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Unless you are paying the full cost of that health plan(highly unlikely that your employer pays nothing for dependants/spouse) you're receving more benefits than the single person - your employer has just chosen to subsidize families of employees less than employees.

I guess I'm out of line thinking that $85 is alot to spend to practice outside with beacons when you can the same $ and have the gear to do it yourself whenever & wherever. Oh well...

Skin closer to the light....

Skip- I was advocating instead of taking a class - spending about the same amount of money and purchasing a transmit only beacon, or a used beacon (about $60-$80), so you can practice regularly. Regular practice breeds speed. That's what I've done. If your search times are under 2 minutes for single victims, a couple more for multiples - shoveling will probably take up a greater percentage of your rescue time. Here's an interesting study on rescue time (shoot for a total recovery time of under 18 minutes - per http://users.south-tyrolean.net/avalanche/pdf/Guidelines_2002.pdf ) I'd be very curious to see what their tips are for multiple searches. More knowledge is good.

You'd pay $85 to demo beacons?!!! They are invaluable safety equipment, but comeon..... you can buy an avy transmitter for less than that and practice every day!

Since I don't seem to see a syllabus on their website, what's covered in "Advanced Transceiver" searching?

The cuff helps some - it's the buckles that made the most difference for me. When I get out in the Snowfields it's...interesting. I'm humbled very quick. Particularly with a pack. I guess I sort of miss the point of plastic boot tele skiing (particularly beefy one's like T1's & T-R). They're more pain to ski up hill with, they're so stiff they're a pain to tele turn with (at anything sub mach). Even the shorter boots, like T2's & T3's have a "notchy" feel. If your going to alpine ski - Alpine Ski! At 26 I'm already out of touch....

I do all of the above, and haul sleds on Supercomps. (plastic cuff, leather lowers). They pturn fine - carve at speed, and rock. And have a hell of alot more feedback than plastic.

Did you try? You went teleskiing and didn't progress at all?

Why? The rather loose behavior requirements of CC have made it one of the busier climbing forums around! Look at any number of the heavier moderated forums - there ain't no life there! Of course it's up to Jon & Timmy to do what they'd like.

I find leather requires much more precise skiing than plastic (better weighting, more back ski control). Now that I mainly ski AT gear (after 7 years of solely telemark), it really improved my fixed heel skiiing. I still ski Supercomps - which 2nd wind sports has a buttload of in Hood River, most pretty cheap. Contrary to what Lummox said, I would prefer a lightweight plastic boot for bc skiing. They'd keep my feet dryer than my Snowfields - even with Supergaiters.

Yup. It's crap. I've been wearing the same Schoeller pants since '96. They are still water repellant. Total Utter crap.

You mean saving up their money so they don't have to work that comfy job forever? Definitely lame

I don't think Cloudveil passes muster on the west coast. Head to the Intermountain west (CO!) and you'd be fine.

David- What your talking about sounds like Nikwax paste. I haven't seen it to often in stores (haven't looked hard either). A packet or more come with most new boots nowadays.

Yes, and yes. Last year (late '02?) he came out with "The Flame of Adventure" a book describing his recent exploits.

I'd say he brought ethnicity into it: "As an African who comes from one of the poorest countries in the world, a place where a majority of the population lives perpetually in harm's way, you can easily imagine what went through my mind when I heard an evidently well-to-do Englishman say these words with that air of pomposity (if not boredom) that's always the mark of a public school education. But it would be too easy to criticize this film on such terms; it would place me on too high a moral ground. Being something of a gentleman, I would much prefer to take this drama-documentary to task on a more leveled plane, and confront it only as a work of cinema." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that Yates & Simpson weren't products of a "public" (private) school education.

The guys at the Jantzen Beach REI ski shop were complaining how there's nothing to do in winter besides fix your gear

I think that's 1978. Nanga Parbat solo?

What makes the Freeride look bomber?

320.5

This guide to UW buildering was previously posted here: http://students.washington.edu/dbb/uw_buildering/index.html For PDX buildering check out the road cuts. Sylvan and Canyon Rd offer a number of nice traverses, and some highballs.

Could you give more info or provide links to these reports? As Sam said about the Naxo - not the report I wanted to hear. I forget if it was the powdermag.com or the tetongravity.com message board. There've also been several threads on Naxo's over there. Some say bomber, some say not bomber (isn't this the standard description of every piece of gear?)

From the reports I've read the Pure is alot more fragile than the Naxo...

Eh? Seems to me it's the part of the dream rack - cams that can fit anysize (or at least a broader range) of cracks. Why carry (or buy) a range of different size cams - when you could buy 5 of the wide range that would each cover the size range of your set? Yes there will be a weight penalty probably, but otherwise...