IIAWT

IIAWT April 2013 and May 2013 Recaps

Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier

Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier

If you think you think Matt and I missed our podcast window on Wednesday, you'd be wrong. Yes, there was no show last week. And yes, we did not Tweet or promote a show this week. No, goats have not completely eaten IIAWT's technical equipment and clocks. The answer to why there was no IIAWT is because IIAWT is only on the second and fourth Wednesday's of each month, and between May and June, the calendar sets us, the hosts up with a nice little break. So look at things positively - you didn't miss anything, and we didn't trick you - the calendar did! But in case you did miss us, here's what you've been missing in the last two months!

Ingraham Flats, Mt. Rainier

Ingraham Flats, Mt. Rainier

April 10, 2013, Episode 6:  Mt. Rainier, Part I: The IIAWT How-To-Climb-Guide. Mt. Rainier - a mountain - no, a volcano so big it deserved two shows. On this first episode, Matt and I spoke with Katie Levy of Adventure Inspired, who had some great insights to how a novice prepares for the Disappointment Cleaver, and mountaineering in general. Katie also had some great comments about climbing mountains for charity; and about how she reviews gear for her readers, so this episode, like always, is a must listen! (Also, stay tuned to the end for a special guest - and friend of the show!)

April 24, 2013, Episode 7:  Mt. Rainier, Part II: The IIAWT How-To-Climb-Guide-Continues.  What's better than talking Mt. Rainier? Talking Mt. Rainier with a veteran climber like Kevin Cherilla of K2Adventures. We also had on our friend of the show, Jes (more info here) for some added color commentary. On this show, we again talked about climbing for charity, and the difficult - and STEEP Liberty Ridge Route. 

 May 8, 2013, Episode 8: Mt. Whitney, Part I: The IIAWT How-To-Climb-Guide. This show is also known as "When Goats Attack". Although there was no guest host, both Matt and Chris picked up the slack in an information packed must-listen guide about climbing Mt. Whitney. (For an added bonus, read more here  about what you need to know about Whitney, the highest peak in the Continental United States).

Western Side, Mt. Whitney Trail

Western Side, Mt. Whitney Trail

May 22, 2013, Episode 9: Mt. Whitney, Part II: The IIAWT Guide on the JMT and Other Routes to the Top. Once Matt and Chris got rid of those pesky goats, they were ready to talk Whitney the way Muir saw it after his long treks in the Sierras. What better way than to talk about this than with a bona fide expert, the SoCalHiker, also known as Jeff Hester. This show had some great details from Jeff, who has hiked the John Muir Trail twice, and also had some great secret tips on how to ascend Whitney via non-traditional ways. 

If these shows don't get you out into the mountains, perhaps next week's show on Mt. Shasta will intrigue your mind and inspire your body; but until then, see you on the trail!

 

How to Climb Mt. Whitney

How to Climb Mt. Whitney

So, you’re looking to climb Mt. Whitney? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve climbed Mt. Whitney a number of times – without snow, with snow, on the mountaineer’s route, on the Mt. Whitney trail, under sunny skies, and under cloudy skies with thundersnow. I’ve seen bears, lots of marmots, and all sorts of hikers, mountaineers, and climbers. While I’m not going to say that I’ve seen it all, I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve written a lot, so this is a great time to recap all of the resources that are present on this site (and off this site). So, without any further ado, if you want to know how to climb Mt. Whitney, here’s what you need to know!

In Ice Axe We Trust, March 2013 Recap

​Humphreys Peak, Arizona

​Humphreys Peak, Arizona

​Ahoy-hoy listeners and readers! If you’re not listening to In Ice Axe We Trust (“IIAWT”), you are missing out! March was a great month of podcasts for IIAWT, and we had three fantastic guests, @jesthecc (Her website here​), @jenniferwoods (Her website here), ​and Jonathan House (his website here​). We discussed two big peaks - Mt. Humphreys and Mt. Hood; and had some fun debates along the way, including to trekking pole, or not to trekking pole - a timeless and eternal question.

