Christmas Goodies

I am really enjoying our new convection oven and have used it as much as possible. I have especially enjoyed it for making Christmas goodies! I have so many wonderful memories of doing Christmas baking growing up, then with my own children and now I am having fun still continuing the tradition.



I am looking forward to the Princess being old enough to help me! In the meantime, I get to lick the beaters!



Living the life in Florida!

The People's Choice on shells!

A couple of weeks ago I had asked for your favorite shells and why.  Here is some of what I

got. Please bare with the email cut and pastes. No clue how to fix that. But the feedback is great. Thanks to all who took the time and contributed. Enjoy!

For ice climbing in Colorado, I am pretty happy with this:

1 - Eddy Bauer Accelerant jacket layered over a thin base layer.  It
is surprisingly warm, very lightweight, and has an excellent athletic
fit with long arms.  I sometimes use the thumbholes on the sleeves.
This jacket solves the annoying problem of hood wars.  I like one hood
under the helmet (this jacket provides that) and one hood over the
helmet (the next jacket provides that).  For fast moving in coldish
conditions it breathes adequately and seems reasonably durable.  The
Arcteryx equivalent of the Accelerant is probably just as good, but
more expensive and I do tend to trash these little lightweight
jackets.  Also I really like the thumbholes and lightweight hood of
the Accelerant.
2 - When it gets colder, or for belays, I add a Wild Things lightly
insulated jacket.  That one is compact enough I am happy wearing it
while climbing.  It breathes ok, is windproof and very water resistant
and durable.  It has a good over the helmet hood.  It could be warmer
for belays, but I don't like carrying a garment just for belays.  When
I am instructing and standing around a lot I take an old OR synthetic
puffy instead which is heavier, but toasty.
3 - Whenever I can get my hands on one of the waterproof/breathable
non-woven Dyneema jackets I'll throw one in the pack for hideous
conditions.

Bob Culp

Hi.



I'm Matti from Finland and I'm pretty active all round climber, skier and hiker. And
with ski I mean telemark, cross country and Nordic touring. The weather is normally
pretty severe here in northern Finland, Sweden and Norway where I do most of my
winter activities. -20C is pretty standard day during the Jan - Mar. My coldest ice
climbing week had average of -32C. I'm not very good at ice stuff, but I can lead WI
4-5 so it serves as "feelgood" activity during winter where I mostly climb
multipitch WI3 in Norway and Sweden. My main focus is in summer stuff (7c+ in both
sport and boulder and (well protected) trad up to ~7a). Anyho I get around 200
outdoor days (I also include after work stuff) per year.

My absolutely favourite is old 'Ryx Gamma MX hoody(polartec version). It works in
everything (as long as the weather is below zero degrees) and awesomely. Put thick
merino underwear under it and perhaps light down west (like Patagucci down west) if
it's real cold. You stay warm and dry even if you get totally soaked during climb
and it's -20C. First the stuff might freeze, but in few moments of high wattage
action and you are dry again. And unlike real hardshell the shit really breaths. You
can see the difference as huge cloud of steam :). This is very important fe in
Nordic touring, cross country skiing or when I'm skinning as you sweat up to 12
hours a day.

I must say that I sweat like a pig, but So Far (tm) I haven't tried a HS material
that would actually keep me dry even in dry if I'm active. And in really cold the
water just stays inside the HS jacket. Also they tend to rip.

Also the stretch cuffs are pretty much second best feature in the jacket. Combine
them with gloves (like those stupendously expensive 'Ryx leather gloves) you can
tuck in and you've got seal that's totally water and snow proof. No matter what you
do it doesn't open up. Also it' really robust. Velcros just break down. I know it's
probably not so much of an problem with you as you guys change to new apparel more
often than I change my underwear, but with us regular joe's we really appreciate
garment that lasts. I've gotten 7 years of active use out of my Gamma and now it's
totally destroyed.

Also the cut is fantastic. I love just how the garment fits just so and doesn't
leave any extra material to block my view to harness. Also at the same time it
allows good range of motion.

