We got back out on Sat to wrap up the roof and get some laps in. Everything worked great and I think this Igloo will last the season.
Its pretty cozy inside, especially if you are sitting on a pad. We’ve stocked it with some candles, chocolate, area map and the latest issue of Starfish for anyone who happens to find it while tromping around in the backcountry.
After we were sure the roof was settled we remove the building jig and dug a trench down the middle so you can sit comfortably with your legs down. All that’s left now is to spend the night in it. Me and my sons, Max and Teig, are planning on spending a night this week. They are up for the adventure only because they have no idea what’s in store.
In the 1800s, women used to ski in their dresses. Fast forward to the 1940s till the 1980s, one-piece ski suits with stretch pant legs were the norm. According to ski film maker Warren Miller, a revival of the stretch pants craze would be a surefire way to revive skiing. Unfortunately, while stretch pants might revive the sport for middle-aged men in the midst of a midlife crisis, these foxy but dysfunctional garments will do precious little to improve a female skier’s comfort on the slopes.
A somewhat snarky writer from Skiing Magazine describes this by saying that anyone who wears stretch pants fails to understand the concept of a shower curtain. Simply put. If your ski pants are tucked inside your boots, how in heaven’s name are they going to keep snow and water outside of your boots? However, if you still like the sexy fit of a nice pair of stretch ski pants, you might be in luck. Some manufacturers have designed a new type of stretch pant that fits over the boot, thereby providing the female skier with both style and comfort.
Aside from style, fit is another factor that should be considered when choosing women’s ski wear. Any woman who has ever been an employee at a ski resort will advise you against wearing men’s ski pants. These pants almost never fit the female form. Also, while snowboarders might enjoy pants that fall down below the hip, these are hardly functional. The question then becomes, what constitutes a functional pair of ski pants. Basically, your ski pants should be waterproof and contain an inner liner. Make sure that they have plenty of pockets. While one piece suits may provide comfort and warmth, consider your bathroom experience. Some of the restrooms at ski areas can be rather cold.
Ski jackets also involve striking a balance between style and functionality. Companies such as Columbia, Helly Hansen and Mountain Hardware tend to design jackets that are warm and functional, albeit androgynous. If you’re looking for a bit more style, consider jackets designed by Obermeyer and Head. However, some of these might not be suitable for extreme cold conditions. When reading a ski jacket description, you might find yourself baffled by the lingo. Here are some common terms and their meanings:
Breathability: These jackets have been treated with a process that allows body moisture to pass through the materials to the outside of the jacket.
Hydrophilic fabric: The material of these jackets is composed of molecular chains that attract vapor and pass it through to the outside of the garment.
Microporous fabric: These fabrics contain microscopic pores big enough to let perspiration vapor through.
DWR: These jackets have a Durable Water Repellent finish that is applied to the outer fabric of jackets, which allows water droplets to roll off the surface.
Ripstop fabric: These jackets can be identified by the faint criss-cross lines in the fabric. They prevent tears from spreading across the jacket panel.
Trips taken together with children are the most hectic of all travels. This is because when you are accompanied by the baby, it brings alongside it peculiar challenges that have to be met. It is mandatory to carry some things that will facilitate the journey and make the life of the kid comfortable. Some of the things you need include an infant passport. It is a prerequisite for minors of all ages traveling into or outside the United States to have passports. Here is how to obtain infant American passport.
It’s Easy
Obtaining an infant passport is not a complicated procedure. However, it is time involving and needs a lot of dedication for easy completion. Its obtainment follows a similar procedure with those of adults and children. The first thing to be done is obtaining the forms from the immigration office through the government website or any other travel service providers. You can even get United States passport expedite services.
US Citizenship
Verifying that the little one is a US citizen is the next thing to be done. This is done by providing a birth certificate for the baby or a naturalization certificate if its birth happened outside United States of America. All other important documents should be provided together with the certificate that proves citizenship.
