No doubt if you have been around El Presidente for long enough he will tell you the story about skiing on the Kahiltna Glacier with a sled, and how I foolishly cut it loose. Well one of our Fossils - John Deaton - just did a ski trip to Crater Lake in Oregon, and asked for information about hauling loads with a sled. Enclosed is his trip report:
"I fashioned a sled from Ewing’s description and sent him a photo for a quality control check. It passed, and the sled worked fantastic. I made a couple of modifications. Yates makes a 2.5- to 3-foot sheathed shock chord with a biner on each end…tree toppers use it to attach to their chain saws to their belts. The sled felt like a fish on a fishing rod when pulling. Also, I attached a piece of webbing to the sled with a knot in it. When the sled was being pulled, the knot did not contact the snow; on downhills the tow line would go slack, allowing the knot to slide underneath the sled to slow it down…sweet. I could tele the moderate hills and the sled followed nicely. On steep hills I added a knot. Attached is a photo. The ski trip was awesome…fantastic scenery, easy terrain, great weather, and fires on the lake rim at night. One of the party is a woodsman type and we had elk steak, couscous, and salad the first night out. We should do this…it is the best kept secret in Oregon."
You may click here and access a link to an extensive article on the Wild Snow website about rigging a sledge.
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