Jake_Gano

Retrobolting sucks... but nothing chaps my ass like the Man telling me what I can or can't do on public property. If this passes I'm doing some fly by night drilling just on the point of the matter.

"Drill baby drill" Sarah = retrobolter!!!

Good write up Dane. Have you actually spent much time on ice with those Omegas? I love their weight and warmth - but my experience is they are a bitch to get laced up tight enough to be secure on steep ground. Some sort of lacing system on the inner boot similar to the old Invernos (or any other double boot) would help that problem.

Very cool and creative photos! I love the Wallowas.

Buy a 70L pack and you'll end up carrying too much shit, all the time.

Just make sure the hood works with your helmet. Must windshirts designed for runners or yuppywear won't work with a helmet. Other than that they are all about the same. I have one from Mammut that I like.

The feedback is a few days late - I already bought the tent. I'll post my thoughts when I have a chance to take it out.

Anybody used one? Looks like a nice tent, and I have the chance to pick one up on the cheap. However, they were only made for a couple of years, which makes me wonder if there is a problem with them (and that's why nobody bought them?) or if it was just to specialized for public consumption.

Wow

I have a TNF Fission. Mgear has them on sale now. Listed weight is under 3 lb. It works as well as anything else I've owned.

Story?

Awesome TR John. We'll have to get together next time you're up here.

North Cascades Crest by Jim Martin

Get a milepost... it'll tell you all you need. If you have an extra gas can you should never be in trouble. I drove the Cassiar in a ford danger ranger that barely started every time, except the times it didn't. Everyone in AK should do the drive at least once.

On an unrelated note, there was an excellent thread on gravsports about an anchor failure. In this case the leader had weighted a screw and the screw held, but as he was moving to set up a v-thread the screw blew, a second screw blew, and he ended up taking a factor 2 onto the anchor, blowing one of the two anchor screws. The followup and analysis was interesting: http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7483#Post7483

Hell yeah. How's the rock?

FWIW I see more of them out around here than any other tools, and everyone I know that has them loves them. I went climbing last weekend with a guy who sold his new vipers for the Matrix Techs. The winner of the Alaska Ice Fest comp last year was using Quantum Tech, which he reportedly sold his Nomics for. I've swung them both in the shop. I own (new-style) Cobras, but if I were doing it over again I'd probably buy the Quantum techs.

Try here: http://www.alaskaiceclimbing.com/phpBB3/index.php Been warm in south-central AK this fall. People have been pulling down on the high stuff for awhile now, but for roadside fun you're still early.

They're called 'poly drums'. Online tool stores like Granger have them, but if you start asking around local hardware stores it shouldn't be hard to turn up some.

I caught this gem from the air last week. Three greasy leathernecks stood between me and a view of the Phantom Wall from the other side of the plane: [img:left]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4762055987_ac7db3378d_b.jpg[/img]

I caught these riding a red-eye from Anchorage to Chicago over Christmas '08. Not a phenomenal photo but it shows many of the big south side features. [img:left]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4718826824_4934b06f74_b.jpg[/img] [img:left]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4718825542_18ccbefdcd_b.jpg[/img]

Why I love RC.com: "kachoong wrote: Word on the street is that all the C4 colors are about to change. Heh! Perhaps all different shades of green. They could also stamp a different president on each size. Washington on the 0.3, Franklin on the 0.4 etc... " See how many more pages it goes before anyone points out what job Franklin didn't have.

If you are looking at the Omegas, make sure you are getting the more recent model with the (very warm) Intuition heat mold-able liners. The orginal stock liners weren't very warm, or so I've heard. Starting two or three seasons ago, they started selling Omegas with the Intuition liners and greatly stepped up the quality for these boots. Some retailers may still stock and sell boots with the original liners, so be sure to ask when you are loooking. I've done overnighters at -20F (we had a thermometer) with just a single heavy wool sock and the Intuition Omegas without a complaint. Yes, they are very low profile. And light. The lighter plastic shell doesn't hold up as well as my old-school purple top invernos did. But at a fraction of the weight, I'm not complaining.

Not my story, but a good read: http://www.alaskaiceclimbing.com/tales.htm