What we won't see in North America? More Rando gear.

While I am waiting for new ski gear to arriveI've beenlooking around the Internet. Even going to OR doesn't mean you will see "everything" just whatis going to be sold inNA.



If you live in the EU likely you'll have more choices than here in NA. Just makes the choices harder :)








TLT6 with a fiber glass cuff/ plus something else thereand at least something similar to the ThermoLight (CL) foam liner @ 1120g and @ an exceptional price point.







TLT6 Performance version of the same boot is 1050g












TLT6 Mountain CL andthe Thermo Light foam liner is 1225g in a 27.5





TLT "race" CL liner left, the standard NA-US CR liner on the right,

unverified weight difference is a marginal 120g





And the two liner options? Guess they didn't justdropPDG or the oldPliner in the newTLT6. Turns out they are very similar but slightly different, laces now, more reinforcement for durability and a bigger flex cuff in the boot shaft. Thickness of the foam is different (1mm maybe 2mm) as well. between TLT and EVO. PDG and Evo liners are thinner and offer an even easierankle flex for a longer stride. But the thin PDG/EVO linerit might be an option if you need more room in your TLT?! Interested to see what the foam liner will actually be if it is ever available in the US...and what is available in Europe. No question what Wild Snow is showing for the TLT6 is not theliner

Mountainski has pictured here.



http://www.wildsnow.com/10766/dynafit-tlt-6-p-first-retail-look/



I have the Palau liner Lou is showing and it is a thin version with little change other than thickness and flex insert size from the TLT5 P liners.







photo courtesy of mountianski.cz



http://www.mountainski.eu/177/several-days-long-testing-of-prototype-of-new-ski-touring-boots-dynafit-tlt6






Andtwoof the bindings we will be missing.






Low tech Radical





Speed C-One

Forbidden East West Traverse ..

EPIC!
Part I
"The Summit"

The original plan was to climb Forbidden Peak as an east to west traverse so that we could climb the west ridge and avoid the late season difficulties associated with it. We got a late start in Washington Pass and packed up slowly and did some sight seeing. We ate lunch in Marblemount and finally got under way. As soon as we were hiking the Boston Basin bushwhack, I mean trail, we knew what we were getting into. It turns out we were both fairly tired from climbing South Early Winter Spire the day before and we were feeling it.

Sorting gear for Forbidden (photo by Steve Machuga)
On the way in we passed Josh and Matt who were coming down from a climb of the Direct East Ridge. We chatted a bit and got beta for the descent of the East Ledges. It was probably there that I made the decision in my head that we would probably only do the east ridge and then descend the ledges although I may not have expressed it to Steve at that time. After chatting a bit we continued on and discussed the option of descending the ledges. After some difficult water crossings in the basin, we were finally in the upper basin and setting up camp three hours after we left the car.

We pumped some water from a nice stream, and made dinner. We prepped for the next day and decided on a wake up time of 5:30am. (Josh and Matt had told us they left camp at 5:30.) We had a bit of difficulty getting to sleep because we kept thinking we were hearing female voices. This may have been true as another tent was there in the morning (About 100m downhill from our location) that wasn't there when we went to bed.

Just before the alarm went off there was some rock/ice fall on the mountain. I jumped up to make sure we were not in danger. My commotion woke Steve up and he promptly went back to sleep. I hadn't been sleeping well and mulled about in my sleeping bag for the next 15 minutes until the alarm went off. Once the alarms went off, Steve and I decided to rest in another 15 minutes or so before actually getting out of the tent. [Can you already count the many signs of an epic?] We ate breakfast, used the toilet and left camp at 6:30am.

We had good information from Josh and Matt about the problem they had on the approach and made quick time up the slabs to the snow and eventually the gully. We arrived at the notch at the base of the route around 8:30 or so. In keeping with the epic theme, we dawdled at the base for some time (including Steve needing another "bathroom break" before starting the route.) During our delay we made the decision not to down climb the west ridge. We knew we were both tired and we weren't moving that fast coming up from camp.

We eventually started climbing at 10am and I took the first lead. The first bits were 3rd class and then it got somewhat harder where I had to negotiate a few small gendarmes. Since good protection was scarce, I looked for a viable anchor location after I had about half the rope out. I wound up slightly off the crest of the ridge on the south side and was probably slightly off route. Steve made his way over to me and then slowly made about leading the next pitch.

