Andrew McLean

Andrew McLean lives in Park City, Utah and is a gear designer, writer, photographer, ski mountaineer, climber, Mountain Unicycle rider and father of two very loud little girls.

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Andrew McLean's Latest Posts

FUAC Party of the Year – Thursday

FUAC Party of the Year – Thursday

| September 15, 2009 | 3 Comments

The Black Diamond/Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center (FUAC) party is by far and away my favorite party the year and is the unofficial start to the 2009/10 ski season.  This is the 16th Annual holding of the gala and over the years it has played a big part in helping to fund the UAC.  […]

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South Ridge of Superior Scramble

South Ridge of Superior Scramble

| September 11, 2009 | 8 Comments

The South Ridge of Mt. Superior is an all time classic alpine scramble in the Central Wasatch Mountains.  It can be done in the winter, but due to cornices and steep slopes on each side, I think it is far more fun in the summer, especially as preseason training.  The climb is almost exactly 3,000′ […]

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“Flakes” – PowderWhores movie review

“Flakes” – PowderWhores movie review

| September 9, 2009 | 8 Comments

I feel like I have to wash my hands and confess to a higher authority after recently watching a telemark movie entitled “Flakes” produced by the PowderWhores.  Noah Howell, one of the chief whorelettes and a trusted friend, told me it was a documentary about the heartbreak of psoriasis (which sounded enthralling compared to teleskiing), […]

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MildSnow.com Challenge

MildSnow.com Challenge

| September 1, 2009 | 19 Comments

As long time readers of STRAIGHTCHUTER.COM may know, there is another backcountry skiing website out there named MildSnow.com.  It’s an alright site with some cute articles about painting your fingernails, blowing soap bubbles and how to ram your 1100cc snowmobile deep into the Colorado wilderness to get a better shot at endangered species with a […]

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Imlay Canyon

Imlay Canyon

| August 28, 2009 | 5 Comments

Before being distracted by black books and red leafs, I was talking about slot canyons, and more specifically, the best one I think I’ve ever done – Imlay Canyon in Zion National Park.  I suspect it is other people’s favorite as well, as there is even a Canyoneering company named after it. Utah has had […]

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Look who’s here…

Look who’s here…

| August 27, 2009 | 6 Comments

Noticed today as I was backing out of my driveway.  Goodbye summer – don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

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The Black Book

The Black Book

| August 26, 2009 | 12 Comments

Oh-lala!  A squeeky fresh copy of “The Black Book – Select Lines from Grand Teton National Park” by Conor Miller showed up yesterday and I haven’t been this excited about a ski book for a long time. I saw an early draft at the last OR Show, and although it was about 180 degrees outside, […]

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Canyoneering – Behunin

Canyoneering – Behunin

| August 25, 2009 | 5 Comments

Like Utah powder, I often take Utah slot canyons for granted and at times forget how incredibly cool they are.  For many years, I sat next to Tom Jones who was a softgoods designer at Black Diamond, and towards the end of his tenure there, he progressively got more and more into slot canyons until […]

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Ultra Heavy Backpacking

Ultra Heavy Backpacking

| August 20, 2009 | 13 Comments

Ray Jardine would be spinning in his grave if he saw this, except for the fact that he is still very much alive and hiking.  Ray is a leading proponent of Ultralight Backpacking and often covers up to forty miles a day while carrying an eight-pound pack.  At the other end of the spectrum, I […]

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PackRafts – Small Miracles

PackRafts – Small Miracles

| August 17, 2009 | 12 Comments

I’d heard about PackRafts from a few adventurously inclined people, but didn’t really get the full picture until I was up in Alaska last spring and had a chance to see a real, live version at the AMH store.  In short, PackRafts are very compact, high quality, lightweight personal rafts made out of durable raft […]

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