Activity for Charlie Brumbaughâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Are there fish in lakes with a lots of glacial flour? Often times in high alpine lakes you will see lakes like this, where the color comes from the rock/glacial flour suspended in the water. The lakes and sometimes even streams are very pretty, but if one wanted to fish there, would there be any fish or would the amount of rock flour in the water p... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What animal could strip all the bark off the lower 7 feet of this tree? The culprits probably looked something like this. Bears would leave vertical scratch marks, and porcupines eat the outer bark as well, and the height rules out deer so that really leaves just the squirrels. The time of year also plays a part as bear damage typically happens during the spring whi... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Which types of animals would peel bark off this tree? That was definitely a beaver. Nothing else has quite the chewing power of a beaver, for example accoring to Wikipedia, these trees were cut by beavers in a single night. Based on the color of those chips, I would say that you were there less than a week if not sooner from when the beaver was chew... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What type of weather conditions would lead to being above the clouds while mountaineering? Its always been cool to be climbing a mountain and look down, and realize that you are high enough that there are clouds below you. Here are some pictures from Wikipedia of what this looks like. I would think that the weather would have a great deal to do with when this happens, what are good ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What are differences between higher and lower shoes other than ankle support? There are going to be two main differences that I can think of. The first is that higher shoes are going to weigh more, simply because there is more shoe. The second is that that you are going to be much clunkier/less graceful in higher shoes/boots than in lower. Partly because of the weight and pa... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How do you correct Google Earth's incorrect slope percentage? The reason that this happens is that instead of calculating the slope correctly as Rise over Run, Google Earth calculates it as Rise over Hypotenuse. So if you had your standard 3x4x5 right triangle, The correct steepness would be 3/4 (75%) while Google Earth would show it as 3/5 (60%). To solv... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you correct Google Earth's incorrect slope percentage? I often use Google earth to plan trips. One part of that is marking paths and seeing how steep they are. However Google Earth severely underestimated the steepness of slopes. For instance here is a line drawn up the Glacier Point Apron in Yosemite Valley that Google Earth estimates at a maximum st... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What mountain is used in the MacOS Sierra desktop background? I have been curious as to which mountain is in this picture. I have tried a reverse Google image search but all I have found is pictures of computers. Presumably it is somewhere in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What is this mountain seen from above the Banks Lake region of Washington State? I am going to say that that is Mt. Baker. Here is a zoomed in version of the above picture. Here is a Google Earth image of Mt Baker from the south east. Looking at these pictures, there are two things that stand out as very similar to me. The diamond shaped ridge to the left of the summit and... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What affects the acclimatization process? Bringing gear up when climbing high won't really affect the rate. There is a possibility that a higher pressure system could increase the amount of oxygen, but true acclimatization takes long enough that it probably won't matter. According to the Altitude Research Center Women are more suscepti... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What should one look for in a bivy sack? After a rather unpleasant experience with my current bivy sack, I am looking to replace it. I know that I want one that will hold up in rain, but what else should I look for? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What are these numbers on the back of a pocket transit for? I have a pocket transit and on the back are a bunch of numbers. They can be seen in these images here, here, and here. What are these numbers used for? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you remove a fishhook from a human? If one is out fishing and someone gets a fishhook stuck in them, what are the different techniques for removing it? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How should you treat an open wound in the backcountry? If someone were to get an open wound in the back country, say a knife slipped while cooking dinner and sliced the person, how would you treat that? We already have one question about using whiskey, however I would like to know the correct treatment assuming you have a up to date first aid kit. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What features should I look for in a satellite emergency device? I am thinking of buying a satellite check in device. I often go alone, and would like to upgrade from the system of of always letting someone know where I am going and when to expect me back. The problem with that system is that on a multi-day trip, it may be days before someone comes looking for yo... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Is whiskey a good disinfectant? This was done on the American Frontier, and during the American Civil War. According to this journal from the American Medical Association printed in 1893, it is a good antiseptic. Apparently, alcohol works by breaking down the protein bonds. It looks like this question has been asked by many other ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How can I perfect my backyard ice rink? It looks like to build a homemade Zamboni, you need some type of powered transport like a four-wheeler, riding lawnmower or a kid on a tricycle. Then you need a supply of hot water and something to spread it out behind the vehicle. The plans that I have seen usually have a water tank that has a hose ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: When hiking, why is the right of way given to people going up? It is much easier going down than going up, and it is easier for the people descending to stop than the ones going up. The people going up will be working much harder, and be more irritated by having to wait for someone. