mccallboater

I have a Wood Brothers Egyptian cotton shell - eider down bag circa 1922. I still use it occassionally in the summer. It was compressed in it's attached stuff sack for around 45 years when I pulled it from an inlaw's attic. Gave it a day and all the loft returned. True Goose down is incredible stuff. I keep it in a storage bag now. It survived two kid's worth of sleepovers over the last 10 years, plus the occasional outdoor journey. Hemmingway raves about a bag like this in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" but mine is a little mummy bag. I can't imagine squeezing two people in there to feel the earth move, as he describes with much detail.

I wear perscription trifocal glasses. My work puts me on top of radio towers all winter long, knocking off rime ice in miserable weather. The only goggle/glass setup that works without fogging is my glasses paired with my Smith Turbofan goggles. Not light or cheap but lifesavers on several occasions. It's a bitch not being able to see in a blizzard. I occasionally have seen them pop up cheap on Sierra Trading Post, but not now unfortunately. I paid $80 for mine there about 6 years ago.

What!! Are you all too young for the greatest climbing movie of all time, IMHO, "The Mountain" with Spencer Tracy, made in 1956. Wait till you see Tracy's standing hip belay catch of a 30 footer. The climbing is a little Hollywood but not nearly so bad as in Cliffhanger, plus the story is ok too. http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Edward-Dmytryk/dp/630110594X

It's been 30 years, but I remember nice grade III climbing that would be lots of fun in the approach shoes I have now, but not so easy in the waffle stompers I had then. I don't remember that much brush, but then I have a very selective memory.

Mccall does have great rock. I'm lucky enough to live here. Perfect weather too if you like 4 seasons. Still 2 feet of snow in the yard, but it's going fast. Not much ice though, surprisingly. Slick Rock is more like 70 degrees. Lots of fun. The North Beach crags are totally undeveloped. Gold Fork has lots of lines, guarded jealously by the few who put them all up years ago. Let's see, what else? Nice long IV class and low Vth class ridge routes past Lick Creek summit. Plus steep limestone and more granite not too far downhill from here in Riggins and over in Hells Canyon. Hardly ever see climbers in McCall though.

Not sure if I spelled that right. 100k miles, whacked front bumper, otherwise very reliable. Kids are out of high school, time to scale down. Trades? what's this thing worth? Great Nokian all year tires. Modern day version of the VW Van. Hauls a ton of gear and climbers.

In 1983 I was enjoying lunch after climbing up the first half the E Ridge of Cutthroat Peak. I was looking into the basin when I noticed what I thought was a bear below me crossing from North to South. I realized I was looking at a Wolverine when I pulled out a monocular. The Wolverine was just lumping along toward the base of the ridge when I think he got a whiff of me. He looked up my direction, turned around and in about 30 seconds traversed the entire basin, sprinting over the ridge toward Cutthroat lake. That same ground would have take me about 30 minutes to cover. I was impressed.

Skiing's great. Targhee very close by, backcountry even closer. Tetons for climbing. Lots of smart people with doctorates running about unsupervised. Geat fly fishing within a hour's drive. The city of R is a few hours away.

Kinda perfect today in McCall. 7 inches of new on a good base. Sun came out for awhile, but the temps at the top of Brundage stayed about 12 degrees. Did I mention no wind?

If you can afford them, Nokian's are the best. Depends upon your tire size. I'm using the Nokian WR's, since one can drive them year-round. The perfect set up here in McCall. Siping will help a little bit on ice, but the cost probably won't be worth the effort. Bruneel tire carries the Nokian brand in Idaho. No, I don't own a franchise.

Check this link http://www.brundage.com/webcam/snowcam.jpg? It's dumping outside. Doesn't look like stopping anytime soon. And I get to live here!

Mom's side: Both Grandpa and Grandma on my Mom's side grew up next to Rodgers Pass in Montana, cattle ranching within a mile or two of the coldest recorded temperature in the lower 48. They dated for 8 years, during which time Granddad, among other things, drove the stage for tourists in Yellowstone. They finally married after Granddad returned from WW1 with his legs shot up during the battle of Belleu Wood (sp?), where he earned the Croix de Guerre (Belgian medal of honor) for saving his platoon of Montana volunteers from destruction. He worked for Anaconda Copper company for many years, and with a 2nd grade education, retired as an instructor of auto mechanics at Spokane Community College. All four children graduated from college, one with a doctorate. My fathers parents were school teachers in Helena from around 1906 to 1913, married in 1912. My grandfather was also a pool hustler on the side before marraige. Teachers didn't make much then, just as now. They moved to Polson, MT in 1912, where Granddad became high school principal, and eventually superintendant. A move to Bonners Ferry, ID in 1921 was the last until Granddad's death in 1965. He is still honored there as a leader and educator, and master fisherman. By the way, in '38 he wrote a great 12 page thesis for his Master's on managing the fishery in Flathead lake. My grandmothers were powerful women, both physically and mentally. Raised on homesteads, they both were leaders in their communities, stridant supporters of women's sufferage, cooked a mean cookie and canned some great huckleberry jam.

Way cuter, Idaho style

McCall. Nice place if the realtors don't keep fucking with it.

I used to run an x/c operation at Elkin's resort on Priest lake about...1983 I think. Besides the recommendations above, don't forget cool skiing under huge cedar trees worthy of anywhere in the Cascades, but with drier snow hopefully, N or the lake in the granite creek and Hulan meadows areas. Sundance Peak is also a great AT descent.

My take on this line of thought is of a guy I met in one of those highway 101 bike campgrounds back in the early 80'. I rode into camp in the evening, looking for a spot, then noticed an ageless (maybe 40's?) man with a full beard, logger's pants and shirt with suspenders, hunkered over a small fire near a Army A frame. But what I really noticed was the home made recumbant bike with a mainsail stiched together from discarded black umbrellas. Our conversation went like this: "Nice bike." "A-yup." "Do you use the sail much?" "A-yup." Long silence, followed by stiring of the fire. "So where you headed?" "South." "So... I'm Jim. What's your name?" "Some call me..Sinbad." Sinbad, the bicycle pirate. I followed him for a few days. He ate pretty much what he could find near the highway. Seemed to have a fair knowledge of mushrooms, and other flora I would have never guessed one could eat. But his real joy was chip trucks. He'd whoop like a fiend whenever he heard one coming, get his sail tacked just right, and go from about 5 to 50 in about three seconds when one whooshed by. He was a master at ekking out the last puff from the slipstream, getting maybe a 1/3 mile of free propulsion from each pass. I was impressed.

I tried climbing Liberty Ridge with Joe about 8 yers ago. I heard he died in an avalanche two years ago. Can anyone confirm that? Jim in McCall, Idaho