jimmyo

Another reason not to go down colchuck glacier is that it it is actually a little bit tricky to get to colchuck col from the tope of dragontail. pandora's box, i think, is the name of the chute. but there's a way in and if you miss it you head down the wrong direction towards ingalls creek. that could cost a lot of time. so again, with non-climbers, would want to be especially careful about that bit of route finding too. also, Asgaard pass is a steep 2000 vf, so even though not technical, still can take a lot longer going down then you'd think with people who are usually hikers, most of it is not a trail as such, need to watch for cairns and the like. Jimmy O

So how was the routefinding? Any tips/major problem areas? gonna do this in mid-august. obviously would rather drop the weight of ice axes (esp as we'll be in enchantments basin 4 days so we'll have plenty to carry) the back side gets plenty soft by afternoon so that we won't need em? but there's enuf snow that we can stash a couple of cold pbrs on our way down in the morning? sweeet! Thanks, JimmyO ps will we f'ing die if we wear cotton but have helmets? just wondering...

Hey, So I have 7-8 year old T2s, dark blue, 2 buckle. Need to upgrade. From a telemark tips thread, seems overwhelmingly in favor of T1 in my situation. I ride 2 yo Rossi Bandit XXX fairly aggressively, mix of lift, bc and ski mountaineer (glacier type stuff) I have a good deal on a pair of new T2s in hand, whereas nobody seems to have T1s around. I also have some newer T2s rented for the weekend to try out. Will the improvement to the new T2s (not the red T2x, the one b4 that) be so great that I should take the deal and run with it, or will the T1 be such a different game that I should wait, search and suck it up and pay full boat for the T1s, even if it means waiting till next season? Thanks, Jimmy O

Anyone know where continuous snow starts above Paradise now? Thanks, Jimmy O

I have 6 yo T-2s (2 buckle). Last year put in the heat moldable Garmont liners. They are very soft in the cuff on forward flex. I'd like something better for the hairy stuff, glaciers and steeps, and also for bombing at the lifts, something with more torsional rigidity that can deliver responsiveness out of my boards (mostly 2003 Rossi Bandit XXX these days, couple others). What are the new generation T-2s like? Compare the t-1s? I wont' go T-Race. and the garmont ener-g and syner-G? Crispis? Experience re touring, steeps, performance would be appreciated. Thanks, Jimmy O, Seattle

This is a no brainer. Use em. No doubt they increase odds of saving lives. But a beacon is only a tool, and therefore only useful if the user is skillled. If you practice at least every season, including multiple beacon burials, you have a good chance to find and uncover someone literally in minutes. While if you don't practice then you might succumb to a false sense of security that leads to needless risk taking plus that will cost precious minutes or more in finding and uncovering the victim. Many places offer short avy safety courses. Gary Brill is the best known local. Don't know where he's holding court these days. But to be safe you need the whole package of education and training and experience and good judgment. You know, I think I'm going to wear glacier glasses next time I type a post to protect my eyes from the assault of the graemlins from above and below! Jimmy O

