Ostrander Ski Hut

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Too many campers struggle into the Hut with packs weighing 50 and even 70 pounds for a 3 day trip. They are usually not singing their favorite Von Trapp family tunes upon arrival. Unless you're carrying several bottles of wine (and remember campers, good wine weighs the same as bad wine...), your pack for a 3 day Hut trip can (should!) easily be under 40 pounds.

I've been a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service for 30 years and spend about 6-8 months of the year entirely in the backcountry--on foot and skis. Your tax dollars at work... (and I truly appreciate it!). In winter, I rotate with Howard Weamer at Ostrander Ski Hut as the ranger/caretaker and have been doing that for 18 years. It's rare that I carry more than a 35 lb. pack for overnight trips. So I've drawn up a list of the junk I carry as a
guide for Hut users and winter skiers. Contain your excitement.

Full Disclosure: I name brands here. I don't recommend anything here that I don't actually use and like but similar items almost always exist made by someone else--usually just as good and often cheaper. Look for sales and weird colors (for an example of weird colors, take a look at HW's bargain bin specials sometime...).

This stuff is worn/used in the Sierra in California mostly above 10,000 ft. Temperatures are between 10 F to the upper 80s. Snow and rain, midnight strolls, grim slogs. Winter use is for both multi-day backcountry trips and work at Ostrander. Sierra winter days at 8,500 feet (location of Ostrander Hut) are usually between 25 F to 80 (really!). Nights rarely get below 10 F, and probably average around 20 at that elevation. However, with wind chill, I've skied in -60F for as long as 8 hours and THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR!

If you remember nothing else, make sure you at least have these things:

*A good headlamp.
*Climbing skins.
*A large, heavy-duty plastic bag inside your pack to protect your gear and sleeping bag (!) from rain & snow (and to use as ground cloth/bivvy in emergencies).

Obviously, this is just to give you an idea (individual mileage may vary). My criteria are light-weight, multi-purpose & quick drying. The basic Hut pack below (items marked with a (*)) weighs in at 24 lbs. (I didn't weigh what I'd be wearing.)

Clothing (sort of like dressing a Ken doll--here's what I wear on the trail):

Black Diamond T3's: After years on Merrill leather boots, I got these after Merrill stopped making the boot I used. The control of plastic boot is far superior to leather, but they take some getting used to and a significant number of people (perhaps 15%) have serious blister problems. I'm one of the ones who seems to be getting blisters from them... .On the bright side, they're completely waterproof and should last forever. Never seen a pair fall apart (e.g. sole rip away or toes rip out of a 3 pin).

2/2001: I continue my uneasy relationship with T-3s. Skied in on them last month and they destroyed my feet, so switched back to leather. Then, after a short break, I began wearing them for just day skis around the hut. That's been working fine. On the other hand, a long-time Ostrander-ite came in the other day grinning 'cause it was the first time he'd made it without blisters! He'd bought T-3's to replace his Asolo's. Go figure. I'm also unhappy when I put my leather boots back on to ski out of the hut. The loss of control is noticible after a week on plastic. Sigh.... .

So, I'd strongly recommend you try a rental pair on a trip before buying them--make sure they're the boot for you.

4/2002 The quest for a fit continues: heading off to Marmot Berkeley to have new inner boots heat formed to my feet. See if that solves the blister problem. $150, but worth it if it works. Watch this space.

9/2003 Oh man, still no luck. HW also had the custom inner boots made at Marmot and loves them. I, alas, can't get nothin' to fit. Blister city.

3/2/04 I never give up -- never! My man Lee at Black Diamond sez the NEW AND IMPROVED Scarpa inner boots are not causing problems. They just arrived. Around the house, they're great. The secret may be just not to ski in them... .

About to toast them for the Thermal fit. I will keep all our many fans updated on progress. Also, here's a cool movie on how to thermal fit liners in your own oven from TelemarkTips.com.

10/05 OK. The new liners are definitely an improvement, but I'm not there yet. I continue to travel hopefully... .

Thorlo Trekking socks. Pretty nice, reinforced heel & toe. I wear them under:

Neoprene socks. These are great. Waterproof, they hold moisture inside so the inside of your boot doesn't get wet (important when snow camping--they're not frozen in the morning). Also great insulation and I've never gotten a blister using them. Not as critical if you use plastic boots.

Patagonia Baggies Shorts: They dry quickly and are very comfortable. I wear them over:

Patagonia Capilene long underwear (bottoms). I'd go with the "Expedition Weight" no matter what the conditions.

(*) Marmot Alpinist Lightweight Jacket I've got lighter jackets, but use this in winter. Not all that light, but really solid and warm. If you've got the money, get one of the shell jackets with "Pit Zips" (Patagonia, North Face, REI & Marmot all have them). Good for ventilation in drizzly weather while hiking/skiing. I've skied out in a number of really wet storms and am pretty happy with this. Also:

(*) Patagonia Super Pluma Rain Pants Really great. Fairly light. Came out in a drenching rain/snow last winter and stayed reasonably dry. Full side zip and a rubberized band along the back of the waist to keep them up.

