Don’t you hate it when you are breaking trail on the flats and snow globs up in front of your heelpiece, making you walk like a runway model? If there is something I hate about backcountry skiing and breaking trail through deep powder, it’s when the snow globs up in front of your heel piece […]
Gear
When I got back from New Zealand, the book 50 Classic Descents of North America was one of the many items in the large box I received from the postmaster, after having my stopped for over a month. Psyched to be home, I hammered through the pages quickly, taking in the stunning photography and dreaming […]
Though I’ve been happy with and using the Dynafit binding offerings for the last 15 years or so, it’s still cool that one of my favorite companies, La Sportiva, will start distributing a new “tech” binding starting this December. The new binding will be called the Ultra Light RT and at 175gr, it will compete […]
Check out this Black Diamond Tech Tip for tapering your climbing skins. A steeper angle on your skin-tips can reduce problems in certain conditions. To be completely honest, though I usually don’t have any problems with climbing skins, I’ve been hosed in the backcountry once or twice in regards to the curling on the tips […]
After about 24 hrs of travel and four plane rides today, I will be in Christchurch, New Zealand…two days later. It’s a nineteen hour time difference between Jackson (MST) and Christchurch (NZDT), and my longest leg is from Los Angeles to Auckland…which looks to be about a 13 hour flight. OUCH! Hopefully a coupe sleep-aids […]
It’s pretty hard to avoid there being high avalanche danger in New Zealand when it snows 13 feet in 10 days. Like with most trips, local or abroad, I’ve started to eyeball the conditions and weather forecasts for New Zealand. (Launch day is tomorrow!) MetService.com seems to be the best website for weather and Avalanche.net.nz […]
Lately, I’ve been making an extra effort to go trail running and get in good physical shape for this upcoming trip to New Zealand. About month ago, I also received a new Suunto M5 training watch and with its different training guidance selections, it’s been really helpful in keeping me on track. See, the Suunto […]
This new product from Maruelli (inventor of the Click-Clack) is due to show at the 2011 ISPO (Feb. 6th) and claims to be the greatest this since sliced bread for maintaining a “natural stride” when skinning. Dubbed the Natural Walking Plate and with the aid of two hinged points, it allows for the toe of […]
Note: The following post is rated PG-13. Every so often, there’s those days of -20°F temps here in Jackson Hole, when the inversion sets in hard and the valley becomes an ice box. These are often great times for going big in the Tetons, but the cold alpine-starts in the frigid darkness can leave your […]
After 2 long years of exceptional service, I’m retiring my red Arc’teryx Epsilon SV Hoody this year. It has been with me all over the Tetons, the Wind River Range, the Sierra, Antarctica and South America, and has seen me through some glorious and some not-so glorious moments, but it has never let me down […]
Some ski shop techs might poo-poo the Sleazy Jig, but as someone who has done their fair share of “freehand” binding mounts (sans jig and paper template), I can sure see some benefits to it under the right circumstances. Of course there is no replacement for a stock binding jig with all the holes you […]
I received this photo from Jeff Witt, a climbing guide who works with Exum Mountain Guides. It is of an ice axe that was with one of the parties injured and pinned down by lightning near the summit of the Grand Teton last Wednesday. We’ve all heard of blue sparks or humming coming from our […]
Congrats to Randokitty for getting her first Black Diamond catalog shot! (S10 Lighting and Trekking…inside cover.) I can’t believe she beat me to it. Sorry…my scanner is not very good. My only saving grace is that it wasn’t one of the ski catalogs…or else I’d never live it down. For the record, my favorite BD […]
Some of you may be familiar with the recently created organization called TreeFight. Based and focused mainly in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for now, TreeFight’s goal is to educate and help fight the growing problem our forests, specifically the white bark pine, are having with the pine beetle talking over and killing them. Literally destroying […]
DISCLAIMER: PERFORM THESE MODIFICATIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK. There is no doubt that I’m a big fan of using Black Diamond AvaLung backpacks for skiing. Hey, why not stack the odds in your favor when it comes to avalanche safety…right? With that being said though, in the springtime when avalanches are potentially a lot less […]
I’m a little afraid to admit it, but “rookie moves” and “brain farts” still happen to the best of us. Not that I’m saying I’m the best, but still…it’s not my first go around at this stuff either. Forgetting your skins, your ski poles or even leaving your pack at home…I’ve seen it all. It […]
Black Diamond Quadrant and Prime Efficient Series Boots. Over the last few months, I have been spending quite a bit of time skiing and touring on next year’s Black Diamond Efficient Series ski boots. I have been on the 4-buckle Quadrants since November, and more recently I got my hands on some 3-buckle Primes about […]
Using your bike to access ski descent is super rad! Click all photos for larger images. With the coming of spring…or at least the plowing of the GTNP inner road, it is a great time of year to incorporate a bicycle into your ski tours and shoot for some of the peaks and lines north […]
I feel your pain. You’ve been breaking trail through epically deep powder to the top of your line for four hours and now you’re at the top and ready to rip. Problem is, your goggles are so scratched up from being inside your pack that you can’t see squat and are relegated to junior league […]
I’m a very happy Dynafit binding (and sometimes boot) user, but it’s always cool to see new innovations in concept and design being developed. I first heard about the SkiTrab TR1/2 binding about a year ago and this latest video shows a version that looks a bit more fine tuned. It also shows that although […]