Recent content by madmattd

The Great Gulf Headwall section inquired about is easily skirted around. I've done so myself a couple of times (once in winter, once or twice in early Spring). I've personally descended Ammo twice in winter conditions, one when it was moderately icy, and one when it was buried under 2' of newish...

I was up there this weekend (Galehead/Garfield), and immediately noticed this new "viewpoint", not remembering it having been there before either (my last visit to that area was in February 2014). It is on the Garfield Ridge Trail about halfway between the Gale River Trail junction and the Hut...

There are a number of designated sites (little wooden tent sign) along the Dry River Trail South of Shelter #3. I was just in there this past Labor Day Saturday and visited a few on our way out. There were tons of people in various group sizes heading in that afternoon to camp at the various...

I've worn transitions for 10 years or so now, and haven't had a major complaint (other than they don't work while driving). In fact, I've been very happy with them overall. Yes, they can be slow to lighten at times (this seems to have improved in my last pair or two), and yes it might look a...

A group of us did the whole 6-pack around the CVR this weekend (Crockers/Redington and Sugarloaf-Spaulding-Abraham). Before the Saturday night snow, conditions were hard, icy, and fast. Rapid Stream Road to the FWT for Abraham was plowed (but very icy, high clearance and 4WD recommended in...

Hey, thanks for making me look again Mohamed, my version of My Trails is apparently WAY out of date (2009 iirc). I thought I had looked a while back and didn't see an updated version, but your link shows that I was clearly wrong! Time to get the new version, I bet there are a lot more trails in...

Agreed. I've felt zero need to go beyond the set of maps I downloaded several years ago off that site. As for trails, check out "My Trails" on the same site. It is a transparent map layer that you can overlay over whatever base topos you run, versus having a set of GPX tracks to turn on and off...

Yes, the Lightning Ascents are aluminum, at least the side frames are. Grinding aluminum comes with its own set of challenges, but nothing I don't deal with frequently at work. Looks like this might be worth my time after all then.

So this might seem a little crazy to some, but I was wondering if anyone here had any experience sharpening their snowshoe crampons, particularly the MSR Lightning Ascent style crampons. I noticed towards the latter part of last winter that I was no longer getting the traction I recalled...

Thanks for the memories Tom, I had a great mini-vacation in Flagstaff back in June of this year on my way to a business trip in L.A. I drove up from Phoenix the afternoon I landed, and hit the trail the next morning, and as a result of my little acclimation, had a little bit of a rough go at...

I did the Vose->Carrigain loop last fall with another member of this board (and a few others that went as far as Vose). While I'm glad I did it and it was a fun experience, I probably won't do it again. The 'whack to Vose was easy enough from the 'big rock", and navigationally the trek from...

The Dry River and Isolation Trails were just reopened earlier this week. Rocky Branch is scheduled to be repaired next summer. I believe that is the only remaining Irene trail closure now? (I realize some roads are still shut)...

Having the barometric altimeter would be nice, but the GPS was a gift, so I manage without. I wouldn't use the electronic compass even if I had it, preferring a true mechanical as well, so that was not a loss in my eyes. I was not aware they were 100K, I thought they were 24K, but neither is...

I have an Etrex 20 and use it for the mentioned purposes: on-trail mainly just to have a track to play with at home later (and the occasional "how much more elevation to the next landmark", which a regular altimeter would accomplish too), and some use off-trail as a map/compass assist as...

Sadly Joe, I did not take a good picture of Red Rock Pond. I've linked the best I have below, if you zoom in you can sort of see it. Sorry it's not more definitive. https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aY6u8FBgoXtQdYmtDjCSv0xfdqHpAMSWT7gW3-J_amo?feat=directlink