Recent content by tonycc

I have a couple of photos from this day. Unfortunately, I didn't think of getting a photo of Rejean. Both are panoramics taken from the summit of Haystack. Marcy and skylight with Panther Gorge in the lower right: Very large pan with all but the western ridge included: Tony

Hey Rejean, nice trip report. I was the one who took the group you met up to Haystack. It was great meeting you. That was the first peak in the Daks for those five boys that were with me. It was great meeting you up there, it was quite the inspiration for them. All they talked about the...

About the miniscus repair, my ortho calls the result arthritis. His definition of arthritis is loss of cartilage for any reason, which is what occurs when the miniscus is repaired. This usually consists of some cutting and some scraping to smooth it back out. (You have watched the procedure...

I have yet to find a bad trail in Acadia. My one suggestion would be the North Ridge Trail up to Cadillac Mt as a sunrise hike. Virtually the entire trail is open with continual views of Bar Harbour and Frenchman's Bay. When I did this I left the Loop Road at the trail head, just as the...

I heard some advice once concerning hiking with inexperienced people. The instructor stated he would "always" get a hot spot 15-30 minutes into a hike and stop to treat it, even though he never actually got hot spots. Inexperienced people tend to be hesitant for whatever reason about stopping...

Not to confuse legend with facts ;) , here are some official tallys for Vermont: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCoptions11?state=Vermont&short=43 And given Jay Peak affectionado's always challenge the Tug Hill Plateau snow fall claims...

I have modified all my packs to have a whistlelock buckle on the sternum strap. Can be bought from these guys: http://www.questoutfitters.com/plastic.htm I also don't hesitate to sew on extra pockets to any of my gear. Tony

Nice article! Question though... You make this statement in there: What's up with this? Tony

I camp a lot in northern Ontario. I've never seen -40 (would love to since then I wouldn't have to do F to C conversions :) ) Typical nighttime temperature is below 0F, last year we had five nights below -20 F, two of those were below -30 F. Two pads were more than sufficient, I think due to...

I gave it a go this weekend. Had to drive three hours to find snow (Tug Hill Plateau), but it didn't get nearly cold enough for a good test. The temps at bedtime were around 30 degrees under clear skies, probably 40 in the morning before it started raining. The Exped 9 Dlx worked great in the...

Also note that solar activity may be a significant factor in global temperatures on Earth, more sunspots mean more solar output. The last 50 years or so have been the most active period of solar activity recorded. Nicely confounded with GHG emissions unfortunately. This prediction could be...

I linked to the wrong pad above, I have the 26" version. It's like sleeping on an aircraft carrier compared to my 20" thermarest. :cool: At 3.5" thick, I'm thinking it might be enough bottom insulation for moderate winter temperatures. I would pump it a bit fuller for use in the hammock to...

This is another one of those personal values which causes problems when some try to hold others to their values. However, this in reality has nothing to do with a dog's value system. Isn't awarding a dog a patch really rewarding the owner for a "canine accomplishment"? For some it could be a...

I just returned from a week camping in northern Ontario. I used this pad , an Exped Downmat 9 Delux, which a wonderful spouse bought me for x-mas: http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/19207/ While expensive, it is a fantastic piece of gear and worth every cent for winter camping on snow and ice...

On a more serious note than my previous one above, you can learn these skills while walking on safely marked trails. I almost always have my map in my front pocket and I regularly look at it and figure out exactly where I am. Pull out the compass and use it to orient the map in the correct...