mccallboater

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My Asolo Vortex boots arrived. The fit is very roomy in the forefoot with a narrower heel, just fine for my feet. Good ankle support while remaining light. I'm thinking the boots will climb (edge) better if I shave off a little bit of the overhanging inside sole rubber, visable in the -front- view here. How many of you do that to your approach shoes? I'd like some opinions before I start hacking away at my new $200 purchase.

Three months ago I bought a 2001 Volvo XC 70 wagon with 100K miles on it for $10k. On my initial road trip to BC from Boise with a moderate load and the skis loaded inside (using the handy fold down armrest feature of the back seat) I averaged 28 mpg. That was with a lead foot on the gas. Since then I've learned it does much better at 60 mph than at 75. With my canoe and a kayak on top traveling to McCall and back at 60 mph and below I can squeeze about 24.5 mph. Not bad for such a big gear hauler and such a luxurious car. I've heard rumors of reliability issues but talking with other xc70 owners and the local independant Volvo service guys, with standard preventative maintainence they expect my rig to last another 150 thousand miles. I'm selling my 2003 Focus SVT if anyone's interested. That's a great car, but too low to the ground for my use.

I've got the same problem planning for 180 miles of Idaho Sawtooth and Bighorn Crags backpacking this summer over a 3 week period, with the desire to bag as many peaks along the way as I can, considering my cousin and I won't probably take a rope and gear on our 50+ used up and worthless bodies. But I want to feel as confident as I can on lots of 4th class and easy 5th class terrain. I also have a big time ankle problem, so a low-top shoe won't cut it. We will encounter a few snowfields to descend or ascend in early August, but no glaciers. I just ordered a pair of Asolo Vortex XCR's from Hometown sports in McCall, hoping that will solve the problem. Anybody here use them?

The only real news is science.

I find it interesting that the most inspiring climbers for the majority of you respondees are people you have not personally known or climbed with. I'm not sure what that means, if anything. I too am inspired by the famous names written above (Rubuffat, Terray, etc.) mostly through their skill with the written word. I'd like to add big Bill Tillman to that list. But those folks did not get me into the mountains and change the way I live my life. The people who actually dragged me out there and showed me what truly matters are the ones who I immediately think of as my heros.

Joe Collins Bill Fix Don Hutchings Each taught me a lot about life, along with what climbing is all about.

Sorry you can't come Steve. I was thinking of you, among others, when I posted this. SO anyone else that is interested (Stewster, etc.) PM me and we will discuss details. No reason to clutter up the list anymore, unless someone has suggestions on favorite climbs, hotsprings, etc. Switch to the Idaho list perhaps?

Aug 3-9, Southern Sawtooths. Aug 11-16, central and Northern Sawtooths. Aug 17-23, hiking down the Middle Fork of the Salmon from Mahoney airstrip, then up Waterfall creek into the Bighorn Crags. Out by the end of Saturday the 23 near Shoop on the Main Fork of the Salmon. Lots of mountains along the way.

I'll be hiking from the Green River/Atlanta approach through the southern Sawtooths to Petit Lake the first week of August, then the central Sawtooths, including Baron creek, up to the Iron Creek trailhead the 2nd week, and then into the Bighorn Crags/Ship Island lake area the third week of August, with a day or two of rest time in Stanley on the weekends. I'll have my cousin with me, another 50 something climber. Anyone want to join us for some climbs along the way? We'll be traveling light, carrying a week's worth of food for each leg of the trip, so if someone wants to carry a light rock rack and rope in with them we won't mind ;> Given the limits of the gear we can haul on such a long trip, I don't expect to do routes harder than 5.7, but that still leaves lots of options. The bighorn crags especially offer the opportunity for pioneering routes on good rock in a beautiful setting. Sound interesting?