I have pilfered the text of a post on the Mounties site - apparently the rip-off paid parking passes are up for revote in the US congress. Let's fight it - see below. Jim O'Donnell For those who believe that access to public lands should remain free to all of us, please read on and contact your elected officials by Wednesday morning, February 11th. For more information visit: http://www.alpenthyme.org/access.htm http://www.wildwilderness.org/docs/options.htm THE OPPORTUNITY: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will now vote, on Wednesday morning 2/11/04, on Sen. Thomas's (R-WY) Recreational Fee Authority Act of 2003 (S1107). S. 1107 calls for making recreation user fees permanent in the National Parks only. Although this bill would allow the program to expire in the Forest Service, BLM, and US Fish and Wildlife Service, there is a possibility that one or more Senators will introduce an amendment that will specifically kill Fee Demo in those three agencies. (We must help make that happen.) THE THREAT JUST INTENSIFIED: Interior Secretary Gale Norton is putting enormous pressure upon Senate Energy Committee members to add into S.1107 the same language that appears in Congressman Regula's (R-OH) atrocious fee legislation titled "Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act", HR 3283. HR 3283 would make recreation fees permanent for the NPS, USFS, BLM, USFWS and the (newly-added) Bureau of Reclamation. It would also make failure topay the fees punishable by 6 months in jail plus a $5,000 fine! WHAT TO DO: Please contact every Senator on the Committee, if possible, by fax and also by phone. The contact list is below. These faxes and phone calls MUST be made by no later than 9:30 am EST Wednesday, February 11th. The Committee will be voting on S. 1107 on Wednesday morning! Address your fax "Dear Senator" and send the same fax to each Senator. Senators Craig and Thomas must be contacted by everyone!!!! This is one of those times when we need to bring enormous pressure to bear on the Senate Energy Committee at short notice. Who else can you get to call and fax? Friends, family members? Please remember this email alert is part of a grassroots nationwide campaign against Fee Demo. There is no well-financed lobbying effort getting underway. It's just citizens like you and me who believe access to our public lands must remain free for all of us. COMMITTEE CONTACT LIST: *- if you only have a limited time please contact those with a * next to their name first. Thank You. Senator Phone Fax Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-5521 202-224-4340 Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) 202-224-6621 202-228-0539 Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) 202-224-6441 202-224-1724 *Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)202-224-4944 202-228-3398 *Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) 202-224-5244 202-228-2717 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)202-224-3841 202-228-3954 Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) 202-224-3753 202-228-3997 Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) 202-224-2752 202-228-1067 *Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) 202-224-4521 202-224-2207 Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824 202-224-9735 *Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) 202-224-2644 202-224-8594 Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) 202-224-2551 202-224-1193 Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 202-224-3441 202-228-0514 Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) 202-224-6154 202-228-1518 Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK) 202-224-5754 202-224-6008 *Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)202-224-6542 202-228-3027 *Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) 202-224-5842 202-228-5765 Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665 202-224-5301 Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) 202-224-4343 202-228-1373 Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) 202-224-3041 202-224-2237 Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) 202-224-6361 202-224-2126 *Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO) 202-224-5852 202-228-4609

My understanding is that glucosamine is good for cartiledge, period. So it can help with some joint issues. It is not designed to be a substitute for ibuprofen - i.e., it is neither a pain killer nor an anti-inflammatory. everyone may already know this, but it wasn't clear to me from the thread. I know some older athletes who swear by G. Jimmy

Thanks everyone, this is good stuff. Performance on steep and crusty or icy is probably a good standard to apply, as my only reason to seek the added security of a fixed heel IS to push my envelope. Will be sticking with tele for 90% of the time and praying for pow/corn 100% of the time, of course... On bindings, it seems that the Fritschi Freeride is the bomb? Is that right? What I'm wondering is whether I should just go for the most bomber binding, versus the argument that ANY fixed heel will be such a large incremental improvement in security that I should just go with the lightest one (based on the usual theory that lighter = faster and less tired)? boots questions: one hassle with tele boots is that toe protrusion, which impedes front pointing with crampies. Are the AT boots much more front point friendly? And is use of regular plastic mountaineering boots a realistic option - do they ski ok? do they work with all bindings, or say the fritschi in particular? Man, by the time I'm done with my qs we'll all be out there riding... Jimmy

I'm not planning to use them for lift serve at all. I ski everything at lifties on tele. Only for ski mountaineering when I want the extra ability to stick to the mountain - where falling can have some serious consequences. Or when you're on top of a peak and it is just windscoured, nasty crust. That sort of thing. It wouldn't be for high speed cruising or running gates. All things considered, I'd like em to be light. If I got superlight stuff, is the incremental advantage of the fixed heel vs a free hill going to be significant enuf that it will meet my needs? And what bindings are the easiest to get on/off when you're in difficult terrain? Thanks again, JO