Steve had to regain the ridge crest first and then make his way up the first significant gendarme on the ridge. This section is listed at 5.7 in the guides and that would probably be correct. It was slow going as route finding was not obvious, but more so because protection was difficult. Once finding an suitable anchor location, Steve brought me up. Two hours had passed since we started climbing and I knew that we were in for a long day. Being the optimist, I thought our speed would improve now that we got a feel for the climbing and we were back on route. So we continued on.

Following the second pitch (photo by Steve Machuga)

I led a short exposed pitch along the ridge crest with easy climbing before I got to and area that looked like it may be difficult to find an anchor in. So I went with the option I had present. (Which still felt pretty desperate to me.) I brought Steve over and we discussed the next pitch. We were a short distance from the next major gendarme which can be bypassed on the north side of the ridge. Steve led off around some minor obstacles before taking a path of least resistance on the north side of the ridge. After using up all the rope, I began to simul climb behind him as we both wound up north of the ridge proper. We continued to climb on the north side for some distance on loose dirty ledges until Steve hit a spot where he could build a reliable belay. He then belayed me to his location.

I started out on the second leg of this traverse over a rib and onto more slab like terrain heading for the notch between the last two gendarmes. It seemed we were a bit low and as I headed back up, the terrain was better for climbing and protecting. I could see I wouldn't make it to the notch in one rope, so when Steve told me I had used half the rope, I built a suitable anchor. He then led off to the notch on a full rope length and brought me up. Having looked at the rap on top of the last gendarme, I can say I am glad we decided to bypass it. (Scary overhanging rappel off a rock horn.)

Climbing up to the notch (photo by Steve Machuga)

Anchor options weren't great at the notch, and it took Steve a long while to build an anchor using a few pieces and a few natural options. This was the crux overhanging 5.8 step. I had already told him he was leading it, so we switched positions and he headed out. The step looked scary and Steve had a hard time believing it went the way it did. He tried to scope out other alternatives to it, but then faced the fact that it did go up that steeply. Steve confidently led up the steep face and began to look for a suitable belay anchor. (I told him it better be solid before starting the pitch.) He went a bit further before he built an anchor. I climbed the steep section which was pretty wild, but easier than it looked. Although it had a very funky move where you had to stand on a wobbly block in order to make a move. After reaching the belay, I was off again.

Topping out on the 5.8 (photo by Steve Machuga)
I led out a bit on what is supposed to be 5.2 terrain to the summit. It was mostly on the crest and upon approaching a minor step, with a sling on top, I set up a belay. (I mistook that to be the summit, but was unsure.) I brought Steve up to my location and he led out for the summit.

My last lead up the East Ridge (photo by Steve Machuga)
He reached the summit and set up and anchor to belay me up. I joined him at the summit around 7pm. Clouds were blowing up out of Boston Basin and blowing down the north side of the mountain. There was the smell of smoke. (We presumed the clouds were related to forest fires.) The wind was cold and we snapped a few pics before rapidly going about the rappels...

Summit shot (photo by Steve Machuga)
My photos are here.

Organizing Stuff? Here's a Good Deal on Plastic Totes!

Not sure if this is just an individual store deal (Fort Wayne) or nationwide but I just got a really good deal on storage totes at Staples. They have them online at $16.49 each, however, I just purchased several of them today in-store for $7.99 each! And may purchase more when I go back to Fort Wayne on Friday. Hopefully they will still have them and at the sale price. Oddly enough, I think the "everyday" in-store price was $14.49 though I can't imagine why they would cost $2 more if purchased online.

It has slots inside, along all sides at the top, so it can hold hanging file folders. Because of the slots, the outside dimensions are a little bit bigger than the standard legal/letter cardboard "Banker's Box".

Staples Letter/Legal File Box
Snap-tight lid keeps contents secure. Space saving stackable design.
Made out of durable polypropylene. Holds both letter and legal files.
Clear with a clear lid. 10 7/8"H x 18 7/8"W x 18 1/4"D

Colossal Cave - Vail, AZ

We had so much fun at Kartchner Cave we decided to do Colossal Cave again as well. Left SKP Saquaro Park after 12 days. Tomorrow is snip snip day for the Puppy back at the animal shelter.



Arrive at Colossal Cave Mountain Park



Path to the Cave

Cave entry

Some narrow pathways. The cave is called dry or dormant which means that due to lack of water, the formations are not growing right now.

They have installed a museum below with artifacts.

The pathways were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp

An old underground river bed



A cave "Fried Egg"



A silent waterfall



A group shot with Shirley



We stop in the Ranch before leaving so Tucson can meet the horses

On to the next adventure!





