Autumn is Coming...

As we push into late August the first signs of fall are starting to show themselves. Returning clouds, crisp days leading to cold nights, and fewer climbers are a familiar scene this time of year. We actually had some snowflakes fall on rangers the past couple of days, but the report from Muir today was of sunny skies, gentle breezes, and cool fall temperatures.

September is still a great month to climb, one of my favorites actually. Although the weather can be variable, it is still very pleasant for the most part. Climbing in September can also lead to a lot more solitude on a mountain where that is sometimes hard to find. Routes like the Emmons and the Kautz, which can be extremely busy during mid-summer, turn into full-on wilderness experiences in September. Something very notable about this year that is different from previous ones is that the routes still have a lot more snow on them than normally would be present in late August. This means instead of climbing glacial skeleton and having to wind around what may seem like endless fields of huge crevasses to reach the summit, climbers are treated to what can only be described as excellent climbing!

There are a few changes coming in the next couple of weeks of which climbers should be aware. One is that the ranger stations where you register to climb will no longer be open on their summer hours. After Labor Day the Longmire WIC, White River WIC and the Climbing Information Center will all still be open but on a more limited basis. Stay tuned for the exact hours,which we will be posting as we get confirmation on the schedules. Climbing rangers will be around throughout September, but on a more limited basis. So make sure to get your urgent questions answered by a ranger when you register.

Come on out and enjoy this next season change on Rainier. There is still a lot of climbing to be done, and watching the leaves change color from 14,000' is a pretty spectacular sight!

La Sportiva Hang5

La Sportiva's Hang5






Product: La Sportiva's Hang5



Length Tested: 178cm
Turn Radius: 23/30/23m


side cut: 145/117/135


camber: 7.7mm
Tip rocker: 425mm


Tail rocker:
0

Running length: 1510mm

Weight: per skis: 1900g / 4lb. 3oz.



Binding: Dynfit Radical Speed toe TLT Speed heel



Mount point: Mounted @ La Sportiva's suggested line



Ski
weight with bindings: 5lb evenper ski



Environmental
Conditions: early and late Spring skiing



Location of Test: Crystal Mountain Washington




Number of Runs: 15+days of spring skiing,



Snow Conditions: Early and late Spring skiing conditions ice to slush



Demo or Own: own















CONSTRUCTION TYPE: FUSION SIDEWALL - 70% Camber / 30% Rocker

SIDEWALL MATERIAL: ABS Thermoplastic

TOP SHEET: 0.5 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210) - Glossy

CORE: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood

LAMINATE LAYER 1: Tri-Directional Fiberglass

LAMINATE LAYER 2: Bi-Directional Carbon/Fiberglass mat

SPECIAL MATERIALS: Fiberglass Veil

REINFORCEMENTS PLATES: Under bindings

TIP AND TAIL REINFORCEMENTS: Rubber

BASE MATERIAL: P-Tex 2000 factory hand waxed

EDGE MATERIAL: 1,8 mm steel + rubber laminate

FEATURES: Tip and tail attachment holes, flat/notched tail

SIZES: 178, & 188

COLOR: 99H Yellow

PRICE: $825 USD



Tester Info:



Height/Weight:
6'1" 190lb



Ski
Days/Season: 30+



Years
Skiing: 30+

Aggressiveness& Moderate



Current
Quiver: Huascaran, Aspect, GTR, Lo5, Hi5, 112RP, 138, Broad Peak, 112RPC,
138. Praxis GPO and Protest



Home Area: Silver Mtn Idaho, Crystal Mtn
and Alpental WA.



Preferred Terrain: off-piste, trees,
steeps




1 (worst)
to 5 (best) star ratings

$ Value: *****







Durability: unknown at this
point but they still look good







Edge Grip: considering the 117mm
under foot *****







Maneuverability:****-







Performance:*****



From another fan of the Hang5 earlier in the winter:



"It's a bit of a charger, eh? Good skiers seem to love them. Not so good ones, not so much. You gotta stay on top of them. If youget in the back seat they'll throw you around. It's a way different ski than the Hi5. Is strange, but at 117 underfoot it was really more of an everyday ski for me this past winter. I can ride it inbounds all day and; then take it BC too. Much more versatile than the Hi5 IMO. Yeah, Iwassurprised at the lack of fanfare for this ski. It's my favorite."





