Knowledge should be free

I’m getting prepped for a winter traverse of the Presidential range in New Hampshire with some folks I met through the NE Adventurers meetup.com group.  Hopefully the conditions will be “full-on” and a good test of skills.  Details, Signup Sheet and Trip Planner at NEO Backpacking coordinated by Rob Kindry.

Skills Required: Cramponing.  Ascending/Descending in snow without crampons, Front Pointing, Ice Axe (Usage, Arresting falls), Rope management (no roping up, but how to help yourself/someone with a rope), Emergency preparedness, Routefinding, Full-on winter camping, Excellent Cardio Condition: Ascending 1500ft/hr with 45#+ pack. 

Gear Required:  Alpine Ascents has a good Gear/Brand list.  Not all pieces are required, but if you have questions about what is good quality gear to get, their reference is an excellent starting point. 

Trip Information: The traverse will start with an ascent of Mt Washington (6288′), followed by Mt Monroe (5385′) and Mt Franklin (4904′).    Mount Washington is the highest peak in the eastern US and is notorious for inclement weather.  There is avalanche risk, no glaciation, and shouldnt be any altitude issues.  The largest risk is exposure.  The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was documented at the observatory on the summit.  Once Mt Washington is climbed, then there will likely be a night stay at the “lake of the clouds” hut (which is supposedly the nicest hut on the appalachian trail).  The AT joins up with this traverse around this hut (though it does not summit Washington).  We then continue along the AT for the remainder of the trip and should be able to complete it in a shorter amount of time.  Weather is always an unknown and could add lots of delays.  Additionally, there are specific winter routes up Washington (I believe Lions Head instead of the standard tuckerman’s ravine) but this will need to be further researched. 

 For cardio preparedness I run 6 miles 4days a week (8 minute miles or less), I try and bike once a week weather permitting, I try to go to the rock gym once a week, I do yoga once a week.  I occasionally go to the traditional gym for core strength training but normally the other stuff I do takes care of most of that.  I do pack work with a 65-70# pack climbing stairs and outdoor hills once or twice a week, getting up to 3 times a week before the climb.  This particular climb shouldnt be as strenuous as that prep level, but I am using this as the precursor climb to my Ecuador Volcanoes trip through alpine ascents

Links to Topo/Trail map

Mount Washington and surrounding Topo Map

Mount Washington and Surrounding Trail Map

Ever since watching altered states about a psychologist who is researching mind-body detachment, I have been interested in taking a dip in one of those isolation tanks.  I have heard them call isolation tanks, float tanks, or sensory deprivation chambers, but the concept is the same: float in one for about an hour and forget that your brain is attached to your body.   The tank is filled with a large amout of epsom salt (800-1000 lbs) to make you more buoyant than the dead sea.  It is also heated to 94 degress to make it close to your body temperature. 

 I just finished the biography of Richard Feynman and found that he used a float tank during his battle with cancer.  The only downside I see with these tanks is that they are generally operated by hippies or pseudo-hippies who are looking to get virtually high without any drugs or some sort of holistic healing quackery. 

 Joe Rogan (fear factor) has a youtube video about his float tank (cost $13k).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEjTXX2rHgA

Here is a list of places which have float tanks.  Some of these sub-links are broken

http://unames.com/floating/where.htm

Who is your choice for President? 

After reading this article on CNN’s political ticker: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/11/huckabee-washington-state-vote-like-the-soviet-union/  I couldnt help but think that Mike Huckabee was parrotting one of Ty Webb’s better lines in Caddyshack (as listed below).  I personally think this country would be better run with Ty than Mike, though it would likely be more disorganized.  On the upside, skinny-skiing would be the national sport.

From CaddyShack 

 Danny Noonan: I gotta go to college.
Ty Webb: You don’t have to go to college. This isn’t Russia. Is this Russia? This isn’t Russia.