March 13, Episode 5: Humphreys Peak, Arizona.: the IIAWT How-to climb guide. I previewed this episode here a couple weeks ago, but on it, we had two great guests, Jes and Jen, and we discussed all things Arizona, including its highest point. Catch it here, or on iTunes. (Update! Read to the bottom to learn how to make your own homemade Larabars, courtesy of Jen!!)

​Mt. Hood, Oregon

​Mt. Hood, Oregon

March 27, 2013, Episode 6Mount Hood, Oregon: the IIAWT How-to climb guide. We were lucky to have a great guest, Jonathan House, who shared his story of how he climbed Hood just last year; and in case you missed it, you can listen here, while viewing his fantastic photos here. This show had a great discussion of the considerations that go into roping up, and more importantly, which Oregon team you should root for in collegiate sporting events. Don’t believe it? Listen HERE, or on iTunes.

Coming Shows: We will be back on the air on 04/10/13 with another mystery guest or two, and we will be discussing thepeakseeker's climb of Mt. Hood, my time on Mt. Whitney, and our upcoming climb of Mt. Rainier. Stay tuned to us on Twitter to find out who or whom!

Giveaways/Sponsors: On March 27, 2013, we had a winner in our COLD giveaway, and it was WalkSimply, with her great story about encountering a snake on Sitton Peak. While we're not sure what our next giveaway will be, you can be certain that it will be interesting! If you’re interested in entering any contests or sponsoring the show, contact myself, or thepeakseeker, and be sure to tune in!

Recipe for Homemade Larabars: ​

Homemade Lärabars: Mango Lassi Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsalted almond or almond pieces (raw or toasted/roasted)

1 cup medjool dates

3/4 cup dried mango

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (shredded or curls)

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder (use up to 1/2 teaspoon if you love cardamom)

pinch sea salt

Line an 8x8 square baking dish with parchment or waxed paper.  First, pulse the almonds in a food processor (or a blender should work) until they are finely chopped (but not so much that you’ve created a nut butter).

Pour nuts into a bowl.

In the food processor (you don’t have to clean it out) add the remaining ingredients and process until you’ve created a uniform paste.  If you need to add tiny splashes of warm water to get it to come together, feel free to do so.  If your mixture has turned into a ball, turn the machine off and use a spoon to push the mixture back down into the blades.  

Add back the nuts and then process until it’s a uniform consistency again.

Press the mixture into your baking pan so that it’s even.  Dipping your hands into a bowl of water helps tremendously here.  Place the pan into the refrigerator for at least a half an hour to make it firm up enough to easily cut into bars.

Wrap in a cloth, or squares of parchment or waxed paper and take with you for your adventure on the trail.

In Ice Axe We Trust, Show 5 - Humphreys Peak

Tonight, March 13, 2013, we will be talking about the tallest mountain in Arizona with jestheccc and jenniferwoods, two Arizona bloggers and podcasters. In honor of this, check out jestheccc's post about her climb of the mountain HERE and Matt Mills' post of his climb of the mountain HERE. Also, for your viewing pleasure, check out the photos of the peak below, courtesy of Matt Mills, and of the surrounding San Francisco Range in winter, courtesy of me. Be sure to tune in to the show HERE and tell a friend!

​Summit, Humphreys Peak

​Summit, Humphreys Peak

​Summit, Humphreys Peak

​Summit, Humphreys Peak

​San Francisco Range, Winter

​San Francisco Range, Winter

On The Outdoor Community & Previewing "By All Signs"

​When exploring, it's good to have the knowledge how to avoid cholla cacti. 

​When exploring, it's good to have the knowledge how to avoid cholla cacti. 

