Why a double boot?

With reviews of the most popular double boots on the blogand more coming of similar models I think the use of double
boots might need some explanation again.



The majority of my alpine climbing has
been done in the Canadian Rockies in winter or in the Alaska Range in
spring.



In both places a good single boot and decent gaiter will get you
by, generally, in perfect conditions. The problems arise not in the perfect
conditions but in the exceptions both in the weather conditions and
temperatures. As important or maybe more import is the physical condition of the
climber.



Open bivy high on the North side of
Deborah May '76





Frostbite is not generally a cold issue
believe it or not but simply a physical exhaustion and dehydration issue of
climbers strung out in difficult conditions. Double boots are a reasonable
insurance policy to avoid a cold injury when you are dehydrated and exhausted
and still having to keep moving. Sounds pretty much like any worthwhile alpine
climb doesn't it?



While expensive, quality double boots are nothing
compared to the price of what even a short stint in the hospital from frostbite
and the resulting down time will cost you long term. Not to mention the
resulting cold sensitivity that will follow you well into the future. The result
of a serious case of frostbite is you'll either stop climbing in cold weather or
you'll buy double boots after the first incident. My suggestion is buy the
double boots up-front and save yourself the worry and pain.



With all the
new climbers able to get out and crag climb long before they jump on difficult
alpine climbs single boots are the norm. The single boots generally climb better
and are cheaper. The same single boots are generally over kill for most things,
including Rainier in summer. So, of course we all want to use those same single
boots...that aren't cheap either....all winter and on every climb.



A good
percentage of the time you'll get away with it. In Canada these days most
climbers won't go out if the temps drop below -15C. That is up from the old norm
of -30C as the temps we generally called it off. One of the reasons is most
boots are not comfortable climbing below -15C unless they are double
boots.





Galiber Makalu dbl boots, late
'70s.











The other important reason to
invest in double boots is the amount of time you can comfortably spend out in a
cold, harsh environment. No they aren't fun to walk in or climb difficult mixed
terrain in. But both can be done adroitly with a little practice. You might find
they climb ice better than your single boots in fact. On moderate, long, ice
routes, most will appreciate the added support and calf relief of a good double
boot. The most important reason to look at a double boot is the ability to keep
the liners unthawed and warm over night and if required dry the inner out in
your sleeping bag. If things really go to shit and you have an open bivy the
fastest way to thrash your feet is to be laced into a tight pair of single
boots. Better yet on a open bivy you can loosen a dbl boot a bit, gain some
warmth usually by doing so, and still keep your 'pons bolted on the boot and not
worry about loosing gear. It is a big advantage if actually required. Getting your steel crampons off your boots or better yet your boots off your feet is alwasy a better and warmer over all option.



The advantages of a
double boot are significant to keeping your toes and feet in good health. The
down side is first the expense, and then the ability to climb difficult ground
in them. That can be over come with time, by climbing more in your dblboots. Lastly the bulk
and weight. The newest boots are getting better. The Scarpa 6000 and La Sportiva Spantik are bothwarm, light and climb well.Worth the added effort to climb in doubles unless you feel like the risk of
damaged feet is lower than I do.





On frozen feet after an open bivy at
13,800 in Nov.



Some will wonder about the Batura and Phantom
Guide style of boots (single boots with attached "supergators") as a less expensive
(if $500+ is less expensive) option to a true double boot. This style of boot
has two design features that limit their use in similar conditions. They are
both very difficult to dry out and keep unthawed on over night or longer trips.
And the ankles are generally a lot softer and more flexible than a true double
boot. So you lose the extra ankle and calf support as well. My take having used
a Batura for a few years is they are good one day boots on cold days but I would
never take them out over night intentionally. Each style of boot has a place.
Just don't trust the advertising to help you decide when and what is right for
you.