Other Documents
The next thing to be provided is the required size two passport photographs. The measurements required should be strictly followed when taking the photos. The size of 2×2 inches is the required official measurement and should be taken by a professional photographer. In most cases, photographs that are taken from home do not abide to the requirements and are not allowed. A passport application fee of $40 should accompany these documents if the document is not needed urgently.
Parental Documents
A genuine parent will have to give confirmation of his or her parent, child relationship. Parents’ identifications, court order, which affirms the child’s custody and the birth certificate of the child having the name of both parents, are the crucial documents that will be needed to verify this relationship. All this is done with the intention of curbing child trafficking at the borders of America.
Parental Consent
Parental consent acknowledging issuance of the passport is required before the documents can be approved. This is an important requirement and should be provided even if the child has single parent. In such cases, a note of authorization should be given from the other parent if still alive. In cases where one parent is deceased, a death certificate should be provided or a court order allowing sole custody.
Travel Documents
It should be noted that these traveling documents for babies expire five years after they are issued. After this, they can be renewed if there is need to. The children should be accompanied by parents and it is important that children appear for approval.
When actress Natasha Richardson recently died due to injuries resulting from a skiing accident, it brought more attention to the dangers of skiing. But if you’ve been watching the news for a while, you’re already aware: skiing took the life of Sonny Bono, for example. So if skiing is such a dangerous sport, why do so many people continue to engage in it? To answer that question, we’ll need to go to the heart of the matter.
First, understand that risks are part of life. If you never go skiing, there’s about a 100% chance you won’t die in a skiing accident. But the same logic could be applied to driving cars, flying in planes, or even taking showers in your bathroom – a room in the house where many people die each year. Risk is a part of life; human beings aren’t immortal and physical activity will put us in potentially risky situations.
According to the FAQ at the web site Ski-Injury.com, approximately 2-4 skiers out of 1,000 will require medical attention of some sort – though it does note that some types of skiing have more risks of injuries than others (consult their chart for more information on these types of skiing and the injury rates they see).
Second, understanding risks is not a license to be reckless. It’s important to note that it’s impossible to go through life without some risks, but it’s also important to talk about minimizing risk. Understanding that an activity is risky is not an excuse to be cavalier about that activity. Instead, you should be working harder to minimize risks when you take on riskier activities, as this will give you a better shot at staying healthy and, in some cases, alive.
As for the risks involved with skiing, they are varied. There are small injuries that are possible, not to mention more serious ones like concussions and knee problems, to the mortal injuries – injuries that cause death. One frequent theme amongst ski injuries are knee injuries, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only body part you’ll want to protect.
A good attitude to take is that life does require a healthy amount of risks sometimes, but if you’re not preparing yourself for those risks, you’re exposing yourself to unnecessary danger. If you’re prepared and take things slowly, you should have very few problems with skiing.
When it snows it reigns. But when it doesn’t, well, it’s a bummer. As a ski patroller, my livelihood revolves around the weather, and we rely upon new snow to freshen the slopes and keep the paychecks coming. My home area, Crystal Mountain, while already receiving over 100″ of snow this season, has seen only a flurry of snow in the past 7 days. We have our eyes on a weak storm coming in later this week, keeping our fingers crossed that it covers over the rocks now starting to emerge and the firm bits of old avalanche debris at the bottom of the steeper portions of the runs. But if that storm doesn’t pan out, maybe we all just need to change our perspective.
We have great conditions if you’re a ski racer, or have narrow-waisted skis or just love the groomers. And for this time of year, by all accounts it’s still pretty good.
But we need more snow.
And yet I know I shouldn’t complain. Most ski areas across the States are begging for snow of any kind. Their fingers are crossed for snowmaking temperatures, dreaming of the hard crystalline manmade snow to cover over the rocks and turn the slopes white again. At Crystal have a great base of Mother Nature’s finest. The groomers are fast and the rocks are covered.
So what am I complaining about?
Well, the lack of skiers, for one thing. Reduced guests mean reduced staff, so when the conditions are less than optimal layoffs aren’t too far behind.
