MountainMan

I make egg noodles: cup of flour; egg whites or an egg; dash of salt; and always a splash of milk. I wonder what the milk adds to a recipe. Milk is also part of pancakes, too, usually.

Climbing Culebra Peak required a fee to private ranch owners in the past. The mountain has changed owners. How do hikers gain access now?

Culebra Peak is a Fourteener in southern Colorado. The private ranch on which the mountain is located was recently sold to new owners. How can hikers gain access from the new owners?

My summer vacation will be three weeks of travel through the Northwest. (Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho) Which National Parks, National Forests, and other camping and hiking areas should not be missed?

I have a state retirement fund balance that I can receive in lump sum or annuity. I am ten years out from retiring on a pension from my county retirement fund in a different state. I would prefer getting the lump sum from my former plan and investing it into a Roth-type account, like my 427, minimizing tax consequences. My 427 will only allow a maximum annual contribution of $18,000, but my old state lump sum is $57,000.

My Windows 8 all-in-one desktop crashed. I replaced it with a Windows 10 all-in-one desktop. My previous computer had a prompt to name photographs being downloaded from my Nikon D610 and sent the photographs to a file folder with all of my other photograph files. Windows 10 does not offer me a label choice, uses disk numbers from the camera, and requires me to transfer photographs from another computer in order to mirror file folders. How can I solve the problems?

I will be camping near the Absaroka Range and am searching for the best day hikes with alpine lakes or summit views.

I use a half-cup of egg whites, a half-cup of milk, and olive oil with the complete mix. I can only surmise that I must use melted butter in the batter to avoid sticking. Please provide any better solution that you have discovered.

I used a Pur water filter for nearly three months. After two months, the water began to have a fishy odor. I solved the problem by sterilizing all of the vessels that I use for drinking water with chlorine bleach, with a hit of baking soda and vinegar as well. I replaced the Pur water filter. I know that as protein degrades and forms ammonia, the chemical process can create a fishy odor. I wonder whether a bacterial process caused the formation of the odor in my drinking water.

Norton 360 Backup At-Risk Warning has been constant on my computer, despite multiple Norton 360 backups conducted onto two different external hard drives. Norton 360 confirms that the 80 Gb data files have been successfully backed-up to both the 500 Gb and 1 Tb backup drives. However, the red "At-Risk" warning persists. The Norton 360 Forum did not provide me with any valid answers. Can anyone explain how I am supposed to get rid of the warning?

My computer was using a USB port mouse. I accepted software updates and the mouse went down. I tried the wireless mouse on my laptop and it works instantly. I do not know how to get my desktop computer to recognize the device driver for the mouse. I could not find the mouse listed on the device list on the computer.

A few days before my mother died, I opened a joint mutual fund in her name with mine. The fund has been probated to my name. I am wondering whether I start with a new basis as a redemption of shares or owe an amount of tax on gains as though there was a redemption and transfer of the funds to my new account in my name as sole owner?

If I have money in non-retirement mutual funds and want to transfer funds to meet my IRA maximum contribution, do I need to pay capital gains tax on the funds from their basis and start a new basis after the transfer to retirement mutual funds?

Winter in the mountains seems to be a permanent condition. I do not have the room to store snow tires. I am not satisfied with the performance of all-season tires when I must drive to work before the road is plowed. I am wondering whether I should simply purchase a set of snow tires and run with winter tires throughout the year. Michelin X-Ice 3 seems like a possible truly all-season tire. I am interested in suggestions from anyone who has found a suitable solution in either an all-season or a winter snow tire. I drive a Toyota Prius, 15-inch rim, front-wheel-drive, which limits the tires available. My set of touring all-season tires has lasted 45,000 miles and 5 years, surviving a few slippage events, but I am willing to replace tires more frequently if that is the primary drawback of wearing-down a set of winter snow tires.

I intend to construct a DIY base camp shower and dish sprayer. I have been searching for an appropriate submersible water pump to plug into a small inverter to a 12-volt cigarette lighter power pack (car jump starter). I need to attach adapters for a hose with a shower head and think that approximately 1+ gallons of draw per minute is practical. I would possibly use a five to six-gallon reservoir, heating water on a car-camping propane stove. My biggest concern is amp draw.

Maxi-Jet NJ-400 Submersible Utility Pump, $21, is a powerful aquarium pump with an adjustable flow up to 1.8 gpm. Whale Standard Submersible Electric Galley Pump, 3.5 gpm, 3 amp, $48, is a bit overkill. Although I am primarily a backpacker, I did not like the looks or performance of any of the solar shower bags, Sea-to-Summit Pocket Shower, $30, or even the NEMO Helio Pressure Shower (foot powered), $100. The Coleman Hot Water On Demand, $260, seems to be catastrophic failure prone from reviews that I have researched.

Does the Maxi-Jet NJ-400 Submersible Utility Pump sound feasible?

Links:

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/maxi-jetnj-400subme...

http://www.rei.com/search?query=shower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzulTqm1sz0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlm0FUrTIh4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEpWBBvgGvY

http://www.pumpbiz.com/shopping_product_detail.asp...

I have been looking at lists of "best" camping and backpacking destinations in North America. I disagree with most of the suggested destinations as being the "best" locations. I can observe in many lists that the most popular destinations are merely "developed" campgrounds or locations near major cities that serve as a weekend retreat for millions of people who think that their own backyard is the "best" place in the world.

I am wondering where the most dramatic adventures would be in North America for an explorer: mountain scenes; frequent wildlife encounters; abundant wildflowers; clear lakes and streams. A few locations that arise in my mind: Banff; Tetons; Kootenai; North Cascades. A few wilderness areas that stand-out: Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness; Collegiate Peaks Wilderness; Boundary Waters.

I have been looking at lists of "best" camping and backpacking destinations in North America. I disagree with most of the suggested destinations as being the "best" locations. I can observe in many lists that the most popular destinations are merely "developed" campgrounds or locations near major cities that serve as a weekend retreat for millions of people who think that their own backyard is the "best" place in the world.

I am wondering where the most dramatic adventures would be in North America for an explorer: mountain scenes; frequent wildlife encounters; abundant wildflowers; clear lakes and streams. A few locations that arise in my mind: Banff; Tetons; Kootenai; North Cascades. A few wilderness areas that stand-out: Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness; Collegiate Peaks Wilderness; Boundary Waters.