Times haven't changed much. Good (read winter technical boot) double
boots would/do cost a lot more than a good (read winter technical boot) pair of
single boots. That changed for 20 plus years as plastic double boots dominated
the market place. No matter your skill or experience level plastic double boots
were common on almost every mountaineer's feet. And for good reason..they would
keep your feet warm and dry in just about any condition...some times too warm.
For years you could easily assume that anyone who did technical ice climbing or
went out in winter would own a pair of plastic double boots.



Not so today.
And because of it I am seeing and hearing of frost bite injuries again outside
of the greater ranges....which had been, until just very recently, a thing of
the past.

One of my litmus tests for winter climbing partners, 30 years ago
and again now is, "do they own double boots?" It doesn't mean that you use
double boots on every winter climb.

But if they do, I can generally count on
the fact they take their own survival and climbing seriously. That is usually
because of hard won experience in really cold weather conditions. So I can worry
less about them getting a cold injury and both of us staying healthy on our
adventures. And just as often the owner of a pair of double boots is likely to
value his partner more than some one with less experience would. Surprised? You
shouldn't be. It is all in the details.



If you plan to go BIG and go
LIGHT....the place not to short yourself on gear is your boots...go BIG there
first!



More on the end result of "minor" frostbite.



http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321















A pair of Herman Buhl's cold
weather boots.



By comparison a light weight double boot for their time. Something the first Kolflachs were. And the recent TLT5 hinted at prior to the full blown ski boot with the introduction of TLT6.



The climbing world still waits for the super light technical double boot to catch up with themodern technology available.





Hermann Buhl (September 21,
1924 – June 27, 1957) is considered one of the best post-World War II Austrian
climbers and one of the best climbers of all time. He was particularly
innovative in applying alpine style to Himalayan climbing. His accomplishments
include:



1953 First ascent of Nanga Parbat, 8,126 metres (26,660 ft)
(solo and without bottled oxygen).

1957 First ascent of Broad Peak, 8,051
metres (26,414 ft).

Before his successful Nanga Parbat expedition, 31 people
had died trying to make the first ascent.



Buhl is the only mountaineer to
have made the first ascent of an eight-thousander solo. Just a few weeks after
the successful first ascent of Broad Peak (with Fritz Wintersteller and Marcus
Schmuck), Buhl and Kurt Diemberger made an attempt on nearby, unclimbed
Chogolisa peak (7654 m) in alpine style. Buhl died when he fell through a
cornice on the southeast ridge near the summit of Chogolisa. His body was never
found.



"Buhl was very lucky on Nanga Parbat, escaping with just a
few frostbitten toes. This story reflects Buhl's style of climbing; totally
focused and by taking enormous risks he often succeeded where others
failed."



Buhl on Nanga Parbat 1953









http://www.summitpost.org/article/173032/Hermann-Buhl-1924-1957-.html

Iris reticulata 'Pauline'

This little beauty might not make it until Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th so I took its photo even though the light was already gone from that bed. What a surprise to see a new flower after last night's 20ºF! The prediction for tonight is 24ºF - then no more hard freezes for a while.

This is Iris reticulata 'Pauline', bulbs bought at the Natural Gardener in December. I used to grow several varieties of this iris in Illinois but haven't seen one in flower since 1999. Somehow it feels like a symbol of hope on this historic day.

The Improved Tropical Paradise

My tropical garden after the addition of blooming plumerias, a king palm, and an imperial taro (Colocasia esculenta).

The Body Speaks Bike

Those who've spoken more than one language over the course of their life will sometimes notice a curious phenomenon: They will remember events and conversations from their past not in the original language, but in the language that is currently dominant for them. It is as if our mind auto-translates the dialogue. I will remember conversations in English that couldn't have possibly happened in English. And then I must struggle to reconstruct the real dialogue, the actual words used, in order for my mind let go of the auto-translate and restore the "correct" memory. It's just one of those weird, fascinating, disturbing things that the human brain does. And it isn't limited to language.




