Monthly Archive for March, 2009

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2009 PowderKeg

Published on March 16, 2009 in Events. 13 Comments Tags: .

Last Saturday, for the first time in seven years, I was on the other side of the starting line of the Wasatch PowderKeg as a racer instead of an organizer. I love this event and thought it was a goner when Black Diamond and Patagonia pulled their backing out of it this season, but fortunately Chad & Emily Brackelsberg along with Mark & G Christopherson stepped in, stepped up and not only kept the tradition alive, but improved it.  It was a fun event and I’m glad to see that it is now in the sustainable grassroots mode so it stands a good chance of continuing on in the future.

Photos courtesy of Jay Beyer – http://jaybeyer.com

The start, and my moment of glory near the front of the pack. It didn't last long.

As an organizer, the race reminded me of a high-stakes version of the dominoes tip-over game where you set everything up, hope for the best, then when the starting gun goes off, there is not much to do aside from stand back and pray that everything/everybody falls in place accordingly.  The years when the avalanche danger was considerable to high were nerve wracking, and the year that we ran it through the moguls which unfortunately iced-over during the night and almost took out the entire pack were especially memorable.  The ideal is to create a race which is fair, safe and challenging, of which any two variables are easy to achieve, but hitting all three is incredibly difficult.

Casually sniffing around the edges of the Pain Cave, before deciding not to go in.

I’ve always thought that American racers can compete with the best of the Europeans once they/we learned all the tricks of the trade, got the right gear and started to train for racing, and that prediction is starting to come true.  It use to be that if you had the right gear (Dynafit bindings, racing skis and F1 boots), you were guaranteed a podium finish.  Now the majority of the serious racers all have it.  Six years ago, if you were behind on a climb but knew the tricks to a 40 second de-skinning transition, you could regain lost ground.  Now you will be losing time if you can’t transition in 30 seconds or less.  Training in the past entailed a good touring base plus abstaining from excessive beer drinking the night before the race, whereas now people actually train and the results are obvious and impressive.  People are getting consistently faster, which is great to see.

For my part, I ate shit, which was kind of a relief.  I saw Steve Cook, aka Silver Steve at the finish line who is the top medalist in US history for disabled Nordic Skiing, who asked me “Did you visit the Pain Cave?”  The Pain Cave is where you have to go if you really want to win, but when you are looking at the difference between 9th, 10th or 11th place, just looking at the entrance to the cave is fine.  I had a fun time trading places with Chris Covenington from Alta and Eric from Jackson Hole, and didn’t suffer any lung damage as a result, so my race was a success.

Chris Covenington (behind me) kept passing me on the downhills, so I tried to take his eye out with a skin tip loop. It didn't work.

As a confession, on the eve of the race I was debating not doing it as I wasn’t prepared, we had visitors and I had other pressing commitments.  Plus, I knew I was going to get my ass waxed.  But, I’m glad I did as the energy of the event itself is excellent and just being part of it is really what it is all about – thanks Chad, Emily, Mark & G!  Details on the race and info for next year can be found at www.wasatchpowderkeg.com

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Work, Work, Work…

Published on March 13, 2009 in current conditions. 11 Comments
I got out yesterday with Noah Howell and Jay Beyer, which was a blast.  Noah is Mr. PowderWhore and Jay is an outdoor photographer, so between the three of us, the Independent, Freelance, Self Employed, Outdoor Consultants of the Wasatch were well represented.  The skiing has been a tad bit lackluster lately, but today was clear, sunny and stable, which was a little surprising as we were skiing some very sun exposed slopes which stayed good for most of the morning.
Starting with a full-moon Dawn Patrol…

Salt Lake City with a full moon setting over it.

… we made it to the top of the peak in time to catch a golden early morning sunrise.

The Boys in Green - Noah (left) and Jay (right).

The Boys in Green - Noah (left) and Jay (right).

Noah exhibiting some fine plummage.

Noah exhibiting some fine plumage.

Noah setting up for an "extreme nordic turn."

Jay, who mainly split-boards, trying out a few turns on skis.

Jay, who mainly split-boards, trying out a few turns on skis. He seems to have it down.

Noah laying waste to a wind berm.

Noah laying waste to a wind berm.

The trip out got a bit thin in places, but went all the way to the car on snow.

The weekend should be good to great skiing, especially on north facing lines which haven’t seen any direct sun.  Yummy.
 
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Selective Stopping Spots

Published on March 12, 2009 in 07 Avalanche Avoidance. 7 Comments Tags: .

One of the basics of avalanche avoidance and good backcountry travel protocol is to always stop below your partner(s), not above them.  The reason for this is two-fold; one is that you might blow your last turn and take out your partners from above, and the other is that the weight of a stopping person may cause the slope to fracture, especially if it is already weighted by another person.  If this happens, it often breaks right at the top person’s skis and then takes the lower person for a ride.  I had this happen once and it was almost a slow-motion comedy.  I had stopped, then my partner skied up behind me, came to a stop, the slope fractured at this edges and I started to get swept away, but not before I said “Thanks.” to which he said “Sorry.” It had a happy ending as I was able to grab onto a tree, but ever since then, I go out of my way to stop in places where my partners will have a hard time stopping above me.

