Mark_Husbands

I have an MEC Northernlite (Primaloft) Jacket (currently US$75, but I bought the ugly color for less at the time). I like it. 17 ounces. No hood. Zips into its own little pocket. Got to admit that Montbell jacket at 8.2 ounces looks pretty nice.

I have had 2 microdiskectomy surgeries on my L 4/5. The first one was in Winter 2000, the last one was Summer 2001. However, my first experience with back injury went back to 1992 (carrying furniture during a move). At that time I was laid up for several months, but because of the cost of MRIs in 92 I never got one. I went through several months of physical therapy and things improved to "normal" for many years... Unfortunately I didn't really learn my lesson, and went back to doing episodic hard labor jobs. So when my back went south in 2000 following a summer of USFS trail construction and backcountry rangering, I had a track record of back trouble. That, combined with the very bad condition I endured for 3 months or so--I was actually crooked, could barely walk, and my MRI showed a massive herniation--meant that I opted in for surgery pretty quick. I couldn't justify waiting around for another 3 months to see if a non-invasive treatment would work out. After that surgery I recovered to comfortable wlaking condition after about 2 months, and then strted going to gym to see if I could get back into athletics. I was in my fourth year on a ski patrol (which I spent at radio dispatch), and by Spring was taking very casual turns on groomers. The skiing body position wasn't really uncomfortable, but I was quite worried about falling. For me, the feeling of instability in the lower back persisted long after the sciatic pains were erased. By summer I was out in the mountains doing alpine moderates (which is all I can get up anyway). I moved to New England in Fall 2000 and had a great season ice climbing. Unfortunately, that spring I started to get bad persistent sciatica again, not following any identifiable injury event. I went in for an MRI and had a huge herniation of a disk fragment. My pain wasn't nearly as powerful as the first time, and my subsequent recovery after surgery was quicker, probably four weeks. Now its been several years and things seem to be going pretty well. I've accepted that certain activites aren't worth the risk of recurrence. I avoid heavy lifting when I can, avoid using using heavy hand tools, and don't carry big packs. I have skiied very little, but that's really because I have gotten more intersted in ice climbing. Likewise, my lifestyle doesn't really allow for long trips so real big packs aren't really an issue. The main thing that causes me back pain now--soreness that is limited to the injury site and does NOT include sciatica--is driving and sitting too long at a desk. Excercise usually makes me feel better, looser and more flexible. Sometimes after a long hike I get a bit sore, but its not unacceptable. Your goal of skiing after a 3 month recovery from microdiskectomy may not be totally unreasonable, but I would urge you not to let this season weigh into your decision-making at all, even though it's hard not to focus on the activities you want to be doing while you are laid up suffering. Go for surgery when you think you have exhausted non-invasive alternatives--that would be my advice. On the other hand, surgery has produced acceptable results for me. Mark (NOTE THAT 6TH PARAGRAPH IS EDITED...WORD "NOT" TENDS TO ALTER THE MEANING OF SENTENCES)

I have G14s with crampomatics and G12s with newmatic. I think thats the right combo. i originally bought the G12s for use in alaska so i could put them over an overboot with greater confidence, but have used them since on rainier and other mountainering purposes. i've used the G14s mainly as monos on water ice cragging, and used duals bouldering on the nisqually. i would proabably use G14s with duals on winter alpine routes if i ever get the chance to get out. so i guess for me the crampomatic makes the most sense for vertical. i dont worry so much about the twisting forces tourquing the toe bail off in this situation.

"You're all into the letter of the law when it comes to power drills violating the rules of wilderness yet you're willing to stretch the wilderness boundary 2 miles past it's legal limit when it suits you." Who might you be talking about? It appears only Merv has taken issue with sport type development outside Wilderness boundaries (e.g. Alpental). Personally, i'm OK with this type of recreational development as long as it is consistent with other legitimate uses (say second home leases or the function of special use permittees such as Alpental) and done responsibly (say, no chipping, glueing, littering, vandalism, and so on) and with appropriate environmental mitigation (say, method for disposing human waste, trail construction if needed to curb erosion).

