Search results

It really irks me to see so much yellow snow. It is not hard to cover it up with lots of nice clean white snow, and be off to the side of the trail while you are at it. The worst instance I have seen so far this winter is a pee hole augering down into the snow pack in the middle of the trail...

Eat little and often while on the move in winter (or eat a lot and often) :D Food in waistbelt pocket or pouch is so efficient. I bring Clif Bars, Balance Bars and Gu's. I stick a Gu inside my glove for a few minutes before eating as in the cold it gets like sticky chewy toffee that takes too...

Thank you! The population cannot grow if you are all coming here all the time ;) Cannot blame you for moving to the 'tropics' here.

I have done the Wright Peak ski trail twice and enjoyed it immensely - narrow, twisty turny but with level traverses as runouts. It is worth doing for its own sake as well as for training. I plan to do a Marcy ski ascent/descent this season too. Having hiked Marcy a few times in winter I know it...

Hi Neil, fellow ADK fan. A very good friend of mine is from Winnipeg. Glen Redpath. Do you know him? :) Joking - it is not a small place but I am still surprised at how many Winnipegians I have met. From what Glen says, the Adirondaks are tropical compared to Winnipeg winters growing up. Lisa

Thanks for the alert. I must pick up that issue. Nice to see a quote from Mohamed Ellozy under one of the photos!

I think the Adirondaks change seasons dramatically enough that one could never take it for granted. I have spent more time there in winter and have rarely been there in the summer so I would enjoy seeing what the 'other three seasons' bring. Or is mud season it's own separate fifth season? :D

Yes yes yes a great idea! I get to live in the Adirondacks this winter. Six of us have rented an amazing house for the season and will have skied almost every single weekend until the end of March. I too have found myself daydreaming about living there year round. There is so much to explore...

Well said by cbcbd, as always. I have not yet attempted the marriage of mountaineering boots with skis (destined for divorce?). I love my Koflach plastic boots for cold weather and mountaineering but could not imagine doing more than mellow ski touring in them. They would be fine if I just...

I am glad you had a great weekend in the Whites, dangergirl. Climbing up to Bondcliff with heavy packs must have been quite a workout - at least you guys were well-supplied with food and gear. I am sure the sleds were fine on the approach and it is always good to practise with them but they are...

Pks4000, you are right, the parkas come with a sturdy velcro strap that can fit on a waist belt very handily. I have used them that way for hiking - with the bottle upside so the lid does not freeze closed. If the side pockets of the pack are wide enough I can stuff the parka into those too...

Many times on winter hikes I have wished I could glide out the last few miles when it just a deathmarch back to the car. Then hooray I learned to ski last year and now get to enjoy that gliding. :) It is worth skating or herringboning up hills to get the free ride down the other side. Taking the...

A timely thread! I was discussing this topic of winter hydration just yesterday, as it was a classic cold cold winter day in the Daks. I ticked 1-2L in the poll as that is likely all I had. In winter, with a water bottle in a bottle parka in a pack, I am not keen to stop too often to dig it out...

This is great beta from everyone, good to know it. I only have heavy BC gear but I look on it as providing an extra workout when I do these ski tours.

More power to you, girl! Have a great time on the Pemi Loop. I have only done it in summer but a winter attempt is on my to-do list, along with the Presi Traverse. Someone can be as humanly fit as possible but if you are charging in the wrong direction it is a waste of time. Being able to...

I have been fortunate to never endure wet polyester fill, then (fingers crossed). I read epic stories about mountaineers trapped for days in increasingly soggy sleeping bags (especially the days of early mountaineering) and I shudder. Sleeping buried in the bag never affected me even at altitude...

Good points about duration and drying out, Doug. I have done this for one-two nighters in the damp ole northeast. I have only done longer 2- and 3-week trips in areas where it is dryer to begin with and where there is always a chance to dry the bag out. What is this 'down' you speak of? All my...

I do something similar because I do not like the cold air on my face either. I pull the drawstring tight to leave a breathing hole, then bury myself in the bag. I leave the breathing hole facing up and just rotate myself away from it so it ends up over my ear or the top of my head (depending on...

Camping out works well to increase the hiking to driving ratio. It is cheaper than a motel too. I like to set up a basecamp and dayhike out of it, that way I cover more ground over the weekend. I have carcamped on occasion too although it is not the most comfortable night's sleep. Once my friend...

Alas, no, I have not found any followup articles, which is frustrating. I do hope they found his family and that he was sent onward with dignity. I never saw the man there although I hiked there a lot. I saw a number of odd people hanging out at that end of the trail over the years.