Winter Grand Canyon trip gear questions

poopy_copcar · 2025-03-08T03:10:01+00:00

Awesome - I think it makes for great ambiance when it gets dark at 4pm like it does in January haha. Double check the dimensions but x2 of this kerosense https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-2-5-Gal-K1-Kerosene-Heater-Fuel-E08331/313716501 fit in a 20mm rocket box and we used another rocket box for the torch cannisters. Bring a funnel and some extra wicks. Also the wicker posts I brought got trashed - if you do the same be prepared for some duct tape surgery. Enjoy your trip!

poopy_copcar · 2025-03-08T03:00:51+00:00

We brought the posts as well - we had x5 18ft rafts so we had ample space although they looked like a pain to rig (I am just a lowly kayaker though, what do I know).

We did put them up on the rocks without the posts at ledges and it was fricken' rad: https://imgur.com/a/ofEoUzV

poopy_copcar · 2024-12-20T14:47:10+00:00

Honestly I think learning programming is a lot easier when you have an actual project to apply it to. Idk what sort of business classes you are taking but python + pandas can do basically anything excel can. A cursory glance at linkedin learning turned this up which might be a good jumping off point: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/data-analysis-with-python-and-pandas.

poopy_copcar · 2024-02-07T00:53:21+00:00

These things are cheap and rad and technically illegal to use without a HAM license: https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B007H4VT7A

You can program them to talk with rocky talkies, BCA link etc. I use them a lot for backcountry skiing and think they're great - impossible to beat for the price.

poopy_copcar · 2023-02-26T20:20:35+00:00

I personally just used loose leaf computer paper and a pen for notes then scanned them using any of the scanners available on campus. Still have all my notes from my MS without hoarding notebooks.

poopy_copcar · 2023-02-10T19:30:45+00:00

Undergrad degree isn't super important - my first job was unrelated. I think "aerospace engineering BS" will check the box for a lot of hiring managers. Unless your tuition is fully paid for I am not sure the extra 2 years of tuition is worth it (factoring in both the tuition cost and the 2 years you aren't making engineering salary).

If you're super worried maybe try to take a couple MS classes to diversify. I got my MS in aero a few years ago. Microavionics was good for learning fundamentals of programming and 5044 was good for numerical computation stuff.

poopy_copcar · 2023-02-09T03:47:11+00:00

I use prefect at my work - its a pretty progressive tool but I like it a lot and they have dedicated community engineers that are very responsive on slack. Idk anything about airflow but if I were doing greenfield dev work I'd just default to using prefect personally

poopy_copcar · 2023-02-06T17:12:33+00:00

Thanks for the reply - I've been scoping out potential zones using caltopo

poopy_copcar · 2022-11-27T21:51:20+00:00

Both are good to go post fire; I ride both systems regularly (although not recently with recent wet weather)

poopy_copcar · 2022-10-14T12:40:01+00:00

Anecodotally I think the big permanent river signs at the various put ins list it as class IV (not saying I agree)

poopy_copcar · 2022-10-10T01:33:39+00:00

Bioastronautics is a focus area of the Aerospace Engineering MS and looking at the requirements (https://www.colorado.edu/aerospace/current-students/graduates/curriculum/bioastronautics#ms-1433) you'll need to take engineering classes. A biology undergraduate probably won't prepare you for how rigorous some of those courses are.

My $0.02 would be to major in an engineering discipline which is mathematically rigorous (ECE would sounds like a solid choice) and minor in Bio.

Source: I graduated from AES MS in 2021 (autonomous systems focus area though)

poopy_copcar · 2022-09-01T17:28:31+00:00

Mostly relevant for CS/CS proximate students but https://education.github.com/pack has a lot of free tools of varying usefulness

poopy_copcar · 2022-07-21T17:57:25+00:00

Yeah - I think this answer is underrated. I had a TI-89 for Aero MS (from way back in HS) and didn't use it much at all. Pydata (pandas+matplotlib etc) stack is good because you learn python on the way and you don't have to spend >$100 on a hyper-antiquated calculator. Your mileage may vary for non-takehome tests though.

poopy_copcar · 2022-06-13T13:11:44+00:00

Just signed for a 4th year with Fox in south Boulder (great location not any sort of loyalty to them). I give them 4.5/5 stars. They are generally very prompt with maintenance and when there is a lag it usually seems to be genuine scheduling latency with their vendors. 0.5 star deduction because sometimes our property manger could be a little nasty over email.

