New Tricks for Old Dogs

I've been thinking about it for years, and my 67 year old buddy and I have been talking about it for years. We even tried it almost twenty years ago: ski touring/mountaineering. With visions of figure 8s left in our wake from the summit of Mt. Adams, we got a reality check in early April back then. We rented touring gear from a local shop, packed up, and were outraged by the gas prices down in The Gorge on our trip to Adams: $1.40 per gallon! We were able to drive the access road to within about 5 miles of Cold Springs Campground and proceeded to skin up the road, trying out our rented equipment for the first time. Somehow we successfully found the campground and continued up; however, wefirst turns from a tip mounted cam were soon engulfed in blizzard like conditions with sideways snow and low visibility. We found a place right at treeline as we were reluctant to continue on in those conditions, set up a mountaineering tent, and tried to sleep that night with 3 season bags.
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Undercurrent: Enchanted Valley Chalet on the Edge

On April 7th, 2014, I hiked into Olympic National Park's Enchanted Valley to enjoy excellent weather in a snow free hike and check out the teetering Enchanted Valley Chalet. There has been much chatter online about the fate of the chalet, as the Quinault River has altered course and undercut the chalet's foundation, as well as eradicating large swaths of the valley meadow. The landscape has changed markedly since my last visit 16 years ago. As of this writing the fate of the chalet is yet to be decided. Let nature take it's course and allow the structure to eventually slip into the river? Or hire a professional house mover to relocate the structure further from the encroaching Quinault. This was a long but rewarding day with views of elk and bear along with the green infused scenery.

 

 

 

 

Good deals on The Clymb

You'll notice I don't have advertising on this site, I don't like the visual clutter for the viewer and it's not worth the few cents per month to collect advertising revenue. However, I've been using The Clymb online store for over a year and have done some amazing deals. Outdoor gear can be expensive and finding savings is always a plus. My most recent purchase was for a set of randonee skis, advertised on another online site on sale for $650....my price, $234 delivered. They are even the 2013/2014 model. Outdoor Research soft shell jacket, list $225, my price $70. Or how about the Ultraclamp I bought from Rhino Camera Gear for $29.99...I just picked up 2 more from The Clymb for $7.95 each. The Clymb sells outdoor gear for many sports including biking, hiking, skiing, climbing and running, to name a few. My daughter just picked up a dress and sandals, items that are still selling for full price elsewhere, for more than half off retail.

Help support Williswall! Click on any of these links and I get a bonus with your first order, but it doesn't cost you anything. WARNING: saving on The Clymb may become addictive.

Rhino Camera Gear mounts

I am constantly looking for different ways to use helmet cams, and this usually means having multiple options for mounting them. I purchased a few items from Pacific Northwest local Rhino Camera Gear (rhinocameragear.com) and tested them on a recent biking trip (view here), notably the "Moose Neck" and the "Pro Pole 20." I received my items within 3 days and the quality is excellent. I especially like the promise of using the flexible Moose Neck to position cameras in odd ways. Another thumbs up for a local US manufacturer.

Packing Cameras: Part II

custom front pack full of camera gearThis is an update to my original post on packing cameras. I had such good luck with my smaller custom front pack from ZPacks and the insert that I made that I decided to do a second one. I had Joe make me a totally custom front pack out of cuben hybrid with the addition of two side pockets (for water bottles) and a mesh front pocket. The size of this front pack is ideal, I have just enough forward visibility that the pack does not interfere with foot placement (at least for any trails I have been on) and the attachment system is the same as my other front pack so I can mix and match.
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Black Rock Gear: Foldback Mitts/Original Hat

Black Rock Gear Foldback MittsOne of the great things about the cottage gear industry is I just keep finding great companies. This usually comes about through reading blogs like this or through other online sites. I especially like it when I find a company that is locally based (Seattle area) and today we have a winner: Black Rock Gear. This company's reputation is based on meticulous sewing, great customer service and winning products. I have to wholeheartedly agree on all counts.
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Willis Wall Snippets: 2013

I didn't have any big projects planned for this year so spent more time on photography than in the past. However, I did always have a helmet cam or two along so I did video when the mood struck. Notably, the light was perfect when skiing Whistler's Blackcomb glacier this year and there were moments when I was glad I took the shot. Ski, bike, hike; enjoy the Willis Wall Snippets for 2013, and get out there!