Patagonia Capilene long underwear shirt-- expedition weight shirt. Again, dries quick & is light. (cotton T-shirts get soaking from sweat and never dry out...).

Patagonia Capilene Silkweight T-shirt These are really nice. Light, ventilate well & dry easily. Don't wear a cotton t-shirt!

(*) Patagonia Synchilla Jacket. A great & indispensable invention. Everyone makes one. They're all pretty much alike, but make sure it doesn't have cotton or long elastic cuffs or collar (doesn't dry quickly...).

(*) Mont Bell fleece vest. Mont Bell stopped distributing in the US, but there's a lot of fleece vests out there.

(*) Mont Bell Gore-tex Overmitts. These are bomb-proof, heavy duty & really expensive. Most people probably don't need them unless you ski a lot or are in really cold weather... . Well designed. Overmitts are necessary, though.You can find a lot cheaper gore-tex brands. And:

(*) light Capilene gloves and Black Diamond's Guide Glove. (yes, 2 pair of insulating gloves plus 1 pair waterproof shell overmitts). You can't have too many gloves.

(*) Wool Hat-a pile Balaclava is best. I also carry a silkweight balaclava from Patagonia.

Baseball cap

Ski Optiks "Everest" Glacier Sunglasses. Don't break easily, side shields. Darkest lens they make. Another company that went belly-up.

Finally, in a separate & sealed plastic bag: (*) Capilene long underwear (top & bottoms--separate from what I wear on the trail) and socks. Only put on at night so I always have something dry.

Yeah, a lot of Patagonia stuff, but they've been really nice to us underpaid public servants. Like I said, check around.

Oh, and Patagonia Capilene Briefs are pretty good--dry out quickly.

HARDWARE

(*) Wild Things Ice Sack In my continued quest to shave pounds & ounces, I've had it for a few years now. Weighs in at only 2 lbs. 14 oz. The heaviest item you're carrying is probably your pack, empty. The Ice Sack is great. Wild Things recommends carrying no more than 30 lbs. in it, but it'll do fine with 35 or so. Well constructed, it's got two slots on the back that'll fit skis. Instead of fiberglass stays for pack structure, it uses a foam pad insert which you can pull out and use during lunch or an emergency bivvy, saving the weight of carrying another one.

4/02 I've now had this pack for 2 years and have carried it both summer and winter. I highly recommend it. As comfortable as any pack I've owned (though only carrying less than 35 lbs.). Light enough to use as a day pack from base camp. There are now a lot of very light packs on the market, but I think this is the most rugged (i.e. able to last a long time).

Still using it as of 10/2005. It's holding up great.

New 2/04: Black Diamond Mira. Although I bought these last year, I hadn't gotten a chance to try them at the Hut until this year. This is a truly excellent ski. Effortless turning in powder and wet glop (well, not quite effortless in the latter...). Howard was so inspired he just bought a pair also. I use the Mira at 175 cm (I'm 6'2"). Fast turns. (Howard uses the Kahru Bardini and is real happy with them).

Howard and I are also now commuting in on the Fischer Rebound waxless ski. This is an excellent compromise between a full performance backcountry ski and a trail ski. Turns very good; grips well under most Sierra conditions, though not well in ice.

Ascension Climbing Skins carried by Black Diamond. These are short length and buckle to the ski just ahead of the binding. They've got a metal curved plate at the front to reduce friction; the rest of the skin glues to the ski, going to maybe 15" behind the foot. Unlike full length skins, you can actually turn with these (though not very fast). They don't climb as well as full length in powder, but are almost as good in wet or spring snow. Skins are a really important item to have. Very few people regret carrying them.

(*) Black Diamond Mountaineering Shovel I may be wrong, but I've heard the plastic shovels don't work well in avalanche snow.

Black Diamond Adjustable Probe Poles with Self Arrest Grip, though you likely won't need the self-arrest grip at Ostrander in most conditions.

Black Diamond Supergaitors The type with the rubber rand around the boot. These things are really warm. When worn with neoprene socks inside the boot, I never get the inside of the boot wet.

(*) Marmot Pinnacle Sleeping Bag. An excellent 3 season bag--good to around 15 F (The Hut never gets below the mid-30s at night). Down, it's one of the lightest bags around (under 3 lbs.). I also use a Marmot Gopher Gore-tex bag for mid-winter snow camping trips. A little heavier, but not much. Also a great bag.

(*) Therma-rest Lite sleeping pad. Pretty comfortable and excellent in snow. Also, since it's carried outside the pack, it doesn't absorb water when it rains like some of the foam ones (or if your tent leaks, it stays dry).

(*) MSR Multi-fuel stove (X-GK). Had it 25 years. Works great, easily maintained in the field but sounds like an F-4 on take-off. If you find yourself melting snow for water, this is the stove to use... . I think for the Hut, though, your could try MSR's much lighter Pocket Rocket stove which uses a pressurized fuel cannister.