Last weekend I went berry picking at a nearby farm. Blackberries are in season now, and with a small green basket I headed out to the rows of bushes. Pulling the plump bubbly things off the prickly branches in the afternoon sun, I remembered the last time I'd done this: It was in my 20s and I lived in England. Our small university town was surrounded by miles and miles of meadows, a riverside path winding through them. I remembered in vivid detail cycling through the meadows in the exquisite afternoon light and stopping to pick blackberries along the way. Sometimes I'd be alone, other times with my friend. In summer the blackberries were everywhere and, excited by this discovery, we gorged on them shamelessly - staining our clothing in the process, drunk on the countryside smells and the sheer beauty of our surroundings. In my mind's eye Iseeit all so clearly: The river. The farm gates. Climbing over nettles to get to the berries. And, of course, riding my bike along the path. Except, wait... rewind. I could not have been on a bike. I did not own a bike at the time; I did not cycle when I lived in England.




And so there I stood now, dismantling this incredibly real-seeming memory of myself riding a rusty 3-speed through the East Anglia countryside. And its companion memory of riding together with my friend - both of us astride such machines, summer dresses fluttering in the breeze. In fact we did not cycle side by side. We did not dismount our bikes and toss them onto the grass upon spotting the berries. I suppose we must have walked. But the visceral recollection of walking is vague, buried somewhere in there like the true dialogue of those auto-translated conversations I struggle to remember in their original language. I guess my body speaks bike now.

Frontenac Galaxy

I found another cool tree to photograph against the night sky. The only problem is that it's over 300 miles away from where I live! Located in Frontenac State Park just south of Red Wing, MN, this tree makes a phenomenal foreground for a shot of the night sky. Jessica noticed the tree and pointed it out as we were heading to dinner in Red Wing after setting up our campsite in the park. I made a mental note to stop on the way back and see what it looked like with a star-filled sky above it. As we made our way back to the park after dinner, I found myself getting anxious in anticipation of what the scene would look like. As soon as I saw the stars above and behind the tree I knew I had to photograph it.



It was a bit of a scramble to get beneath the tree as it is situated on top of a rather steep hill on the side of the road as you drive into the state park. Once I made it up the hill and had my camera set up I started making exposures and right away got frustrated by the number of airplanes moving across the sky! Airplanes streaking through your night shots are rarely a problem in northern Minnesota. I had to wait about 5 minutes before there wasn't a single airplane in my shot, then wait anxiously while the 30 second exposure recorded, hoping all the while that another plane would not fly into the shot. After about 10 tries, I finally got one without an airplane :-)

Not exactly of the "Ride 'em Cowboy" genre..

There were no "pony" pictures taken of us kids while growing up. We lived in the country so the fellows that went around to the "big city" with their ponies, didn't come our way. Although, there is one of my Uncle Bill taken about 1940 (give or take a couple of years), and I found one of two of my cousins taken about 15 years later that looked like it was the same horse! But then, last week I was scanning the last box of my Dad's pictures and discovered this…

I absolutely fell in love with this picture - it is a photo postcard and because it only filled up 2/3 of the front of the card I've cropped out the borders and enlarged it a bit to show the details. There is so much going on - the colt in front, the chickens scurrying around the horses hoofs, the barefoot girl atop the horse, and the man holding the reins. It's static, yet dynamic, at the same time!

The postcard was sent to Amanda Wiseman, Warsaw Ind RR#1 and postmarked at 6 PM on Jul 23. The city is not legible and the year is missing. The one-cent stamp has "909" stamped in ink, perhaps it is the year 1909? Eileen Hover, the little girl on the horse, was born April 21, 1904.

My Dad wrote at the top of the postcard "Uncle Hank Hover & Allein" and on the next line "Bessie, Edie, & Charlie Hovers father"

The message, written by Lue Hover, says "Dear Sister will Write a few lines to let you know we are all well it is raining to day Smith is up stairs a sleep Will write more soon if you answer the letter I did write"

Hank Hover's full name was William Henry Hover. He was the fifth of six children born to of George and Rachel (Van Curen) Hover. George passed away in 1855, just three years after Hank was born. In 1859, Rachel married William Alexander. Their first child was Amanda Alexander who married Samuel Wiseman - they are my great grandparents.