Hi, I know there was a recent thread re beginner AT gear and I've checked it out. I'm a strong long time tele skiier who wants to get some AT gear to help me ski gnarly steeps, like on glaciers, 45 degree plus in less then optimum conditions and/or with scary exposure, and the like, to improve my ski mountaineering options. For example, some of my buds have skiied NFNWR on Adams. I don't think I'd try it on teles, even in great conditions (cuz you can't really know the conditions till yer in the middle of it) but I'd probably try it with the extra edging/stick to the mountain on jump turn ability of a fixed heel. Or maybe to ski either main face of Mt. Buckner, or Emmons glacier. That sort of thing. I bought a pair of K2 World Piste cheap, and am hoping to mount AT bindings on em and get some boots. First, skiis seem ok? Second, what boots/bindings do you recommend? On tele I use old T2s and either Rossi Bandit XXX or Olin Sierra. I am so ready to get out there... Thanks, folks. Jimmy O

I got the rossi bandit xxx last year (sweet deal, used once). Rides great in pow and crud. big and heavy for sure. but with skins on, it is like driving a groomer up hill. you can go very direct. downsides are weight and short radius turns. the skins on a fat ski weigh a ton! I have olin sierras, which have a cut like the k2 super stinx. it is an awesome all around ski. great short radius, plenty of float and holds up well at high speed. 2 years old. I think K2 has some good stuff. World Piste is highly recommended by some of my buddies. The bandit xx gets good reviews too. I don't know the specs on the new crop, but the recent versions of all those skiis are like 105 to 110 in the shovel, with the super stinx having bigger side cut. One advantage to K2 is that there are usually at least 2 chances a year to buy them dirt cheap - but both are spring-summer so if you want 'em now fuggedaboutit. Jimmy O

oh, just saw that this was an old thread, sorry.

Fuji Finepix 2600. 2 mp. 6x optical zoom (yes, 6 - like a 220 slr lens). Light and compact. 59 second video, great for panoramas etc. takes AA batteries (so if your rechargeables die you can replace cheaply). I paid under $300 off the net. Pretty easy to use. The one problem is the viewfinder is very dark on inside shots, so that the subject is like a shadow. the photo comes out ok but the issue is annoying. Photo quality is excellent. Software easy to use, tho it doesn't come with photo-altering software. I use a 128mb card, holds tons. Jimmy O

I have experienced the dark side of the Mounties as much as anyone, but it cracks me up how misinformed so much of the bashing is (hit reply now to share more of your horror stories...). In case you actually care what the basic course does: The Basic course is an all around intro to mountaineering, meaning glacier travel, alpine rock and general alpine climbing. It teaches knots, belay, rappel and some basic rock skills. It teaches snow travel, self arrest, crevasse rescue. It teaches/requires compass use and navigation. It requires MOFA training. There's a field trip on knots and belying. There are two more for practicing belay, rappel, rock climbing, and knots. There's practice in a field setting up c and z pulleys. There's two full weekend field trips for climbing in snow, travelling roped, setting up zpulleys on real crevasses. In fact, it does teach stuff in controlled environments, starting indoors and moving on to places like Camp Long and Spire Rock. In fact, the course starts in January with lectures and field trips, and no climbs are done until sometime in May at the earliest. At one of the early lectures, a fitness professional talks about training and the physical demands of climbing. At one of the early field trips, students are asked to bring a pack loaded for a day rock trip (except rope and rack) and the instructors are asked to do the same. Students in teams of two pair with an instructor. They empty all three packs, go over what they are carrying and why. Students are asked if they would be comfortable bivvying and if so, are supposed to be told they have too much stuff. At least two field trips require practice in cleaning pro and racking it. Students are not required to set up anchors but they are taught how to tie in and they are taught what goes into setting up an anchor. All of the field trip climbing is top roped. Maybe this all doesn't sink in, but the content and opportunity are there in the course. Only three climbs are required in the course. The course does not pretend to be a substitute for experience. Someone who goes cragging four weekends in a row will get more rock climbing in then a student gets in the entire basic course. That's ok. Note that the basic rock climbs are done in boots, not rock shoes. Some people think this is stupid. Again, whatever. Anyone who pays attention and practices will come out of the Basic course with a good skill set and an emphasis on safe climbing but probably not as a strong rock climber. As has been repeated ad nauseum, there's lots of ways to learn stuff about climbing and any basic course is just opening the door, you still have to walk through and get busy. It's kind of odd. I am really good at cracking on the mounties and have lots of material to work with. But the misinformation out there has me looking like a big ol cheerleader. who'd a thunk it... Jimmy O