I am surprised by the chainsaw thing too. Ask the WTA here in Washington. When they do a work trail party, everybody brings these big band saws--sometimes they look to be 6 feet in length. I have asked why bandsaws. Same answer everytime is: "It's in a Wilderness Area and we cannot use chainsaws". Ask Marylou. She is more up on it than I am. However, I will say I believe some backcountry horsemen will use a chainsaw...if nobody knows about it. "Except as specifically provided for in this Act, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area." The next section describes exceptions, mainly from existing uses at the time of designation. fulltext: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct#5 The chainsaw thing hinges on agency interpretation of "minimum requirements for the administration of the area". This is sometimes called the "minimum tool" question. The Forest Service takes the line that trail maintenance and construction should be completed with simple tools because they are more consistent with the character of wilderness. The Park Service is much more open to the use of machines for administrative purposes, and often uses chainsaws and even helicopters to deliver trail supplies to remote sites. both agencies accept rescues as an appropriate administrative exception to the prohibition on machines. I used to work trail crew on the Inyo NF, and we used mules, misery whips, sledge hammers, rock bars and so on to do all that work. We also blasted with ANFO and dynamite. i always thought it was weird, but I think the reason explosives are seen as consistent but chainsaws arent goes back to the "western" vision of wilderness shared by many of the Acts authors and wilderness managers of the period. Explosives had been used for mining for a hundred years before the passage of the Act, so it seemed to fit in with the mules and double bits. personally, I think the Park approach gets the job done quicker and maybe cheaper. As for Wilderness bolting, I think the status quo is a pretty good compromise: you can hand place bolts but you may not use a power drill. This allows routes that link natural, protectable features to have an occasional bolt on a runout but prevents sport climbing development in wilderness. i've personally never carried a bolt kit and dont climb routes that warrant it, but it wouldnt burn me up to know that someone pioneered a wilderness route with a bolt here and there. but i'd be irritated at sport development in wilderness, although i don't think its inappropriate development in other roaded, non-wilderness areas.

I wonder if anyone can compare (perhaps has actually tried on) the fit/sizing of the old (blue leather) Freney to the new (space-age disco blue/silver) Freny XT. 41 works well for me in the Freney XT, and I've noticed some web bargains on the old model, but...no try on opportunity do i know of.

i just take gore tex off when its hot.

hmmm... does anyone else value being able to zip pants on while wearing crampons? If not, why have zippers run up to your hip joint anyway? why not ankle zips?

i like full zips so as to don them w/o stepping through anything. i fall over and its embarrassing.

swank

1. why won't arc'teryx finish their zippers? 2. Do any other outerwear companies size their pants/bibs short-tall?

socks are aid

i have a whisp. american alpine club members get a good deal on this light bag. pretty nice, especially for the price (about $150).

i like my g-14s

(the long ridge in shadowed profile...FA F. Becky)

Congratulations.

Because they have high angle slopes made of rock with NO trees nearby.

Thanks for the recommendations.

elderberry canyon, mt. tom basin mountain 1000s of feet of california corn http://www.sierramountaincenter.com/pages/individualtripspages/wintertrips/skidescentcamps.php http://ericandlucie.com/Bishop/Elderberry/Elderberry.htm

what about Mowich face as an alternative? i read somewhere that this can be good once nights start getting colder again. not sure about rockfall.

can anyone recommend an affordable motel/hotel in Canmore? I'll be with my wife and 1 yr old (and my buddy, his wife and 1 yr old) so kitchenettes are good and dirtbag bunks are out. thanks for any recommendations.

it's called Temple Crag

The Wilderness Act allows for limited motorized use for administrative purposes only. The heli-skiing idea is illegal and silly. So too with your needless screed against the park and park employees. I have spent a fair bit of time up there. I don't hear rangers bitching about the park. I hear you bitching about your sense of entitlement to easy park access. "Pathetic!"

look into it...it's a congressionally approved purchase and exchange that will provide a new, easier (cheaper) to maintain access point, and increase protected acreage.

Surveys and public comment suggest National Park visitors are highly satisfied with the parks. The same goes for MRNP. Other polls show NPS is the most trusted agency in the federal government. Most people don't support your development agenda. At MNRP, there will be a new visitor center replacing the JVC, and some type of shuttle system to reduce parking problems in Paradise, and maybe to provide limited access to Westside road and Mowich. There will be no new visitor centers out there, but there will be a facility down near Ashford so folks can get information without driving to Paradise to do so. Information about park funding is out there, and shows about a 1-2% increase in hard funds...less than inflation. So the real purchasing power is going down. There are other soft money sources for emergency road repair--right now the Park is fixing almost every backcountry bridge in the park, and planning to shore up the big hole in Sunshine Pt. campground. Securing these funds from a tightfisted congress is a competitive process. i dont think spending money on WSR represents a wise priority at all. And your visitor center idea is the realm of pure fantasy, thank goodness. the idea that parks and park visitors can be best served by extensive development was abandoned after Mission 66. The proposal to put VCs out there would never survive the public comment period, much less the inevitable court challenge. Visitation Total Recreation Visits for FY 2004- Not Yet Reported Total Recreation Visits for FY 2003- 1,312,415 Total Recreation Visits for FY 2002- 1,267,050 Total Recreation Visits for FY 2001- 1,338,235 Budget FY 2004 Annual Budget is $9,290,000 FY 2003 Annual Budget is $9,162,000 FY 2002 Annual Budget is $9,019,000 FY 2001 Annual Budget is $8,837,000