I'm not sure exactly where Hank Hover and his family lived but it couldn't have been too far from the farm of Amanda and Sam Wiseman, perhaps a few miles - they both lived in Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana.

Last year I posted a photo of the Hover children, Bessie, Edith and Charlie. They were Hank's children from his first marriage with Elizabeth Biltz. Eileen Hover was Hank's daughter from his second marriage to Lula Crawford, the writer of the postcard.

This post was written for and contributed to the 78th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy :: Ride Em Cowboy: Let's See Your Pony Pictures!

Greetings from... Georgia

After I left Anastasia State Park and my visit with Denise, I headed a little further north into Georgia. I'm not going to say just where since I'm still there and will be until January 2nd.

It hasn't been nearly as warm these past 10 days as I'd like (daytime highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s and nightime lows in the upper 30s and lower 40s) but there have been a few very nice, warm days! And I'm not complaining, really, just saying... Still beats the winter weather in the Hoosier State!

A visit to my niece to see my new great-grandnephew was a highlight as was spending Christmas Day with Carrie and her family (though Jasmine and Valen weren't there). I just wanted to reassure everyone that wondered where I spent Christmas, that I was not alone, I was with family! And I thank you for your concern...

This will be my longest stay in any one spot since I left home in September. It's a little strange not to be on the move yet, but I wanted to get “settled” in somewhere for the holidays. I looked into staying in Florida but many of the State Parks were booked up for both Christmas and New Years. I guess the “big thing” in Florida and Georgia (and probably other southern states) is to go camping on holidays. I rather expected it during the summer holidays, but not this time of year. Guess it makes sense though, about as much as anything does.

This may be my last post of .. so I'd like to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year! May the coming year be the best ever for you, may your brick walls tumble, and may you enjoy health, happiness, and prosperity.

With that I'll leave you with a final sunset photo – actually, it is what I call the “after glow” of sunset, because the sun had already fallen below the horizon when this was taken (and the sun was off to the left outside the view of the camera). I'll tell you where it was taken once I leave this place...

Basket Shop

This is from the courtyard in front of the church looking toward the Basket Shop that is so well known and poplular in Old Town.

Polartec Power Shield Pro...

Patagonia's Northwall jacket in Polartec Power Shield Proand agrid fleece interior


As unlikely as I might havethought you'd ever see a virtual Patagonia ad on Cold Thistle..here goes :) Theeditorial content is reallysuppose to bea well deserved Polartec ad/public service announcement but I can understand the confusion. I am just as enamored with all thepretty colors, so what the hell:).



16 months ago I was lucky enough to get early samples of two different Polartec fabrics Patagonia was going to be using to great effect. Obvious now, Patagoniahas decided to expand on that effort in their alpine climbing line. Great decision I think.



I'm generally not a big fan of the Patagonia patterns as they haven't fit me very well. The current generation of garments are better. Not an "Arcteryx fit"yet but much better than in the recent past I think. Call fita work in progress at Patagonia. It doesn't happen often but I just spent some of my own money on gear at the local Patagonia store so it is good enough! And some of what I boughtis very, verygood I think. Thanks for the extra help there Travis!



What isn't a work in progress is the two fabrics that Patagonia is using.



Polartec Power Shield Pro



and



Polartec Power Shield Pro with theRegulator high-loft grid fleece interior.



Both are amazing fabrics for myintended purpose, which isalpine and ice climbing in cold environments. And to some extent, alpine skiing, BC and lift served.






Interior fleece on the Northwall jacket


Photo abovecourtesy of http://backcountryskiingcanada.com. Good review here:

http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=Patagonia%20Northwall%20Soft%20Shell%20Jacket



My first thought with the Polartec Power Shield Pro w/ fleece interiorwas, "just add Neoshell". And "I REALLY gotta have pants in this stuff!" Thenwe would REALLY be rocking! From the few I have heard of using the Neoshell/ Power Shield Procomboso far, the feedback I have heard is"best pant I've ever used!".



