cracked

Muffy!

AT skiers, like most Alpental locals. They open this weekend from what I heard. International cliffs are the cliffs at the top of the ski area, above the run Lower International (look it up on a trail map). The slide was pretty small, intial reports said 100 feet wide, 1 foot deep. Swept them into a terrain trap.

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.co...query=avalanche One Eric Lewis according to the news.

What about the Matrixs? I'd have to buy new, and I want garmont liners. I don't want to spend $700 on boots, that's more than the skis and bindings together.

Shit.

I'd buy a split in a heartbeat, but I figure I should become a less than so suck skier first.

I don't know about the Dynafits. I've got brand new Comforts in a box in a corner, but then I have to get new boots. Megarides don't go big enough to accommodate my ankles and calves, so I'd have to go with Laser and mod them extensively like I've done with my Denalis. But that's a PITA, and costs more, too. Maybe I'll just put Freerides on them, keep the Denalis, and deal with the weight. I dearly love those XTs by now. Hey Rudy, I heard that K2 was going to name the Shuksan the "Rudy" because it's short and doesn't ski well, but the PR people stepped in at the last minute.

As of two hours ago, I have a 'quiver'.

Dr. Crash, I've been doing all my winter overnighters with a Sub Kilo and an 18 ounce Polarguard jacket. Works great, but I'd want a heavier jacket for technical climbing when you'll be spending lots of time stationary at belays. YMMV.

Yeah, must be. Barry Blanchard was spotted using the Micro Puff jacket as a belay jacket in the Canadian Rockies. Guess he must be fat and out of shape. You waif, you!

Yeah, NOLSe, we're all glad that you're here to give your expert alpine opinion on everything. Give it a rest. And I use the Golite equivalent to the Micropuff as a belay jacket frequently.

Quarks strike me as too damn light.

Billygoat wins by a kilometer.

So, like, how do climbers help the environment, dude?

Oh, yeah, I use the Korean manual all the time.

I want that line too.

What hate? I might belong to the demographic of jibbers, but I don't identify with the activity. I have no inclination whatsoever to participate, but there's no hate. The mountains are what interest me. This is the first time I've ever heard of widespread animosity.

Yeah. But it died recently.

Patagonia fits my +4 ape index just barely. Better than Marmot, Arc'teryx, or Mountain Hardwear. My shoulders and chest are on the large side of OK for XL. Their silkweight capilene is bizarre, the sleeves of my XL end about halfway up my forearms. Doesn't bother me much. I just buy the largest size made (including boots) and pray that it fits. So I don't have an opinion if Patagonia XL is really something else.

I did all my trips last year with a ~2500 cubic inch pack. I now have a Wild Things Ice Sac at 3200, and found it big enough that I got rid of the Arc'teryx Khamsin 62 that I never used. 3200 is plenty.

Barryvox.

Do it yourself. Easy, fun, cheaper. Don't worry about burning them if you follow TT's instructions.

I broked the adjustment barrel on my G12s while climbing last weekend. I had them tight since one had popped off my boot in Lillooet last year (probably was my fault since it never happened again). So don't go too tight! I noticed that the plastic was folding over, like yours, before they broke. Guess that's a bad indicator. Is the heel groove of your boot very shallow or sloping? Can you grind some plastic away to get a better fit? Is the boot sole like my old Sportiva Eigers in that the crampon ledge is not plastic but rubber? If so, could the rubber have deformed enough for the crampon to pop off? Maybe you can replace it with a black diamond or petzl bail that fits your boot better? Either way, I wouldn't go sawing away at the heel piece...it works fine for so many people that I'd think the problem is in your boots, not the crampons. Good luck.

Stone Gardens is clique-ish. Mainly boulderers, finding people to climb ropes with was impossible for me. I never really fit in, and quit going after a while. It just wasn't fun. Not my cup of tea, you might well respond differently. Never climbed at VW.

I have the Golite Six Month Night, the Coal, and their new Belay. I like them all. The SMN is BIG, WARM, and BULKY. Right at two pounds; it's not significantly heavier than the competition (eg Wild Things Belay, Patagonia DAS, etc, etc), and it's probably warmer than most. Well built, good hood, waist and hem drawcords, good pockets, the works. It weighs what it does because of the insulation, it's light for what it is. Sure, you can build a jacket that weighs six ounces, but comparing it to the SMN is apples to oranges, since we're talking warmth to weight here. Its greatest disadvantage is its bulk, not weight. The Coal was less than perfect, but the price sure was right. I liked the jacket and used it for a year, but the hood was less than stellar and the cut was mediocre. Still quite warm for the weight, very windproof and water repellent, it saved me from being very very cold a few times. When the Coal was getting too small for me, and I found a killer deal, I got the Belay. It's essentially a slightly shorter version of the Coal with a great hood, longer sleeves, an EPIC shell, and a bit of reinforcement. While I wish they didn't feel the need to add gimmicks like stretch armpit panels and reinforcements, it's a great jacket. It is very similar to Wild Things' EPIC jacket or Patagonia's Puff series, but I suspect it's a bit warmer than either. This is my go-to jacket for the stuff that I do. I always match the jacket with a light sleeping bag in the winter, and for the rest I used it when I stop for a break or belay. Once I was forced to wear the Coal while moving, but usually they're overkill. The SMN is great when you're stationary for long periods. But it's overkill for what I'm typically doing, which is (very slowly) skiing up and down little hills. And it's big enough that I really can't wear it inside my sleeping bag. So it's been relegated to trips that I haven't done yet, belaying at Smith in winter, and climbing during particularly cold weather. The Coal is pretty much all I used last winter. The Belay is even better than the Coal, the EPIC fabric is fantastically water resistant, and the short length allows for easy belaying despite the lack of a two way zipper. I cut the arms off of the Coal and use it as a vest now. Golite makes some dubious products, but IMHO their insulated jackets are great, easily on par with other manufacturers, and usually you can find them at much, much lower prices than you'd pay their competitors. So if you're a cheap bastard, snag them off of Sierra Trading Post and the like. And it's not fair to compare down to synthetic. You couldn't wear your Flight as outerwear in a rain/sleet storm. Likewise, you will never beat its warmth to weight ratio. Apples and oranges. I am not sponsored by Golite. And sorry for the thesis.