I agreed whole heartilywith thoseobservations. Same things I saw. My favorite ski as well of the 4 GTR/Lo5/Hi5/Hang5.Although I now think the GTR is the other unsung ski that should have a cult following. It does with me anyway. Obviously all the la Sportiva skis are intended for different purposes. And I try to make that comparison to each ski in class.GTR fairs well. I put the Hi5 in the same class as the DPS 112. People love them. I am just not a big fan of either after a season on each.



Skiing the Hang5late this winter and Springin comparison with the Huascaran (same length), longer DPS RPC,and a Dynastar Cham 107 (184) and my Lo5s. Best comparison was the DPS RPC (192cm). The RPCskied very similar for me in our current spring conditions. Bothadd huge confidence under foot. Says even more for a 178cm ski I think. I found the Hang5 to be the ski I wanted to be on as we rotated through the day.



That is some dang good company for a 1st year ski.

Funny this: by late Saturday my legs were cooked and was skiing the Dynastar (which has gotten some rave reviews). I was hating them..really hating them. Decided if I skied so badly it was time to wrap it up. I got the Hang5 back on top of the hill and headed home. Much to my surprise, even with worn out legs the Hang5s still skied very well and seemingly made me stone sober.

They certainly make light of some terrible snow conditions, ice crust or boot deep slush.



Enough fluff :) Thought about this a lot over the first week I skied the Hang5s and bought a pair asap in the same 178 size.









Thoughts for the guys who also got a turn at my demo pair.



"I take them out for almost any moderate touring day. I find it to have less of a

new-school slarving personality as it needs to be stepped on to really charge. Lots of> energy return and super fun. Makes tight enough turns and is stable at speed."



"uncomfortable, too unbalanced front to back. Always felt like I was on a teeter totter."



"Too heavy and slow in tight conditions, not a ski that is much fun in jump turns"









"Nice ski, could easily be my all mountain ski, all winter ski even at 117 under foot."



My own take was interesting after forcing them off on friends. Most of them ski better than I as well so I valuetheir opinions even if it is notalways my own experience.






Scarpa Maestrale RS






The Hang5 is not a ski I like skiing in my TLTs. Although Jerry had no problem skiing his TLT Mountains on the Hang5.I much prefer a Dynafit One or the Scarpa Maestrale RS for the Hang5 even in the short 178 version. It is a lot of ski for me at 117mm under foot and 145 at the tip with no real or imaginative foo-foo design work to make it ski shorter or lighter.



That said I don't look for the Hang5 as my "first take" back country ski. It is fine in a skin track and booting as long as I am not doing a lot of either. If so I want a lighter ski. But on the down these things simply rock for me. They are ultimately stable, No teeter totter for me. Likely the one ski in my dozen ski quiverthat has a perfect mount point sorted out. And it makes a difference. For me this ski gives a 5 star ride in any conditions, powder to Spring ice and anything in between. I really, really like this ski. Enough so to over look its' weight. Mind you it still weights less than the vast majority of skis of this size and attributes by a fair margin.



The 178Hang5 is afull pound more per ski @ 4.25# than a 177Huascaran @ 3.25# . And the weight and ski stiffness/flex relates that as well. The 178cm Hang5 is a 1/4 pound per ski less than the 182cm Praxis GPO @ 4.5#. Good company imo all all three skis.



The Hang5 skis more like the Praxis GPO than the Huascaran or even my 192 RPCs..No question with numbers like 145mm/117mm/ 135mm teh Hang5is a BIG ski with a rather traditional flat tail, decent side cut and a slightly rockered tip. Nothing here really to give away the performance that I came to really value in the Hang5.



I skied them on the morning ice of a good Spring day and the resulting slush of a warm spring day. I skied them in a few tight rock lined gullies, soft bumps that were huge and everything in between. On typical cold Spring snow with its wash board effect fro a surface I loved them. For me once I had some speed going they were effortless and turned on a dime..exactly where I wanted and when I wanted. No effort involved. Not everyone one liked them 2:2 was the consensus I think. With 3:4 bias in most conditions on the plus side. But some what grudingly. Even the lone doubter was swayed soemby the end of the day.