I think that pretty much "covers it" from my perspective as well. Much more to come on that in a future review or two.



Polartec Power Shield or Power Shield Pro isusedin all these garments from Patagonia. Costly and hard to justify the price, may be,but well worth a look. I think these garmentsand the various versions of Polartec's Neoshell are the cutting edge for performance fabrics at the moment.






Mixed Guide Hoody is a hybrid hard and soft shell combo.

Green is a hard shell, technology, the blueis stretchy and tough Power Shieldsoft shell. Not the Power Shield Pro material. But there is only a slight difference in the laminate used and virtually none in actual use outdoors that I can tell. Check out the listed stats of bothstats in the comments section below.



















soloing in a Frontpoint





The first jacket I used with similar (almost exactly the same) hybrid construction to the Mixed Guide was the now discontinued Eddie Bauer Frontpoint. The Frontpoint is still a bench mark in performance and weight for me. And a go to piece for my own climbing even now. Although a bit heavierby 4 oz in a size large (and likely more durable as well) the Mixed Guide will likely replace the Frontpoint for many projects.





The Patagonia Northwall pant pictured above. Much as I really wanted to LUV these pants, for me the fit wasterrible. Which was ahuge bummer.( and eventually became perfect with a little help from the Chemo diet a year later)But the Patagonia 100% customer satisfaction guarantee was rock solid, so no worries. Patagonia is expensive in comparison to some other soft goods companies but also really easy to deal with if a problem does occur. I'm always impressed by that. Atsimilar price points,let me knowhow far you get with Arcteryx for example on repairs or a warranty issus? My experiences there have been bleak. The Patagonia Northwall pant was truly an eye opener for the potentialperformance of Polartec Power Shield Pro with theRegulator high-loft grid fleece interior.





Men's and woman's versions of the Northwall jacket. The Northwall is a very warm soft shell. If you run cold this jacket may offer the option of a a warmer,and still very durable soft shell.





The 2nd color choice on the Mixed Guide...hard to be bashful in either of these.





And the same jacket I'm usingin the mast head photo on Carlsberg. Now one of my all time favorite climbing shells, the Patagonia Knifeblade, made froman uninsulatedversion of Polartec Power Shield Pro.

The Batura 2.0 GTX?

This is just a teaser as the newest version of the Baturajust showed up on FED EX and I wanted to share!



Of course I think La Sportiva has some amazing designers. The newest version and the "Super Gater" clearly show cases that. We were addingVelcro and zippers on our Super Gaters back in the mid '70s. And most importantly none of us everhad a failure. Labor intensive so it adds to the price but a"good step" in the right directionI think.



More to come with a side by side comparison of the current BaturaEvo and this ne 2.0 version that will be available in the Spring of . But first impression? I had admittedly scoffed at the title "Batura 2.0." Adding Goretex to a old boot design doesn't make it a "new" boot. But it seems this is a total rebuild not just a glossy new paint job. It may look like a Batura but my impression is we have a new player here not just a few fancy cosmetic improvements. The under 900g weight per boot should be a head turner for those that keep count! And it would seem an even more rigid midsole than the previous boots. Hopefully I'll have some details from both Gore and La Sportiva to fill in the cracksI miss on the newest boot.



I've been duped by early prodction prototypes before. Hopefully this boot will prove that theory wrong.



Till then enjoy the pictures and think..... ICE :)







GORETEX

Batura II, Batura Evo, Phantom Ultra

The Homer Spit

The town of Homer, Alaska lies on the shores of Kachemak Bay, a sheltered arm of lower Cook Inlet on the southeastern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, and is “famous” as being the halibut capital of the world. But we didn't come here to go fishing!

