JoshK

Nice! Same situation when I did this several years back - Ice Cliff was too cruddy to be a reasonable ski so we went down the Sherpa. Still a great ski.

I gotta say I love my whippets even though I don't think there is much chance for self-arrest while skiing very steep slopes. they come in handy for many things like steadying yourself during switchbacks on steep icy slopes, hooking tree branches, pulling dynafit levers, a little self belay, etc. Though years ago I did use my whippets for exactly what Colin describes there - digging in to a slope with all my might as I shat myself hoping the slide going over me wouldn't take me down with it. Who knows if they helped keep me on the mountain, but I was happy to have them. As for the original topic - I can't believe that dude took a 700m tumble and stood up afterwards...holy crap.

Lots of good advice here. I'm going to risk getting made fun of here, but one thing I have used in a few situations is an umbrella. Granted it is no use in schwacking or technical terrain but for trail walking or huddling under while taking a break they can be great.

Now I'm getting one for Sodastream, where I can make my own soda at home...to enjoy with my cougar momma.

Nothing wrong with it, I just wouldn't think this would be the most suitable target audience for recruitment.

I can't imagine a worst place to try to get people to join the army at than cc.com! I suppose I can kind of see why adsense would put the cougarlife.com one up though. It's pretty funny I admit. Or maybe its directing it at me due to my numerous google searchs for cougar pr0n?

She can now be found on cougarlife.com looking for a man to share her passion for self promotion, bleached hair, leathery skin and snow slogging.

Rockclimbingsingles.com was bad enough, but now ads for cougarlife.com? Lol!

Ahh damn, it's a high altitude $$ slog fest show down!

Anybody here ski on one of the newer model BD Havocs? They are the ones with the black and orange topsheet. I used to ski an older model havoc (green/grey topsheet) and really liked them. I hear they have changed them a bit though. I'm looking at getting a pair so any comments appreciated. thanks!

The wind was really howling yesterday. I climbed a ways above Methow Pass (up Swamp Creek, W of Rainy Pass) with the intention of bivying on one of the high points. Despite rock hard snow the wind was scouring up spindrift and I ended up having to retreat and camp lower for the sake of my lightweight tent and my sanity. Good to hear you weren't sent airborne!

Maybe I've been doing it wrong, but I always found skiing was more fun with the stick thingies on my feet, not my back.

Looks like they were taking instruction from my upcoming book "Building Anchors for People You Don't Like".

Especially in an area of the country which lacks water and is likely a pretty unsustainable area to build in.

Now that SR20 is open, a plethora of approachs to the mighty Mt. Logan are available. I've wanted to ski this thing for years. Last time I tried I went up to Easy Pass but the Fisher Creek valley was sadly devoid of snow. Maybe I just caught it too late in a bad year or something. It's a long way from every direction but I'm trying to minimize time spent in the skis-on-back Mr. Roboto hiking mode. What route/approach would people guess would be best in the next 2 weeks or so?

Niiiice, that line just went on my list. Looks like a blast. It might be on purpose, but you left the little orange protecto-condom thing on your whippet. P.S. You lugging around a wheelbarrrow to the trailheads?

Fwiw, you can still find those skis several places online.

I'll have to put in a vote for the Integral MK1XL. I flat out love mine. It's going on 7 (I think?) seasons now and I've used it in every type of weather imaginable. The type of fabric they use (same as the "Toddtex" Bibler tents have) is tough and keeps the tents quite warm. It sets up very quickly. In bad weather i just get inside it and assemble it from within. All and all it is among the best pieces of outdoor gear I've owned.

I was on the road just outside the huge sno-mo lot, about 30 feet in front of the winter closure sign with the pictuers of the snowshoer and skier. Nope, the pickup isn't mine. I'm considering driving over there and seeing if I can find them, though I figure the chances are slim and then that is another $40 in gas and 5 hours wasted.

Wow, that footage is gorgeous...

Very bummed about this...looks like I left my two whippets next to where my car was parked near the Salmon la Sac sno-park this past week. If anybody happened to come across them or know a sledder or skier that picked them up, I'd be very gracious to know, those damn things are big $$ and I use them all the time. :'(

Wow...awesome pics, though the skiers pictured in them go a long way to proving the "better lucky than smart" theory. It seems as if this season has been full of near misses. It is one thing if you make observations and decide its safe and you just get unlucky, but it seems like a trend lately of people just "going for it."

Anybody have a clue how close one could get to Trinity on the Chiwawa River road before hitting a gate/snow/etc?

The only reason it didn't become an epic is because Ivan is one hellavu good counterweight.