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	<title>StraightChuter.com - Backcountry Skiing &#38; Beyond</title>
	<link>http://straightchuter.com</link>
	<description>Backcountry Skiing &#38; Beyond by Andrew McLean</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:19:42 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<item>
		<title>Beijing Trip Report</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This trip to Beijing reminded me of my first &#8220;business trip&#8221; in the outdoor industry about 18 years ago.  We were going on a ski testing outing to Mammoth, and since we were staying in a hotel, I didn&#8217;t bring anything but clothes.  Once we got there and all six of us moved into the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/03/beijing-trip-report/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Low Angle Circuits</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Due to the strange snowpack we have this year in the Wasatch, I&#8217;ve been skiing new, although not necessarily exciting, terrain.  I have yet to dig a pit as almost every time I go out I&#8217;ve felt collapsing, seen natural slides, triggered avalanches with ski cuts or dropped cornices, and/or seen shooting cracks.  Between that [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/03/low-angle-circuits/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>The Hash Pipe Couloir</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s short, harsh, dangerous, leaves you dazed, your bases stoned, you&#8217;re likely to get burned, it smells like shit (mountain goat shit in this case) and is unrecommended, but it is also fun.
I&#8217;ve stood at the top of this couloir roughly five times over the last ten years and yesterday Courtney Phillips and I finally [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/03/the-hash-pipe-couloir/</link>
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		<title>Creek Crossings</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I first got into crossing streams with my skis on by accident when I was trying to cross over a slender snowbridge which collapsed and dumped me in the stream.  I was mainly worried about scrapping up my bases and edges, but on the other-hand, my feet stayed dry and it was fairly secure, so [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/creek-crossings/</link>
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		<title>The Big LePowSki ~ Feb 25-27, Brighton</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mai oui, The Big LePowSki is rolling into Salt Lake City Feb 25-27 to set up pins and knock&#8217;em down until they go click at Brighton.  This is the second annual gathering of TBLP, and last year was a blast.  The format is pretty simple &#8211; ski/ride &#38; party, but not necessarily in that order.  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/the-big-lepowski-feb-25-27-brighton/</link>
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		<title>150lb Crusts &amp; The Alpine Crawl</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the more frustrating booting scenarios is when you encounter crusts which are almost supportable&#8230; but not quite.  Since I weigh in at about 165lbs with all of my ski gear, I think refer to these crusts by the amount of weight they will support. One-hundred and fifty pound crust is my nemesis as [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/150lb-crusts-the-alpine-crawl/</link>
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	<item>
		<title>Scotties Bowl &#8211; Topo</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Scotties is a classic little Wasatch one-hitter.  It is in danger of being over-run by Snowbird as it borders the resort, but if you time it right, it can serve up a nice powder run.

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Help support StraightChuter.com and get an Avalung infused Black Diamond Covert with Avalung Winter Pack from [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/scotties-bowl-topo/</link>
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	<item>
		<title>Tuning Bench Tie-Down</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Trying to clamp down the latest generation of wide skis for a tune-up is like wrestling an eel in a vat of Crisco.  Forget it.  Because they are so wide, yet have a thin cross section and rounded topsheets, traditional tuning clamps will hold skis only long enough to look secure, yet the first time [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/tuning-bench-tie-down/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Arches and Avalanches</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the cruelest avalanche tricks out there is the old &#8220;I was just minding my own business skinning up a nice valley when suddenly both sides collapsed thousands of feet above me and I was buried 20&#8242; deep.&#8221;  It is a mean spirited trick as the skier may be on flat ground far away [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/02/arches-and-avalanches/</link>
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		<title>Pink Pine Ski Tour &#8211; Topo &amp; Guide</title>
		<description><![CDATA[At a recent seminar, a speaker from &#8220;Backpacker Magazine&#8221; described his reader base as &#8220;geo reference oriented&#8221; which I think was a nice way of saying &#8220;geeks with GPS&#8217;s.&#8221;  As I am guilty of the same sin, I wanted to see about putting some classic Wasatch tours on-line and see how it works.
The tour below [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://straightchuter.com/2010/01/pink-pine-ski-tour-topo-guide/</link>
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