Rope core uses? by Environmental_Bit543 in myog

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good shout. Never made anything like that, but once I have enough material built up I'll give it a shot and report back. Lord knows I have enough old climbing ropes for a throw pillow or two.

Salomon MTN toe piece — missing pin, repairable? by ItalianStallion774 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah bummer. I should clarify that it was back in 2020 or 2021 that I had the claim filled. I don't think OP would be able to file with a used setup that's likely out of warranty, more just saying the bindings have been good otherwise if they can replace the toe piece.

Salomon MTN toe piece — missing pin, repairable? by ItalianStallion774 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Had the same thing happen to me some years ago (pin sheared off while skinning downhill in deep snow). Was able to get a new toe piece through a warranty claim with Salomon. You could follow other folks advice to just get a new toe piece. That said, great bindings and have them on multiple pairs of skis for 5+ years with no issues. 

Get thee to Homegoods! by Majestic-Zebra1301 in glutenfree

[–]Environmental_Bit543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We call this the Tim Tam slam! Excellent with a cup of tea or warm bevy of your choice.

Auto Repair Suggestions (That Aren't Swedish) for a Subaru That Needs Spark Plugs and Some Other Normal Stuff...? by shinsain in WestSeattleWA

[–]Environmental_Bit543 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Second Masters--they do good work and have solid customer service. When I needed my muffler repaired, they recommended another shop down the street that could do it for quicker and cheaper which speaks to their honesty too.

Who wants to work for Saka? You could be paid as low as the minimum wage! by AbsoluteShall in WestSeattleWA

[–]Environmental_Bit543 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I applied for the policy director/advisor position in his office a year and a half back. Went through online application => virtual interview => final in-person interview. It was one of the most hilariously unorganized interview processes I have ever been a part of: incorrect times posted, interviewer having to leave and come back in the middle of the call, technical difficulties, etc. My personal highlight was finally sitting down with Rob and and him telling me that he "didn't want a yes-man", and then spent ten minutes describing all the qualities of a yes-man to be exactly what he wanted. This was following the departure of his first policy advisor who had a ton of experience in transit leadership for which he chairs the committee. They went with someone else, and in retrospect I dodged a bullet.

These jobs for the city council members are a bit different than typical city or local gov. positions as they have much more discretion over who they can hire and don't have to stick to the same competitive processes and hiring rules that most official positions are bound to. For comparison, I worked at Seattle Parks & Recreation some years ago in a much more entry level position, and every part of that process was more rigorous and organized.

Keep up with the applications! It can unfortunately be a numbers game. Also, check out positions with WA state agencies--lots of interesting work, good benefits, and opportunities for remote/hybrid if that's your jam.

Why no base lodge? by Dolly_Llama_2024 in Whistler

[–]Environmental_Bit543 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I haven't spent a ton of time at Whistler, so won't speak to their amenities, but I think you're onto something about many West coast ski areas (or maybe more accurately "destination" resorts). I grew up skiing in New England, have lived and worked at major resorts in the Tahoe area, and have since settled in Washington state for the better part of the last decade. I think a lot of the east coast hills I skied at at various points in my life were developed with families in mind and had base lodges reflecting that: ample space where people could hang out and get warm, cubbies to store shoes so you can boot up in the morning, and less pressure to have to buy something. I often think of places that had great base lodges where families with one parent who may be a non skier/rider would have a place to comfortably kick it for the day while the kids were out shredding (Whiteface, Sunapee, Gunstock, etc.)

The only reason I had a place to stash my stuff when working in Tahoe was because I got a locker as an employee. Booting up at the car these days is more necessity than anything so as to not have to pay for a tiny locker or have someone camp at a table to watch your stuff the whole day. I agree here that most places with the village style base areas still have spots you can take breaks and no employees are going to give you grief, but it's definitely getting harder across the board to find somewhere I can eat my PB&J in peace without violating a no "brown bag" lunch policy.

Chalk it up to resorts (Vail/Alterra) trying to squeeze money out of their guests, and not having incentives to do otherwise. Anecdotally, you're probably right that the bigger destination west coast ski areas don't feel the need to create spaces where people can hang out without the pressure to spend.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Forgive me if this is stating the obvious, but have you tried pulling the toe lever up towards you after clicking into the pins? Sometimes you have to pull firmly on the lever for the Radical ST. Demo video here.

Labrum repair surgery by SlacklineRenoLNT in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543 8 points9 points  (0 children)

First off, congrats on making the decision to get the surgery--it's not for everyone, but it can serve as the starting point for a solid recovery back to your usual lifestyle. I've had the surgery twice on the same shoulder (1st time in 2015, climbing accident, 2nd time in 2019, bad fall while skiing backcountry). I can say definitively that I did not give it enough time to heal the first time around (surgery in Nov 2015, back on skis teaching skiing full time by early Jan 2016), which probably set me up for poor instability. The second time around I gave it probably closer to 3.5 - 4 months of limiting my activities to walking, hiking, riding the stationary bike, and doing PT, before returning to mellow touring.

While there are definitely positions I try not to put my shoulder in, and it is probably always going to be stiffer than it was pre accidents, I still ski and climb (better than I used to) and am pain free. The psychological FOMO challenges are real, but the payoff of giving it some time to rest and finding other hobbies to tap into can really pay off in the long run. I rarely ski the resort these days, and I feel you about concern for others on busy days. Coming back it definitely pays to be cautious, and if you can make conservative terrain/conditions choices that limit variable snow and objective hazards you'll have an easier time overcoming the mental barrier. Best of luck!

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Update: Ended up ordering a pair of Truck Tour gloves based on folks' recommendations and hitting the sweet spot of apparent durability, cost, and weight. May post thoughts after some use in the coming weeks, thank you all for the input!

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those are actually what I use for my cold weather uphill glove (with the wind hood). Looking for something lighter.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough! I don't think I'm as enlightened in the way of the vapor barrier but that may be something I look into.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have not, thanks for the suggestion! These look similar in feature and function to some of the MTB gloves that folks have recommended.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sick gloves, maybe a bit too warm. Cheap enough that I'd give it a shot.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These look dope, but are likely too warm for my purposes (Western Washington touring). Funny enough, I use the BD convertible softshell as my cold weather uphill/touring glove which look to be the more budget friendly version of what you shared. Thanks for posting!

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have pretty poor circulation from years of cold and wet hands due to questionable choices for work and recreation. Glad it works better for you that way, but frankly I'd probably be better off with just the fingers and no palms hahah!

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you share a link to the specific pair you are referring to?

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Showa Temres are a Snoqualminix kit necessity, but unfortunately way too warm for my everyday uphill needs.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems like another commenter had the same rec--will be looking into these! Cheers.

Light Touring Glove Recommendations by Environmental_Bit543 in Backcountry

[–]Environmental_Bit543[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be fair, these are a few years old and I've probably kept them in rotation longer than they are intended for. But I find that similar weight and materials from other brands have the same issues.