[pct-l] Alpenstocks and Self-Arrest Poles

[Reinhold Metzger]

Yes Switchback,
The UAL Potty Trowel would be very useful to dig your own grave after 
crashing into the rocks below.
Now, if you also carry a broom like AsABat did, hikers could use it to 
sweep the snow of your Headstone so other hikers could read the 
following inscription:

R  I  P......Switchback
Here rests a brave but foolish hiker who foolishly substituted a UAL 
Potty Trowel for the ice ax.

Or, if somehow you survive the crash with major injuries, and you have 
that magic touch, you might be able to fly out on that broom to the 
nearest hospital.

You might be well advised to upgrade your life insurance  policy before 
embarking on such a venture.
Oooohhh yes,.......be sure you name your buddy JMT Reinhold as one of 
the beneficiaries.

JMT Reinhold
Your friendly life insurance underwriter
-------------------------------------------

hiker97 at aol.com wrote:
> I wonder if the super light ULA Potty Trowel would work okay.  That is 
> a neat piece of gear.  I would like to get a gear report on it.
>  
> The Switch Back
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Adams <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>
> To: Denis Stanton <denisstanton at mac.com>
> Cc: PCT List List <pct-l at backcountry.net>; Deems 
> <losthiker at sisqtel.net>; Hiker97 <hiker97 at aol.com>; joseph kisner 
> <lostonthecrest at hotmail.com>; scott williamson <duckface99 at gmail.com>; 
> Reinhold Metzger <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>; MONTE DODGE 
> <montedodge at msn.com>
> Sent: Thu, Nov 19, 2009 8:18 pm
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Alpenstocks and Self-Arrest Poles
>
> A few years back I found a nice icy slope with safe run out up in the San 
> Gorgonio Wilderness.  I practiced with and without a pack, on my back, head 
> first, head first on my back, and every other thing I could think of.  I was 
> pretty banged up after a bunch of these, and not without a little road rash.  No 
> wood stick, aluminum pole, or other straight devise would have stopped me.  But 
> getting rolled, turned or whatever and planting that axe brought me to an 
> immediate screeching halt of a self arrest, and I also noted a few times that 
> the leash kept the axe with me a couple times where I think perhaps it might 
> well have been ripped out of my hands.  At another time I glissaded down Cinder 
> cone in Lassen Park using one of my hiking poles.  This had a safe run out, and 
> not so icy or steep, but I understood at this time that the pole would be used 
> for directional trajectory and would not suffice to stop me should speeds get 
> into the red.  Anyway, my experience suggests just carry a light weight axe.  
> And don't boot ski or glissade if you have hundreds of miles and most of the 
> summer left to hike.  Not good to hurt your back or twist an ankle.       
> On Nov 19, 2009, at 6:58 PM, Denis Stanton wrote:
>
> > The words "stout stick" are important here.  I can report from experience 
> acquired while descending the north side of Forester in 2008 in an 
> out-of-control glissade that planting a lightweight hike pole firmly into the 
> snow between my knees had no effect at all on my speed of descent.  The lower 
> third of the pole simply vanished and I continued downhill at the same speed as 
> before clutching the shortened pole.
> > Fortunately he large rocks further down the slope were much more effective at 
> slowing me down.
> > 
> > Denis Stanton
> > 
> > On 20/11/2009, at 3:39 PM, ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com <mailto:ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com> wrote:
> > 
> >> I'm not quite sure what AsABat was using, but he said it was an Alpenstaff, 
> >> which was a stout stick with an iron point at the end. If you have nothing 
> >> else, to jamb the point into the snow/ice to affect a self-arrest is the 
> >> right thing to do, but because of the leverage on the shaft while doing so, 
> >> the stick is likely to break.
> > 
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