slb

Thanks for the thoughts guys

I'm looking for some suggestions for climbing ski gear. I know there are a lot of websites out there but I'm looking for exclusively the PNW perspective with our unique snow conditions. There are also some older topics on this forum, but ski gear changes quickly so another can't hurt? A little about me. My main goal is climbing and the skiing part is really to make the approaches easier (in some cases) and to speed up the decent as well as add in some extra fun. I've been climbing for some years on rock as well as in snow and ice, but it has all been by shoe/boot and occasionally snowshoes. I'm familiar with glacier travel and avalanche basics and I have a beacon/shovel/probe and know how to use them. Nevertheless, I will continue avalanche education. Objectives are anything from walk ups to moderate climbs or traverses (e.g. Baker NR, Isolation Traverse, etc). I'm certainly not out there pushing the envelope and won't be looking to ski the sickest lines in the Cascades. I've been a boarder in the past and have done some BC boarding, but I'd rather switch to skiing for multiple reasons instead of getting a split board. I've only skied in-bounds with rental gear and only a handful of times. Although I'll practice in-bounds more, I've picked it up fairly well and have had a bit of fun. I've never used ski skins. I have all of the normal climbing gear, so I'm really look for recommendations on the ski side: boots, bindings, and skis. I'll need ski crampons and skins too. I tend to buy lightweight gear, so my preference is minimal weight and I'm willing to shell out a few more $ for that. I'm happy to learn to climb in my ski boots, as I know that is a common suggestion to avoid lugging both ski boots and mountaineering boots around. Since I'm not particularly familiar with skis, the options for length, width, taper, etc is a bit overwhelming. I'm 140 lbs and 5'8" and wear a size 8-9" US shoe size (brand dependent). My foot is on the wider size, so narrower brands like La Sportiva tend to be a bit of a tighter fit. Price-wise, I'll probably looking for something moderate. I don't want to get super beginning friendly stuff and be buying again too soon, but I'm also not good enough (nor rich enough) to go out and buy the top of the line stuff. I'll be keeping my eye out for used gear, so I need to know when I see gear posted if it may be a good fit for me: What size skis should I be considering? What bindings should I look for? Is Dynafit still the best? What boots are good for both climbing and skiing? What do you think are good weight ranges to consider? Are there certain features on the skis/boots/bindings that I should make sure I get? Obviously I'll need to be able to release the heel of the boot for skinning up. Is there gear or brands to make sure I avoid?

From Sunday, 7/28

Can you provide any more details on the rescue Jason? On Sunday morning I saw a sign at the Boston Basin trailhead about a missing father/son duo and while on the East Ridge of Forbidden I saw helicopters throughout the day (I think two different ones?). I snapped a few pictures of them and assumed they must be searching for the father and son. They seemed to not have a great idea on their whereabouts as they searched everywhere - all across Boston Basin, the Boston Glacier, all the routes on Forbidden and over by Torment. They seemed to focus mostly around Sahale and Boston though. I kept my eyes out for them throughout the day and when we hike out that afternoon the sign from the trailhead was gone. I was hoping it was a rescue and not a recovery.

You can customize the graphs right on the NWAC site: https://www.nwac.us/data-portal/graph/18/