Long time readers of this blog know that there’s four things I’m passionate about: adventure, exploration, knowledge, and sharing that knowledge. If you’ve ever read, or seen this blog, you’ve heard me beat the drum about how adventure can be found anywhere numerous times, and the importance of exploration. If you haven’t, a sampling of those posts can be found here, and here. As for the latter two topics, if you know me, you know that I strongly believe there’s something to learn every day; and life’s too short to stop learning. I started this blog in part, because I felt that I had a lot of knowledge to share, and I wanted to provide that knowledge and my experiences to the outdoor community. To me, this blog was an extension of what I had been doing my whole life – talking to people on the trail, the mountain, or around the fire about what I knew, how I knew it, and also listening to what others had to say about what they knew, how they knew it, and where I could go.  

​Trust me, the lake of outdoor knowledge is much bigger than this!

​Trust me, the lake of outdoor knowledge is much bigger than this!

Several years later, one of the things I still like the best about blogging is the sharing of knowledge and the community interactions. It’s through these community interactions that I met Matt Mills, my co-host on In Ice Axe We Trust (“IIAWT”), and if you want to hear me expound awkwardly about the sharing of knowledge, I suggest you listen here. These interactions are also how I met tomorrow’s guest blogger, Terry Tyson. I think that these interactions; this sharing of knowledge makes our community stronger; better; faster; and most importantly – smarter. So, as you read this post – and tomorrow’s post, written graciously by Terry, I’d suggest taking a minute to think about two things: 1) what can you do to make the community stronger – whether its retweeting a post, or offering to write for a blog you like because you’ve got great tips for them, or something else. After all, the pool of knowledge isn’t a secret isolated pond – it’s a massive body of water that’s fed by many streams. As for the second, as always, do what you can to help the environment, as always, because it always needs your help.

Before I get off my soapbox, let me introduce Terry Tyson – the man, the myth, and the legend. One of the last true magicians, a mentalist, a hiker, and many things more that I don’t even know to promote. One of the things I can promote is his blog HERE, and I’ll also disclose that I’ve known Terry for a while, and he always has something erudite to say – or some great photos to share. A couple weeks ago, after I wrote my post complaining about unprepared winter hikers, he mentioned that he had a story about unprepared people who offered to lead other people on hikes. We fell to discussing the matter, as friends do, and the end result is the article you’ll see tomorrow about an experience Terry had with friends in the Superstition Mountains with a party who was not prepared – nor experienced enough to guide others.

Terry’s been gracious enough to give me editorial control over his article, which I didn’t need, and has also offered me the final word, which I also didn’t need. Personally, I think the article speaks for itself and is Terry in Terry’s own words, telling a cautionary tale with a simple lesson: be sure you know the people you are hiking with. As I’ve discussed, and as Terry will talk about, the outdoors is a dangerous place; and when you go out with third parties, you need to be sure that they are representing the conditions and route correctly, not just for them but for you, and any people you may bring with you. In this respect, I’ll offer you a simple analogy: guiding is like singing. Everyone thinks they can do it, but few can. Like being prepared for winter hiking, you have to be prepared for anything when hiking with new parties, including being prepared for any deficiencies the “guide” or “friend” may have. This is not to say you should never hike with an unknown party or “guide”, but merely that you should be prepared for what could happen in the worst case scenario; and be hopeful for a best case scenario. In any case, Terry’s article is great, and I hope you enjoy reading it tomorrow when I put it up!

In Ice Axe We Trust, February 2013 Recap

​Summit View, Mt. Elbert, Colorado

​Summit View, Mt. Elbert, Colorado

Ahoy-hoy listeners and readers! If you’re not listening to In Ice Axe We Trust (“IIAWT”), you are missing out! February was a great second month of podcasts for IIAWT, and we had three fantastic guests, Epic Bill Bradley (@epicbillbradley), Michael Restivo (@mikeoffthemap), and Bob Doucette (@RMhigh7088). Both shows had great practical mountaineering tips, and more mountaineering stories than you could shake your trekking poles at; so, without further ado, check out the episodes below:

February 13, 2013, Episode 3: Introduction to Expedition Mountaineering. Unofficially, I’m going to call this the “Show up and suffer” show in honor of Epic Bill Bradley, who is an amazing guy and personal friend of the show. If you’re interested at all in the nuts and bolts of getting into the sport of expedition mountaineering, Bill provides a how-to guide of how he climbed Denali in 2012 from start to finish. This is something you really need to listen to, so check that out: HERE, or on iTunes.