Till Later,

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa, Gary & Tucson

Today's Ice/mixed conditions in SWPA

Here are a few "current conditions" photos from the various ice/mixed climbing locations around Southwestern PA. Most things are thin, but climbable. The cooler temps are building ice fast!

Secret Cliffs I - left phto is of lower tier with its delaminated topout, A much more solid upper tier is pictured in the right photo.












Secret Cliffs II - Overivew of cliff conditions in left photo. Central area is shown in the right photo. Conditions looking promising. Central climbs are in and looking good. Quite a bit dripping going on. Called on account of Security is IN and looking fatter than ever. Left of Central area (Beast Wall) is just about connecting down. the lowdown L to R: Monsta - OUT, The Beast - OUT, Son of Beast - IN (very thin), Frankenstein - IN. Central Area - IN, Final Obligation - IN, The Awakening - IN, Curtain - OUT (Wet and questionable attachment at lip), Called on Account of Security - IN, The Corner - IN, The Sick-le - ALMOST.








South Connellsville Rod & Gun Club - Left photo of Laura Hahn below a very uniced Internet Connection. Right photo is Main flows. L to R Cave Shot, NRA, Longshot. Caveshot would take short screws and protect. The other 2 - OUT










Also checked, but not photographed was lower Meadow Run. I'm happy to report that there's much more ice than a few days ago. The Main flow should be good for those looking to find climbable ice this upcoming weekend. Also on a positive note, the long term forcast looks very promising for building ice.

Another Beautiful Day!

Thursday morning (August 19th) brought another day of beautiful sunshine! I was up and on my way to Anchorage a little after seven o'clock. While I was still in Seward on Tuesday the “Malfunction Indicator Light” in the van had come on. The owner's manual says it is part of the onboard diagnostic system that monitors engine and automatic transmission control systems. It further stated that certain conditions such as a loose or missing gas cap or poor fuel quality could illuminate the light and that the vehicle should be serviced if the light stays on after several typical driving cycles. What is a typical driving cycle? I removed the gas cap and put it back on in case it had been loose, but that didn't help.

Well, the light came on every time I started the engine, irritatingly beeping at me each time as a reminder. Not that I needed a reminder with that silly light staring me in the face! So, along with an oil change, which was past due, I needed to get this Indicator Light checked out. I had located a Dodge dealer in Anchorage, via the internet, and got there without any problems. It took them a while to get me checked in (the young man definitely was not computer savvy) and then it was another four hour wait.

Turns out that the malfunction code had something to do with the emissions system and the people that do the oil changes (quick maintenance, they called it) don't work on that stuff so I had to go talk to another fellow. He seemed to know what he was talking about. He said that they could charge me $100 to run diagnostic tests or I could simply get a new gas cap! Apparently, Dodge Vans have a problem with gas caps... so for $26 the gas cap was replaced and they cleared the code. The indicator light hasn't come back on so I'm hopeful that the problem has been solved.

It was rather frustrating to wait there for nearly five hours with such a beautiful day outside. I drove through Anchorage just to get a feel for the place. There was a lot of road construction going on but it was still relatively easy to get around. I found my way to Earthquake Park, an area set aside to commemorate the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake which devastated southern Alaska. On clear days it offers views of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet and Mount McKinley, only 200 miles away. On this day McKinley was visible, but just barely. It was rather ghostly looking and melted into the sky.

At Earthquake Park I connected with the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which is a paved bicycle and walking path that meanders along the coastline. I followed it for a couple of miles, nearly getting run down by several cyclists, but the weather was beautiful as were the views that I could see through the trees.

Expansive views of Cook Inlet were not to be seen since much of the trail that I walked was tree lined on both sides. It was just nice to be outside with no rain! Anchorage has an extensive park and trail system (120 miles of trails) as well as many other attractions and activities, but I was being lazy and didn't do much of anything.

I hadn't yet made up my mind as to where I would go next so I returned to the campground at Bird Creek, 25 miles southeast of Anchorage. It is a lovely drive along Turnagain Arm and the paved trails in that area offer some nice views.

New "Unoffical" Speed Record Set

On Wednesday morning, July 11, Justin Merle, an avid climber, international mountaineer and current employee as a guide with International Mountain Guides (IMG), broke the Mount Rainier summit speed record with a time of 4 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds. Here is a link to a recent article on his climb in The News Tribune.

