robertjoy

Two years ago I was about to buy a set of snow tires for my Subaru Outback. At one shop they introduced my to the NOKIAN, and I learned that it was "rated" as a traction device (with the little snowflake), which makes it legal in most circumstances in OREGON. Most suprisingly, it was also rated at 40,000 miles, which is why I bought a set and use them year-round. Only a small percentage of the miles I drive are on snow, but now the traction on snow is improved and I never have to worry about getting cited for not using chains. Price was very reasonable.

HypoAllergenic dogs, such as the poodle, or wheaten terrier, are single-coat dogs. Snow dogs (camping in snow etc.) calls for a double coat with strong insulating/precip shedding qualities. There appears to be NO overlap between these criteria. But I have run across one exception, although I am suspicious of the claim. The Native American Indian Dog, is a cult "breed" and its proponents claim it is hypoallergenic Note that in almost every respect these dogs appear to be very closely related to Malamutes, and Huskies.

search Ebay for the Sierra Designs Hyperlight. It is very light, sleeps two snugly, and quality is very good. I am a mostly 3-season mountaineer, and a good 3-season tent staked out properly can be quite survivable even above the treeline. Most of my fellow climbers choose not use their "bomb-proof" 4-season tents in routine 3-season climbing in the Cascades.

Yes, the USGS maps are the benchmark, but these days I use Natnl Geographic TOPO! to produce "customized" 24K topo maps for each climb. 1. You can print the UTM grid on the map to enable use of GPS in whiteout, etc. No need to hand draw the grid. 2. Map can be printed on one sheet of waterproof paper. 3. You can print waypoints or routes on the map. 4. Map can be custom sized, so that you can enlarge the area you want to fill a page, and not print areas which are not near your route. USGS maps are very "basic".

Nylon shorts to just above the knee, over polypro long underwear. Gaiters can be worn when hiking thru wet brush, snow, or when the weather is a a bit cold or windy. In the coldest or wettest conditions, waterproof-breathable pants with full side zips can be layered over the top.

At the beginning of climbing season, when I don't want to risk a blister in my medium weight mountaineering boots, I use "Band-Aid Blister Block". These little adhesive pads fit very well and definitely prevent those heel blisters. The question of what type of socks to use is not as clear-cut as people say. I find that the slippery liner socks actually promote heel slipping and blisters. I wear only a pair of medium-weight merino wool hiking socks. After a few climbs or hikes the heels get used to the boots, (and new boots break in). Makalus are not all that stiff, they will start to flex. You can try forcing the to flex a bit at home to speed up the break in time.

I just purchased the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX for $330 (incl Shipping) from DELL, online. Online deals are easy to find, you should not have to pay retail. The 60CSX uses the newest technology, the SiRF3 chipset, which is FAR superior in reception sensitivity and speed to position fix. These are easily worth an extra $100.

Garmin Geko 201 for sale. Good as new, with manual. $60. in Portland area rjoy@farmersagent.com

Can anyone give me an update on snow conditions from trailhead thru snowgrass flats up to RR grade? I was originally hoping to climb via Eason Glacier at end of June, but will postpone until snow is gone at lower levels for easier pack-in.

The Monkey SPANKED me on this one too. My companion, a hot-shot teenager, had led it contrary to instructions, and while following I peeled off, pendulumed, and ended up dangling below the "bulge". As prussiking up would take some time, I began to wonder if my young buddy had ever been taught how to tie-off a fallen climber. All turned out OK, but this route gave me quite a surprise. What is it's rating?

Inspiring tale, I have had this photo of Mox Peak as my desktop for the last few months. This was not taken by me!

