Category: Skiing
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Future baselayers now
Baselayers, I’ve written many words on the subject, including these and these. Fancy underwear may be a prosaic subject, but given that you wear it more often than anything else while In The Woods, it is worth both more words and perhaps, more money. Because exciting things are happening. The orthodoxy of baselayers has for…
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Why, again (part 2)
Read part 1 here, and some trip background here and here. With dry clothes, a sandy bed, hot water bottle, and the whispering river twenty feet away I slept well, a welcome contrast to the occasional shivers the previous night. Even better, experience has shown that getting on the water at dawn on a cold…
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Why, again (part 1)
Being on the cusp of my half three-score and ten, and thus of a disordered mind, I give myself and you this list, of every float however partial I’ve made on the South Fork of the Flathead: August 2010, Youngs Creek down to Spotted Bear May 2011, over Limestone Pass, down Danaher to Salmon Forks…
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BD Dawn Patrol Touring pants
I used to think heavy softshell pants like Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Touring pants were stupid, a needlessly heavy and expensive version of the lighter and more versatile pants I’ve been using for hiking, climbing, and everything since I was ~20 and the hundred or so dollars taslan pants ran was no longer excessive. By…
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From the land of the living
I’m back, and things went well, in that there were no major mishaps, immemorable numbers of minor ones, I was pushed to stay on schedule, but ended up finishing an hour early. The following are raw, primarily logistical and equipment thoughts while my focus returns. This was my first multiday trip with the current generation…
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Packing for the South Fork, in winter
LB was taking a nap while I did this, and in my preoccupation I forgot or said poorly more things than usual. I’m bringing Swix violet and extra blue kick wax. Rain gear is, as always, Haglofs Ozo anorak and BD Paclite pants, Food is usual assortment of winter stuff; Ramen, Olive Oil, chocolate, chocolate…
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The South Fork in March: a route planning case study
The day after tomorrow I’m headed into the Bob for a trip I’ve wanted to do for years, but was skeptical would ever happen; a pre-melt packraft on the South Fork of the Flathead. I’ve floated every piece of the wilderness South Fork at least three times, and have been on significant stretches in every…
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Nine years of fear
I learned a while ago, and have re-learned many times since, that fear before a trip rarely has much to do with conditions or hazard, and has everything to do with the concern that you’ll soon have to do something difficult. To perform close to the known ends of your abilities. The sooner that fear…
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The most important backcountry skill
The above is a screen grab from the latest episode of Meat Eater. Whats significant here is not the episode itself, which is an excellent one, but what Steve Rinella is doing here. A few minutes prior he shot a large-antlered, mature mule deer, fulfilling a decades long quest with a perfectly placed 392 yard…
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Only the big things
Since we returned to Montana in early January, Little Bear has continued sleeping like a 6 month old should, which is to say not for especially long. M and I are bumping along just fine, but smaller things like household organization, non-essential dishes, and alpine skiing are not getting done. The big, important stuff like…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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