Recent content by jethro

Even more fun is when you go up Washington on a calm morning and unexpectedly meet hurricane force winds on the way down - once it took me 3 hours to crawl from the base of the rockpile to LH with huge chunks of ice blowing above my head from out of the ravine. Fun times.

A friend of mine recommended heated insoles for winter bike riding, and I figured they would serve well for winter hiking as well. Since I pretty much hike in any conditions with leather boots (I hate plastics with a passion), I wind up using the chemical toe warmers which can get me through a...

I prefer Yaks to Crampons in all but the iciest conditions and have probably done a dozen winter hikes up Washington without ever putting the crampons on. The exception is one of those days when the slopes below the summit cone are hard ice. Downside to Yaks is they'll only last about a year if...

Anybody been out hiking after this morning's snow (Friday)? I'm thinking of going up either Wittenberg, Slide, or Hunter this weekend but am not too fond of breaking trail.

I actually did come down the Ammo for the first time just this last Thursday; it was a luge track on the way up but unfortunately it softened up quite a bit by the afternoon - still caught a few good runs. My curiosity now is more so in climbing (non-technical) one of the gullies and then...

Besides the usual one down LH winter route (which isn't much of a prize), does anyone either: 1) Glissade off the southeast snow fields on the summit cone? Coming off the summit you have to go off-trail a little bit to the east to find the snow fields that run out into the alpine garden, but I...

FWIW - I tried the Band Aid advanced blister care (which uses Compeed) and it let me get up Mount Washington without incident on Thursday - pain was minimal, and the pad stayed on perfectly. The only stupid mistake I made was taking the pad off after the hike since I wanted to see how much I...

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how it goes

I know blisters have been beat to death here, but does anyone have any suggestions on how I can wrap up a nasty heel blister (1/2" wide) that tore open during a hike today? I'd like to go hiking tomorrow, and I'm not sure if a bandaid/moleskin/duct tape wrap is the best plan; I've dealt...

Anyone have first hand experience doing this? After losing 40 pounds and two years of use, my G10's are now losing traction on smooth glaze ice sheets with an incline > 20 degrees. Is there a good guideline for how sharp they should be for general mountaineering, and will an outdoor shop do it...

Thanks again for all the suggestions, only had one day to spend and woke up late so I chose Algonquin over Marcy, report is in trail conditions (date was 2/4 not 2/5). Definitely a different character to the ADK's versus the Whites; it was fun mixing things up a little.

Anyone know if you run the risk of being towed if you show up pre-8am? I guess smartest thing to do is just notify the desk clerk the day before now that they actually have a "formal" parking policy. And John - you'll be billed for the bad attitude shortly; it's a premium service.

Thanks guys, sorry about omitting the experience, I've run up and down Washington and the other NH >5k's at least 10 times in the winter, some in nasty conditions, so I doubt the ADK's will be a problem in benign weather with the obvious disclaimer that you have to treat every hike with respect...

I have Thursday and Friday off, looking to climb in the Daks for the first time; my tentative agenda is Algonquin and Marcy, both as dayhikes from the Loj. If anyone has a "must do" alternative suggestion, let me know - my main concern is I don't want any long drive from Lake Placid (since I'll...

Anyone know if they post snow depth/conditions near the trailheads at the Loj? Reason I ask is I'd rather leave snowshoes in the car if it's hardpack, but don't want to get fined because there's 12" of snow. This would only be for the more well-trodden trails, i.e. up to Algonquin/Marcy Dam.