Dane

"Arcteryx Vertigo Merino Wool Beanie. New. Red. $20" Hoping this is the super lwt single layer beanie? If you can send or post a pic I'm interested.

From experience with family members on Coumadin I would be more worried about a cut or other minor injuries, like a impact bruise, first. Then may be how it effects your endurance. One of my buddies on a steady diet of Coumadin has done several 8Km peaks previous and continues to get out with what appears to be no slowing down. But last trip we did together I was a little surprised he would be on Coumadin the rest of his life as well. Not sure he understood the risk (or that I do) and we haven't talked about it. My father in law is on Coumadin and has ended up in the hospital several times from a simple nose bleed. I've had students on Coumadin end up with some pretty terrible injuries from impact bruises that didn't/wouldn't effect someone not on medication. None of those were in the mtns...and have to say if they had been I would have been a little freaked getting it all managed, if you could out side a clinical situation. As John suggests..no warning labels on fish oil....but this is one I would get experienced and expert medical advice on and may be ask about other side effects.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1150755/Hand-Drill-Recommendation

Not the hatchet handled one with the removable picks? That was a POS ;-) Some guy trimmed the handle on this one. Or this out of balanced thing?

You mean this one? I've had and used it since the mid '70s, Have to say I like a hickory handled Chouinard, A5 (or its new clone) or BD version better. Although none have stood the test of time this one has. The rubber handle was always too slick when it got hot and I got sweaty. So I cross hatched it with a file early on. Which helped some, but still like a nice wood handle better when beating nails in the hot sun. Looks like we use the same climbing tape wrap method to protect and make the hammer more useable in the heat. I just unwrapped mine for the picture.

New rules :-) Pictures of the Chair Peak basin can't be included, and Canadians need not apply :-) On a more serious note...some really nice pictures being posted!

my 2 cents..ski width really depends on the boots and the power they will put down for you. Climbing boots? Go short and skinny. Better boots = fatter skis, may be longer skis that are easier to ski in bad conditions. Worst thing you can do is mis-match ski, boots and bindings. BTDT..expensive mistake and worse yet took the fun out of skiing. How wide the ski also determines the use to some extent. But if your boots aren't up to the task..your intended use...you'll still be bummed.

Orange version, used but in great shape. $60 plus shipping. Awesome, super lwt helmet. More here: http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/ms-ws-petzl-meteor-iii

Not a sales pitch, just my thoughts on skiing in most of them. I think the 404 is a decent binding for the price/weight between that and a 500s. Matt, the TLT's have made the 404s redundant. Pulled then and used Dynafits last weekend for 10K down and a 20 mile tour. Heavy packs, sleds and climbing boots? You kidding me? Knees and ankles are toast if anything goes wrong in any of the "modern" Silvrettas or modern touring/dh bindings for that matter. Dynafit fan myself. But they won't save your knees or legs either when you throw a sled and a heavy pack into the mix. FWIW I think the growing consensus is the Dynafit TLT boots and dynafit bindings ski, walk and climb better than anything previously. Eliminating the need to carry extra boots a bigger percentage of the time. There will also be some new boots shortly that address skiing and climbing even better on the climbing side of it, than it is being done right now...but they won't be cheap.

Petzl has proven they are truthworthy as a manufacture. If there is a problem they fix it quickly and in a very public manner. GRIGRI 2 is just doing it one more time. Bravo Petzl!

SILVRETTA 404 Randonnee AT BINDINGS "U" SIZE large 9-12+ Boots Yellow nylon parts, everything there and work perfectly. $150 plus actual priority mail shipping.

I have a pair of lg 404s I am selling.

Agreed, looks like a grizzley to me. Well done with the picture !

Quick list of some of the "early" modern tools from winter 2002. Some will predate that in 1999/2000/2001. Black Diamond Viper (old silver ones) C.A.M.P. Tiburon Cassin Mirage Charlet Moser Quark (available fall '99) DMM Xeno Grivel Tech Wing (earlier?) Hugh Banner Spitfire Omega Alpha Ti Stubai Scorpio Trango Madame Hook More here: http://www.climbing.com/print/equipment/icetool225/ I'd guess the date the Ergos @ 2002, and later on the first Fusion. Question might be answered better on Will's gravsport web site. I wasn't very interested in the first dbl handled tools. So I didn't pay much attention past the new weird stuff Pete was climbing on..