 

It is a subtle difference (and kind of a bad photo to illustrate the point), but stopping position “A” is much better for the first person than stopping point “B” although both are about the same as far as being protected from an avalanche coming down from above.  Position “A” is tucked right up underneath a rock, which doesn’t leave the second skier any other chance BUT to stop below you.

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Leapfrogging to Safety

Published on March 11, 2009 in 07 Avalanche Avoidance. 5 Comments Tags: .

Whenever possible, I prefer to ski a couloir or avalanche exposed shot in leapfrogging segments.  The idea is that one person skis, then tucks out in a safe spot and watches the other person, then they do the same.  Ideally, the stopping points will be staggered so that you can see your partner at all times as they are coming towards you and going by.

Polly booting up a couloir in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. The numbers illustrate the sequence of descent and are probably exaggerated for this particular couloir - it could be done with about half the stops.

This process keeps the ski descent moving along quickly (time is of the essence in avalanche terrain) and allows both people to have clean lines.  Another benefit is that you are never very far removed from your partner should they get caught in a slide.  Skiing an entire shot all at once is great for minimizing your exposure, but if the following partner gets caught in a slide that buries him/her halfway up the chute, being down at the bottom means a long, slow hike to get back up.

One of the keys to doing this style of skiing is to have the first person only ski a short half-shot to begin with, which then sets the team up for the rest of the descent.  It may not be the most social way to ski, but it is safer and efficient.  When you are done, you can always talk at the bottom.

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$2.00 Helmet Cam

Published on March 10, 2009 in Projects. 9 Comments

If you have an old helmet, a Point & Shoot Digital camera and about $2.00, you have all the fixin’s for a dirt-bag helmet cam.  More often than not, I’ll shoot POV footage just by holding my G9 camera in my hand and skiing with it, but at times, two hands come in handy for skiing and with this design, it is a simple matter to bolt your camera to your helmet.

First off, you need to find a 1/4-20 NC Allen Bolt and a plastic thumb knob at a hardware store.  This is the bulk of your expenses.  The length will depend on your helmet thickness, but I think the one I used was about 1.25″ long.

The heart of the Dirt Bag Helmet Cam. The universal size for camera tripod mounts is a 1/4-20 thread.

Next, cut a 1/4" wide slot in the helmet (voiding the warranty and weakening it). After that, cut up an old blue-foam sleeping pad and glue the foam to the helmet with Contact Cement. When it is dry, use a sharp knife to level the top plane of the foam where your camera bottom will sit. Depending on the design of your helmet, you may need to Dremel out a slot on the inside to keep the screw knob from digging into your noggin. Stick the screw up through the slot and bolt the camera on to your helmet. A camera on a helmet, aka a Helmet Cam.

The purpose of a slot instead of a single hole is that it allows you to slide the camera fore and aft, which means you can focus it on your hands or match your field of vision looking outward.  I turn all those annoying little chirps and beeps on within my camera so that I get an audio confirmation when the camera is turned on (bliing!) or when the shutter is tripped (kerchick).  It’s not nearly as good as a full-on VIO POV rig, but then again, it costs about two bucks.

 Here’s a 90 second kiting video shot with the DB Helmet Cam: 

The rig in all of its glory:

 
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Skiing with The Alpinist

Published on March 8, 2009 in current conditions. 4 Comments

Christian Beckwith, the former Editor and co-owner of Alpinist Magazine came down from Jackson Hole this weekend for his first ever Wasatch backcountry tour.  We had never skied together and I had always thought he was more a climber than a skier, but after an 8,000′ day of touring, there’s no doubt.  CB is a skiing machine.

 

The Wasatch has been kind of so-so lately, but we were able to find plenty of untracked windjack, as well as some nice settled powder.  As an added bonus, CB is even more of a New Yorker Magazine fan than I am, so there was plenty to discuss on the skin track.

In a humorous moment, we managed to find the one place in the Wasatch where it was puking wind-drifted snow and forged a semi-technical climb out of it, complete with chopping steps, Whippet plunges and sketchy moves. You can take the Alpinist out of the magazine, but not the environment.

Backcountry Magazine has taken over Alpinist, so the magazine will not only live on, perhaps with a ski mountaineering slant to it.  It should be good.

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Steep Skiing 101 – Part IV

Published on March 6, 2009 in 06 Downhill. 10 Comments Tags: .

One reason there isn’t more super steep skiing footage in ski films isn’t that it is so hard to shoot, but more that it is kind of boring to watch. Slip, slip… slip.  Pause.  Turn!  Slip, slip, slip. Pause. It is way more fun to do than to watch. 

Jared Inouye keeping it under control just before the rap on the NW Couloir of the Pfiefferhorn.

Steep skiing is like this because when the stakes are high, it is important to make every turn count. The best way of doing this is to get every turn under control before committing to the next one.  Unlike moderate slopes where you can easily recover from getting back or inside, steep slopes have a way of magnifying imbalances.  Starting a turn from the backseat means you’ll land even more in the backseat and within one more turn, you’ll be checkin’ out. 

