Category: Packrafting
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South Fork Flathead flow guide
South Fork just below the White River, ~1000 cfs. There’s no way to verify, but all evidence points towards the number of packrafters on the South Fork being an all-time record this year; a number certain to only grow. I’ve been getting lots of questions concerning what flow levels are best and what speeds to…
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Patagonia Capilene 4 Hoody
The vaunted R1 hoody made lighter. Quite a bit lighter, via an exciting new version of their time-tested fabric. I wrote more over at BPL, and am quite excited to put it to good use.
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Arc’teryx Neutro Visor review
Reviewing a very expensive hat, on a blog. Doesn’t get more outdorky. But if you’re not here for that exactly, best move along yesterday. The Neutro in action. I’ve always held the conviction that whomever names Arc’teryx products wanted to be Jean-Luc Picard. This is a 35 dollar visor. It is also an exceptionally functional…
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The 2013 BMWO
While eating cookies and watching the sunset at my excellent ridgetop camp this past Saturday, I decided what the Bob Open course will be for next year: Benchmark to Black Bear. Details are in the tab, above. I’ve thought all along that it would change every year, to keep it interesting for me and everyone, with favored…
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Building a perfect trekking pole
A follow up to this post: I want to make the perfect pole for primarily one-pole hiking. Priorities (in order) are: durability, stiffness, weight, compactability. Needs to go up to 54 inches or so for use as a shelter pole and for potential use with a yet-to-be-made friend as a skiing pole. Needs to get…
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Black Diamond Distance poles review
Last flight of the Zpole. Trekking poles are a matter of, if not controversy, at least healthy debate amongst hikers. In the past 15 years they’ve gone from rare to ubiquitous, with a saturated market (not just Leki). Purists scoff that crutches are for cripples, the enlightened enjoy the added stability in rough terrain and…
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Angry August
Aster. We were sitting, M and I, this past Friday outside our favorite pizza place when our favorite, and very harried looking, bringer of spinach and garlic calzones introduced us to angry August. The time, right now, when local businesses make their year, there are lines everywhere, Alberta plates turn slowly across traffic; in short…
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The ineffable South Fork
A little less than two years ago I took my first trip down the South Fork of the Flathead. To this day I haven’t written about it, I made this short video shortly thereafter and left it at that. That summer was busy with fun, but my leaving a ~ninety mile traverse of a major…
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The Journey Continues: 2012 Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic
My Classic in five words: I got scared and bailed. Explanation below. Roman Dial turns back from an attempt at fording an unnamed glacial creek in the upper Tasnuna drainage. The Tasnuna itself cuts left to right against the cliffs in the center middle-ground. Dick Griffith’s gorgeous house in the hills east of Anchorage, Friday…
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Classic carnage
“I killed the classic.” -Luc Mehl “Yeah, but I don’t know what we achieved.” -Josh Mumm, in response to my congratulations on a “fine achievement” Luc was speaking, the other day after his finish in McCarthy, not about the latest in his increasingly gaudy portfolio of adventures, but about the abominable difficulty of this year’s…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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