After having many climb partners refuse to share my floorless Megamid, I purchased a sil-nylon tent from Wanderlust Gear. It is supported by two trekking poles, and so packed weight is a mere 2 lbs. It is great for 3 season camping below the tree line, may not be strong enough to resist high winds above treeline. See website: http://www.wanderlustgear.com/

For alpine routes, a 70m rope is too long/heavy to be practical. The old standard of 50m has been replaced by 60m because there are many new "sport" climbs which require a 60m rope (or two) for the rappel. The weight of a 60m x 9.8mm rope is about the same as a 50m x 10.2mm rope. The lighter/thinner rope will usually have a lower "fall rating", but what the heck, I don't fall anyway. A 9.8 lead rope is durable enough for anyone I know who is not a guide. If you can afford a second rope for snow (only), you might consider something 9mm or thinner.

Planning to climb Mt Shuksan via Sulfide Glacier next weekend, can anyone update me on glacier/snow conditions?

Just what I wanted to hear!

Planning to climb Mt Thomson on 6/19. Is there snow on the trail/how much? We plan to camp at Ridge Lake. We'd appreciate up to date info. We may reschedule if much of the trail is still snow covered.

I am very impressed with my BD Zenix IQ. It throws a powerful light, takes only two AA batteries, has a reasonable battery life, and is light and compact. Particularly useful is the voltage regulator, which maintains the light at univorm brightness, then blinks intermittently when the batter is very low on juice, and then again when it is on the verge of blacking out.

Swifts aren't the only birds way up there. Several years ago as I was topping out on Carabid I was assailed by the honking of a Canada goose who was sitting on her nest on a shelf about 20 feet from the top of the climb... pity the goslings of that climbing fool!

REI Tents are good quality, but may be a bit heavy, and do not use most up to date materials. I just upgraded from an REI 2+ person dome (8 years use) to a Sierra Designs Hyperlight AST (MSRP $265, new on Ebay $165). Note that I originally paid $150 for my REI dome, which is at least two pounds heavier. I would'nt worry about the quality of REI tents, but do compare features and weight, and then shop for name brand tents with better features or weight on Ebay.

I am thinking of climbing in the Sawtooths for a week in August with a few friends. I'd like to hear about a good basecamp where we can easily get to several nice climbs in the 5.2-5.8 range. Let me know if you have been to a nice spot, maybe not too crowded.

Let's see... experience: slight to none. And apparently your friends were not able to answer your very basic questions about mountaineering. Other writers have mentioned the very common problem of high wind/extreme cold. Do you imagine that your two friends could successfully lead you down from the summit in 80mph wind and sub-zero temps for maybe 6 hours? You didn't mention wands or GPS, how about descending in a white-out? You seem to be assuming that an early season clmb of Shasta requires no prior experience. I hope you and your friends will honestly address your ability to cope with the "dangerous" conditions which occur commonly on Mt. Shasta. I would suggest starting with a summer climb with at least one experienced companion.

Driving PDX to J-Tree takes about 17 hours. Driving straight thru is a problem if you arrive at there at night and can't find a camping place. I have gone at the end of March, and we camp south of Sacramento just east of I-5 (George Hatfield SRA). This place is practically deserted, so it is not hard to find a camping spot even at night. Then, if you leave early, you can get to J-Tree in the early afternoon, find a place to stay, and do some climbing in the afternoon. I have found temps at the end of March to be wonderful, 65 to 80 degrees. check out <http://climbingjtree.com>

slept with a buddy in his sil-shelter on Sloan Peak two years ago. I was in an alpine meadow with a stream, but in the evening the bugs came out. They bothered my buddy quite a bit, but me not so much. Several years ago I was using a megamid under similar conditions, and I burned a mosquito coil in the tent to keep it clear during the evening hours when the bugs were bad. Did not use coil while we slept, and that system was quite effective.

Hey! I just sold my faithful GPS12 and got a Gekko 201. For mountaineerng I don't see how you would need anything more expensive. I would never use the fancy street map downloads. The Gekko is tiny, light, and has all the features a mountaineer would want, I think. RMJ

I have a camping permit for six which I can't use. Permit is for for 4 days in the heart of Alpine Lakes (Enchantment Zone, Snow Lk Trailhead entry), Aug 10-13. Prusik Peak is calling you! <robertjoy@bigfoot.com>