Yup, it is very often that the risk trade-off favours starting early. There’s a term alpine start for a reason. Whether it’s impending weather later in the day, or snow conditions will warm increasing avalanche risk, or the objective is just so long you want to make sure you’re back down on the easy bit. Had the latter last month. Did a traverse is seven summits and even with the 6am start it was dark by the time we got down from the ridge and back into the valley. Trail ran our way out by headlamps, singing dumb songs to not spook any grizzlies. Such a good outing!

Exactly, is just straight up for fun. I’d argue they’re safer too. You pay way more attention in a stick shift, looking ahead timing shifts with traffic flow, leaving space and coasting to red lights, and the extra speed control on steep windy mountain roads is amazing especially in the winter.

Was lucky to get a 2021 Crosstrek in a manual, which I guess Subaru doesn’t do in Canada anymore, so it’ll likely be the last ICE car I have. If I’m joining the zombie horde of alternating mashing gas or brake depending what’s happening 10m in front of me I better at least get some torque out of it.

I’m an architect. It’s nice having the project I’m actively working on always active on one screen, with design sketches, marked up revisions, email with comments from client, renderer etc. active on the other. Sure it only saves a second not having to tab back and forth, but if you’re doing it non stop all day it makes a big difference. Also just less effort.

Sadly code minimums for newer builds haven’t really changed drastically in decades. It’s all just 2x6 with batt and poly, fundamentals the same as it has been since the 1970s. My 2019 build just had the shower lines freeze because they’re against an exterior wall (-30 cold snap, but still).

You’re probably right though that a heat pump is a better investment. Redoing the entire building envelope is a big ask if it’s not deteriorating and needing work anyway.

Yes, but also no. There are a bunch of other factors that contribute to a windows performance; manufacturer, type of gas used in the cavity, spacer material conductivity, thermal bridge free frame design, low e coatings and solar reflectance, and the quality of the installation matters most. Then there’s the windows efficiency relative to the rest of the assembly. If it’s a building code basic 2x4 wall from 1970 then you’re absolutely right, it would be overkill putting some triple pane krypton filled window in. But if you’ve got a foot of exterior insulation and are pushing a u value of 0.13 on your wall assembly then you need windows to match.

Source: certified Passive House designer, the most demanding energy standard for buildings available, that originated in … yup you guessed it, Germany.

“gluteal crease” that’s a new one for me, well done.

Lower Manitoba 😂 so that makes Saskatchewan into Northest Dakota and the Okanagan is Upper California?