That's me that Jim is talking about.

As he said, I just came back from a short trip with my sled and it was not a pleasant experience. The sled kept flipping over and each time I had to unbuckle everything, take my skis off and right the thing. It worked okay on the wide, flat road at Glacier Point the past couple of years, but this time, I was in much more hilly territory and higher altitude.

How well the sled does depends on the sled-mine was a small kid's sled. I just gave it away to friends with a kid. Maybe something like a Paris Expedition would have worked better since that sled has a flat bottom. Jim has an old Mountainsmith that we used in Yosemite a few years ago.

I like the sled idea, but now I know it is really dependent on flat ground or wide trails with no side angle to cause rollovers. I will still consider a sled for future trips, depending on where they are, but not that sled and not that place (Mt. San Jacinto, above Palm Springs).

The other problems I had were fairly accurately laid out by Jim, but at the same time, in spite of my equipment problems and the fact I was alone, I wasn't really in any danger because I had plenty of gear, fuel and food to last me a long time, if I had gotten stuck somewhere. I was more annoyed than anything else. My gear package was the same one I have used in Yosemite for 4 years and it worked fine there. The advantage I had in Yosemite was knowing where I was (no GPS needed) and flatter terrain. The boot problem is really an issue. Not sure what the solution to that is at the moment.

The thing that everyone could learn from my little escapade is that as long as you have enough of everything, even multiple problems like I had can be managed. I wasn't cold, was out in stellar weather and could easily have done another few nights if need be since I had originally planned to be out a few more days.

One point I disagree on with Jim-I don't go anywhere into the backcountry in winter without my shovel. If there is snow on the ground, my shovel comes with me, always, no exceptions. I needed it and used it on this trip, just like I did last year and the year before. I have a Voile Mini and it is one of better gear investments I have made.

As Yogi Berra supposedly said, "In theory, theory and practice are the same, in practice, they aren't."