EISPIRATEN

Can't answer the first question about leather, but a good backpacking boot will work with crampons if you get the crampons with straps instead of the step-in kind with a wire bail, which are designed for mountaineering boots. Just make sure the boot is waterproof and is reasonably stiff. You need it...

Yeah, it's kind of tough to know for sure if a Socal storm will snow. Some sites are saying snow level around 6k ft but you never know. If it doesn't pan out, I'll head up to Mammoth to snowboard. Haven't been there at all this year and I need a powder day! https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/pho...

The unsettled pattern in the weather is coming after all. Next Tuesday night/Wednesday should see a storm roll in with possible snow. Then the next chance of snow afterwards is Saturday and maybe into Sunday. It's not over yet!

I have a First Need Deluxe for backpacking trips. It uses no chemicals and no power but it somehow magically purifies out viruses. You can find it online for around $85. It attaches directly to a wide mouth Nalgene bottle or a compatible reservoir. It can be disassembled in the field and back flushe...

Thanks for the TR guys. Looks like no more storms for March afterall :( Maybe it's just me but I've never understood how you're suppose to use those bungee ice axe thingies. It seems like they only work if you can slide the shaft through the bungee loop and then tighten the plastic keeper. But I sec...

Oh, that was you? Sorry about that dude--good thing I didn't light the afterburners :D I've also been buzzed once--while on top of Baden-Powell. But this plane was much quieter and more graceful. It was a glider and all you could hear was the whistle of air flowing over the wings. He circled the sum...

On the USGS topo map, the Devils Backbone is referred to as the section between Harwood and the ski resort. So that's the official line, at least. The spine to Pine Mtn does have a section that is steeper, more exposed and more like class 2/3 but I think the DBB feels more like a "Backbone"...

If you have a Garmin, you might be able to force the DST setting from "Auto" to "On" in the settings menu. That's what I did on my 60CS to correct the time.

I wonder if it hardened up after they started crossing it? They said "experienced hikers," but I'm not sure that they're super experienced if they want to cross ice in steep terrain w/o gear. :shock: Ahh, you're probably right. This would make sense since they were delayed by helping the ...

Sounds like they got summit fever. Usually if you run into ice and don't have the gear, it only takes a couple of feet of walking on that stuff to know you better turn around. So for them to get stranded I'm guessing that they kept going and going until they realized they couldn't go back down anymo...

The whole enchilada. It's above Hoot Owl Flats, so maybe Hooter Hill? Well, it is about the right shape ... http://www.danieldrezner.com/archives/hooters.jpg I say this strictly as a devotee of geometry. Nature does have a way of creating lovely shapes...well that and doctors in Beverly Hills. But ...

I was also up there last weekend. The snow starts about 1/2 mile or so below the hut. Below that, it's completely clear of snow. I didn't use my crampons or ice axe at all below the hut (just used my trekking pole). I saw at least one guy who made the summit without crampons and ice axe and he took ...

I'd definitely go on Friday instead of Sunday. Some sites are now saying 60% chance of rain and snow level down to 3K-4K ft. I also use this site for weather info: www.snowforecast.com The long range for Socal is also showing a possible storm next weekend (22/23) and then possibly more storms from t...

My experience is limited to the Mt. Baldy and Vincent Gap areas but I've only seen wildlife on four occasions: A couple of bighorn sheep while on the Ski Hut Trail to Baldy, at about the 7500 ft level. This was during the day on a summer afternoon. A single mule deer on the Icehouse Canyon Trail, ju...

The north side still looks good, although I wonder about the snow quality. North of the Devils Backbone still has about 2 feet of snow. It's totally untouched and the slope angle isn't too bad. Looks like a 2000' climb from Stockton Flats.

Here's that gully on the topo. Looks like a 2000' descent to the ski resort service road. I've walked up that road before and I remember thinking these canyons are really steep. It's hard to picture someone going down it but I guess if you've got the guts and the skills....

He219 wrote:Nice report Pilot.
Got a picture of what conditions of the bowl looks like right now?

Sure, here are a few:

Great idea about flying a kite on the summit! I have to try that sometime. I was also up on Baldy this past weekend. I climbed the center of the Bowl and descended the Devils Backbone. It was a beautiful climb and the snow was just right, with just some ice near the top. There's still plenty of snow...

About the only drawback to a headlamp is that you look like a dork, unless you happen to be a caver or a miner. The first time I saw them on a regular person was on the Amazing Race. The other contestants also thought they were dorks. But sure enough, the dorks were the ones able to read maps at nig...

My sincere condolences, Jim. I had no idea. You know, it always saddens me a great deal whenever I hear about a hiking accident, even though I don't even know the person. I guess part of it is that I can relate to the person but I think what makes it especially sad is that the outdoors is a such an ...

An even rougher year was 2003-2004. We lost 7 hikers just in the month of January: Jan. 1, 2004 - Chung H. Koh, 53, of Buena Park left to climb Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains. His body was found Jan. 17, more than 900 feet below a point he fell from. Jan. 5, 2004 - Kenn Smith, 66, of Yucai...

I use a Princeton Tec EOS. It's waterproof to 1 meter, used 3 AAA batteries and has a single 1 watt LED. There are four modes: hi, med, low and flashing. The Petzl Tikka XP is also pretty good, especially since it has that diffuser lens that you can slide out over the LED. Generally, a headlamp with...

GPS units determine elevation by either triangulation with four or more satellites (GPS altitude) or with a built-in barometric sensor. All GPS units can calculate GPS altitude but not all of them have a built-in barometric sensor. Generally, for hiking, a barometric sensor will give you more accura...

I often read hiking accident reports for the lessons you can learn but also because they're very dramatic life/death struggles. Here's an interesting story from this past December: http://www.14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.p ... y&start=60 The 4th post down that page by "dh42891" is the ac...

Maybe ultralight is for those trail runner dudes? Most of them seem to just be carrying a couple of water bottles and a protein bar. Some of them don't even have a backpack so they can't really carry that much stuff. The rest of us dayhikers all carry a pack so it seems like a given to carry basic s...

AlanK wrote:He was wearing crampons and alpine gear and had apparently been trying to climb an in ice wall.

Sounds like he was geared up properly but something still went wrong. Damn...another reminder to be very careful out there.

Man, this looks crazy steep. Does something like this involve full-on ice climbing with protection and ropes and all that stuff?

Make sure you guys bring back lots of pictures and video.