It is a ski that likes to be driven. If you are comfortable on the ski and willing to work them I think the Hang5offers a lot of feed back and is super fun. And I don't work any ski very hard. More importantly to me it seems very confidence building and super stable even in the 178 size I first demoed and then bought.



The 177cm Huascaran was the first ski to turn me on to this size of ski (short 177cm and 115+/- under foot). I now have 3 pair of them, the Praxis GPO, the Huascaran and the Hang5. I generally prefer (or thought I did until recently)a 192 or bigger ski. I have and ski on several including a longer 196 Huascaran,192 DPS 112RPC, the 192 GPO, Protests and DPS 138.



But I don'tthink I own a more fun ski than the 115+/-mm under foot by178 cm. The Hang5s just reinforced that idea. Give them even a little bit of room to make a turn on, in any kind of snow,and this ski will rip and put a smile on your face allat the same time.









Of the "big" skis La Sportiva offers I think this is the sleeper of the bunch. By far my favorite ski between the Lo5, Hi5and Hang5 Series and does everything better than either of the other two imo.

At least two new skis coming from La Sportiva. A more resort driven Lo5 call the Mega 5 and a totally new lwt fattyI am really interested in,.



IMO the Hang5 best balanced ski in my own quiver of a dozen or so skis. The mount point is squared away for a very neutralride in my size 28/29 boots.Others were not so impressed with the ski. Preferring a few of the other offerings I have. I was impressed enough to buy a pair of Hang5safter just a couple of days of skiing on them. For me this is a "any mission ski". I wish it weighted less for packing around or skins. But I can live with the ski's weight. The performance is so high and so very predictable in any snow condition the weight is generally unnoticed unless it needs to be carried or skinning. Typical shite days at the lift when the snow is chopped up and only OK...this is going to be one of my "go to" ski.



I really like this ski. And the color as well :)



Hard to find a decent review on this ski or anyone that has skied it. If 117 under foot sounds like something that might interest you...the Hang5 is more than worth making the effort to try out. Be prepared to open the wallet if you do. I wasn't and had to pry the cash out for these after skiing them.



I'd like to say more. I cna't seem to do justice to what I really liek about this ski. The Hang5deserves it in spades.It does quick turns down the fall line easily and big ripping GS turns on any slope with ease for me. Saving a lot of effort in the process by being so stable under foot. And I do find it a stable ski. Enough tip rocker to fillet the crap snow you always run into on-piste and wide enough to slay any sort of pow or crust off-piste. What is not to like. Icy narrow gullies? Have to admit they are not the best ski there. Takes some speed to get them to turn around. But I will willingly ski them there just because they are so stable and forgiving.



One reviewer complained about turning a short Hauscaran short of Mach1!!?? Ha, ha, the short Huascaran is a gully ski for me. And I ski sloooowwwwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyy i nthe no fall zone..



I really like this ski! Few skiI can really say that about with some conviction. The reward of owning a Hang5was some of the best Spring runs off a lift and boot packing I had this year. Gotta give credit where it belongs. In this case it goes to the Hang5.

Daytime at White Sands National Monument

After our night of camping at White Sands, my friend Roger and I also spent the whole day exploring the dunes. White Sands is such a unique environment... this is my 3rd visit to this amazing place and I doubt it will be my last. It was such a thrill to watch the light change as the sun rose higher over the dunes. The sky went from shades of pink to a rich, deep blue.



Above: In order to get the perspective seen in this shot I had to lay flat on my stomach on the sand. The camera was only a couple of inches off the surface of the sand.

One of the challenges we had during this visit to the dunes was finding areas of the dunes that were untouched by footprints. Due to some recent snow and rain that had fallen, there was some moisture in the ground and thanks to the colder temperatures the dunes were actually kind of hard and not the soft, loose sand that is normally found here. Because the sand was somewhat hard, footprints were not being erased as quickly as they normally would be by the wind. As such, there were many more footprints than you normally see here which made finding a "pristine" dune quite difficult. After a bit of hiking and exploring, we were able to finally find some areas that had not seen any recent traffic.



