The North Face Bryce Mid Hiking Boot
February 15, 2008
First let’s get one thing straight. Hiking, to me, means going into the backcountry, where trails are rough, mountains are steep, rocks are sharp, gravel is loose, and water is cold and, er, wet. The backcountry is also big, which means I don’t want to carry lots of heavy stuff. So I was excited about these boots, which seemed tough, supportive, and really really light.
Huge let down. Why? Because they don’t FEEL tough, supportive and…well, they feel light, but that’s about it. They feel like a run of the mill sneaker that happen to go up to my ankles. I have had these for a while but haven’t reviewed them because basically I stopped wearing them. They didn’t feel right in any situation, especially not for hiking. I think the last time I wore them was on a stroll down a bike path, and I still couldn’t come up with anything to say about them that couldn’t be summed up in one word: “meh”. I just don’t like them. Plain, blunt, and not very detailed, but true. If I were to classify this boot, it would be as an entry-level walking boot, most at home on the feet of tourists who like dressing up in the TNF gear they bought special for their Alaska cruise, but don’t ever wear anywhere besides the paved streets lined with tchotchke shops and “homemade fudge!” vendors.
Scarpa ZG 40 GTX Boots
February 12, 2008
Sheesh, I hope I got the name right on these things. Whatever happened to one-word names? What’s with all these letters and numbers? What do they mean? Don’t look here for answers, I’ve no idea. But I do have an idea of how these boots perform, if you’ll just step this way, please.
It took me a long, long time to get these boots reviewed. Why? Because it took a long, long time to get these boots broken in. I struggled all last summer with these boots. I wanted them to be great, so I put up with months of blisters, hours of are-they-too-tight-or-are-they-too-loose contemplation, countless lace configurations, and several changes of insole, all because the superior construction, incredibly tough (practically unmarkable) sole, and supportive yet light upper made me really, really, really want to wear these boots. For weeks I was unable to wear them while I waited for the blisters to heal. I had all but given up when one day, I put them back on, headed down the hiking trail and realized, “Wait! These boots feel pretty good today! Can it be that they have finally, simply, broken in???”
And that seems to be the answer. Ever since then, I haven’t had any fit problems with the boots. What? It only took a full calendar year. What’s the problem?
The thing is, there really isn’t any problem. The dang things still look brand new. The soles don’t have a mark on them despite all the abuse I’ve put them through. They are completely waterproof, tough, light, and functional. The sole has that great Scarpa grip and even though they take crampons, the superior edging performance of these boots makes crampons necessary for only those boilerplate climbs. They are marketed as a three-season boot, but I can’t really figure out which three seasons they mean. They’re warm and waterproof in the winter, shrug off the spring and fall mud and slush, and are great for summer backpacking; so I guess if you only want to wear them during three seasons, just pick your seasons. Or live here in Alaska, when you really only have three seasons anyway: winter, more winter, and 24-hour daylight.
The only problem I have with these boots is that it’s hard to find gaiters that work with them due to that funky leather loop for the laces, down near the toe box. It’s hard to explain but there’s no real way to connect the front hook of gaiters onto the lowest part of the laces. If you try it, you’ll see what I mean. And if anyone can describe this better than I can, please, feel free.
The sublime ankle support means you can really load up the ol’ backpack if you can’t bear to camp without the finer things in life; but as always I recommend going fast and light and making your boyfriend carry the heavy stuff, like the magnum of cabernet, your copy of the complete works of Jane Austen, and all the water for the trip. Don’t look at me like that; men like to carry heavy things, it makes them feel manly and needed, and it will make your trip a lot more fun and your joints a lot happier. And your manly, needed boyfriend will be happier, too, so everybody wins.
Anyhow, I seriously cannot get over how tough these boots are. I guess that’s the trade off; a full year of break-in agony for boots that last and last. They can dish it out AND take it. So suffer through the getting-to-know-you period, it’s worth it.
Volkl Queen Attiva Ski
February 6, 2008
Note: the ski I tested, pictured above, is the 05/06 version of this ski.
As some of you may know (oh, who am I kidding, you don’t know, so I’ll tell you), I had knee surgery this year. Getting back to skiing has been a little rough. I wasn’t even particularly enjoying skiing this year. I was able to ski the groomers just fine but let’s face it, groomers are boring as hell. I was resigned to a ho-hum season when I got the chance to try these babies.
Immediately I was transformed from the shadow of my former schussing self into a happy ski sprite, zooming down the slopes on these versatile, powerful, FAST skis from Volkl. These are marketed as more of a powder ski, and let me tell you, they do deliver in the pow pow. They have that fun diving-porpoise movement and they sing through the powder like angels on high. That’s one of my more nonsensical metaphors, but I’m so transported by these skis that I can’t make sense anymore.
One of the most pleasant surprises of these light (5-ish lbs) planks is that they still cut through the chop like butter. They’re flexible and light but the tips are somehow firm enough to hold their ground against the death cookies (been a while since you heard that term, eh? Hey, I never said I was a spring chicken). The only conditions that gave me trouble were hardpack/near-ice. The Queens are a little too flexible to grip the ice well, but who cares, who wants to ski on ice anyway? Surprisingly nimble for being fatties, the Queens are even enjoyable in the bumps and are versatile enough to hold any type of turn on the (ick) groomers. They are incredible in the powder but truly are an all-mountain ski. Added bonus – they’re nice and light, perfect for climbing.
Extra big points to Volkl for making a women’s ski with such cool graphics, too. A women’s ski that’s black, red and gold – now that is awesome. Volkl’s going to have a hard time shaking me off their bandwagon now, and everyone’s a winner.