Sue, Fred and I are sharing a campsite on the Homer Spit, which extends 4.5 miles out into Kachemak Bay. When we arrived in early afternoon (August 12th) the campground was nearly empty. By evening it wasn't completely full but it was highly occupied. Huge RVs pulled in all around us!

As you can see, the skies are rather cloudy. It has been a wet summer here - if it rains in each of the next two days it will be a record for the Homer area – 28 days of rain! Of course, it wasn't a steady, consistent rain for all those days. We can only hope for a dry day on Saturday for our little excursion.

A few hundred feet away from the campground is the Seafarer's Memorial, of which this is a part. The inscription reads “This Bell Tolls for all the Souls Set Free Upon the Sea.”

The Harbor at Homer Spit. Even on a gloomy day, it is beautiful.

The tides of Kachemak Bay are the second largest in the world. The average vertical difference between high and low waters is 15 feet, with an extreme of 28 feet. During low tide the angle of the portion of the pier sloping down to the boats can be as much as 45 degrees! The piers and boats moored in the bay all rise and fall with the tides. A short but fascinating movie shown at the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center in Homer revealed the dramatic differences between high and low tide. It was amazing. These pictures of the marina area were taken when the tide was higher (though I don't know whether it was at high tide or not).



All kinds of rules and regulations must be strictly followed!

The little shop along the waterfront for the “Time Bandit” which is one of the boats (they hunt for Alaskan King Crab) that has become famous (or infamous, depending upon your point of view) locally due to the series “Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery Channel.

Come! Zivy!

See more about Ziva or Zivy as we sometimes call her at http://thepuppytale.blogspot.com/

Ride Prep Numerology

With snow still on the ground and brevet season upon us, New England riders are frantically counting weeks, playing with numbers, and putting together training plans. While I am not interested in long brevets, I would like to trythe local Populaire, which is coming up in 4 weeks. A Populaire is a self-supported ride of around 100K (65 miles). Normally I would not be doing anything special to prepare for that kind of distance, but we've had a tough winter, and I am out of shape compared to this time last year. The situation is made more interesting by the treacherous pseudo-proximity of the start. The start of the local brevets is close enough to make it embarrassing to drive or hitch rides to it, yet far enough to add significant milage to the brevet distance. For me, riding to the ride will turn the 100K into 100 miles when all is said is done. So here I am, back on my roadbike and praying it won't snow again, as I engage in some ride prep numerology.



How does one prepare for a 100 mile ride? The topic is pretty well covered by riders with far more experience than me, and when readers ask me this question I normally refer them to other sources. For example, this guide by the Blayleys is a good place to start.



Generally, the guides and training plans stress the importance of building up the milage gradually - recommending anywhere between 4 and 10 weeks to work up to the ride, depending on your fitness level. As far as distance, a common theme is that you should be able to do the milage of the ride you're training for in the course of a week. In other words, if you are aiming for a 100 mile ride, you should be able to ride 100 miles a week.



This advice works for a lot of people. But it helps to know yourself as a rider when applying it to your own training. For instance, from experience I know that I can do 100 mile weeks more or less effortlessly, yet still be unprepared for a 100 mile ride. To get from a place where 50 mile rides twice a week (or even three times a week) are fine to doing 100 miles in one go is difficult. Interestingly, most riders I speak to report the opposite experience: It is hard work building up to 50 miles, but once they pass that mark things get incrementally easier. For me, it gets incrementally harder.



For someone like myself, it makes more sense to focus not so much on building up the weekly milage, as on building up the milage of individual rides. And a good 4-week training plan (starting from some, but not much riding) might look something like this:



Week 1: 20-20-40-20

Week 2: 50-50

Week 3: 60-40

Week 4: 70-30



Some might feel that if a rider is capable of following this schedule, then a 100 mile ride should not present a challenge to begin with, but it just goes to show how different we all are. Getting to know my strengths, weaknesses, and the patterns I follow when getting into riding shape, has been educational - and I am just scratching the surface. I would love to ride the Spring Populaire (on the clock this time!), and I hope the numbers - and the weather - work in my favor.