It doesn't take very long to get a sun tan while hiking amongst the dunes. With such a bright, reflective surface the sunlight actually bounces up from the ground and in a way you are being bombarded twice by the same amount of sunlight. After only a few hours of hiking in the dunes, our faces were starting to get red. Thankfully, though, this time of year the days are pretty short and before long the sun was getting low in the sky and once again it was time to seek out a location for sunset.

Below: I don't know if these are technically mammatus clouds or not, but they sure looked like them to me. I call them "Cloud Bubbles".



After a bit more searching we found another spot in the dunes that was relatively untouched by foot traffic. We each looked for some nice Yucca plants that we could frame in our shots and soon the last of the sunlight was working its way up the length of the Yuccas.



Before we knew it the sun was below the horizon and we were once again treated to a beautiful pink glow in the sky. This place is so amazing during the dawn and dusk times of the day! Truly one of the most unique natural treasures in this world... I can't wait for my next visit!

Meanwhile

The hepaticas have already finished flowering.


Bluebells are waning.


A few anemone groups are still hanging on.


Little umbrellas are opening all over the place.


Another umbrella.


Construction projects have begun.


There's one in every crowd.


I can't believe I missed yet another snake. This time I had the camera, but the snake was faster.

La Sportiva Baruntse revisted

With the volcano in Iceland nixing my plans to climb in Chamonix earlier this spring I had some time and money on my hands and no place I really wanted to go. That is a dangerous combination!

Daniel Harro's email last month and pictures of the work done on his Spantiks got me thinking.

The Baruntse gives my foot a great fit and offers a full length, rigid, nylon midsole so it front points very well. I like the support, lacing and cuff better for my foot than the Spantik. The over all warmth of both boots I suspect is very comparable with similar upper design and materials.







The obvious advantages of the Spantik is it has a foam midsole for extra warmth on top of a carbon fiber midsole used to cut weight and add rigidity. The other thing Sportiva used in the Spantik design is a very thin Vibram sole to also lower the weight.

After seeing what cobbler Dave Page of Seattle did to Daniel's Spantiks by adding a Nepal midsole and big block Vibram sole it got me thinking. Wrong direction for Daniel's Spantik imo by adding the weight of a Nepal sole/mid sole and duplicating the Baruntse combination, but how about going the other way and dropping a few ounces?







I took my Baruntses down to Dave Page's one afternoon and described what I wanted. Dave pulled out a couple of different Vibram sole options. I had brought along a accurate electronic scale to see if the weights "added up". And sure enough, it looked like a resole with the "proper" La Sportiva Vibram would drop 4oz per boot and add more insulation under foot while doing it. ( I didn't think the added insulation was needed but..if it goes with a weight drop why not?)

I ended up with a Baruntse that weights in at 2# 15.5oz compared to the factory Spantik at 3#.05oz. A total of 1.5 oz difference. Spantik has a 26mm mid sole at the ball of the foot and my lwt Baruntse has a 25mm midsole thickness in the same place.

Original La Sportiva factory, size 45, weights:

Spantik 3# .o5oz
Baruntse 3# 2.50oz

semi custom boot weights:

Spantik with a Baruntse liner 2# 13.5oz
Baruntse w/inner and lwt sole 2# 15.5oz

I ended up dropping only 3oz per boot but I did gain some sole insulation as well. The new lug pattern has a sold toe areas and will be better for pure rock climbing. Certainly more cushion in the boot now, both in the sole sole and heel. Down side? The Vibram soles are thinner so they won't last as long on hard surfaces. Same durability issue on a Spantik as well. But the Baruntse has more surface area being used on the newer sole.














.

Factory Baruntse and a Trangpo Extreme GTX in size 45



I like climbing technical ground in the Baruntse better than in the Spantik so it is a win/win for me. And even with the resole I am still almost $200 under the Spantik retail. Would I do it again? Cost was $78.00 for the resole. No real reason to do it other than curiosity on my part to see what kind of weight loss I would come up with. But if I wanted to take the Baruntse on a cold, technical Denali route, I would do it again in a heart beat. No question it is less weight and a warmer boot now. Warm enough to leave the over boots at home above 17K.....may be :)

This is an modification that would cost La Sportiva nothing in production and it would offer us one more option for dbl boots.



Factory sole..
















Baruntse with a lwt, La Sportiva factory resole added.

