SierraDescents.com

SierraDescents | 2008

Big Agnes Two Track

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In its two-inch version, the Big Agnes Two Track self-inflating sleeping pad offers a very warm advertised r-value of 6.5. To put that number in perspective, Thermarest's (more)

Baden-Powell

Baden-Powell

Bill and I drove up Highway 2 from Wrightwood to Vincent Gap for a little Baden-Powell action today. BP is one of those curious Southland Peaks that occasionally allows (more)

A Christmas Storm

A Christmas Storm

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! Looks like we'll be enjoying a white Christmas in the mountains this year. Heavy snows (18-36") are forecast in the High Sierra, plus (more)

Smoke at Sunrise

Smoke at Sunrise

Here's a look at the sunrise from near our home this morning: that's a lot of smoke. The Yorba Linda/Anaheim area fires are about sixty miles east of us, which gives a sense of (more)

TNF Apex Bionic

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North Face's Apex Bionic Jacket combines the best qualities of Windstopperâ„¢ fleece and a stretchy soft shell in one trim package. The Apex Bionic practically jumps out of the (more)

Marmot PreCip Jacket

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Marmot calls the PreCip Jacket 'full-function value-added rainwear.' Given the PreCip's bargain price, the value is easy to see. As to the question of function, the PreCip is a (more)

Marmot PreCip Pant

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Officially, Marmot's PreCip Pants are listed as rainwear, but that hasn't stopped them for becoming one of my favorite hard shell pants for all-around use. I wanted a lightweight (more)

Falling Headfirst Down an Ice Cliff

Falling Headfirst Down an Ice Cliff

Blame it on Chamonix—exposure to the big mountains of the French Alps made a big impression on me. I bought a Charlet-Moser axe and crampons, intending to incorporate the (more)

North Face NSE Tent Bootie???

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Really the big disadvantage with these is all the taunting you'll have to endure from your friends. If you can take it, however, the North Face's 700-fill down NSE Tent Bootie (more)

Down Bags: GoreTex vs. Microfiber

Down Bags: GoreTex vs. Microfiber

I got an email the other day from a Sierra mountaineer who was wondering what the pros and cons were of getting a down sleeping bag with a GoreTex Shell versus microfiber. (more)

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About SierraDescents

When there is snow, SierraDescents is Andy Lewicky's California backcountry skiing and mountaineering website. Without snow, sierradescents becomes an ill-tempered hiking and climbing blog.

Pray for snow.