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Tips for leading project climbs What I would suggest is that you practice leading routes that you have done without leading many times. As you have found out, taking the sharp end of the rope adds an extra amount of difficulty, both mentally and physically. I would do the route over and over again until you know all of the moves ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What are the correct techniques for rescuing someone who has fallen through the ice? If someone where to fall through the ice on a lake or a pond, what would be some correct ways of rescuing them? This question is inspired mostly by this video, where one person gets too close to the melted part and falls through and some one comes to attempt a rescue and falls in, and so on, until 1... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How much will the ceiling of a snow cave drop by during the night? Every time I have slept in a snow cave, I have woken up to a ceiling that was noticeably lower than when I went to sleep. Is there a good rule of thumb for estimating how much lower it will get? Apparently, its not just me that has noticed this phenomenon. There are stories from boy scouts who est... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How dangerous are kangaroos? After watching this video of a man punching a kangaroo to rescue his dog, I am wondering how dangerous a kangaroo is to a human on foot? I am sure that there are a lot of other things in Australia that are dangerous as well, but are kangaroos something that a person would need to worry about? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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Would a Canada Goose deliberately try to keep a section of water from freezing? I just passed the pond where the geese in this question are, and it turns out that while some of the geese are sleeping ontop of the ice, there is a section right there, about 20ft by 80 that is open and some are swimming around in it. For this particular pond it seems unlikely that there are hot s... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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When rappelling, should a screwgate locking carabiner be orientated up or down? For the locking caribiner that connects the person's harness to their rappel device/ropes, should the locking caribiner's gate be toward the top or bottom of the setup when using a screwgate type locking carabiner? For reference, this is what I mean by up or down. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How long does it take for trash to become a historical artifact (in the United States)? After 50 years, trash becomes protected as a historical artifact. It turns out that while you are not allowed to leave cans behind, you are also not allowed to "clean up" historic cans as they are an important part of the history of the area. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How long does it take for trash to become a historical artifact (in the United States)? How long does it take for trash like beer cans, old mattress springs, or glass bottles to go from trash and need to be packed out to being a historic artifact with archaeological significance? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Why would archery season be either before or after rifle season? In Wyoming, the archery season comes first to coincide with the rut, where the elk and deer are breeding. This makes it much easier for the archery hunters as it is possible to call the elk or deer in close enough to shoot, sometimes to within 10 yards. It is extremely difficult to get close enough... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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Why would a Canada Goose sleep on a frozen pond? I just passed one of the town parks, and there was a flock of Canada geese sleeping on the frozen lake. It seemed like that would be a rather cold place to sleep, is there a reason beyond the possibility of predators why they would do that? The lake is completely frozen, and the surface is hard with... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Why are there separate seasons for archery and firearm hunting for deer? I think the main reason for this is that the hunting styles are a lot different between the two. Archery hunters often don't wear orange and get very close to the their prey while gun hunters wear orange and are able to hunt at ranges of hundreds of yards. Combining those activities at the same time... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Correct and incorrect slip-slap-slide belay technique Here are the steps on the the clip and slide / slip-slap-slide method. First here is how you should hold the rope when you are not pulling in slack. To pull in rope, the left hand pulls the rope straight towards the person and the right pulls the brake strand towards it stopping when the left han... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What can I do about a rock climbing ban? I think that it is easier to keep access, than to get it back, so I will start with that. Always follow Leave No Trace and make certain that your activities do not create any eyesores. Volunteer to help pickup after other people and clean up the trash they leave. Protect the reputation of the climb... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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What are the pros and cons of using a red colored light source for hiking at night? I have heard the argument that red light is better because it helps preserve your night vision, however it is less bright than white light. Are there other pros and cons that I am missing or circumstances in which one would be highly preferred to the other? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you assess the weather when getting an alpine start? When getting an early alpine start (3-5 am or earlier) it will probably be before the sun comes up. Hopefully, the weather will be better in the morning (that is often the point of an alpine start), but the lack of sunlight can make it difficult to see the clouds. It usually possible to tell if ther... