Month: July 2013
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Minimalist shoes in technical terrain
Executive summary: minimalist shoes will help you move faster and safer in technical terrain, but have a substantial transition period and come with several significant and perhaps irrevocable downsides. M photo. Before preceding further we must define terms. Minimalist shoes can be broadly defined as those with well under 10mm of delta, and well under…
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The Two Essentials
This weekend I’m headed out on the biggest trip of the summer, a seven day traverse through the eastern and southern sections of Yellowstone National Park. Conditions look good; highs in the low 70s, lows in the high 30s, and the one problem ford down to an acceptable level (i.e. my shorter and lighter companions…
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Happy birthday
M turned __ this past Saturday. She got a pair of trekking poles and the best backpack in Glacier. The crux of the route, up a hidden gully through the cliffs, is worth worrying about this early in the summer. We needed the axes we carried. Offwidthing between ice and rock up the left side…
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Tolerance
At 0550 this morning I woke up to a squirrel chattering at me. It was light, but the sun wasn’t close to penetrating the old growth larch I was tucked in to, so I threw my quilt over my head and went back to sleep. Next it was 0730, and still seductively cool for what…
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LaSportiva: Anakonda v. X Country
Light, quick drying, and tough enough to last off-trail. I’m still looking for a shoe which will do all three. Yes, I know I beat the hell out of my shoes. Yes, I know trail runners are not made for what I do. I’m still going to keep asking for more, even if it is…
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Wild Things Tactical wind gear
I’m not convinced that actual camo is necessary for hunting ungulates. I shot my first deer ~10 years ago wearing a red and black plaid shirt, after all. I was convinced that for an autumn wear I intended to take hunting seriously, I needed performance shells in colors other than the nuclear red and orange…
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An incomplete treatise on ‘mid selection
BD Megalight with aftermarket guy points resisting the wind. A pyramid shelter is the most versatile shelter for outdoor adventure. There are many reasons to not have a quiver of tarps and tents, and the best one is that having one shelter suitable for all conditions allows you to grab and go. A ‘mid fits…
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Too much fun
The tops of my third toes are blistered and leaking pus. My achilles are tight and creaky when I stand up. My abs are tight along my ribs and spine, when I arch my back to stand tall they scrunch brittle like a sun-faded bungee cord. The skin on my hands shrunk a size and…
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Packing for the South Fork
Worth an annual visit: the highest praise a route can deserve. The South Fork of the Flathead merits exactly that.
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Things I’ve Seen
I can’t tell you about the things I’ve seen. Peaks stretching to all horizons, matching clouds step for step, recollections hidden in each valley. Each memory fits with one next drainage over, be they years apart or decades. Sit on a ridge another minute and more details come out of the shadows. Names match to…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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