From a different perspective

This afternoon I noticed a hummingbird flitting through the lilies. I grabbed my camera in the hopes of capturing it enjoying the nectar but by the time I got to the window it was gone. Perhaps it will come back tomorrow and I'll be a little quicker. Since I had the camera at the window, I played around a bit with the zoom capabilities and got these shots. I like how the out-of-focus grass enhances the color of the lilies. I'm still amazed by how many blooms are on each plant and am really enjoying them. When we lived at our previous home, the flowers were in beds on the side and at the back of the house and we had to actually go outside to look at them. It's much nicer with them right outside the front window, especially with the high temperatures and high humidity we've been having lately.

So what does this have to do with family history research? Not anything, really, but seen from a different perspective, these views of the lilies are quite different from those taken two days ago. Sometimes (quite often), when I'm stuck with a research problem, it helps if I look at the problem from a different angle. Reviewing the information already found could help in rediscovering information previously overlooked. Talking with someone else and getting their input can also be helpful. Since they aren't emotionally attached to the problem they can take a step back and possibly offer new insight or recommend other areas of research. Regardless whether the problem is resolved or not, it almost always helps to take another look, from a different perspective.

The Gib Chute at speed?

"The best performances in the mountains arise from a combination of preparation, fitness, conditions and some luck. Watching the antics on Mt. Rainier the past few weeks made this perfectly clear. The players were certainly fit. The route was well known to Andy and Jason while Eric Carter and Nick Elson had the advantage of the cattle trail being in. The weather cooperated for both parties and everyone had the chops to ski the line. The result was two brilliant performances and standard-setting times. Daunting, to be sure."



More of Brian's write up here:

http://getstrongergolonger.squarespace.com/journal//6/13/rainier-speed-my-way.html

The season is underway... sort of

Hello again winter fanatics. Hope everyone had a great spring, summer and fall. My faithful climbing partner/girlfriend Larua and I have been out dry tool training and scoping things out for the upcoming winter season. Great News... We think we've found the largest concentration of moderate ice climbs in Western PA. As the weather gets better (worsens) we'll be able to tell you more. It could be home to over 20+ WI3 to WI4 routes. We've also been eyeing up some new mixed lines that are begging to be climbed. It should be a good year full of new routes. We've been getting our workout on as much as possible. Laura has come out swinging! getting early season clean ascents of routes most local "dudes" won't even try. The start of things freezing is (hopefully) a few short weeks away. The woods and cliffs are dripping plenty and all the water looks promising for an incredible year. We didn't rock climb a whole lot this summer, but we did keep our tools veryactive during the winter "off" season April-November dry tooling as much as possible.



I figure there is no reason to bore everyone with long tales of my off season activities, so I'll sum it up in a few sentences. I spent the spring and summer running... Mostly trails, but also some pavement running with a few races thrown in for good measure. I managed to do quite well across the disciplines. My true love of running is long distance in the woods for many hours at a time. Below is a photo that Laura took during a HOT summer run. She had it set on our computers wallpaper for most of the season. It shows me in all my glory during a run on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. I usually spend 5 days a week training on this 70 mile point to point trail. Its a short distance from our house to the trail which makes training convenient. On the trail I've adopted the name "woodz ninja" although below I look more like "Salt Pig Sweat Hog" It definately keeps me in shape for winter climbing. Laura spent the majority of the off season hiking a lot and volunteering at Powdermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA. She helped in the bird banding lab.

Around mile 50 or 60 in 90° humid summer

weatherat one of our "Mobile Aid Stations"

The other hobby I enjoy is hawk watching. Unfamiliar with it? It's more like the counting, study and observing of migrating raptors for scientific purpose. In particular I've been interested in the migration habits and paths of the Golden Eagle through the central Appalachian chain. Every year in mid September I slow climbing "training" and start hawk watching for a few months. This upcoming spring season I am starting the first official hawk watch in Western MD. If you have any interest or would like to learn more check out my blog for the Cumberland Gap Hawk Watch. It'll explain a great deal. If you have any questions please get in touch. As climbers we spend a great deal of time in raptor territory and being able to identify and understand these amazing birds soaring around the crags is well... pretty awesome!