Regarding most of the stuff above I'm in a bit of a dilemma. New Gamma MX doesn't
just float my boat way old one did. Cut is more average consumer orientated,
material isn't as wind resistant (old one was spot on for my tastes) and seems
somehow less sturdy. This brings the problem that there really isn't any other
jackets with:
1. Good cut and quality
2. same cuffs
3. Powershield
4. Good hood
5. Wouldn't mind if it also looked good.

Ideas?

We've got custom shop here in my hometown (Oulu) that makes tailored outdoot gear
(www.shelby.fi<http://www.shelby.fi>), but polartec powershield isn't available
unless one gets few hundreds of meters of it -> they do not stock it.

-Matti Sillanpää-

Bruno
Schull said...

My choice for a softshell jacket is the Marmot tempo hoody. This is an
inexpensive non-lined softshel. Mot importantly, it fits me really well in XL. I
am tall with long arms, and I find it extremely difficult to find a jacket that
works for climbing. The Tempo has a long back and arms, and is one of the very
few jackets that I can tuck under a harness, and will not pull out when I raise
my arms over my head. The hood works well over a helmet. The cuff closures are
simple and effective. The pockets are located above the harness and out of the
way of pack straps. No pit zips. Simple and clean. It is not as waterproof nor
as wind resistant as some of the lined shells, but it makes up for that by being
extremely breathable; the inside stays dry and your body stays warm. Great,
simple, effective, inexpensive jacket. Also comes in some offensive florescent
colors for Dane! All the best.

Daniel
Harro said...



Arcteryx Gamma SL hybrid is a nice jacket as well as being truly light weight
at 13 oz.


http://arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?EN/Mens/Gamma-SL-Hybrid-Hoody

I
personally think "uninsulated shells" should clock in well under 14 ounces,
anything heavier is too much. My Alpha LT hardshell is 13.5 oz.





brian said...

Great discussion as always Dane. What about the Acto MX Hoody? I switched
last year after climbing in Gamma MX Hoody's and the first gen of the Venta MX
for many years. I find the Acto breathes much better than any other softshell,
and when it gets real nippy, i throw the Atom LT over it. No complaints other
than the "trim fit" versus the "athletic fit" on the mx line.

Andy said...

Hey Dane - totally second the comment by Brian about the Acto MX Hoody. I
agree it's perhaps best to call it a hardfleece rather than a soft shell. But in
terms of the fabrics properties and performance I find it similar to something
like the Rab Scimitar you reviewed above. But better. Very breathable, very
water resistant, amazingly durable, though not very wind resistant. Not too
different from most stretch woven fabrics though I reckon. I too was a long time
Gamma MX Hoody user, I find the Acto way better all things considered and it's
the best hardfleece/soft shell I've ever used.

Ian said...

In my mind the best hardshell is the one that never leaves my backpack. I
have yet to wear a hardshell I actually liked. I have a very lightweight Rab
shell but I've only ever worn it once.

First Place for me: Patagonia Supercell Jacket. Gore-tex paclite material,

weighs 13.5 oz. Great fit (for me - 5' 11'' 180 pounds size large). As

breathable as traditional hard shell gore tex gets in my opinion. Super

minimal design and great hood. This is my new go to shell for just about

any adventure in the mountains but especially for ice climbing. My favorite

shell is the one that stays in my pack until I really need it. In this

case, the supercell performs great, packs up into its hood, provides great

waterproof protection and breaths pretty damn well (vents still needed when

really working hard).