I'd recommend Silvretta 500's as bindings so you can use just about any boot with a welt. Then check out the local thrift shops for a pair of easy-turning skis about 165cm or so. You won't be able to ski steep slopes with perfect style, but once you get a friend to show you how to make a bullitproof stem cristie, you can ascend and descend just about any mountain you need to quickly and effectively. I use a pair of K2 8255's that I bought off this list for $75. Me on Lowa mountaineering boots and the K2's:

"The guy" is Reinhold Meisner, no less. Selling Reinhold his own book is priceless. Some sort of This is Your Life combined with Europe's Funniest Home Videos. I need to brush up on my German.

In answer to your weather question, I'm sure the face will be covered in wet, given that McCall is starting to get it's first few days above freezing, plus there is still about two feet of snow on the level in town, and about six feet on the level up at Slick Rock. Lots of ice coming down around now up there. You still need a snowmobile or about 3 hours of skinny skiing to get to the base. Hotel McCall's webcam is good for local condition checking. Hotel McCall webcam

I climbed it (well, I followed every pitch in truth) with Mike Adams in 1984. We did the very cool 4 pitches of 5.10 on the other side from the aid route. I highly recommend it. According to the summit register we were about the 10th party to get to the top. Mike was the first to lead all the pitches. It was absolutely the high point of a great first summer of climbing for me, after bagging a lot of stuff around Winthrop and Twisp, Omak and Leavenworth with Mike. Anybody know what happened to him? He was soloing 5.11 and a few 5.12s a lot back then.

Somebody gives these guys a call and get an informed opinion please...

I've been skiing up there every other weekend or so and wishing I had someone to climb it with.

This will be the first weekend since January that Slick rock did not make a killer ice climb. About 4 pitches of fat ice on the left side. Sort of looked like a less steep Weeping Wall a la Icefields parkway. But the main route face has been sliding with every snow fall.

McCall, Brundage. Hits on all of your points. After skiing Rossland BC last weekend I can say the "moderate terrain" aspect is so Brundage. I'd forgotten what steep is all about. McCall gets drier, easier to ski snow though. 49 degrees N is another great smaller area that gets good snow, faces North and sees few people. Turner Mountain near Libby MT is another, but I'll probably get death threats for mentioning it. Steeper too.

Ok that does it. As soon as I post anything on Cascade climbers, the thread goes dead. This feels suspiciously like junior high at the dance.

Since it's a long drive from Boise up to Mazama, anybody on the list interested in an closer alternative, Snowbank Mtn after May 15th? That's when the road opens. Expect 20' of snow in the lee spots.

Headline: Dog from pound finds life good with outdoor family Just walk around the pound until you find a good one. Lucy Looking for lunch in all the wrong places

OK, I figured it out. Pics must be in CC-Com gallery, duh.

The picture thing is driving me nuts. Help!

Trip: Sargent's Mtn slackcountry, N of Brundage, Idaho - North Bowl steep stuff Date: 2/17/2008 Trip Report: Brundage isn't known for steep skiing, but a 30 minute semi-leisurely skin climb to the North from the top of the Bluebird lift brings one to Sargent's, a wonderful local hangout with 35 to 45 degree North bowl pitches that hold nice snow even a week after a storm. It wasn't waist deep like two weeks ago, but then again I wouldn't have skied these lines then. Note the optional avy chute with a 1000' of drop on the way back to the car. Picasa page with pics. Some ski area pics mixed in, just skip them. Jim, Ben & Craig Skiable Skied Those arn't my tracks Gear Notes: My new bright yellow Hagen superlights and Dynafits are easy to find when I loose them in the faceplant. 60 weight sunscreen came in handy. Approach Notes: Drive to Brundage, buy a ticket, ride the Bluebird chair, skin up and head North. Take a map.

I have the best of towns to play in; Boise and McCall. Boise has all the newbie's required attributes. Jobs, a good quick airport, nearby fun, manageable housing (the N end is the best), and an avid community of outdoor folks. McCall is smaller, with tons more snow and mountain weather generally, plus a great lake, rivers, climbing and skiing right out the door. In my case, literally out the door. Though housing prices have gotten out of hand up there in the last few years. Just stay away from Tamarack Resort. Bad Karma.