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you predict weather with an altimeter while mountaineering and or backpacking? I do know that if your elevation rises while staying in the same position, the pressure is decreasing and that it is a sign of bad weather incoming and a decrease in elevation means that the pressure is increasing. However, how often should an altimeter be calibrated to the known altitude from a top... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How do you calculate the turnaround and start times when summitting mountains? The first thing to know is what is the latest you want to be on the summit and aim to be off before then. Then you calculate the estimated time it will take to summit and return. The start time is the the lastest time minus half of the trip time. So if thunderstorms are know to hit the mountain sta... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you calculate the turnaround and start times when summitting mountains? In mountaineering, the turnaround time is the point in time at which the party will turn around and head down the mountain regardless of how close to the summit. This is typically done to make certain that everyone is down before afternoon storms roll in and put the party at risk. If I am preparing ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How do you safely ascend and descend the Half Dome cable route? First off, don't even think of attempting this if its raining or thunderstorms are nearby. Not only will water make the rock slick, but the prominence and the metal cables make people on the route prime targets for lighting strikes. You are going to want to wear grippy shoes because of the slick gra... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you safely ascend and descend the Half Dome cable route? The easiest way up Half Dome is the cable route (rated Class 3), which looks like this. As six people have died on this route since it was put in place, and it looks really steep and scary, how can I ascend it safely? (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How far above a waterfall should you be to safely cross? A lot of the fatal accidents in Yosemite National park come from people getting swept over waterfalls. Yes, the falls in Yosemite have fences and warning signs and yet people still ignore them. If you were in a wilderness area and crossing a stream/river with a waterfall downstream of the crossing a... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Why would people descend to sleep while acclimatizing? What they are doing is following the maxim "climb high, sleep low". Going too fast will cause altitude sickness. Humans have a lower respiration rate while sleeping, which is why they can be okay at higher altitudes while awake and yet need to descend to sleep. The accepted guideline is not to incr... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How do you deal with a picky eater on a backpacking trip? Obviously, the solution to this problem is to pack food that everyone enjoys eating. However, according to Murphy, this doesn't always happen. Also, sometimes the best tasting food is ruled out by weight/price/space constraints. So if you are on a backpacking trip with people who are complaining abo... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What's the difference between an oar and a paddle? According to Wikipedia, a paddle is held by the person and an oar is connected to the boat in some manner, such as a rowlock. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What is this gray bird that has black stripes on the side and around the head? That is a Chukar partridge. For more information I would suggest the wikipedia article. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: First skills to learn for mountaineering The very first skill I would learn is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Most of the turn arounds I have seen while mountaineering have been from people not willing to do so. It amazing what can be accomplished simply by keeping on keeping on. Beyond that it never hurts to be in better ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How to take care of an acrophobic person while hiking? I have never liked heights, but I have still done a lot of things because I wanted to get to the top more than I was afraid of heights. I think that the best thing to do is to let this friend decide on where he would like to go, and let his motivation decide how much risk (real or perceived) you tak... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Does feeding migratory birds in the fall affect the timing of migration? It takes a lot of energy for a bird to migrate, and comes with numerous risks, so if it is possible for it to stay where it is, not migrating can give it an evolutionary advantage. An example would be Canadian geese who live year round in Florida. I think that it depends a lot on the area and specie... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: What's the purpose of the huge amount of stone piles on the trails in Gran Canaria I don't think that there is really a better answer to why than ab2's comment that people are copying the existing ones. As for what to do about it, that looks like an awful lot of them, but if found in a small group in a wilderness area, well accidents do happen and gravity is a thing. (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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How to assess the likelihood of a tree falling in a forest? Sometimes while camping in forests, there will be dead trees around, or in forests where there was a fire, a high percentage of the trees will be dead. While it is not extremely likely that a tree will fall on you while sleeping, it has happened, with fatal results. If moving out of the forest is no... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: Does chambering a round multiple times degrade its accuracy? It turns out that repeatedly chambering a round should be avoided, not because of accuracy, but for safety reasons. When a bullet is repeatedly chambered, it can cause what is called set-back where the bullet is pushed further and further into the brass case. This can cause higher pressures than the ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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Does chambering a round multiple times degrade its accuracy? My standard procedure when hunting is to hunt with a round in the chamber, safety on and as soon as the day is over or while getting into a vehicle to remove the bullet from the chamber. This can happen a lot since it's not unusual to go several days without firing a shot, does chambering the round ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |