wfinley

Chugach State Park is 20 minutes from my door, the Talkeetna Mountains 1.5 hours and the Kenai Mountains 1 hr. Each range would keep you busy ice climbing, mountain climbing and skiing for a lifetime!

Trademark infringement is nothing new for Apple: They've been sued by Tibco over 'Rendezvous' and there was talk of Creative claiming a TM over "Nano". And of course there's the famous "Apple Records' dispute. Cisco might as well settle because there's no way they can compete with the marketing hype.

But he's not doing it for the money... he's doing it for the children. :

Whatever, I never spend those stupid Canuck coins. I always end up with like $80 in change after a trip to up to the "Great White North". Pshaw... I'll PM you my address so you can send those coins back home. Ha! I'm with bstach... those loonies won't fit in the parking meters and thus sit in the change dish for years at a time. A perfect spy op considering some schmuck probably tried to jam his loonie into the vending machine only to find they're slightly larger than quarters. And given budget cuts they probably couldn't hire someone to fix the vending machines.

Don't get the Verticals - give them a season to fix what will break (I know a guy who busted the heel piece of the Verticals). As for Comforts - I've broken the front plastic (under the toe piece) twice - it's a pain but I like them b/c the binding can be adjusted 2 sizes which means my brothers (who are one boot size larger) can borrow my skis.

From Wikipedia... Selected First Ascents of Bradford Washburn. 1934: Mount Crillon, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Range 1937: Mount Lucania, Saint Elias Range 1938: Mount Marcus Baker, Chugach Range 1938: Mount Sanford, Wrangell Mountains 1940: Mount Bertha, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Range 1941: Mount Hayes, Alaska Range 1944: Mount Silverthrone, Alaska Range 1951: West Buttress Route on Mount McKinley, Alaska Range

Just got this in my In-Box. Here's to a pioneer who inspired many a mountaineer!

There's a good troll and flamefest about that company here: http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=11966&start=0

I've had the MK1 XL for about 5 years, have used it heavily and really like this tent. Since a couple of my climbing partners are pretty big (6'3") the extra inches are necessary. I only have one door - which in my opinion is fine (I wanted to keep it as lightweight as possible); but always carry the vestibule on mountain trips longer than 1-2 days. It is pretty small with a big partner; you can only dress one at a time - if both sit up it's too cramped - however with the vestibule it's fairly comfy. As for stability etc. - I've endured a couple horrific storms (both in terms of high winds and lots of snow) in this tent as well as numerous gloppy snow/ice/rain storms that leave everything coated in ice, The tent holds up fine even when buried under alot of wind loaded snow (see pic below) and does not buckle under high winds. After last season the coating that the tents are treated with wore off and we found snow was sticking to the sides (this was after 4 years of heavy usage) - but per ID's instructions we just treated it with Nikwax's tent spray and now it's as good as new.

Here's a photo from a rarily formed route up north:

This was posted in another thread: This explains why people tell you you have to have a guide on the Matterhorn. There aren't any laws apparently, just "hoodlum guides", trying to protect their monopoly. Sounds crazy but it all depends on local perception. Having just climbed in Nepal without a guide I can attest to this mindset; In Nepal we were continaully asked where our guide was and on one occasion were yelled at and told there was no room for climbers without guides.

Your neighbors must think you're crazy!

I used to carry one until once we fixed a line over a bergschrund and I had to jug up the icy line. The ropeman sucked... it slipped all over the place and wouldn't hold worth a damn. This was one of the older models... maybe they've gotten better.

Mid-late May will be pushing it for alpine routes in the Ruth; it can get pretty warm in there at that time. However June is a perfect time for a place like Little Switzerland.

