Field Test Report - Slog Series Trekking Socks
For the past month I’ve been testing the new TCK Slog Series Trekker. Its boasts a velvety virgin wool with a higher thread count and greater elasticity than socks I’ve worn in the past. It has a double welt top, arch support and reinforced heel and toe. For those prone to blisters (which I am not) the Trekker claims to have a finer fiber which makes it less likely to cause a blister.

I’ve worn this sock up Utah’s Mount Timpanogos, Yosemite’s Half Dome, and down to Havasupai in the Grand Canyon. That’s a some tough terrain, long days, and varied weather conditions. In each case the sock was a champ. My favorite feature was the added elasticity which provided a firm fit against my foot, no bulging, an no sagging. A real winner.

Mt. McKinley Climbing Statistics
All in all, 2006 was a good year on Mt. McKinley. No fatalities. With at total of 1,151 climbers on the mountain, 583 summited, for a summit success rate of 51%. That's been the typcial succes rate over the past 10 years.

The real challenge is Mt. Foraker, at 17,400 ft. Twenty eight climbers were on the mountain. No one summited.

Werner Berger in Pursuit of Seven Summits
Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Werner Berger, a world-class mountaineer in pursuit of the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents. There are only about 200 people on earth who have accomplished that feat. If all goes according to plan, Werner expects to be the oldest person to conquer the Seven Summits. Quite a distinction for a man close to 70 years old.

He's an energetic individual, full of insights, wisdom, and ambition. You can listen to a podcast of our chat at www.theadventure100.com

Commandments of Mountaineering
The Classic Commandments of Mountaineering are courtesy of Gerry Roach. Gerry is a world-class mountaineer and in 1985 became the 2nd person to climb the Seven Summits. He’s the author of Colorado's Fourteeners: from Hikes to Climbs, in my opinion, the essential guide to climbing in Colorado.
1. Never get separated from your lunch.
2. Never get separated from your sleeping bag.
3. Never get separated from your primal urges.
4. Carefully consider where your primal urges are leading you.
5. Expect to go the wrong way at least some of the time.
6. Recognize that first aid above 26,000 feet consists of getting below 26,000 feet
7. Never step on the rope.
8. Never bivouac.
9. Remember that Surfer Girl is not in the mountains.
10. Never pass up a chance to pee.
11. Don’t eat yellow snow.
12. Have fun and don’t forget why you started.

Hiking Yosemite's Half Dome
The seventeen-mile roundtrip trip hike to the top of Half Dome is an iconic Yosemite experience. It's a beautiful hike on a well-crafted trail, concluding with a 450-foot cable-assisted ascent up the 45-degree granite backside of Half Dome.

Up to 500-people a day make the climb in the peak of summer. I climbed it from the valley floor the day after Labor Day (Sept. 5, 2006) and found only 4 people at the top when I arrived. We had perfect weather and none of the crowds of mid-summer.