Recent content by sijesi

Hello all -- It's been a while since I posed a question to you, but you've always been helpful, so here goes. ... This one's a little embarrassing. I do an annual winter hike/climb with some friends in the High Peaks region of 'Dacks, but it's been a few years since I've gone. I'm about to...

Crazy weather on the trail to/from Dix. After summiting Sunday (1/5) in powdery/sugary snow on the steeps to find bare rock with drifts between at the top, spent the night at the Bouquet River lean-to to hike out Monday (1/6). It rained (with strong, sustained gusts of wind) solidly through the...

Thanks, everyone; you're the best. I'm gonna trade the liner in for a bivvy. I'll be getting a little $$ back, so I'll use that to update my trail map. Merry Christmas/happy new year, all!

I'm planning a weekend of camping/peak bagging the High Peaks region of the 'Dack in a few weeks. Me and my crew have been doing this for more than a decade (some of 'em for decades). I've used a tent every year, but, little by little, the guys have been opting to not carry a tent and just sleep...

Hey, some friends of mine and I are planning a trip to the 'Dacks in early January. I remember how hard Irene hit the Keene Valley region, and I think I remember reading that Marcy Dam sustained some major damage. My crew had been planning to stay at a lean-to in the Marcy Dam area, maybe get a...

Better safe . . . Even if you end up buying new crampons -- and that's what I recommend -- you're better off getting them from a dealer that'll stand behind the products it sells. Even new gear can malfunction due to factory defect, etc. Better to have a receipt and a warranty when you're...

Hey, in the two or three years since I last jammed my feet into my nubuck suede La Sportiva mountaineering boots they seem to have gotten somewhat snug. So much so that a day in the 'Dacks might cripple me. Does anyone know of a homespun way to get a half a size or so of give in these things? A...

Thanks, all Just ordered my Denali Ascents and hope to put them to the test in the Bushnell Falls area of the High Peaks in early January. I'll let you know how they (I? we?) perform. Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to steer me in the right direction. Happy trails. :D

I've winter camped, hiked in the Adirondack High Peaks on and off for years. Snowshoes are a necessity. Here's my problem: I'm 6' 3" and weigh about 210 -- without pack. I want to purchse an agressive set of snowshoes, but the specs for most of them say I'll be too heavy with my pack to use...

7" in flat PA Because you asked-- Had 7 inches of dry powder on my front deck here in the Susquehanna Valley. Woo-hoo. :) --Sijesi

Yep, poles I always use poles. They're indispensable when hiking up or down steeps or over rocky/rooty terrain. Four points of contact (two legs, two poles) with the ground makes for a very stable hiker. A clumsy little fall in the wrong place can turn a pleasant outing into a stone drag...

No aluminum-claw Tubbs Have to give the thumbs down to the Tubbs Elevation 30. I had a pair fail on me while summiting Saddleback in the 'Dacks this weekend. I really had to pound the toe claws in pretty hard to get traction most of the way. Then, while ascending a steep snowy pitch at about...

Rent Tubbs For years I've rented Tubbs (Adventure line, I think) from EMS here in PA. Depending on my fluctuating weight, I get the 30s or 36s. (I'll be in the 30s this weekend going up Basin and Saddleback.) I like them for trekking over flat to mild inclines, and I don't mind them when...

Hey, everybody. Happy winter to all. :D I've got a trip coming up to make a summit attempt on Basin and Saddleback (from the east) in the 'Dacks. I've made tentative plans to rent snowshoes from the Mountaineer in Keene for the trip. Here's the thing: I'm kinda big. I weigh about 210, and my...

Silicone spray Carole-- Any recommendations for silicone spray brands or where I might buy some? Thanks. --Sijesi