Do these count? How about the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1312540,00.html How about Newsweek (note that this article was not published in the US version of Newsweek: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0306/S00055.htm

True - but the first rule of simul-climbing is don't fall. Thus if you follow the rules then you don't have to worry about falliing. In all seriousness this is one of those risk equations... i.e. - is it more risk to simul climb terrain where you're pretty sure you won't fall as opposed to either (a) soloing that terrain or (b) belaying everything and risking weather, nightfall, the wrath of your wife etc. etc..

Wow - nice post Buckaroo. Well said!

I really can't speak for others - many of my friends up here learned to ski BC and ski as well as anyone who learned to ski at the resort. From my standpoint I learned to ski so I could climb - and thus developed a wide stance so I could ski with a big pack. Unfortunately I never learned the mini-skirt trick and still ski with a big wide stance. The drawback to this is my ski turns aren't sexy; the plus is that come spring when I'm roped up with a giant pack I don't have to adjust my style. The other potential drawback for learning at a resort and then going BC is that the skier will be tempted to ski stuff he or she shouldn't be on without proper avalanche and route finding techniques. Whereas those who learn to ski in the BC learn to analyze snow and conditions from the start. Check out Couloir Mag's ski reviews here: http://www.couloirmag.com/gear/category_index2.php?categorytype=78 If you hunt around you can usually find an older mid-fat ski in the $150-200 range. Also watch this board for deals: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9

My fly is a 3x3 net.

Interesting... I never knew there was an Everett in Iraq. Learn something new everyday. I've been quite amused by the "cheering crowds" broadcast all over the news. Interesting that they're all in the US (like Everett) and only a few key areas of Iraq. The trail and judgement of Saddam, had it been carried out correctly, could have unified a country. Instead by doing things like rushing the execution despite a holiday, allowing camera phones in the chamber that broadcast taunts Saddam's execution has been turned into a revenge killing and thus propelled him into martyrdom. Cheer all you want - but realize the screw up will cause hundreds if not thousands of deaths. Today a local boy became number 3,000. He was 22. God bless America.

Dig... I think that would be super fun!!!! Here's some stoke for you. Mt. Wrangell is the big one in the top left!

I believe you are correct - adjust to size first (using the lever) then set the DIN on the heel and footplate. You want to make sure the DIN is the same on the foot as well as heel. I prefer to get them as tight as possible so I have to practically crank them on. Likewise I like a tighter DIN because if the DIN is set to medium or low the footplate moves when you're trying to click in the heel piece. In all honesty I have never felt like my boots are tight in these bindings. They're great for my climbing boots but I feel like my feet wiggle around ever so slightly when i try and use my Lasers with them.

No sympathy but the trail and execution were more classic Iraq blunders and SNAFU. A leaked video of his executors taunting him before his hanging? A rushed appeal process? WTF - is the goal to plunge Iraq into more chaos then we see now? PS - for a purely Iraqi view of the whole incident read this blog: http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com.

FWIW I learned to ski in the backcountry and have hauled many a friend and family up the slopes for their first ski trip ever. It's possible, albeit quite a bit harder - and as said you will be frustrated - however in my opinion, the effort is worth it.

You can find good used AT setups for around $300. Good used boots will be around $200. Watch eBay, Teletips and Craigslist and you'll find something. As for what to get; get a good mid-fat ski - i.e. - something around 112 in the shovel. For bindings get whatever you can find: Used Fritschis can always be found, Dynafits are super sexy but expensive and you'll need newer boots, Naxos will be found cheap but that's cause they're heavy and always breaking. Silvrettas can be had for $100 but the older models are less than perfect when it comes to releasing. If you take your time searching a total package can be had for less than $500. (Last year I set my brother up with an intro AT package for $300; $100 for Silvrettas, $50 for some old beater boots, $100 for skis and $50 for skins.) As for learning... you don't need to go to a resort. If you ask me learning to ski at a resort is like learning to climb at a gym. Get outside and start skiing. Your learning curve will be a lot lower than if you went to a resort - but you'll be stronger, have way more fun, can ski with your mutt and don't have to deal with obnoxious kids laughing at your neon green ski bibs.