The previous record holder, climbing ranger alum Chad Kellogg, set the record in 2004 with a time of 4 hours, 59 minutes and 1 second. Like Merle's time, it too was not officially recorded; there was no time keeper available at Paradise, Camp Muir or the summit to confirm the event. However, we do have pictures taken by Merle of his watch before and after the climb and climbers up at Camp Muir also confirmed seeing Merle on his descent. This obviously leaves room for disagreement for all those non-believers, but this level of athletic achievement, in such a challenging sport as it is, and a dangerous location as Mount Rainier can be, deserves a nice tip of the hat and a hearty "congratulations". There is no doubt Merle has raised the bar, and the level of anticipation for those other hopeful climbers looking for a new challenge. So, a lingering question remains, “Who's next?”.

Below is Merle’s account of the trip:

Times 6:00:05 -- left the upper Paradise parking lot
7:33ish -- climbed through Muir
8:30ish -- top of Cleaver
9:27 -- Columbia Crest
9:30 -- left register after signing the book
9:35 -- descended from crater rim
10ish -- Ingraham Flats
10:10 -- Muir
10:30 -- Pebble Creek
10:49:40 -- back in the parking lot
Roundtrip -- 4:49:35

I wore light boots (Sportiva Trango S) and Kahtoola

aluminum crampons, lightweight pants and a lightweight longsleeve top. I carried a BD Bullet pack with 2 liters of Cytomax in a hydration bladder, a light Goretex top, warm hat, and gloves. For fuel I carried 6 Gu packages and a pack of Shot Blocks. Overall, the route conditions and weather were almost perfect. The route was direct above the Cleaver and there wasn't much for traffic aside from the guided parties, who were all quite nice in letting me pass. I went to the tippy top and took the time to sign in at the register. It was quite windy on the crater rim and on the summit; aside from that the breeze was pleasant and I did not have to add any layers except a pair of gloves during the ascent. The descent went well--good snow for plunge-stepping and striding out pretty much all the way down. I did fall once on moderate terrain near 13000' as I was cutting some switchbacks--slid a couple meters before regaining my feet. On the descent, I left my pack at Muir and my crampons at Pebble Creek--thanks to the guides for carrying them down. I timed myself on my Suunto watch, and also used the logbook funtion to record the ascent/descent. The only "proof" I have of the times are a couple of before and after photos of the watch, and video taken with the same camera, before and after (I left the camera in a stuffsack at the trailhead). I did sign the register, and saw a lone climber on Columbia Crest, but did not speak with him.

This was my 106th summit of Rainier, by my best count.

~Justin Merle

Mercian Vincitore: First Impressions

At this point some of you know that my new fixed gear bike is a Mercian. It was meant to be part of a "his and hers" pair, and I tried to postpone writing about it until the Co-Habitant's bike was set up. But it looks like that won't be happening for a bit, and hiding mine in the meantime felt wrong. So here is a less dramatic introduction that will hopefully still be informative for those curious about this legendary manufacturer.



In the Fall of we began talking about getting the Co-Habitant a nice touring frame, and at the same time I started looking for a fixed gear frame for myself to replace my vintage conversion. After considering the kinds of bikes we wanted (lugged steel, comfortable, fast, fairly lightweight) Mercian was one option we gravitated towards. A small manufacturer in Derby, England, Mercian has been building custom frames since 1949. With pricing for a lugged steel frame made with Reynolds tubing starting at under $1,000, the value is hard to beat. And their waiting times were not absurd. I happened to know a handful of Mercian owners who were experienced cyclists and whose tastes I respected, and they all raved about the bikes - some being repeat customers. Finally, it appealed to us that Mercian Cycles are made in England, toward which we both feel some personal attachment. We considered other manufacturers and custom builders, but found that they were either unaffordable or did not offer quite what we wanted. After several months of research, contemplation and budgeting, we placed an order with Mercian in Winter .



The way the order process works, is that they send you a form to fill out that is similar to their online framebuilder(warning: use at your own risk; has been known to result in frame purchase). You then submit it along with a deposit and get in the queue. When it comes time for the frame to be made, they confirm the specs and proceed. Afterwards the frame waits for paint (two tone liquid coat and lug lining are included in the price), and when everything is done you pay the remainder of your balance and the frame is shipped to you. When we were placing our order, it was estimated that the frames would be ready by summer. The actual time of completion ended up being in autumn. There was a small adventure with US Customs, but that was soon resolved and the frames arrived at our door in the end of September.

While allowing for custom geometry specifications, Mercian offers more than half a dozen lugged frame models, each in a choice of several different tubesets. From the beginning, we both knew that we wanted the Vincitore Special model, because of its distinct handmade lugwork.

We were less sure about the tubing, but after speaking to several Mercianowners settled on the 631 - the modern version of Reynolds 531.