2005: This year I tried the MSR Simmer Light. It was quiet, which was nice, but clogged up on me several times. I was able to fix it each time by just tearing it down and either using a needle in the jet or pulling the flex tube in and out a couple of times. It's got a 'shaker needle' in there, but that didn't seem to work once it was clogged. Kind of a drag during dinner, so I went back to my hugely trusty MSR X-GK. 25 years on the same stove now with nary a problem.

North Face West Wind tent. A truly fine, light, 4 season tent. I once found one that had been buried all winter under 20 feet of snow. It was still standing. (Still not as good as the 4 season Early Winters Omnipotent--but that's no longer made, alas). If you're inexperienced, you probably ought to have one tent among your party when coming into the Hut. At the very least, everyone ought to have some sort of light bivvy sack. I've got one from (*) Mont Bell that weighs only 8 oz.

(*) The eternal quest for the perfect headlamp continues. Last year I bought a Black Diamond Solaris. It is hugely expensive but I'm very happy with it. Lots of gizmo settings, works in both LED and Xenon; rechargeable Lithium-ion battery or will work on 4 AAA. A lot of light and so especially good in winter. Probably overkill for most people, but check out their selection:
http://www.bdel.com/gear/lightware_overview.php

Before the Black Diamond, I was using a Petzl Headlamp (10oz)--the 4 AA battery one with 2 beams: one halogen and one regular. My personal jihad has been to find the perfect headlamp. I spend a fair amount of time skiing & hiking at night (looking for unhappy campers). I've gone through about a half dozen and this is the best I've found, (though check out both Petzl and Black Diamond's new halogen/LED combos).

Good light, good battery life. Use the AA adapter, not the special battery that comes with it (too expensive). Carry 4 extra batteries. Also be aware that in really cold weather (below 20F or so), NiCad batteries go out on you pretty fast. The Lithium ones do better in cold but are more expensive... . With NiCad, try to keep battery pack under your hood or hat. Petzl also make a 3 AA Battery headlamp that's good and is cheaper.

Oh, get a life... (only part of the collection). Click to enlarge for names.

For good basic light, check out the Black Diamond Moonlight. Super light weight (3 3/4 oz)--4 LED lights running on 3 AAA batteries. Supposed to go 70 hours. Fairly good light, though I'd be a little hesitant to need it in severe snow conditions. Still an excellent summer headlamp and probably OK in winter as long as someone in your party has something more solid.

1 Qt. Stainless Steel cook pot & a separate tea pot. Nice to have one just for water, though you can get away with just one pot to save a few ounces.

One of those double insulated plastic cups. Also a small cheap plastic cup for food.

Lexan spoon.

Toilet paper, tooth brush, small tooth paste (it's amazing the number of groups where each person carries the largest toothpaste tube made).

Small "Pack Towel"--light synthetic wash cloth size towel. 600 mg size Ibuprofen (required for anyone over 40). SPF 40 sun screen. A lot of people carry huge beach towels. A lot of people also have 60 lb. + packs.... .

Tiny sponge for cleaning pot & very small bit of biodegradable soap--used AT LEAST 100 feet from water! But you know that... .

Water Filter I don't carry one, but we strongly recommend one per party for the Hut. No one's ever gotten sick there that we know of, but the water comes direct from the lake and is untreated. We don't have enough fuel for people to boil it to purify it!

(*) 1 liter wide mouth water bottle, carried in pouch on pack waist belt. Choose wide mouth so you can usually get it open in freezing conditions & get water out. Narrow bottles freeze & plug up. A lot of people are using the camel-back thingys which seem to work OK, though below around 25F the tubes freeze up pretty easily.

First Aid kit. If I'm on duty, it's semi-extensive. But if it's just me: latex gloves, kling (gauze wrap), triangular bandage, athletic tape, betadine.

FOOD:
I never use freeze dried. A lot of Mac & Cheese w/occasional tuna thrown in. Rice. Potato soup (made from instant potatoes). Cheese & crackers. Candy bars. One of the rangers used to bring a hand coffee grinder for fresh ground coffee in the morning, but she was still young & gnarly.

OK. That's it. Pretty exciting, huh? and maybe more than you ever want to know, but I'm pretty happy with it now (lots of tweaking over the years). Of course, there's a ton of stuff that a person "might need" or would be nice to have, but if it's not here I can (have) always gotten along without it.

Helpful Hints: put the sleeping bag inside a heavy duty garbage bag in your pack (or outside on some packs). Put clothes & gear inside a 2nd bag inside your pack (but keep the stove & fuel outside the plastic bag--or even on the outside of the pack). Note that I carry extra insulating hats & gloves (inside yet another plastic bag, as well as a full dry set of long underwear & socks). In winter or a soaking rain, you ALWAYS want a dry pair of gloves or hat stashed away somewhere.

My pack ends up around 35-40 lbs. for a week trip (actually, it's got more NPS required stuff, but that's the basic pack); my wife's is 25-30 (Editor's Note: Paige points out hers is much, much closer to 50 lbs.--at least -- at the beginning of a trip...).

Another Note (9/2004): a lot of people are reading Ray Jardine's recommendations on super lightweight gear. Be really careful about adopting his stuff for winter. I think it's just a little too lightweight for potential conditions (even in summer...) and depends on good conditions and, especially, experience.