Finally put this together from my thruhike this past fall. Enjoy!! https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2gVtLWJprt/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Hey all,

Replacing my Land's End parka and I'm struggling to find much that quite scratches the same itch. I'm looking for something waterproof and more parka/trenchcoat length (mid-quad), ideally with a two-way zipper. So far I'm not sure anything else exists like that. Any thoughts?

Alright, perhaps I will be torched by the Heat Above for this one, but I don't post too often so I've got nothing to lose—no Tears Of Rain here.

I see a lot of people with opinions of Runway Blues that mostly boil down to: "I love the sound but it's just too short," with some going as far as to call it "not a song."

Now, I agree with the first part of this—I love Runway Blues. From the first chord to the fade out, I'm jamming the whole way. Here's the thing: I don't have a problem with the song being so short. In fact, I think it's a cool artistic choice. I'll say more.

Runway Blues is, broadly speaking, a lament of the hypersonic speeds at which one and one's career must move in the music industry, specifically as it relates to touring. Think about the lyrics here: "Touch down in San Francisco," "Bound for New York City," "Well, l'd love to say a long goodbye / But I don't know that I'll have the time."

So, the point of the song is to say, especially to fellow musicians (à la the opening, "You know what I'm talking about"), "Man, it kinda sucks having such little time in any one spot before rushing off to the next." And what's great about Runway Blues is that it doesn't just convey that through the lyrical content but the form as well, and I think that's really cool!!

Just as the band rushes off from one place to the next, the album makes a sub–90 second stop at Runway Blues before moving along (via a fade out) to the next performance: in this case Indigo Streak.

Now look, I totally empathize with people who like the song and want more—it's great and I would totally listen to more music like it—but I think that anyone who borders on frustration and derides the decision to make the song like this is missing a chance to appreciate a cool moment of form-based storytelling.

Anyways, that's my soapbox. Dispute at thy will, I know many will read this this take and say You're not The One, but alas, so is life. Thanks for reading this far—may you catch many a star.

TL;DR: Even though I like the sound of Runway Blues and would enjoy hearing more, I appreciate the boys using the form to help carry the narrative in addition to the lyrics.

Just wondering what employee housing is like from those who've worked there before. I've not been able to find any interior pictures online—do any exist?

Also, bike storage? I'm looking to bring my mtn bike for the off season.

Also² any general advice about life at Mammoth? I'm from small town Vermont (4,000 people) so that's not new to me but the West is!

Cheers!!

Ex-Hell XL Hex: L (Excel)

It's coming along but we're still trying to work out the kinks.