with a bergschrund problem). Better as an alpine ice (earlier) climb. Unfortunately we did not get the early coldness and now it is snowy. Of course if you have been skunked on it I can see why you would want to take care of unfinished business.

AT settup? Ttalk to Mike Hattrup I see three categories of AT gear out there. There is the so-called "freeride" crowd that uses the beefiest gear available, maybe skinning just above lifts or huts and burling through stuff, the do-it-all crew that has pretty beefy gear but does a fair amount of touring, and the superlight touring/racing folks who have insanely light gear and dance over anything. The difference in weight between these categories can be enormous. The standard dynafit binding, for example, is over 3 pounds lighter than the fritschi freeride binding. I'd start with something cheap, maybe used, until you put on a bunch of miles in backcountry snow. Otherwise you'll probably thrash your fancy new gear when you are wiping out in breakable crust, wind-hammered junk, rime, rocks, etc. The advice to put most of your money in on boots is spot-on. I'd go new here myself, or get some older boots and buy some thermoform liners. Sierra Trading Post was selling dynafit thermofit liners for dirt cheap just recently. They are light.

burksh@rd9000

I really think meth is the way to go. A lot of the mug shots look like really skinny people. You also will have no money to buy food.

Regardless, I've heard it kicks ass if you are into sport climbing. Super cheap, and the local economy is heavily supported by tourist climbers, so they are very friendly and accomodating. A lot of multipitch bolted sport climbs. Apparently a 70m rope will serve you well there. This is all secondhand info, I apologize, but it sounds like a good time for a winter break. Maybe someone who has spent some time there can chime in.

On a crowded day it's probably faster to skin back up lower heather to do laps than wait for the 2 lift lines. You would probably get mowed down by some boarder though. I wonder if you violate the out of bounds rules if you take Star up, ski down lower Heather, then skin up to just out of bounds on upper heather and work that if it is crowded. I bet you'd get a talking to.

Dying would make me bitchy and on edge too.

yeah timberline has too many large boulders and wind-sheared rime up high to ski early season. plus if there's any winter storm t-line gets it in the face, as the snow moves on to settle in white river. there are those rare magical days there though...

a thead revival of thread nostalgia = lamer than the family ties "remember when" episodes.

HAHAHA yoda you are so awesome lifting x-wings and rm -rf'n up peoples root dirs and shit

I will bet you 1 billion cheese-filled horsecocks she's on a mac

nice...can you type that fast enough before it locks up