Ben Beckerich

What's the overall grade like in either direction, from rainy or wa passes? How rideable is it overall? I'll be on a split, so it won't be quite as simple as just locking heels for the steeps...

Well crap... maybe I can coax one to give me a tow in.

Only going about 20 miles in from Ross Lake, so an east side approach is out. Sleds, eh? So it's probably a pretty hopping route, even in the winter, then? Lots of BCers, climbers, tourists... for some reason, I pictured it bleak and lonesome. Guess I didn't give it much thought. Well that's cool... should be skin tracks and breadcrumbs and snow bunnies to enjoy

Howdy Looking for some road beta for ye ol' North Cascades Highway during the closed months. What's the highway like around Jan/Feb skiing in from Diablo? Where exactly does it close on the west end, and what's parking like there? Skinning in 20 miles or so, what's the road going to look like? Does it stay pretty flat and road-like, or does it just pile up with snow and avy debris and blend into the slope (is it 20 miles of uncomfortable side-hilling)? Thanks

I've climbed with a few guys I met on CC.com... all have been good guys. We've all heard horror stories, obviously, but I think the percentage is really low.

All that said, if you think you'll be doing long winter trips without skis (because you're insane, or under compulsion of gun.. masochistic, member of some heinous cult... ), then you will need a warmer boot- Spantik would be a great option, if your feet fit them. From what I've seen, you generally fit Scarpa or Sportiva, but only lucky men fit both.

I've got a pair of the the new Guides... They're not a winter boot, but they are warm for a single. They'll probably be pretty comparable to the ones you just got rid of... I didn't have the Guides in the red, but I did have a pair of the 6,000s in red, and they strike me as fairly identical, aside from color. My understanding is that they changed membranes, and adjusted the footprint.. I'm no boot expert, though. I did do some winter climbing in them this season, even a couple overnight trips. I'd have no problem taking them on any of the routes you listed above (and have climbed some of those in them), if you climbed each during the normal season for each. I wouldn't do multi-night winter trips in them, but that's what my AT boots are for anyway. My current lineup's just like yours - Lightweight summer boots, TLT5s, Phantom Guides... with the new thick liners I'm ordering for the TLTs, I think basically all of my bases are gonna be more than covered, this year.

Switch back to poles and forget it?

Howdy I don't actually have anything specific in mind, so if you do, lemme know. Looking to keep it easy... I don't even really know where my trad ceiling is right now, and not looking to push it on an alpine climb.. so 5.7, 5.8 tops. Easy North Cascades 5th class Also down to do some steep glacier ice... Adams Glacier, Baker North Ridge Jefferson Park on El Jeffe would be thumbs up Washington? What else? Please be fit and SANE. Ability to solo 4th up to low 5th and AI3 big plus too.. savey timey

bump.. price drop

Howdy Sellin' this here MH shell... as I recall, it's their Jovian. It's definitely an athletic cut, FYI Great jacket.. I just fell in love with NeoStretch and this one never gets worn. It's in great condition... obviously worn a few times, but I can't find any damage or "wear" anywhere on it - no tears, abrasions, scratches, etc. The zipper occasionally sticks in a mildly irritating way up high, but it's just the classic problem of having fabric get caught in it. Zipping back up and unzipping slower fixes it $135 shipped benjaminbeckerich@gmail.com -Ben

Brand new, never carried, never fired, all original box contents included. Two 12 round magazines. $500 obo local meetup. Oregon residents only, no prohibited persons, will need to see OR ID if you show up with WA plates. Email's best - benjaminbeckerich@gmail.com

I've got an email out to Intuition asking which liner they'd suggest for my app... Looks like that's the best way to go Thanks guys

What do we think of the Scarpa liners? I think they're all Intuition made, aren't they?

Howdy Let me preface by saying I'm just plain not up on AT gear. I got into splitboarding last year and pretty much immediately went to a hard boot.. ended up with the TLT5s and really like them for their weight and versatility. They ride really well, climb great for a plastic, but they're not particularly warm. So for this winter, I'm going to need to change up. I should add that because the TLTs don't fit my feet all that well, I ended up going a FULL size big and wear a thick sock- miraculously, this actually worked. I have a pro-deal with Scarpa. Love their climbing boots and shoes, but looking at their AT stuff with my relatively noob-eyes, I'm just not really seeing anything that stacks up to the Dynafit boots. So... What should a guy do? Get some warmer liners for the TLT5s since I have extra room? Fap it and get a pair of PX Ones for the winter season? Or is there something in the Scarpa line that I'm missing/should take a look at? Thanks -Ben

Once you get money involved, weird stuff starts happening. Rolling your eyes and blowing them off is probably the best way to get at 'em... self-important people can't stand being made to look unimportant.

Loose scree and boulder hiking to the knife-edge, straightforward walk from there. Rockfall is too much of a hazard for any other route, but the Old Chute is pretty tame. Really not a big deal. Hood has a weird psychology attached to it- when it's in the same condition as every other crumbly volcano, everyone says it's "out" and unsafe and not worth it, etc... Yet we still scramble up the other, worse pieces of shit on the Ring Of Fire without complaint. The south side of Hood isn't super phun when it's melted out.... but is it ever "fun?" 100' of loose scree sucks, but so does the rest of the damn route anyway. "Worth it," and "fun" are entirely subjective, and nobody needs to defend their positions- I'm just airing my perspective on this one.

Howdy Anybody know what the current snow situation is on South Sister? The splitboard wants out

Just looking for the ride down, not the climb.. something I can skin up in a short morning and shred back down at lunch. But I've not AT'd this late in the season before, and don't know if there's any shredable snow up there. I did one of my speed runs up Hood about this time last year, and some guys were in the crater doing jumps over the bergschrund- so I know it's possible to get late season turns/carves in, but I'm also sure it's completely conditions dependent.

Adams? Hood? South Sister? Looking to cut something up, wondering if anybody has any idea what the slush's looking like... glaciers completely melted out and sun-cupped from hell, or is there still some time yet? I've never done the South Sister Slog, so that'd be my preference.. but I also suspect it's probably the worst of the three Thanks -Ben