Maybe it’s the new ski technology, but ski visits seem to have changed in the past few years. It used to be that regardless of the snow conditions, sunny days were gold. In the winter in Seattle, a day without clouds and mist should be celebrated. Lately, the city has been suffering under low fog while the mountains have enjoyed the inversion with sun and warm temps. So where are all the skiers and riders?
Waiting for powder.
With fat skis and fatter snowboards, all everyone wants these days is deep snow and face shots. While I love fresh snow as much as the next girl, I also enjoy sunny groomer days. I’ll admit it; I like to ski fast.
Granted not when others are around, and not when I’m wearing my ski patrol uniform (that is unless I can confirm rule #1). Put me on an open slope with fresh corduroy and watch me rip. There’s nothing quite as thrilling as letting your skis hook up, riding that edge across the slope, and feeling the crisp, cold air fill your lungs.
Last week I rode the gondola up early for First Tracks breakfast at the Summit House Restaurant. Even with the beautiful sunrise and deeply grooved corduroy, the place was pretty quiet. So after a delicious meal of house-made granola and wild mushroom frittata, I took a run to the other side of the mountain, where I was stationed for the day. Middle Ferks Run, a steep groomer, hadn’t been touched. I reveled in the long radius turns, the early morning light and the sound of fresh corduroy collapsing beneath my skis. It would be a good day.
With everyone waiting for snow deep enough to plow through with their new 110cm-underfoot-reverse-camber-powder-only-skis, the slopes are free for those with a bigger quiver. I was surprised. The slopes remained free of crowds and we ski patrollers worried about our hours. No customers means no hours, and with the make-it-or-break-it holiday weeks arriving soon, we all said a little silent prayer for a change in conditions.
And now we look again at the approaching weather prediction with fingers crossed and hearts tight. If it doesn’t snow this week, well, I don’t want to think about that. We still have plenty of snow, that’s not the problem. It’s the perception of conditions that keep the crowds away.
So do us working folks a favor, find a little joy on the slopes before the holiday crowds arrive. You never know. You just might like it.
In the construction industry, wearing protective gear is a mandatory part of any job. From steel-toed boots to safety helmets, this type of equipment is designed to protect the body from injury. On construction sites, it is not uncommon for debris to fall from above or to collide with objects that can result in serious injury to the head. In all probability, the most important part of the body to keep safe is the head. Most safety gear can be found online at very reasonable prices. Simply search the Internet for hard hats for sale and you will be rewarded with a number of sites to view.
Protection
Selling safety clothing is a very competitive business that offers consumers a variety of brands to choose from. Search for the best known companies and compare the products against each other. All the reputable brands adhere to the ANSI standards, which guarantees that you are purchasing a well constructed safety helmet.
Hard Hats
The various types of protective helmets provide different levels of safety. Make certain you know what the different kinds of hats are available and the protection offered. Understand that there are safety helmets that give protection against impact or electric shock and those that guard against both. Top impact helmets are also available. These hats protect by decreasing the impact force of objects that fall from above.
Levels Of Protection
The level of protection for the helmets is identified by class and type. The type protects against impact and class protects from electrical shock. Class A gives protection from high voltage electricity, Class B provides protection for low voltage and C does not protect against any voltage. The Types I and II indicate the level of protection against impact.
Variety
Safety helmets are available in a number of colors including white, black, pink, yellow, green and orange. Each of the colors can designate a particular management and worker position. For instance, the people who wear a white helmet may be management, those wearing orange are inspectors, yellow designates workers and pink might be used for visitors.
Customizing
In addition to color, companies may also elect to include their logo or motto on the helmet. Customizing the company safety hat is a unique way to increase the visibility of your particular business. Printing the logo on the hats will personalize them and assist promotion and marketing efforts.
Attachments
There are also a number of accessories that are available for safety helmets. These accessories can improve the function of the hat. Adding extras like earmuffs, face shields, lights and liners to the hat increases the protection it will offer.