I'll post something better when i get time. More here: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=382806&tn=0&mr=0 Pete on early Z handled tools pre Fusions. http://videosonar.com/2/video/mixed%20climbing/xh15kb.html But Daniel is on it. The "Eboch" was the first radiacally bent tool shaft but it was a leashed tool. Grivel followed with the first bent shaft. Z handles and leashless climbing were a direct result of the ice comps. Few followed Henry Barber doing vertical ice on straight shafted tools, leashless.

"This is rock climbing. There are no rules." Seems pretty obvious that unattended draws have yet to have a "rule". No matter what side of the coin you are on, obviously others have a differing opinion. That shouldn't be news to anyone. Even one leaving draws to project a .10b. With the differing opinions held by the climbing community currently, one would expect draws left unattended to dissappear on a regular basis. Easy answer I would think. Take them home with you. Or at least take them home if you are tempted to leave them on such a easy climb to clean. Kinda like leaving the keys in the Porsche over night......not all that smart.

Yes, good skiing as well last Sunday. You could easily boot up hill in the morning. Still hard around 4PM as the clouds came in.

Well done!

Ha, ha ;-) I might buy it protects the shaft but "dampen the vibration". Not so much. Nomics? I've seen Nomics worn out and the head loose from not using a hammer on the aluminum head to hammer with. And I've seen Nomic heads really pounded out. Petzl uses glue and one rivet to attach the head. No doubt it could happen but never seen a cracked shaft.

Omega Pacific isn't that old. It would be SMC. OP came into the picture 20 years later. But Bonaiti as well for earlier REI marked stuff. Kong was a later mark on Bonaiti as w/f mentions. The Bonaiti you are showing is mid '70s gear not 60s. And I 'd bet originally bought at REI if you found it in NA.

Oh, wait..wrong camera

Bad form and irresponsible to abandon your partner? Yes. Illegal to be alone without a solo permit above 10K on Rainier? yes. "wandering around on the upper Nisqually, solo". Dumb? yes? Dumb to not climb FF before you ski it? yes

Other than cost....which in the long run is a seriously flawed arguement when this can the obvious result: Even $1000 is cheap for boots in comparison. Having warm feet and not having to dick with your boots or crampons on a trip? Priceless.

Fair enough, I prefer to buy performace than earn it any time possible Scott Super Lights? I had friends try to use them with Vibram soles glued on back in the late 70s. One even took them to Nepal for some hard technical climbing. He blew his knees out on that trip. Funny everyone was quick to point at the Scott boots as the culprit. This was a season before Koflachs came on the scene. Kolflachs are hard on your knees as well. More likely the big loads and over training than the boots in retrospect blowing his knees out. The TLT5s certainly climb and ski better than any of the Scotts did. But even in that format the Scotts were warm enough and climbed well enough to take them a long ways off the road. I keep reading "they lack ski performance" in reference to the TLT5s. But can't find anyone actually skiing in them that bothers using the extra support offered by the removable tongue And it is now the boot of choice by more than a few, where, "you fall you die". Seems counter intuitive if the TLT boots don't perform at tthe highest levels. Up to a 105mm x 188cm fat ski I am happy (raving) with the resulting performance of the TlT5s.

"They probably don't climb as well as the new $1K dynafits...should probably be in the Rants and Raves forum, huh?" Dynafits TLT5 Mtns could be had for $550 online a bit ago Haven't checked again after I got mine. I tried to make a point of not raving about one brand of boot, ski or binding...(although i did mention the tech bindings) just that things have really changed in a very short amount of time for AT skiing. My kit including skis, boots and bindings is less than 11.5# total. On anything I can ski or climb it isn't the gear holding me back. Good review on the Meastrale: http://www.wildsnow.com/2951/scarpa-maestrale-boot-review/ Maestrale weight 3 lbs 6 oz size 27 40 degrees of cuff rotation TLT5 TF weight 2 lb 5 oz size 27 60 degrees of cuff rotation