tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12867833559132874192024-03-08T06:19:24.000-08:00Greg and Jeremiah's Climbing ReviewsWe review stuff that climbers care about.GB (admin)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02409007231158970731noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286783355913287419.post-19352090652201373642009-12-11T08:50:00.000-08:002009-12-11T10:21:32.279-08:00Gregory Alpinisto Backpack<div><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><strong> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(photo from Gregory.com)</span></strong></span></span><span class="fullpost"><br />
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<div><span class="fullpost"><strong>Description:</strong></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4IGOGYYSmOc/SyEJcEltF4I/AAAAAAAAABw/fkPKVC5-85o/s1600-h/alpinisto_50_Arnica_Yellow.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4IGOGYYSmOc/SyEJcEltF4I/AAAAAAAAABw/fkPKVC5-85o/s320/alpinisto_50_Arnica_Yellow.jpe" /></a><span class="fullpost">The Alpinisto is a 50L pack specifically for climbing. It can be stripped down from it's starting weight of 4lbs. 11oz. to 3lbs. and 11oz. by taking off the waistbelt, framesheet, stay, and bivy pad. It also has a hydration sleeve and port, a crampon patch, tool holsters, a contoured top loader to accomodate a helmet while climbing, as well as gear loops on the side of the pack. Gregory also makes a 35L version that is about a pound lighter.</span><br />
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During the period described in this review, I used the pack five to six days per week cragging and guiding and twice per month on longer trips.<br />
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<span class="fullpost"><strong>Price: * *</strong></span><br />
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<div><span class="fullpost">At $229 retail, it's the most expensive climbing pack that I've seen in this size range. It does have some features that other climbing packs don't, however. If I would have had to pay retail then I would have probably waited until this pack went on sale or looked around for a different pack. But I was able to get it cheaper through a pro-deal, so I bought it that way instead.</span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Comfort:* * *</strong></span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">When I first purchased this pack I used it quite a bit for cragging and guiding, neither of which require extensive back country travel. Gregory gives this a comfort rating up to 35lbs. and I agree with this, although if one built a simple survival pack with webbing and tarp then one would find it isn't really uncomfortable with only 35lbs. in it. I used the Alpanisto as a crag pack for a summer, and by the end of the season I decided to do some scrambling on Pikes Peak for a weekend. I was probably carrying around 25lbs., and for the first three miles it wasn't too bad. But after a while I noticed a sore spot developing on my tailbone. The problem was the synthetic patch at the bottom of the back panel. I had to hold the pack away from my back to alleviate the pain the entire weekend as a result of this annoyance. </span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">I must have an odd shaped back because since I've taken the stay and framesheet out I haven't had the same problem. The synthetic patch at the bottom still rubs a little bit, which can cause a little soreness, but it is not as bad as it was that weeked on Pikes Peak.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Durability:* * * *</strong></span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">I beat the crap out of gear, and after owning the pack for a little over a year I finally had to send it to Gregory to fix the zipper that came apart at the seams. I haven't been super impressed with the durability of the pack since I bought it. The first time I filled it and picked it up by the top loader (a bad habit) I popped some stiches, but even though I continued to lift the pack by the top loader the stitches never ripped out completely. </span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">I've dragged this pack up cliffs and dropped it off others in addition to the normal wear and tear of walking around in it. All that sliding and grinding adds up, and it eventually developed a dime-sized hole in the bottom and the top loader. Eventually the seams on the zipper blew out and it would no longer close. That's when I sent it back to be repaired.</span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">Overall I think the pack held up pretty well to my abuse, though. The last pack I owned gave up the ghost with similar treatment in about six months. So despite the fact that I abused it in ways it wasn't meant to be abused, it lasted twice as long before I had to send it back.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Customer Service:* * * *</strong></span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">Customer service at Gregory was very helpful when I finally sent the pack in for repair. I only had to pay to have it shipped and it was promptly shipped back to me with all repairs done free of charge, including the things that were damaged due to my abuse. I was hoping they'd just give me a new pack, but that didn't happen. Despite that, their service was prompt and the work done was quality, so the pack should last another year or so before it requires repair again.</span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Overall: * * *</strong></span><br />