In good conditions, like half-inch deep corn, it is much easier to stick a turn in a perfectly balanced position and roll it over into the next one with almost no delay.  But, in icy or funky conditions, getting a turn under control may take 20-30 feet of nervous skittering around before you are ready for the next one.

Bean Bowers moments before taking a 300' whipper of a lifetime off the top of Gorra Blanca, Patagonia.

As with most things related to steep skiing, patience is important.  Don’t rush the dicey turns, enjoy the exposure, take it one turn at a time, and before you know it, you’ll be linking some big fat sweepers on run-out apron.

Edited to add this afermath photo of Bean’s whipper:

Bean at the bottom of his long fall. It was pure luck that he landed on this steep, soft slope. In retrospect, the fall was probably more than the 300' I mentioned as this photo just shows the lower 1/4 of it. I don't think I've ever asked Bean what was going through his mind when he was falling - I should.

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Interuption of Service

Published on March 5, 2009 in Commentary. 6 Comments Tags: .

I’m never quite sure what to say when people ask me “What do you do for a living?”  If I say I’m a Professional Ski Mountaineer, that leads to all sorts of embarrassing questions, like, “Can you make a living at that?” (no) or “How many of you are there out there like that?” (two)  Usually I say I’m a writer, or photographer or freelance somethingorother. But, as a profession, I’m an Industrial Designer.  I did this for years, but then thought I better ski while I could and design later, and so far later has just kept getting later and later.

The Hotwire Carabiner - one of my favorite design projects while I was at Black Diamond Equipment.

My favorite design projects are for the outdoor industry, which conversely are also the lowest paying.  The higher paying projects are usually incredibly boring, but pay the bills so there is more skiing time.  Right now, I have an incredibly super boring project to work on, which will mean more skiing and skiing discussion later.

Happy turns,
Andrew

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Steep Skiing 101 – Part III

Published on March 4, 2009 in 06 Downhill. 4 Comments Tags: .

Ninety-percent of steep skiing is in your head.  I’ve witnessed some absolutely crappy skiers make it down steep slopes and conversely, seen experienced skiers (including myself) totally freeze up.  It’s one of those things you just have to be psyched for and sometimes you are, and sometimes you aren’t.  A bitter divorce or break-up seems to help get people in the mood to ski like they just don’t care.

Pondering the likely outcome of the Kevorkian Kouloir - Baffin Island. Photo by Brad Barlage.

Good partners go a long ways towards successful steep descents.  On one hand, you want someone who is motivated and confidence inspiring, yet not over-bearing or pushy.  The last thing you need when faced with a potentially huge fall is peer pressure from a friend.  Aggressively nailing a steep line may be the ultimate goal, but if you didn’t have your Wheaties and don’t feel up for it, it is great to have an understanding partner who won’t give you shit for sideslipping the entire line.  What goes around comes around and it seems to happen to everyone.

Dylan Freed stepping lightly in the Great White Icicle, LCC.

A related aspect of mental warfare is the dreaded pre-psyche-out.  This often happens the night before when slopes grow teeth, sprout patches of glaze ice and steepen by 15 degrees.  By the time the sun comes up you’ve convinced yourself that you are about to die.  Reality is seldom this bad and a good mantra is “You never know until you go.”  If it really is horrible, turn around and ski another day.

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Steep Skiing 101 – Part II

Published on March 3, 2009 in 06 Downhill. 18 Comments Tags: .

Regardless of technique, one of the hardest things about steep skiing is committing to the first turn.  Unlike climbing where you start at the bottom and slowly gain more exposure as you go up, with steep skiing, you are looking at the taking the maximum whipper if you blow the first move.  I personally love this aspect of the sport.  :)

The first turn with no warm-up and maximum exposure = no mercy.

There are a bunch of tricks to taking the sting out of the first turn.  My favorite, if it is at all possible, is to find a descent which allows you to make a few warm-up turns before getting down to business.  This is especially important with backcountry skiing as something like a boot left in tour mode or snagging a pole on a pack strap can ruin your day.  Even if it is just a turn or two, try to reef on your gear as much as possible just to make sure everything is buttoned up tight.

Technique-wise, Hilaree O’Neill had a great tip, which was to make a modified Stem Christie turn.  Stem Christies, in case you have forgotten, are snowplow turns, then going back to parallel skis in between.  This technique works as it forces your body out and over your skis in a controlled manner and gets you moving downhill.  It is also a good technique in deep or heavy snow when you might have trouble “clearing” your skis from the snowpack.  Once you get moving, you tend to stay on top, so it is mainly just the first turn that needs to be done this way.

Derek Weiss with a lot on his mind in the Cortex Couloir, Great Basin National Park, NV.

But, more than anything, the first turn is a game of mental warfare, especially if you are staring at a 3,000′ void.  The key is to relax.  Remind yourself that you are here because you want to be (hopefully) and that you have made millions of turns before and this one will be no different (hopefully).  Even though your mind may be firing hard on all cylinders, try to take a breath, relax, clear your mind of everything… and just do it.  If it goes well (hopefully) every turn gets a little bit easier and after you’ve made a dozen or so, the fear has subsided and the skiing becomes a blast.

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