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  1. J

    High Winds... not to be underestimated

    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.
  2. J

    Heated insoles - ThermIC, etc...

    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...
  3. J

    Stabilzers vs Crampons for above treeline

    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...
  4. J

    Catskill trails after snow

    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.
  5. J

    Glissading spots on Mount Washington

    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...
  6. J

    Glissading spots on Mount Washington

    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...
  7. J

    Open blister care

    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...
  8. J

    Open blister care

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

    Open blister care

    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...
  10. J

    Sharpening crampons

    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...
  11. J

    ADK - First time suggestions

    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.
  12. J

    No problem parking at Cog

    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.
  13. J

    ADK - First time suggestions

    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...
  14. J

    ADK - First time suggestions

    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...
  15. J

    Bare Booting

    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.
  16. J

    Sherburne Ski Trail conditions?

    Being I'm not a skier I've been dying to try this versus the boring walk down Tucks; anyone have a recommendation on what kind of sled to use, and is it okay to stash one at Harvard or Ho Jo's and combine it with a walk up to the summit?
  17. J

    How much snow did you get?

    I'm about half an hour SE of snowshoe near Harriman, maybe 2" here with a very icy crust making for crappy hiking conditions. To top it off we're looking at high 50s next week which means mud galore, sigh. Looking forward to heading up to the Whites again...
  18. J

    Bad news from the Cog railway

    This conversation is denigrating fast; for those interested in climbing the Ammo this winter including myself, can we get a contact for Cog management and get an official response to us offering to pay a parking fee/sign liability waiver? If the answer is GFY, end of story.
  19. J

    Soft Shells???

    Good discussion; I use a Marmot Sharp Point (I think it has Gore vs. Schoeller, the Gore being more wind resistant but less breathable - it does have pit zips however) along with a 300 weight fleece for insulation (only comes out if I stop or on descent) and the Marmot Precip as an outer shell...
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