Another recent project I helped with involved former PA ice climber Rob "Griz" Ginieczki author of the 2006 climbing guide titledIce Climbing Pennsylvania. Much has changed in PA climbing since 2006 and it was time for an update. Griz approached me to help with the Southwestern PA section. Personally I can say quite a bit has been added to the SWPA section and should help everyone climb even more ice in our region. The book is in print right now and should be out in time for this season. I'll keep you posted as to when they are available. Great job Griz! Keep the PA ice community stoked and getting after it!





Stay tuned as the winter progresses and the climbing starts to happen. I'll be posting regularly again keeping ya'll updated on the happenings around here. Train on! -Tim

Quiros City Bike: a Boston Classic

Co-Habitant's friend Erik recently had a frame made by local builder Armando Quiros. I watched the bike being assembled and had the chance to photograph it upon completion. This bike is interesting to me, in that it epitomises the Boston aesthetic of making transportation bicycles with tight, aggressive geometry, yet upright positioning and accessorised for the city. In fact Armando calls this a "city track commuter." It is also interesting, because increasingly I enjoy looking at fillet-brazed frames and this one is a nice example.






One of the young new names that have become prominent over the past couple of years, Quiros Custom Frames are based in Natick, MA and offer a variety of lugged and fillet brazed options.







I met Armando a few years back, when Royal H.and Icarus still had their studios in Somerville, and all sorts of interesting bikey people would stop by that part of town. Later I snapped this photo of him receiving a trophy at the Larz Anderson show, where one of his bicycles won an award. Not bad!






Quiros frames can be recognised by the prominent gothic headbadge






and by the "787" painted above the bottom bracket - the area code for Puerto Rico.






Erik's frame is fillet brazed, using Columbus tubing.






What I like about this method is the seamless, almost liquid look to the construction. The brazed sloping fork crown goes nicely with this.






The British Racing Green paint, silver components, hammered fenders and caramel-brown accessories create a classic, distinguished aesthetic. At the same time, the narrow riser bars and track geometry give the bike a contemporary "fixie" look. It's an interesting and somewhat unexpected combination. Looking at the bike, my mind's eye keeps trying to either replace the cork grips with hot pink rubber ones, or else change the bars to North Roads. But I think the marriage of styles is ultimately what makes this bicycle unique to the owner.





The bicycle is built up witha Phil Wood hub wheelset, an IRD crankset, Tektro brakes, MKS Stream pedals, straight Thomson seatpost, Brooks saddle, and Honjo hammered fenders. Erik rides it as a fixed gear single speed.





The idea behind building a city bike with track geometry is that it is quick handling and responsive in traffic. While personally I cannot handle the tight clearances on a bike like this, I understand the concept and this is certainly a successful execution of it. The bicycle looks very much at home on the streets of Cambridge, and the owner enjoys the ride. Many thanks to Erik and Armando for the opportunity to document this bicycle. More pictures here.

Beach

Here is a photo my sister took when she and her hubby and dog went to the Oregon beach near Astoria, OR for their 30 Anniversary.
Happy Anniversary!!!!

Memorial Weather

Both high camps have been receiving lots of new snow over the past couple of days. Memorial Day itself put drifts up to 50 cm deep around camp. High winds (40-50 mph) pasted the wet snow to most surfaces. The general forecast, at least initially, looks better for early-June. Hopefully we'll avoid the all too common "Junuary" weather pattern.






Climbers have been unsuccessful in reaching the summit for almost a week due to weather and avalanche concerns - although challenging conditions have been welcome training conditions for climbers with their sights set on even loftier peaks.




Stop by the Climbing Information Center in Paradise for the most current information on the mountain. We're open everyday at 06:00 - come on up and talk to us early, the Paradise Inn is open again for the season and they do serve espresso!




See you on The Mountain.

Skiers crossing West Bearskin Lake

I spent yesterday afternoon along the Gunflint Trail in Northeast Minnesota, and it was a chilly and blustery winter day. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of a Moose cow and calf that have been seen hanging around the mid-trail area. I did not see the Moose, but I did get a lot of other shots that I like. As I drove past West Bearskin Lake on Clearwater Road I noticed two skiers in the distance, crossing the lake. The wind was kicking up the snow behind them. It looked like a miserably cold lake crossing, which I thought made for an interesting picture.