ryanb

Hamilton, MT is the place to be. Excellent access to Granite high country with a good selection of more accessible boulders and crags. Big walls of Blodgett canyon visible from downtown. An hour from Missoula for airport/costco/big hospitals but also a good if small local hospital and thriving downtown supported in part by the NIH Ebola/Covid lab which kind of gives it a collage town without the undergrads feel and more year round residents then many tourists spots. Endless ski tours to dream of and an excellent low key local ski area (lost trail). Epic mountain bike rides including a 440 mile gravel race from here to driggs (the fitz barn). Problem is its actually a really bad time to buy here (and the inland west in general). Realestate market is depressed in the cities but prices are up and things are selling like hot cakes because everyone has had the same idea as you.

Missoula, MT checks all of those boxes including a level II trauma center. The air quality can be pretty bad during inversions or fire season though.

I have this too. It comes up here and on supertopo etc about once a year. Lots of slopers and gym holds seem to make it worse because they involve holding your palm at one particular angle. Since I moved away from the gym and stopped hang boarding it seems to have (slowly) gotten better.

A bike bottle on the shoulder strap skimo racer style is far superior to a suck tube in cold conditions.

Below $240. Maybe a bit less with the tracker 3 coming out. Rei 20% off coupons have worked on avi beacons in past years though you may have to convince the staff to check as PLBs are usually not included. There are some other brand beacons on sierra trading post right now too.

I have the salewa mountain trainer mid which are pretty light, pretty capable and flexible enough to be more comfortable then a true mountaineering boot on long approaches but just stiff enough to edge or kick a few steps. Bought mine at second ascent a couple of years ago. If you want to go to a shoe check out the sportiva c-lites which are a great high traction trail running shoe with a super aggressive tread that works well scrambling on loose rock, non icey snow etc. I've used them with yaktrack and kahtoola's for running icy trails and scrambled a fair amount of rock in them but not used full crampons or done anything too exposed.

There were two young men killed this weekend in separate, unrelated accidents. One on Spontaneity Arete, one on Infinite Bliss. I believe both were affiliated with different gyms, not sure if they were both involved in coaching. It is very sad, with the recent fatality at Skaha, that makes three young men who left us too soon over the past couple of weeks. There was also a climber fatality in Blodgett canyon just over the Montana boarder near Missoula. It has been a hard few weeks.

Patagonia Rock craft is pretty good for hot weather or at least the pair I have from a couple of years ago is. A thiner fabric but a bit harder then some softshells though still with a bit of stretch.

Fun mystery. Since it was spotted from the air while flying down a drainage yet exploration was stopped by cliffs i'm guessing slot canyon/rift. Maybe another crack-in-the-ground, oregon hell hole or a cool slot in the Owyhee Canyonlands/lesley gulch or Hells Canyon area? I guess a cave seems less likely to be spottable from the air, the description doesn't match a spire or summit. It could be a painted desert/bad lands like in the John Day area but that seems less exciting and you said you were forest service not BLM. Be aware that some spots are known but kept off maps for public safety or because the locals never felt they were overly significant or didn't' want to attract tourists, rock hounds etc. Since you're FS i'd reach out to the local rangers and see what they know. Honestly publishing a great trip report on a blog or forum like this is probably the best way to build interest, loads of stories start out viral and jump to the mainstream media. Any major show or publication is going to require a repeat visit for video and/or higher quality photos.

A bit north of there but the bitterroots are still in prime skiing condition with something like a 150% snow depth though the low crags and boulders are starting to melt out. The northern rockies got a lot of snow this year.

Try a women's model? The women's miura or katana or anasazi lv could be a good choice if you can get them big enough. Women's climbing shoes are usually just narrower (especially in the heal) versions of men's shoes and lots of guys climb in them. Plus its not like you can shoe up in women's shoes and not send hard.

I bought a pair of used voile chargers in 191 this year wanting something longer and stabler for inbounds conditions. Amazing ski and great price even at full retail. Playful and easy to make quick turns even at that length. Also carves pretty well though it takes a fair bit of angulation to get them up on edge. They are narrower then the drifters rob is talking about (110 something instead of 120 something at the waste) and I think stiffer...quite capable inbounds as well. I had them out sunday for an avi safe half day tour...a couple of thousand of feet of powder filled meadows and log angle trees and they are perfect for that. They float to the top when trail breaking, skim over low angle terrain and are super maneuverable when they need to be. I think they would be a good choice if you want excellent powder crud and slop performance and passible hardpack performance and weight. If you are looking at getting two skis eventually then the Chargers plus a narrower lighter ski for big days and firm conditions would be a great quiver.

I have a the brooks range leatherman like multi tool. It is a great idea but the execution turned out pretty flimsy. I think they discontinued it after one year and said they hoped to find a better manufacture so hopefully it will make a return someday. I think the leatherman plus the bits you need approach would be the way to go though at some point i'd like to figure out a lighter option...

The locals will probably shoot me for mentioning it online but I'm pretty happy working online from Hamilton, MT. Only downsides are lack of really fast internet outside of city/town limits. Closest ski area (Lost Trail Powder Mountain) is 45 minutes. Backcountry, boulders, big walls, mountain biking etc are much much closer and the farmers market is great. Not a resort town but as much of a biotech hotspot as a town of 5k can be thanks to the lab which means there are some good restaurants and great breweries. Also rentals available (though mostly in the spring/summer).

I was where you were 3 or 4 years ago...I even rocked climb in WA every month of the year for a couple years before that. Now I live in Montana and tour powder every weekend all winter long. Get dynafit bindings and a pair of decent fitting AT boots. Sierra Trading post has some killer deals if you sign up for the email list and wait for a 35% off coupon.