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<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">This pack has a number of features that I like when climbing such as the hydration sleeve and the contoured top loader that allows me look up while climbing with the pack on. It's better comfort wise as a ruck sack and it has plenty of padding for that purpose. In my opinion, the framesheet and stay are just extra weight that don't really make the pack any better. Overall, it took a beating and Gregory took care of me when it didn't. It's a good pack, but I'm still keeping an eye out for something better.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost"><strong>Best Use:</strong></span> <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="fullpost">This works best as a multiday alpine pack in the summer. It's OK for multi-day winter climbs, but it becomes cumbersome when having to strap things on the outside. It's also OK for cragging, but I rarely fill it up with climbing gear, and when deciding whether to bring a pack along or not for day use I usually don't because it's big and cumbersome for free climbing where a smaller pack would suffice.</span> <br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286783355913287419.post-13239808332347083222009-07-27T08:57:00.000-07:002009-12-11T08:53:31.759-08:00The Gold Fox<u><strong>Location:</strong></u> 600 State Route 208<br />
Gardiner, NY 12525-5601<br />
(845) 255-3700<br />
<a href="http://www.thegoldfoxrestaurant.com/">The Gold Fox Website</a><br />
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This restaurant probably doesn't get much attention from the climbers in the area because most climbers drive on the main road from the 'Gunks into New Paltz and miss it completely. Well, my partners and I got sick of waiting in that lousy traffic that can back up for miles on Sunday afternoons, so we decided to do an end-around into the small town of Gardiner. From the 'Gunks, instead of taking the left at the Brauhaus toward New Paltz, go straight. Follow that road into the winding-road village of Gardiner and find the Gold Fox on the right at the stop light at the end of the village (btw - you take a left here to head back to New Paltz, and this end-around probably only takes five minutes longer without traffic on the main road to New Paltz and many minutes shorter with traffic).<br />
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<u><strong>Style of service:</strong></u> Mostly sit-down and catering. There are three sections to the restaurant: the bar area (which has the same menu as the restaurant), the banquet hall area (separate menu from the restaurant), and the restaurant.<br />
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<u><strong>Food type:</strong></u> Definitely starts with an Italian base, but most customers will find something to their liking if they don't prefer Italian. There are vegetarian options, good burgers, good seafood, and plenty of salad and appetizer options, too. The menu, in general, is standard for what you'd expect from a typical American restaurant in the Northeast.<br />
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<u><strong>Ratings with best being five stars -</strong></u> FOUR STARS<br />
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<u><strong>Food rating:</strong></u> FOUR STARS<br />
I've been here twice, and true to my nature, I've ordered the same thing each time: the garlic and horseradish burger with sweet potato fries. Each time the burger came cooked to perfection (I order my burgers medium), and so did my fellow climber dinner-companions find their burgers cooked to their liking. The first time I went, I went with two vegetarians who were skeptical about the menu at first. But then the waiter pointed out a few options for them to give a go, and they loved it, too. Now I can't vouch for all of their other meals, but unless the Gold Fox's quality drops off significantly after the burger, then I have a hard time believing the other dishes won't be up to par. This place really is a hidden gem, and the burgers absolutely rival the more generously located German place at the base of the 'Gunks.<br />
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<u><strong>Prices:</strong></u> THREE STARS<br />
There is a reason why we all ate burgers each time we went, and that's because there is a significant difference in the prices between the burgers and the regular entrees. The burgers are reasonably priced (about $8 - $10) for the type of restaurant, but the entrees start at around $15 and go as high as $28 - as of July, 2009). Even so, while the burgers are outstanding, this place is a little more expensive than other joints with similar offerings.<br />