Zach Lees



Until last winter I was

using some lighweight hardshells from Mountain Hardwear and TNF. Neither

of them were really Alpine specific. The MH was too long and always

interfered with ropes and harness access. The TNF jacket was a nice

shorter cut and very packable, but more geared for warmer weather and I

never fully trusted its ability to keep me warm and dry in nasty

conditions. Last winter my goal became to find a high quality, high-value

alpine shell with Goretex Proshell, or equivalent. I ended up going with

the Outdoor Research Mentor

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/or-gear/jackets/mens-mentor-jacket.html

I think the suggested retail price is very fair for a pro shell jacket, and

OR gear always seems to end up on sale or clearance. I scored my Mentor

for about half off. While I have yet to test it in any real nasty weather,

my initial impressions are strong. Seems to be of high quality

construction, and fit and style suit me well. It also feels pretty bomber

and will hold up to the New England granite and whatever else I put it

through. Here is a picture of me on Mt. Osceola (New Hampshire) last

winter. I think OR will be a good source of high-value outerwear for the

next few years as its clothing line expands ahead of its reputation. I

think they have always been well respected for their gaitors, gloves, hats,

etc. and I think their outerwear will follow suit. I am about to spring

for last season's OR Maestro down jacket which is on clearance on several

websites. At least on paper it stacks up to most of the 800-fill power,

quantum pertex shelled down belay jackets.



For a soft shell I wear a Rab Baltoro. I picked it up on clearance as

well. Does SteepandCheap.com ship to Canada? While I haven't used any

others, I can say that I really enjoy the Rab. Originally a soft shell

skeptic, it won me over. For soft shell pants, I am in love with my Wild

Things Mountain Guide pants. On one of my first winter overnights I

experienced some layering errors and ended up sweating into and soaking

much of my insulating layers. Those mountain guide pants wicked and

evaporated everything and stayed dry as a bone. My Rab jacket froze into a

solid lump when I swapped it out for my down hoody and hard shell on the

wind-blown summit.



Regards,

Tony



My weapon of choice is the Haglöfs fang. Sadly as far as I can tell it is

discontinued. I will just give you a short list of features I really liked, the

material, weight, etc. are on the web anyway.



+A huge hood, a meteor 3 fits nicely, is 4 way adujstable

+pit zips for dumbing heat ( I tend to sweat like a pig)

+the most durable softshell I had so far



Not much of a review but worth a look if you see one on sale, I'm 190cm and 78kg

and have L, if you want to wear some extra layers XL is fine too.
Bert

Evidence

Pileated woodpeckers wuz here... Dryocopus pileatus calling card.

This fallen log is along the path that I've been taking to scout wildflowers. They bloom first on the higher elevations, and I've made the trek two or three times in the past week, with no luck. Nothing blooming yet. It's been an unusually cold winter, followed by an annoyingly tardy spring.

Since it's been raining in near-biblical proportions, I get to tromp through plenty of mud and standing water to reach the higher elevations. A good test for my new rain boots, I guess, but now I feel slightly guilty at how abused they look, so soon out of the box.

Plants are starting to emerge, at least. It won't be much longer.

Via my superior weather radar-sleuthing skills, I suspected that it would rain again before we got back. I was right. Next time, we're taking two umbrellas... I keep forgetting that somebody is a lot taller than me, for umbrella purposes.

Double boots, one more time.....

There is no story of a great feat or feet in this case. Just a caution and a a little jubilation of getting away unscathed, again. And another lesson. learned or relearned, taught by a hard, but incredibly beautiful mistress. No technical difficulties to over come or one arm pull ups involved. It happens every day, all year long, in Chamonix. For myself and my partners on this tripjust a small part of a bigger adventure this winter.



I was lucky enough to climb most of Feb, March and a tiny bit in April this year in Chamonix. That after starting the ice season earlier than ever in Nov. in Canada and then Montana and back to Canada again in Jan. And the season isn't done yet. Hopefully I'll get another month yet in Canada again before everything has fallen down.



In all that ice climbing I have used dbl boots once this winter in NA (Canada) and on fourclimbs in the Alps.

But more than once I have regretted my choice in footwear. Never while wearing dbl boots however.



No one dislikes climbing in dbl boots more than I do. They (any of the three best currently available) are big, and bulky and heavy in comparison to the single boots I am using. The up side to that is they offer more support for your calfs and feet and more protection from the pounding endurance alpine ice will give your toes. All that before you get to the added warmth they offer and the added benefits of a dbl boot drying out in a bivy.



Check out the climbers on the S. Face of the Midi.



