Rich Peet wrote:
> I have been away from home lately and when I return next week I will
> post some for you if no one else has by then. I will again be
> attempting to record continous booms within the month as well and
> will also post that if no one else already has.
>
> Of course I have hours of the sounds of crunching snow from walking
> as that has made it to the "junk" I try to avoid and never can
> completely.
Yes, the sounds of crunching snow underfoot are often just the junk you
don't want. Just like the crunch of the soil here is.
But snow makes all kinds of other sounds. From blowing snow moaning to
the crunch of glaciers. And all the various thermal creakings and
adjustments. And the quieter sounds of snow falling, initially, and off
things.
In the midwest there is less variety. Mountaineering out west,
especially winter mountaineering exposes you to all sorts of new sounds.
Some you don't want to hear, like the small sounds before a section of
snow gives away to avalanche, or the avalanche itself. Unless you are
not in the path, then it can be neat. Even just being up above things on
a peak you get a different sound perspective of the sounds down below.
We often climbed in the winter, it was a different challenge from summer
climbing. I liked it better, summer mountaineering in the snow is a wet
business, you can stay drier and warmer when it's colder. And it
certainly thins out the tourists. Except for the ski resorts. And many
western mountains are giant rubble piles, freezing stabilizes them,
makes progress easier.
> Snow shoes have gotten much more popular in recent years and people
> that are into running actually run with them. This sounds kind of
> neat as well. I prefer back country skiing over snow shoes as that
> is much faster and less of an effort, imho. Now if I can save up for
> the rental dog sled teams for a weekend I will be real happy. That
> is growing very fast as an adventure sport in the northern MN
> wilderness area where no snowmobiles are allowed (BWCA).
I've still got my ski's, not much use in Georgia, we have only had
enough snow to use them a couple times since I got here. And all the
collection of waxes. We gave our good rawhide snowshoes away when we
moved down. I bet not many using those anymore, all synthetic now.
They would not be running for long in the places we used to go. Not at
all flat and plenty to snag people moving fast. For uphill, snowshoes
are a little easier than skiing. Kind of hard to decide which for thick
woods. Probably snowshoes as they were less likely to thread themselves
into branches and trip you. Though they were wider for slipping between
things.
If you get the impression we did not stick to trails, you are right.
Mostly cross country in untracked areas. And way before it was popular.
Typically the only people we would see would be in our party, and the
only people tracks, ours.
I'd love to try the dog sleds.
Walt
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