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.
Andrew McLean's Latest Posts
Unique Avalanche Class Next Week
The Utah Avalanche Center, Black Diamond and Snowbird are hosting the “2013 Snowbird Freeride Avalanche Summit” this upcoming Monday and Tuesday (Jan 6-7) with a short evening session/registration Sunday evening. The emphasis is on steep skiing, filming, sidecountry and working with resort resources. I signed up for this course for a number of reasons. First, […]
World Wide Wasatch update
“Dude, Christmas is way over. Where is the fresh content? Wildsnow is posting freshies every day.” – Cameron I know, I know. It hurts to get out-stoked by WildSnow, but I’m use to it. And, although Colorado may have better bloggers, Utah currently has better snow. Ha! Take that WildSnow World Headquarters, Associate Editors, Junior […]
Last Second Xmas Gifts
Last second is a relative term when you shop with Backcountry.com, especially if you live in Utah where their main warehouse is located. I’ve ordered gear at 1:00pm and had it show up the next morning by 10:30am, via their standard free shipping service. In that regard, you have pleeeenty of time to shop before […]
Wasatch Gets Back to Basics
I think almost every run we took today would qualify as “best turns of the year to date.” Not that it was absolutely off the hook, but it was pretty damn good in a 12″ of dry fluff on a mixed base kind of way. The layers underneath have set up enough to be supportable, […]
12k on 12-12-12
The day started with airborne garbage cans flying around in Salt Lake City. Texting Noah from the comfort of his upstairs bed, Jonah asked “Are you still going?” Noah had no choice, first because it was his idea to climb and ski 12,012′ in honor of 12-12-12, but also because he was meeting me for […]
Toll Canyon Open Land Purchase
If you live in the Park City or Synderville Basin area of Summit County, Utah, there is an exciting opportunity to purchase one of the last few undeveloped canyons in the area. Toll Canyon shares boundry edges with three housing developments, Summit Park, Timberline and Pinebrook, as well as topping out on, or near the […]
Wasatch Conditions – Nov 29
If you liked the conditions last year… you’re gonna love’em right now! There’s something out there for everybody, especially those who like crust, rocks, ice and low snow. But, there is backcountry skiing to be had, and if you keep your expectations low, you won’t be disappointed. The best skiing is at 12,000′ and above, […]
AK Factor Guidebook
After many years of research, Joe Stock of Anchorage, AK has recently published a new guidebook titled “The Alaska Factor – Backcountry Skiing in Southcentral Alaska.” It’s a full-color beauty and well worth adding to your guidebook collection. The Alaska Factor mainly focuses on areas that are day or weekend trips from the Anchorage area, […]
Antarctica 2013
At this time next year, you could be finishing up a great day of skiing, checking out the latest weather forecast and getting ready to cross the Drake Passage after a week of wild skiing in Antarctica. The now famous IceAxe Antarctica Ski Cruise only happens once every two years, and in 2013 it will […]
Wasatch Tidbits
1) November is the weirdest on record. The SLC golf courses are psyched, but the skiers are not. According to the SL Tribune, in November 2012, “Not even one day was cooler than normal, while 17 days were 10 degrees or more above average.” Awesome. A great early season in the Wasatch starts around Halloween, […]
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