I wanted my bicycle to be a comfortable and versatile single speed/ fixed gear, not a track bike. So I asked for the "Sportive" (sports touring) geometry with track ends. This is an entirely normal request for Mercian, as almost any model can be built as a fixed gear- they just need to tweak it to make the bottom bracket higher. I also asked for braze-ons for fenders just in case I'd want to use them in future.

There was a myriad of other choices, such asthreaded vs threadless steerer (threaded),maximum tire size (32mm), where to route the brake cable (braze-ons are along the top), how many bottle cage bosses (just 1), and whether to drill for brakes front and rear (yes to both).Aside from this, the only real custom thing I asked for was making sure there was no toe overlap - which caused them to make the top tube longer than they normally would on a frame this size.

After agonising about the paint colour, I finally settled on a subdued lilac with white panels and white lug outlining. I wanted to make sure that the colour came out subtle, and not like a garish purple. I sent Mercian pictures with a description of what I wanted it to look like, and the result is pretty much spot on.

The one thing I would have done differently here, is not use black lining where the lugs meet the white head tube panel (black is so harsh,why not gold?) - but this is stylistically typical for Mercianand ultimately fine with me. Sadly, there is no space on the headtube for a headbadge emblem, due to my small frame size. Maybe later I can get a miniature one made.

My frame came out as I specified. It fits me well and there is no toe overlap with the 28mm Panaracer Paselas (more like 30mm in actuality) that I now have it fitted with. But it's close, so if I install fenders in future, I will have to consider my tire and fender choice carefully. When I mentioned earlier that the Co-Habitant's frame is not ready, it is because the one he received did have overlap despite its large size and his request for no TCO. He has spoken with Mercian about it, and they have agreed to resolve it. Once his frame is ready and he wishes to review it, I will write more about his experience; until then I will stick to discussing my own bike.

When it comes to construction, the main gist of my first impression is that theMercianVincitore frame is strikingly "different" from other currently made lugged frames I have seen. I don't mean the shape of the lugwork, but the craftsmanship itself. Different how... All right, the best way I can describe it is that it looks like a vintage frame in mint condition and not like a currently made lugged frame. In fact, every single (knowledgeable) person who's seen the bike in person so far was certain it was an older frame until I'd point out the Reynolds 631 decals. It's difficult to pinpoint what exactly creates the vintage impression, but it's everything from the finishing to the close-up look of the paint and outlining. Mercian's production methods for their classic frames have remained unchanged for decades, and that is probably what we are seeing. It's quite uncanny actually, and when we first received the frames we kept staring at them and running our fingers along the tubes and edges of the lugwork in disbelief. You really have to examine this bike next to, say, a Rivendellto see what I mean.

We built the bike up with a medley of mostly high-end, gently used components that I either already had or managed to get a good deal on. I am still not sure what's staying and what will ultimately be changed, so I will include the component list when I write a proper review at a later stage.

I have the bars about 2" below the saddle at the moment - which may ultimately be too extreme for me, but feels surprisingly okay for now. Initially the bike had 49x16 gearing due to the wheels and crankset I ended up with, but from the very beginning I intended to change it. After absorbing a great deal of advice, I decided to switch the rear cog to a 19t. The gearing now is quite low, and hopefully the spinning will keep me in shape during the colder season.

Having only ridden the Mercian a few times so far, it is much too early for anything resembling a review. But I can say a few things: The ride is not harsh at all - which was a top concern for me, as harshness causes me a great deal of pain. I also like the "feel" of the tubing, in the sense that it's just the right amount of flex for my taste. On the 20-30 mile rides I've taken so far, I've experienced less fatigue on this bike than on other fixed gear bicycles I've ridden, which may be related to both of the above points. One thing to be aware of, is that the 631 frame is not spectacularly "lightweight" by contemporary standards, and part of me now wonders whether I should have paid more and gotten lighter tubing. But would I get the same ride quality with the lighter tubing? In a fictional dream-world I would be able to try an identical bike with 725 or 853 tubing, then decide. Until then, if I am happy with how the bike feels, it seems silly to wonder about different tubing options. [Edited to add: We've weighed this bicycle and it's 22lb with the build shown, not including saddlebag.]

Well, that is all I have for now. Despite our early snowfall, I hope to have much more time with this bicycle before winter really hits. It is basically my roadbike for the rest of the year: With the shorter days, I no longer have time for long rides and for me a fixed gear is ideal for 20-30 mile jaunts. The bicycle is of course beautiful, and I am looking forward to getting to know it better. If you are looking for a traditionally made steel frame with custom geometry at a reasonable price, Mercian Cycles are worth exploring.