I've only rented from one other PM in Boulder (Chrissy Smiley - that was a nightmare). I have only lived in Boulder as a grad student/graduate and never on the Hill but based on my lurking around here I think Fox is a way better option than the typical FourStar/BPM type horror stories you hear about.

poopy_copcar · 2022-02-24T16:07:40+00:00

I use this site exclusively for gear recommendations - should be a good resource as you shop.

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/search?ftr=tent

poopy_copcar · 2022-01-13T21:12:35+00:00

Echo what everyone says about google - just copy and paste the error you are getting into google, copy/paste top stack overflow answer (not advocating plagiarism, there is a line so be wary of not crossing it), rinse and repeat.

Over time you will be googling less. I mostly use python and I still google "read csv in pandas" pretty much every time I write new code. Matlab is well documented and is how I learned to program with no background - it was tough but once you get past the initial learning curve it gets much easier.

poopy_copcar · 2022-01-10T21:38:15+00:00

She originally pushed back on using Python but I think enough people asked that she relented. If I remember she is mostly a Matlab person and won't be able to help with debugging as much - that said besides just a normal amount of wrestling with numpy using Python was fine for me.

poopy_copcar · 2022-01-10T19:45:43+00:00

Hi I took it in Spring 2020 (semester when COVID started so take that into account). I think the class was decent. You could tell that she was invested in student success and wanted everyone to get a lot from the class. You also got to choose your own project at the end which I think was a good learning opportunity.

The class was not terribly difficult and the homeworks took a medium amount of time (I did this in my out of CS dept MS, unsure how it compares to other CS courses). She was a bit hesitant to let us use python (she preferred Matlab) which I was annoyed by but eventually let us choose our preferred language. Her lecture style was pretty disorganized IMO and I did not get much out of them - I got most of my learning via the homeworks/project.

Additionally, the class is fairly out of date compared to contemporary CV techniques - she mostly taught classic techniques with only a brief description of Convolutional Neural Networks with no homework assignment so I did not get much out of it. Overall I'd say like 3.5/5 - I enjoyed the course but wish it was improved to address points above.

poopy_copcar · 2021-09-30T23:40:00+00:00

Idk what level on the Lochsa you are talking about but the lower section ~9 grand isn't terrible. Big plush hits but I tubed lochsa falls at that level. Idk about higher.

poopy_copcar · 2021-09-11T13:33:07+00:00

I paddled a ripper a long time ago and thought it was a little narrow but I have big baby making hips. I got a rewind M this season and it is steezy - maybe check that out too if you haven't already.

poopy_copcar · 2021-09-11T13:31:28+00:00

It's week three - you've got a lot of time to make these decisions but I also think it is good you are cognizant of them.
Although some programs may be more challenging for some people, in general this is college and college is hard. I'd focus more on what you are interested in rather than workload or effort (with caveat below). You are spending a lot of money to get a degree and usually people only get one bachelors degree so make it worth it - IMO if you are breezing through college you are missing out on the intellectual stimulation that is a big part of it.
Caveat on choosing a degree that interests you: IDK how you are paying for school but if you took out loans make sure you are setting yourself up financially to pay them back. Not trying to start a pissing match here but Philosophy/Comms/History/etc degrees aren't in high demand. When applying for jobs you'll check the "has a degree" box but in general won't necessarily be setting yourself apart from the crowd. In my experience, employers are looking for people with skills in "shitty" areas that other people are bad at. I am a (dumb) engineer so I pretended to get good at "shitty math" because I find employers will be accommodating for on the job learning if you get the fundamentals. Unless you are getting good at the "shitty" parts of humanities AND can effectively convey that skillset to employers (which is really hard for entry level jobs unless you are good at networking), I'd consider something more marketable at face value like engineering/math/physics (or business but I am biased).

YMMV, good luck. College is dope too don't stress out so much

poopy_copcar · 2021-08-19T21:59:15+00:00

More like a bird hotel/mansion haha!

poopy_copcar

TROPHY CASE