Cody is back to discuss my questions about the latest 50 Project episode; the US Alpine Team’s new name & sponsor; Cotopaxi closing its San Francisco store after repeated break ins; NFL Talk; Mountain Town Advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Latest Fifty Project ep: The Sphinx (4:51)
- The “Stifel” US Alpine Team (17:36)
- Private ski areas donating to politicians? (24:23)
- Cotopaxi closes S.Fran store after repeat break ins (34:16)
- NFL Talk (41:47)
- CO hunting non-profit & unsanctioned trailbuilders (46:21)
- The Most Canadian News (53:01)
- Canada or Italy? (55:25)
- Mtn Town Advice: Jobs (58:46)
- Mtn Town Advice: Defining wilderness (1:06:14)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:15:41)
RELATED LINKS:
Great show as always. A few comments…
1) I don’t know exactly where the injured hiker was, but was definitely very near the Weminuche Wilderness Area which borders the Animas River and the D&S railroad (which is a historic railroad, not like Amtrak or BNSF) which is what many backpackers use to access the nearby Chicago Basin group of 14ers. So federal “wilderness” areas are a whole other part of the wilderness discussion.
2) Mountain town question – Who do mountain town folks route for, sports-wise and NFL specifically? Maybe so many transplants that people stick to their childhood teams? Jonathan, why you clinging to the Bears? Get on board with Orange & Blue! There’s just as much to bitch about!
3) Lets get more comments on here… lots of fun topics.
And more to the point, this was talking about an injured person, so the term wilderness was talking about how remote it was, not about impacts on the land, or pack there of.
Here is the definition of wilderness first aid:
“ Wilderness first aid,is a generic term that refers to ….assessment, and treatment for an ill or injured person in a REMOTE environment where definitive care by a physician and/or rapid transport is not readily available. This is defined as being AN HOUR or more away from advanced care”
I don’t know the area, but I would place a big bet that it was more than an hour before she was in advanced care.
So, the headline is entirely correct to call it ‘wilderness’ in the context of rescue and injury.
I think something to add about the Jackson Hole donation issue. Boebert is generally regarded as extreme on the political spectrum. She also represents Colorado, not Wyoming. That donation is definitely a “Fuck you” for Patagonia ending ties with the resort last (?) year.
I think this might be a dumb question, but I’ve listened to dozens (maybe 100+?) Blister and Gear 30 podcasts and this still isn’t clear to me. Cody said he was “holding back” when he skied the Sphinx because he was on tech bindings and didn’t want to have a big fall and wreck his knee (paraphrasing here). Is he saying this because a) he doesn’t trust the tech binding to release or b) he doesn’t want the ski to release, so he would lock out the toe on this line and therefore the binding is very unlikely to release at all or c) something else?
Hey Michael,
It’s a little bit of both. For one, I rarely ski any line with exposure, such as the Sphinx, with tech toes in ski mode, so I have yet to gain the trust for reliable retention at speed on a line like that. So in that instance, my toes are locked out and thus, I keep’er under control to prevent a tomahawk with the bindings locked out. So it’s option B.
It’s interesting to see different peoples opinions on this. For me, I almost never ski with my tech toes locked in soft snow and only ever do it on icy tight terrain. I subscribe more to Nikolai Schirmer’s opinions on the on/off nature of tech bindings and he’s absolutely shredding obscene lines on tech toes unlocked. Both of you ski well harder than me so curious in what leads to the opposing opinions.
I was more thinking that you were just absolutely flying down that face, I would more call it ‘dialing up a notch, or two’
Re Mountain Town professional jobs: Lots of good-paying jobs in the education and civil sector qualify as such. Public heath, parks and rec, utilities, teaching/teacher aids, law enforcement, DOT, development services, etc. Many mountain towns have well-paid staff to serve community needs, and these jobs seem to have some turnover. Trick is, of course, housing. Commute or couch surf? Your choice.
Re: Wilderness. In 99% of the cases, yes a train disqualifies any sense of wilderness. However, I too would recommend the writer ride the Durango RR to Silverton and back. They’ll change their mind. The steam-powered 140 year-old train line does travel through wilderness. Both congressionally-designated wilderness AND a breathtaking landscape that provides a wild sense of wonder and awe, without a permanent human presence. Definitely a bucket-list experience.
Good comments, thank you.
Mountain Town Question: How viable are actual B&B’s in mountain towns? Not Air B&B’s, but the real deal- with hot breakfast served, actual staff, etc?
Where are you opening one?
Thanks, the intelligent commentary is appreciated.
Agree on the great food in Italy, but I think the pizza is better in France. Oops, did I just start a fight!
Cheers.
“I think the pizza is better in France.”
Ha, if you actually believed this … I would regard this as a crazier belief than thinking the earth is flat.
(Also, that’s very generous of you to call our commentary “intelligent” – hopefully it is – on occasion – when we aren’t saying ridiculous things about Canada, etc. We love you, Canada!)
Also, if Cody needs someone to talk sports with, GrandPooBear has been looking for Tahoe locals to chat with.
Pronunciation is hard e: “Steefel.”
I listened to the episode today, less than 24hrs after a shooting where an LGBTQI space was targeted in Colorado. Jonathan, I understand your perspective about the importance of dialogue and hearing from people whose views differ. But, if a brand or organization endorses and supports a politician who promotes hate speech which inspires violence against marginalized populations, where is the line? I lived in Jackson for two years as a post college ski bum and struggle with a desire to go back and enjoy the mountain and what’s left of the community. Do the recent events change your perspective?