And for perspective the little bump in the middle of the Massif which was our school room on several occasions. The Cosmic Arete is the sky line ridge, left to right. S. Face of the Midi is the clean wall on the right.



Duringlate Feb and early March in Chamonix my partners and I kept getting bounced between -20 temps or lowerand 20+ cm dumps of new snow up high. All that while trying to get acclimatized on the Midi at 12391 feet(3777 m).



Most every chance I got I would hop on the Midi tram and head to 12K feet or at least to 10K on the GM lift. For a flat lander coming straight from sea level there were some painful days in all that. And the GM had a better lunch :)



One of our first adventures was a little trip out the tunnel on the Midi in a wind storm after a 15 to 25cm dump of snow. The first lift on the tram was late as is typical after new snow but I was pressing to get some climbing in. At that point I was 7 days into a 44 day trip and not done any climbing yet. But the skiing was good :)









In crotch deep new snow (so much for the 15cm) before we even hit the end of the rope hand rail on the Midi arete Josh's noise was white withskin freezing up. It was cold and the wind was whipping. Hard to judge just how cold it would be at 12K from our apartment in town. (and that got only slightly easier in the next month) Josh was smart to turn around as his Rudolf's nosedeclared for the next week or so. He got revenge by coming back on a still and blue bird day for his solo climb as we road the lift down off the mtn.









Matt and I continud and ventured off to "look" at the Cosmic Arete. Two French parties were held up in the old worker's hut at teh basse of the ridge out of the wind. The sun felt good and Matt and I thought, "why not take a look". After all how hard could it be?



Mind you the last tram down is at 4:30 and we didn't even get off the tram till after noon...so the real question should have been, "just how fast are we?"



In good conditions the Cosmic Arete is a awesome alpine romp that generally takes an hr or so. We hit the Midi platform at 5:30 that afternoon. More to that story but not the point thsi time out.







-20C (around -5F) and a strong wind can be pretty cold. At 12K feet it is cold even in the sun if you are not acclimatized. By the time we got to the last 4 pitches of climbing I was full on shivering even in a MEC Tango belay jacket over a Atom LT and two hoodies. Thankfully my feet we not yet cold. I was wearing a pair of Scarpa Ultra single boots. But it was obvious to me that when my feet did get cold...and it was just a matter of time....I would be totally FOOKED. Quick way to end a climbing trip, that.









The good news was the last 4 pitches were excellent and funclimbing in most any conditions, even that particular day. And thankfully no more trail breaking in deep snow. My feet were out of the snow for the most part and my core was finally warming up again from the effort of easy technical climbing.







I made myself a promise after thatfirst climb...."always bring full face goggles and always wear my dbl boots up high here".







Of course I failed to keep that promise and regretted it every, single, time.



By the end of my trip it was early April. Things had warmed considerably up high aroundChamonix.

More storms were rolling through the mountains by the end as well. The power of a good storm in the Alps rivals anything I have seen in Alaska. Impressive. Scary if you have to be out in it.



There is a reason for all the huts in the Alps. Getting caught out in those conditions with out brick and mortar around you, canjust aseasily kill you. The final storm we weathered at the Cosmic Hut would have, if you had been unprotected onroute.







The obviously now happy campers leaving the upper tram terminal after being stuck on the Midi for two days..





When the final tally was made and the tram started down again on day three, half of the 20 passengers were French Mountain Police and Chamonix Guides. Bad weather can catch anyone, even the most experienced. I counted. There were 4 pairs of single boots in the crowd. I felt terribly under dressed. And happy I had a hut and WC to hid in for ourtime up high. Spantiks weren't a fashion statement there...but a survival tool.















It is all about conditions, isn't it :)

Spring Blooms

Cherry, Apple, and Redbud blossoms before the wind hit them.

More South Carolina From My Window

I loved this practical use of space. It is the Town Hall, Police Department and Fire Department all in one!

Restless Nights

Maybe it has been this full moon that has been keeping me awake at night. I really believe that if the moon can affect the tides it can affect people and animals, too. But I would like a good nights sleep.