​Not a wolf, but there are wolves in our Podcast! Tune on in to find out where and when!

​Not a wolf, but there are wolves in our Podcast! Tune on in to find out where and when!

February 27, 2013, Episode 4: Mount Elbert, Colorado: the IIAWT How-to climb guide. If you thought that we couldn’t top the stories of Epic Bill in Episode 3, you’d be wrong. We were lucky to have two great guests, Michael Restivo and Bob Doucette in studio who, along with me, broke down the tips, tactics, route, gear, and everything else needed to climb the highest point in Colorado. More importantly, we learned that when the weather gets cold, you need that ice axe in hand to fend off the dangers of wolves. Don’t believe it? Listen HERE, or on iTunes.

Books: On 02/13/13, we talked about many a mountaineer’s inspiration, Into Thin Air, and learned that while the book is enthralling, the made for TV movie is nothing but a bust. And, on 02/27/13, we talked about Colorado’s Fourteeners, the definitive hiking and climbing guide for the peaks of Colorado. Both are great books, and great resources to have!

Coming Shows: We will be back on the air on 3/13/13 with another mystery guest or two. Stay tuned to us on Twitter to find out who or whom!

Giveaways/Sponsors: We are still offering a copy of COLD to anyone that can provide us a 250 word story on mountaineering or other hiking derring-do; and currently we are sponsored by Inthebivvy.com. On 2/27/13, our guests were lucky enough to receive some swag from Racespace.org, the go-to couch surfing site for runners and other racers. If you’re interested in entering any contests or sponsoring the show, contact myself, or thepeakseeker, and be sure to tune in!

In Ice Axe We Trust, January 2013 Recap

This year, I started a great new project with a friend – In Ice Axe We Trust. In case you haven’t heard me talking about it, In Ice Axe We Trust (or “IIAWT” as we abbreviate it) is a bi-monthly Podcast that it is about all things mountaineering that airs on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 8:00 P.M., or can be accessed at any time from the Podcast archives. I’d tell you more, but my co-host, and all around good friend Matt Mills (a/k/a thepeakseeker) has built a great site that tells you everything you need to know, so check that out HERE. I’m not going to spend a lot of time talking about the Podcast here, because for starters, it would be weird to constantly write about what I already said – among other things. However, once a month I’ll be checking in here to talk about what we’re doing, what we’ve discussed, and what we recommend. So, without further ado, here is my first IIAWT monthly roundup!

January 16, 2013, Episode 1: again, this is something you really need to listen to, so check that out: HERE, or on iTunes. This was our first show, and in it, we discussed introductory things about mountaineering, and who, what, and where we are.

January 27, 2013, Episode 2: proving we were more than a flash in the pan, we came back with our second show which focused on alpine mountaineering, and we had our first of many guest co-hosts, 100peaks (also found HERE). Despite a quick ending, the show was fantastic, so listen to it HERE, or on iTunes.

Books: On 1/16/13, we talked about The Freedom of the Hills, otherwise known as the mountaineer’s bible, and on 01/27/13, we talked about Afoot and Afield in San Diego County, the hiking bible of San Diego County. Both are great books, and great resources to have!

Coming Shows: We will be back on the air on 2/13/13 for our third show to discuss expedition mountaineering with our good friend and co-host, Bill Bradley, and his ascent of Denali.

Giveaways/Sponsors: Currently, we are offering a copy of COLD to anyone that can provide us a 250 word story on mountaineering or other hiking derring-do; and currently we are sponsored by Inthebivvy.com. If you’re interested in entering any contests or sponsoring the show, contact myself, or thepeakseeker, and be sure to tune in!