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<u><strong>Service:</strong></u> FIVE STARS<br />
We've had nothing but the best from these folks each time. We've been seated where we wanted to be seated each time, had quick service from multiple servers regarding ordering water, drinks, and food, and the food always came out in a reasonable about of time. Also, the staff is very friendly and they don't bug you too much beyond the obligatory, "can I interest you in coffee or desert." You order what you order and they bring it to you. Enjoy...GB (admin)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02409007231158970731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286783355913287419.post-75492836177140045372009-06-23T11:50:00.000-07:002009-12-11T08:53:46.513-08:00Rino's Pizza<u><strong>Location:</strong></u> 246 Main St # 6<br />
New Paltz, NY 12561-1621<br />
(845) 255-8600<br />
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<u><strong>Style of service:</strong></u> Mostly take-out and delivery with a few tables for eating in. Order at the counter, pick your drinks out of the cooler (or ask for a fountain drink), and they'll bring the food out to your table or deliver it to your house.<br />
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<u><strong>Food type:</strong></u> Mostly Italian, focusing on pizza (pie or slices), pasta dinners, appetizers, and sandwiches and wraps.<br />
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<u><strong>Ratings with best being five stars -</strong></u> FOUR STARS<br />
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<u><strong>Food rating:</strong></u> FOUR STARS<br />
Rino's is a must-stop at the end of every 'Gunks trips. It's a bit out of the way (away from downtown in the plaza across from the Stop and Shop near I-87), but you won't be disappointed when you do. The pride of their pizzas is the sauce, and they offer several different varieties by the slice or can make whatever you want by the pie. The garlic knots probably don't come with enough sauce when ordered, but I get them every time I walk in anyway. The salads are huge and the moist chicken is cooked to perfection. They also use the good greens, not the lousy iceberg stuff that lousy restaurants use. Soups are also larger than you'd expect and are full of flavor. I made sure I soaked up every last drop of broth when I ordered my soup, and I was polite and didn't drink from the bowl. I mostly order the buffalo chicken BLT wrap. Don't see it on the menu? Read "service" below for the reason why.<br />
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<u><strong>Prices:</strong></u> THREE & A HALF STARS<br />
Rino's is neither cheap nor expensive. You get what you pay for here, and then more. Yes, some of their dishes are very large for the price you pay (particularly the salads and soups), but there's nothing on the menu that could be considered a main course (sandwiches and wraps included) around five dollars. But who cares? The prices are definitely reasonable and I've always come away filled enough to not need another meal for hours without being overly stuffed. I'd say a typical wrap, drink, and appetizer will set you back about $12. Not bad.<br />
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<u><strong>Service:</strong></u> FIVE STARS<br />
These guys get it. For one, the turnover at this establishment is minuscule. I see the same guys working the counter, the pizza oven, and the stoves out back every single time I walk in, and I've been going every weekend I'm in the 'Gunks for a couple of years now. Sometimes I'm there every Sunday afternoon for a couple of months in a row, and sometimes I'm not there at all for a couple of months (because I'm climbing elsewhere). But each time I go in the guys know what I want. They always wait before punching it in the register, but they also ask - "same as usual, buffalo chicken BLT on a wrap?" That's right, he doesn't just ask if I want the usual, but he recites the order just to make sure. And I'm not even local by several hours.<br />
But here's what gets me. They have a buffalo chicken sandwich. And they have a BLT wrap. But do I want either one? Noooo, I want them both, in one sandwich, as a wrap. Can they do it? Not only can they do it, but I get a "coming right up" without any questions. No thinking about it. No shifting their weight back and forth from one foot to the next with a "you're a pain in the ass" look on their faces. No extra charges. "For here or to go?" and that's it.<br />
Don't be a fool by passing this place up. The food is too tasty, the prices just right, and the service too good to not give a chance at least once. And then once you give it a chance you'll be going back for more, guaranteed.GB (admin)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02409007231158970731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286783355913287419.post-80441447958624568432009-03-20T13:31:00.001-07:002009-03-20T13:41:30.857-07:00Coming Soon!Testing...testing...GB (admin)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02409007231158970731noreply@blogger.com0