La Sportiva Spitfire 2.0 Boot Review

I tested these boots while ago, but never got around to publishing my review. Here it is in case anyone finds any use from it.

Stiffness: I found them to be every bit as stiff as my TLT5P without tongues(carpet test, locked in skis), in fact a bit more stiff, but not much(I think this is mostly due to the fact that I can make them tighter on my chicken legs.

Sizing: I can go down a size to 25.5 shell(277BSL). I did a shell fit and found the 25.5 fit comfortably. I didn't feel toe pressure in a 25.5, but the forefoot volume is a little low. Whereas in the TLT5 26.0 I have to tighten the instep buckle more than half its range, in the Spitfire 2.0 25.5 I am on the loosest edge of the instep buckle range. In the TLT5P I use the felt pad under my Sole thin footbeds to take up volume. In the Spitfire I was using my footbeds, but nothing else to take up volume.

Climb Mode: The range of motion is significantly better than the TLT5P with CL liner. It is both greater range and with less friction. Rearward range of motion can be obstructed by the ski mode exoskeleton catching on the rear of the cuff, but after a few times going through the motion that seems to clear itself up. More on the mode change and exoskeleton later. I didn't notice any heel slop when in ski or climb modes even with the instep buckle loosened(this is likely due to inattention and non real world testing conditions).

Early Summer Couloirs on Mt Guyot

In the late fall we hiked Guyot and then South along the ridge to French Pass. On the way we saw some couloirs on the ridge that were filled in with snow already, when nothing else around had much snow. We made a pact to return and ski them. We finally fulfilled that goal the second day of summer.

We camped near the gate the night before and then biked in to the second gate where we hiked up the pass a bit and then the ridge. We were glad to have our aluminum crampons to make quick work of a snowfield which extended far down into the valley.

Boreas Pass, Gold Dust Trail, camping and Boreas Mountain

BOREAS PASS- CLOSE TO BRECK YET A DIFFERENT SCENE ALTOGETHER

Having moved our last load from Steamboat to Summit Thursday night, we were still unpacking and getting settled once the weekend rolled around.  I had thought of heading over to Leadville to pace a friend in the Trail Run 100 but never heard back.  We wanted to get out of the house as the work was endless but did not desire to drive a long way and had to be back in 24 hours to resume house work, interview tenants and meet with an electrician.  Not to worry, though, as there are countless opportunities in the Breck area to travel a short distance, yet feel like you've left the domestic life at home. Such a place is Boreas Pass, just 15 minutes drive from downtown.
We packed up camping gear, bikes and Acacia (family dog) and headed through the soon-to-change Aspens on the old railroad, which provides some of the best views (read: tourist hangouts) in the area.

Looking into South Park... Tim thought that the smoke haze settled in the valley made the hills looks like islands surfacing from an ocean floor.

Wedding

Wedding weekend. An adventure of a different kind requiring endurance, patience and planning.

Tim and I left Steamboat Thursday morning for Summit County. Stopping in the Summit County 'suburbs' of Willowbrook and Summit Cove we continue on the hunt for the 'perfect house,' or at least a home that would give us easier access to winter recreation and bigger mountain skiing. The views of the Gore and Ten Mile Range, once taken for granted, now beckon me back to where I grew up.
Thursday was low-key, comparatively. Crossing paths on Swan Mountain Road, the connection between Breckenridge and Keystone resorts, we saw Tim's immediate family. We then met up with Dave and Sam, Tim's groomsmen, at the Breckenridge condo. They had skied at Arapahoe Basin that day. They joined us for dinner at my parents.
Friday was where the fun started I guess one could say... Tim went back to the Basin with the boys while I had some 'girlie things” to accomplish. During each part I remained positive and tried to enjoy even though I am not used to being fussed over. Dress fitting at the Breck Rec Center's locker room was followed later by buying flowers, creating the guest and letter book then going for manicures with the ladies! 

4th of July Bowl in May

Two weekends ago we went up to the 4th of July Bowl on Peak 10 just after the spring storm to get some fresh snow.

Summit County Peak 6 Ski

Tim doing some rock scrambling