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Wind speed My favorite is the ax angle test. If the wind can hold my tethered ax at dead level--it's probably above 50 or 60mph.

belated I've just now on Sunday read the threads. If you guys do those slides in summer, I think you would be comfortable on this left side in winter. The traction provided by crampons on the snowy ice is 100% more reassuring to me than sneakers are on bare granite. I found myself going up...

The Left side has a considerable bushwack (cripplewhack) at the top so I never intended to exit and find the trail. It's more fun to come back down the slide when possible, rather than hiking back down the trail. That's why I ditched my snowshoes, poles, extra water at the base of the slide...

Goggles Cat Crap. I swear by it. Sold at all gear stores worth a darn. Comes in a small red canister about 2" in diameter. The brand name is Cat Crap. Its a blue paste that you smear on and then buff off--when you're at home packing up for the trip. I've never had a problem since I started...

Glen Tom, I remember going to Watkins Glen when I was a kid. Lots of high rock walls and walkways for us tourists. Sounds cool. Oh, I've been meaning to ask...where is that lean-to in your avatar? It looks like it was a little crowded that night....

I am no climber in any sense of the word. Just a 50 yr old hiker who occasionally gets a whiff of some intriguing new food and follows the scent right into the frying pan. The Tulip Slide is billed in Rock and Ice as being the easiest of all slides in the western bowl of Giant. I've been up...

jeezum, Artex! That's a heck of a scary avatar, Farkus. 6" of snow in Albany, NY.

Hi, Does anyone have any tips on how to use Google Earth to find hi-res, in-focus views of the slides, etc. in the mountains? I can find my pickup parked outside my house, but I can't get a good in-close view of the mtns. I have the feeling they told the satellite camera not to bother with...

wet feathers Sounds like they're calling for rain this weekend.

Hiking regrets What's done is done. You know you should have gone to the wedding but that's over now. Winter only comes once a year. I figure, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow so I'm going hiking today. (I woke up yesterday and decided at 7am that I was going hiking. My wife flipped out...

Wondering if anyone can direct me to a good source for up to date info on avalanche conditions for Keene Valley, specifically slides on Giant? I remember reading about a ranger in that area who is an expert on just that, but I don't know how to contact him, or how to find this info on a day to...

Wicked fun hike. One of the best I've had. The slide was a river of ice that looked like a still photo of a river. Every undulation of rock and falls was exaggerated by mounds of rippling ice. The colors were cool, also--golds, greys, azure. For the approach I pulled out my old files and found...

Gothics Excellent report--and all in all sounds like an excellent trip. Thank you for the info. This is why VFTT is a good site. I will use your info to evaluate my own attempt. Thanks again. Pete O.

True North slide Are you going by yourself up the slide? Let us know how it goes. I'm 90% a solo hiker, but for this slide I was thinking it would not be a good idea. (My next day off is not till Feb. 4. I might've tried to invite myself along this weekend.)

North face o Gothics If I understand you correctly you mean the slide on the left, rather than the actual ice climb of the North Face itself. If so, see the thread that was posted Dec. 18 for more info. The post was titled, "True North slide same as Ribbon Slide?"

Paul Smith's weather link I'm in Albany but I wish I wasn't. However, here's a link to the Paul Smith's Weather site. Gives a lot of current info for Paul Smith's which is a little NW of Saranac Lake.http://www.paulsmiths.edu/aai/eet/weather.html And here's another...

Wind speeds I'm wondering how accurate you have found the models to be. (It sounds better than my system which is looking at birch trees on a ridge when I get to about 3k'. This system only gives me about an hour's notice.) Also, has anybody found an affordable wind speed gauge? I have a...

Gothics slides Thanks, Mass for the info. I'm attempting to attach a photo I found of the whole north face. I'm thinking about doing the wider slide that starts out of the main drain and quickly goes up left. It has a little "island". It continues up to the "headwall" just below the left of...

Looking for info and clarification: Is the Ribbon Slide the same as the True North Slide? (I understand the TrueN slide to be the narrow slide lefterly of the north face proper.) Would the snow conditions this early in the season be good for the True North Slide? Any info appreciated.

Marcy I would echo the other old guy's comments. The Van Hoevenberg trail is an easy 8 hour round trip. Definitely bring the crampons. A lot of people camp at the Dam and day hike from there. If you go up, for example, on Fri. night, you can hike into the dam, camp there and head up the hill...