TwoFortyJeff

They have had the BC fishscale version for a few years now. You will still need skins for typical skin tracks. The advantage is that you can get by without them on the flat sections and gentle rolling sections. There are definitely times where I wish I had them on my skis for the trip down to the car. I have talked to a few people that used them and they said they aren't too noticeable on the downhill.

Just to clarify so you don't get the wrong idea and get a ticket... you DO need to self register for a permit at the trailhead because you are entering the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. You do NOT have to go through all the hoops to get an Enchantments/Stuart Zone permit.

Routes are clear. Firm snow in the Liberty Bell - Concord gulley in the morning, then nice plunge steps in the evening. I was glad to have an ice axe. Crampons stayed in the pack, but I almost needed them. Plenty of snow at the turn off from the official trail to the climbers trail. Don't despair though, there is still plenty of loose choss to scramble over up higher.

It's seems like it's always best to hit that route as soon as the road opens. Thanks for sharing your report.

8 mile was open last weekend

I left my ice axe at the Yodelin parking lot at around noon today (4/7/2103), a few parking spaces from the portapotty. Let me know if you picked it up and we can work something out.

I use a Houdini. I thought I would have trashed it by now, but it's still going strong. Look at the Arcteryx Gamma LT or the OR Ferrosi.

BD Speed 40. About a pound lighter than the 45 Worksack.

I'm a fan of the BD Vaporlock.

Leading with wet climbing shoes. Check that one off the bucket list.

I'm glad you finally found some sun. Did you guys get to swing leads at all?

I like the BD Oz, but if I had to do it over again I'd save a couple bucks per biner and go with the BD Neutrino.

Shop around and find a jacket that fits you perfectly. In one jacket you might be between a L and XL, but one from another manufacturer might fit you great in a L or XL.

What is the secret to getting down the rap with a single 60m? Stretchy rope? Make sure there is a lot of snow in the zipper?

I was bummed when ACME lost access to the MyTopo maps. I switched to http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php which has fantastic maps but is kind of a pain in the ass to print from. I had to take screen shots and then manipulate them into powerpoint to get the right view, but also while trying to keep the proper aspect ratio. This on the other hand prints in seconds. Thanks!

For something close by, take a look at the routes on the south side of Guye.

I'll be down at Smith for a long weekend and I'd like to try some easy routes (single or multi) for a beginning trad leader. Any suggestions? By easy I mean preferable 5.6 or below so I can focus more on leading than climbing technique.

Was there on 8/20. Bugs were mildly annoying, but not enough to warrant bug spray. Crampons were not needed. There were a few 10-30 ft sections of steep and hard snow with a bad runout that, in my opinion, warranted an ice axe. Others may disagree. In a week it may all be gone. You can scramble above or below most of it if you want. It was a fun scramble. I would recommend skipping Windy Pass and heading up cross country around 5000ft. Stream crossings were either very small or bridged with a log.

I couldn't find the Asolo Experts in stock in my size anywhere, so I back ordered them. Interesting thought on the superfeet insoles. I may have to try that for the meantime. My Kaylands fit similar to my normal hiking boots, but they just move around move around more on the downhill in the kaylands.

Thankfully I am near Seattle, so I do have some options. I will try some Garmonts. To clarify, I am looking for what would be considered a summer alpine boot. I guess I just like more stiffness though. I do own Kayland Apex Treks, which are wonderfull except that my toes hit the fron when walking downhill and I don't think going half a size larger will change much.

I tried on the La Sportiva Trango S and Scarpa Charmoz and both were pretty narrow in the foot. The local REI didn't have anything else. I was also surprised by the amount of flex under the toes. Is there another brand or style of boot that is wider in the toes and a bit stiffer?

I think the unofficial motto of camp 4 is "there's always room for one more." The problem is when tourons come in at 3am after driving from LA after work on Friday.

Found the shovel, along with some other trinkets, today (5/30) on Rainier. Provide some more info on the shovel, where you lost it, etc and we can arrange sometime for you to pick it up in Everett.

I'm curious about the south side of Adams as well. As of right now, I am expecting about 5 miles of snow walking along the road to Cold Springs campground for memorial day.

So what does everyone use and where can you get them? The only area I have been so far that required them was Mt. Whitney, where the rangers gave them out. It was a double thick bag with some sort of gel stuff in the bottom. I never used it.