The new issue of Starfish has an article by Jeremy Jensen about the sawtooth trip. Great pics and text so check it out. To go along with the article I uploaded the sawtooth video to youtube. Its pretty close to the original I posted right after the trip but with a few additions and some new music courtesy of audio swap.
The snow is just barely holding on in the backcountry. Still finding untracked stashes and solid snow to build jumps with. My boys built this kicker using our snowsaw.
While skiers used to rule the slopes, more and more people are now sliding over the slopes on snowboards. In some areas, snowboarders seem to be taking over the slopes completely. Some skiers are now dabbling in snowboarding, but many boarders are new to the slopes. Before taking up snowboarding, they never really enjoyed the [...] Snowboard and Ski Gear
For those searching for a Los Angeles BMW auto dealer, there are a batch of options. One of the primary motives in the decision could be the location of the buyer relative to the dealer. Another consideration could well be your past experiences with a specific establishment. A pleasant experience with one dealer may make you more likely to purchase again from that merchant. If you have not owned a BMW in the past, you might wish to know certain criteria for considering such a car.
You may find that one of the chief benefits of purchasing a car from a Los Angeles BMW merchandiser might be the abundance of locales within the region. This is one factor that might impose itself on the decision-making process. The others might be cost, rival cars, the range of vehicles on offer as well as periphery benefits like servicing for free with the BMW auto dealerships.
The price depends on whether the machine is leased, paid for in full or if credit is used. Los Angeles BMW dealers usually have a wide range of such offers. Some provide limited-period monthly offers, such as free navigation, payment credit periods, and some provide a free appraisal service for your old BMW as well as providing a guarantee to buy your old vehicle for cash.
The choices vary according to individual need. Business users may prefer the luxury range while those driving for pleasure might like the hardtop roadster or the coupes. Families could choose from the range of sedans in the 38 series of cars. All can be purchased in the color you choose and with the optional extras or just the standard options.
Cars are not perfect. As with any machine they can sometimes break down. Sometimes dealers will offer free maintenance on pre-owned and new cars but you should check each merchant because these offers vary.
One thing that makes the cars at Bob Smith BMW stand out is their use of technology. BMW apps, part of Connected Drive has the Pandora app. This allows the use to tailor his or her music experience by rating songs accordingly, either with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. BMW Connected can integrate social networking into your iPhone, allowing a choice of many international radio stations.
There will always be those who like going to the showroom and seeing the car, touching it, not just seeing it online. While there, the prospective customer can book a test drive and converse with staff. This can be done on the Internet. Also online is the car finder service, used to locate pre-owned and new models. The service can be used by customers to pinpoint the exact car they want, the car that fits their needs.
Time for me to update this since I need to pack for Vermont. The weather is going to be variable so I’ll need option. And if I forget something, then I have an excuse to go shopping. Did I miss something? Put it in the comments preferably before I finish packing for this trip.
SKI GEAR AND CLOTHING • Skis, poles, boots • Sunscreen and lip balm • Gloves and mittens • Hats • Goggles and sunglasses • Neck gaiter • Snacks and gum • Hydration system • Lock • Boot covers • Helmet • Hotronic batteries and charger • Hand warmers • Boot Dryer
SKI CLOTHING • Shell •Softshell • Tops (long johns and midlayer) • Ski pants • Long john pants (light and heavy) • Sports bra • Ski socks
SHOES • Boots • Flip flops • Cute shoes (if room)
REGULAR CLOTHING • Hoodie (I love having a comfy hoodie to relax in, especially if the room is cold) • Jeans • Après or going out clothes • Underwear • Bathing suit and coverup • Socks (plus fuzzy socks instead of slippers) • Pajamas
BASICS • Wallet • House keys • Watch • Medical insurance card • Itineraries, tickets and reservation confirmations (I just store this on my phone)
TOILETRIES • Prescriptions • Toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash • Deodorant • Hair brush • Shampoo • Face stuff
ELECTRONICS • Phone • Phone charger • Camera • Camera charger • iPod or iPad • iPod/iPad charger
Sadly work phone, work laptop and work iPad must travel with me. OK, work iPad is never a bad thing.
