wfinley

If you like snow avoid short haired breeds; our other dog is a lab / terrier mutt with short hair. He pretty much fights to stay inside all 9 months of winter. He loves spring corn but we have had to cut a few powder days short because he was shivering uncontrollably!

My old dog passed away this past spring. He was the best climbing partner one could ever wish for. 1/2 lab and 1/2 sled dog. I used to always say I got the best of both worlds - the faithful loving companion of a lab but the independence and brains of a good sled dog. My wife often disagreed and claimed I instead had a dumb lab crossed with a sled dog that didn't listen. He weighed 55 lbs, fit perfectly into a tent, shed only twice a year (in the spring / fall he lost / gained his winter coat) and loved to run and ski. At the same time he could happily chill on his bed on a rainy day.

Hell yeah!! Nice job guys and great photos!

I picked up a copy a few years ago while driving thorough Canada and was impressed with the quality. How can 'mericans get a copy?

Wow! What climbs are where the slide was? It didn't mess up any of the those great Canuck multi pitch sport routes did it?

Congrats! It is a beautiful route; sounds like you climbed it in style. It was nice meeting you & Evan - I imagine I'll see you up here again!

So did you have enough food? How'd the homemade sleeping bag work out? When are you going to put up pix and a trip report?

If you had been attacked and had the means to kill the bear? Huh? Ever been charged by a bear? Have you even seen one? The last thing on your mind after a 300 lb bear charges you is going after it. In fact you are more likely to do something irrational, like pull your wife in front of you (I can attest to this ) , rather than act tough. The article doesn't say much... the family says there was no food but interviews with USFS staff hint at a food source. They don't say much -- i.e. - was there food in the tent? Did the kid eat smelly hots dogs, drip ketchup all over his shirt and then go to bed in it? Was the campground clean or was there trash and food everywhere so the bear was used to eating junk? Bear attacks in Alaska are a summer norm. At least everyone knows someone (or knows someone who knows someone) who has been mauled. And virtually anyone who steps outside has stories of being charged (there is currently a bear in town that is charging bikers on a well used bike path). For the most part when an attack happens the press is good about explaining why... food, smelly cloths, kids covered in honey for a photo etc.. Except for a handful of very high profile incidents it is virtually unheard of for a bear to attack a human as a food source if that bear has not in some manner become accustomed to humans as food sources. In this case it is obvious the campground and surrounding areas have become a magnet for bears - and I'd guess that it's due to trash - be it trash left in trash cans, smoldering hot dogs in fire pits or coolers left out on picnic tables. In short it sucks for all involved; for the family, for the kid, for the bear and for future bears that will be shot by trigger happy rednecks out of fear of being mauled.

I've heard that in the past... but I think the theory is changing up here. Most people I know who have been attacked by a black bear tell stories of going ape on the bear with sticks, ice axes, trekking poles or whatever is near. Lying comatose on the ground while the bear takes a few bites out of you could potentially mean you're screwed before you can fight back. I've been charged a few times - but luckily have never been chewed on or batted. (Knock on wood!) and if Mr or Mrs Black Bear charges me I'm going to fight like hell! Likewise the macho gun thing is pure machismo; unless you're Rambo or take cop classes in your spare time chances are you're more likely to shoot yourself in the foot then shoot the bear. I know many many people who do very remote trips - and none of them carry guns and none of them have ever had a problem. On the other hand every other weekend you hear about a redneck who got charged on a popular trail outside town and had to shoot the bear. Furthermore - the only person who I know who has ever been munched on by a brown bear never carries a gun claiming that he'd rather take his chances then be hindered by a ridiculous weapon. To me that says a lot.

You're not supposed to play dead when attacked by a black bear. Black bears often attack for predatory purposes - whereas brown / grizzly bears most often attack for territorial purposes. If you are attacked by a black bear fight like hell and chances are you'll survive unscathed.

The Denali Diamond is left (west) of the Cassin; it's near the SW face / Roberts variation; basically they go up the rock then hug the right side of that hanging glacier. The American Direct and Czech Direct are right (east) of the Cassin.

Hey - you're back! How was the trip??

What an adventure! Thanks for sharing; a far cry from the 50 person mob clamoring to climb at 123 wall in Railey.

As usual awesome photos! The wide angle shots are particularly sharp!

3 things that haven't been mentioned so far: 1. Lotrimin - because 3 weeks in one pair of underwear breeds fungus. 2. Foot powder - because I know people who've gotten trench foot. 3. Eye Shades - because I can't sleep when it's light all the time.

When I was in Nepal last fall I had patches made for my nephews of the scene in Tintin in Tibet where Capt. Haddock is falling. They loved them! Tintin in Tibet is definitely the best!

I still love Tintin!! We grew up overseas and traveled all the time --- and wherever we went it seemed there was a Tintin adventure that took place in the same place!

I dislike ridged stays; I prefer to zip downhill while holding my sled in one hand to the side of me. Ridged stays are a pain if you're going around tight corners - plus they are extra weight and in reality you'll only be using your sled for 3 or 4 days. most people don't take a sled above 11.

ken4ord - I love how in all your TRs there is always a group of kids chasing or watching you. What an experience to be able to live where you are - keep posting stuff like this; it's awesome!

Most of the boulderers I meet are too stoned to carry a conversation. Unless you count "Dude - gaston up to that sloper" as conversation.

Some guy here is also looking for a room in Bozeman.

There is an excellent photo in one of the old AAJs. Good luck finding a more recent one.

My wife really like "Annapurna - a Woman's Place". Dora Keen's "First Up Mount Blackburn" is really inspiring as well. What a bad ass she was!

I'm with you there. I finally opted to retire mine after the sole peeled off this weekend.

Care to share a link for that deal? FYI - for lighter Sportivas - I have the Trangos Evo GTX; they are nice and comfy. They are perfect for scrambles and moderate rock but I do not like kicking steps in them. They accept full clip on crampons but the boots feels too wimpy for a front toe bail; if you have crampons with a toe strap they'd be better.