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Asolo Extremes in Hammerheads for BC touring and I'm the one asked to explain myself? :) I love my old gear (Merrill Fuzions!) for certain purposes, but I don't run my computer with a hand crank. I think sardog must be one very talented skier. Not judging, just having some good-natured fun.

http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/off_season_daycamp.htm The area around Underhill State Park gets plenty of use. On a typical snowy weekend it may be tough to find a place to park at the end of the plowed road. Many people will likely be traveling through the park to use the CCC road or to climb...

Well, you're stuck so far into the past with that gear, it's almost embarrassing just to read this post. On the other hand, you're having fun and skiing, so I'll give you that for an overall win. ;)

Nice report. Glad you made it up two excellent mountains! There are a couple of lines that are regularly skied around the Chin. While people should treat them as backcountry lines, the navigation is actually rather straightforward.

They're around $13

For 35 bucks I'd buy two pairs of these: http://www.kinco.com/products.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=46&category_id=1 They have a loyal following among skiers and climbers, partly because they are trendy, but mostly because they work. I'd buy them for...

I don't see it as pointing to a problem, provided there were no motorized vehicles in the wilderness area. (Well, and provided the hay is weed free. Gotta keep the invasive plants out.) I am confused as to what makes this a "situation." Wilderness isn't managed for hiker convenience. Nor is it...

Unlike a banal story about a wrong turn, this one at least has some useful lessons.

Good points, but a moderate (or even a "low") forecast doesn't remove the need for people in avalanche terrain to make their own assessments and decisions.

No pretending necessary. It is what it is. Some people enjoy the experience of wilder trails.

Hey, I'm staying out of any more trouble with the altimeter crowd! ;) My winter hiking started small and simple, too, so I agree with you and peakbagger. Heading out with pack boots, snowshoes, and a willingness to turn around is probably the easiest way to start winter hiking.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this already, but if you don't enjoy buying gear, then winter hiking may not be a good fit for you. I mean sure, actually going out and hiking is a component, but its really only a small part of the sport compared to the time spent researching and buying the...

I carry a knife and a lighter on daytrips. I usually have several lighters if on an overnight. I almost never light fires except for fun at hardened campsites. Knowledge of how to build fires seems very useful for anyone camping in remote areas. It is equally useful for knowing when relying...

Dave Bear, my armchair and I don't disagree about the value of an altimeter for an experienced traveler in those extended above treeline situations. It's just that I'd place different priorities on what is an important all-around winter skill set. Learning to deal with the basics of layers and...

There is a lot of good advice in here, but really what you need to start winter hiking is common sense. That alone will avoid many winter problems. If you're paying attention to any of this side banter on altimeters, you're doing it wrong. An excellent, though somewhat long, winter snowshoe...

New England winters are getting warmer and wetter. I suspect that to casual observers (i.e. most of us), the effects of the winter warming have been masked by increased heavy snow events. At some point, however, we'll cross the threshold when the majority of those big precipitation events are...

This is an important point. It's not really about being visible; it's about fitting into the hunter's expectations.

I have to agree with MichaelJ on this one. While there are many compelling arguments for and against Wildcat's policy, the question of the difficulty of the alternative routes is largely irrelevant. Maybe you need an ice ax, or even a rope, to cross that portion of the slide in certain winter...

Descriptions of free camping on both federal and state land: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/greenmountain/htm/greenmountain/links/recreation/camping/generalforestcamping.htm http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/primitive.htm The GMNF sites can be spectacular...

The last choices threw me a bit. I only carry clothing as my primary emergency gear in winter, but I usually carry enough puffy layers for it to be my "bivy" gear. Most people carry way too little clothing. If you can't layer up and stand around, it's gonna be rough should things hit the fan.