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.

rss feed

Andrew McLean's Latest Posts

Chuting Spree Clue #4 – Win K2 Tele/AT Skis

Chuting Spree Clue #4 – Win K2 Tele/AT Skis

| September 16, 2008 | 28 Comments

Follow five weekly clues and be the first to correctly identify where the skis are hidden to win a pair (any size, any model) of K2 Telemark/AT skis of your choice! Clue #4 of 5 In 2006, two European “daredevils” attempted to ski a new line on this MOUNTAIN which was described by the first person to […]

Continue Reading

Chuting Spree Clue #4 coming at 10:00

Chuting Spree Clue #4 coming at 10:00

| September 16, 2008 | 0 Comments

Tune in at 10:00 for the forth clue in the K2 Ski Chuting Spree. The clues are getting a bit harder to research now that it is coming down to a specific mountain somewhere on the planet.  This is clue #4 of 5, with the final clue being given at 10:00am Mountain Standard Time on […]

Continue Reading

The Classic Diaper-Seat Harness

The Classic Diaper-Seat Harness

| September 15, 2008 | 7 Comments

After years of looking, I still haven’t found a harness that works better for general ski mountaineering than the trusty “diaper-seat” design.  This design is at least 25 years-old and its most famous incarnation is the Black Diamond Bod Harness, (named after Rod “The Bod” Johnson who designed it) although many other companies make them as […]

Continue Reading

Sunday Photo – Little Pine Couloir, Utah

Sunday Photo – Little Pine Couloir, Utah

| September 14, 2008 | 2 Comments

This photo of Little Pine slide path on the north side of the Little Cottonwood Canyon road leading up to Alta is a good reminder of why just saying “yes” to skiing is a good idea. Petra Pirc followed by Fred Marmsater in Little Pine slide path, Little Cottonwood Canyon. We did this as a […]

Continue Reading

Ski Mountaineering Racing Info

Ski Mountaineering Racing Info

| September 12, 2008 | 4 Comments

A few years ago I was very involved with ski mountaineering racing, both as a participant and later as a race organizer.  It is an incredibly fun sport and aside from the events themselves, there is a a huge amount of carry-over as far as general ski touring goes.  After only a single race or two, you […]

Continue Reading

Ditch the Plastic Shovel

Ditch the Plastic Shovel

| September 11, 2008 | 5 Comments

By the numbers, plastic shovels are supposedly as strong (or stronger) than steel and able to withstand incredibly low temperatures.  Their big selling points are that they are lighter and cheaper than metal.  The weight claims are a bit suspect as plastic shovels tend to be on the small side, which naturally makes them lighter, but […]

Continue Reading

Freezer Bag Cooking

Freezer Bag Cooking

| September 10, 2008 | 7 Comments

I saw a reference to “Freezer Bag Cooking” on a Divas Gone Arctic trip report by Kellie Okonek and checked it out as I’m always looking for new expedition food ideas.  The concept is pretty simple; combine a bunch of ingredients into a freezer bag, use a beefy marker to describe what it is, then […]

Continue Reading

Chuting Spree Clue #3 – Win K2 Tele/AT Skis

Chuting Spree Clue #3 – Win K2 Tele/AT Skis

| September 9, 2008 | 16 Comments

Follow five weekly clues and be the first to correctly identify where the skis are hidden to win a pair (any size, any model) of K2 Telemark/AT skis of your choice! Clue #3 of 5 Q: Before being killed and having his flesh roasted from his bones by angry Hawaiians, Captain James Cook named this MOUNTAIN […]

Continue Reading

Antarctic Peninsula Photo Gallery

Antarctic Peninsula Photo Gallery

| September 9, 2008 | 2 Comments

TUNE IN AT 10:00am MST TODAY FOR THE CLUESDAY CLUE-OF-THE-WEEK TO WIN A FREE PAIR OF K2 SKIS! In 2003, I had the good fortune of getting invited along for a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula to try and ski the Bull Ridge on Mt. Francis on Anvers Island.  We didn’t make it very far […]

Continue Reading

A Shovel Named Desire

A Shovel Named Desire

| September 8, 2008 | 0 Comments

Avalanches shovels are a matter of personal choice and with so many out there, it is hard to go wrong.  The most important thing is to carry one – after that, if it works good, it is good.  I consider a well-made shovel to be a quality tool and am very particular about what I […]

Continue Reading