A short prep hike - aint it great to be alive :)

Today, a quick hike up to St. Mary's Glacier with Jason and Samir!

Aside from being super windy, it was a great day! Good times, a chance to get in a hike (I'll obviously be getting my fitness/"trail legs" ON the trail), and a break from preparation, but also a chance to test a couple of things:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 digital camera: Likin' it! Compact, lightweight, supposedly waterproof/rugged, and it takes some decent pics too! Sure do miss the optical viewfinders that are disappearing from the compacts these days which would save battery life and be easier to frame a shot in bright conditions. I'd give up an ounce and some size for one, but I'll deal :D The pics definitely look pretty digital (to me), but I'm really impressed with the image stabilization - it was windy as hell and the camera was NOT steady when taking these shots.
CAMP Corsa ice axe: Super lightweight and it'll work for sure. I'll be glad to have it in the Sierra no doubt. Need to come up with a leash for it though.
Kahtoola MICROspikes traction devices: Unsure of if these would work well enough to warrant packing the extra weight in the Sierra, I'm pretty sure they're now coming with. Along with the ice axe I'll be able to hike with more confidence in a greater range of snow/ice conditions and make progress instead of having to wait to traverse passes until later in the day when the sun has a chance to soften things up.

Oh! And fun time practicing glissading down a steep pitch - fun stuff!! :)

Ok... back to preparing.. maildrop schedule coming soon, I swear ;P