Tag: backcountry

Portable Emergency Sled for Backcountry Skiing

Portable Emergency Sled for Backcountry Skiing

| April 27, 2016 | 5 Comments

One of the more unglamorous aspects of being a ski mountaineering guide is carrying all of the emergency gear which adds considerable weight to your pack which you hope you will never have to use. At the top of the list is an emergency sled, which is generally expensive dead weight. I’ve owned a variety […]

Continue Reading

2015 Winter OR Show Review

2015 Winter OR Show Review

| January 24, 2015 | 9 Comments

While there was an overwhelming amount of new stuff in store for 2015/16 at the Outdoor Retailer Show, I have to admit to having a weakness for hard goods, especially those made out of exotic steels, sexy plastics and carbon fiber.  I was not disappointed. Odds and Pointy Ends Black Diamond Snaggletooth Crampon Since most crampons are asymmetrical anyways, […]

Continue Reading

State of the Wasatch – Jan 11, 2015

State of the Wasatch – Jan 11, 2015

| January 11, 2015 | 8 Comments

In the comments from my last post I was called out as “an elitist blowhard,” so I’ll try to live up to that reputation by now kvetching about the Wasatch snowpack.  It is okay… but we really need more snow, especially as this is going on the fourth sub par year in a row.  We’ve been robbed. Even […]

Continue Reading

New Zealand 2006 – Trip Series

New Zealand 2006 – Trip Series

| December 5, 2014 | 1 Comment

This trip came about in a serendipitous manner.  In 2006 I wanted to see if I could ski all seven continents, and had just happened to meet Grant Guise through Ski Mountaineering racing, which Steve Romeo was also involved in.  Grant lived/lives in New Zealand and so we decided that was a good enough of […]

Continue Reading

Wasatch Backcountry Conditions – March 9

Wasatch Backcountry Conditions – March 9

| March 11, 2014 | 2 Comments

Although the Wasatch is still draggin’ ass on snow depth, skiing in the upper elevation backcountry areas has been pretty good. Last weekend we had a slight 2-4″ graupel refresher on top of a supportable crust, which made for some fun, fast powder skiing. I’ve seen a few photos of people getting after some of […]

Continue Reading

Wasatch BC Conditions – 12/22/2013

| December 22, 2013 | 0 Comments

Executive Summary – Good and getting better. Starting yesterday, every run I took was “the best of the year” with each new one topping the last.  We’ve finally started to get some base in the Wasatch, and in celebration, I took out my new skis (BD Carbon Aspect) and only got one little scratch on […]

Continue Reading