There is something magical about the first backcountry hut trip of the season. The glistening tranquil forests with boughs laden, the fragrance of pine, and pixie dust floating down and sparkling in beams of light. It’s the hiss of skis gliding through snow, the tinkle of shattered hoar frost, and the cold nip to the hands and feet that spills …
Even as a professional powder junkie I am usually a little rusty getting out of the gates. I am fortunate in the fact that I get to ski in the backcountry more than most people every year, but before things get started I like to sit down and organize my thoughts and gear for the upcoming season. The following is …
Skiers and snowboarders are part of a nomadic tribe that can be found dreaming about the next turn, sometimes traveling to great lengths in search of pow. This summer, as the days were getting longer and temperatures higher, I found myself longing to get away from the scorching heat in Whistler, BC. Perhaps an adventure in Argentina? Traveling to the …
I spent the 2017/18 season in Alaska, guiding folks from all over the world across its incredible landscape. One of my best days was ironically the worst day of the season for conditions; with rain crust to treeline, sun crust on solar and wind hammered high alpine. Good to have these reminders that it doesn’t have to be great conditions …
We flew in under a grey-blue ceiling to the most spectacular playground I have ever seen. On the Pika Glacier, rock buttresses rise like sharks’ teeth from the valley, their ridges separated by perfect ribbons of snow that plunge into the glacier below.
Over a three-week period in 2016, Aaron and I attempted a particular summit five different times. All five attempts were thwarted. This year, with a limited amount of free time, Aaron Diamond and I figured that we could reasonably make the peak’s first ski descent… if we were lucky.
The Grand Teton has captivated me since I saw it ten years ago on a family ski vacation. It’s an iconic mountain for all sorts of alpinists, but it’s the skiing that really draws the winter climbers. Little did I know, one day I would be ski guiding the Grand Teton.
This guest post was provided by Inspired Summit Adventures in Park City, Utah Have you ever gone to a new area and been totally skunked? It happens. But how can you maximize your free time outside and make the most of your vacation/hut trip/ski trip? Do your homework… and use the backcountry digital terrain tools available.
Every couple of years I travel from Aspen to Vail by scale. It is on this route that time and time again I have realized the joys and efficiencies of travel on scaled skis thanks to Voile’s Traction Pattern Base.
This season we spent some time focusing on the foundational elements of our splitboard program. The result is one recall, and one updated splitboard hardware that will completely transform the gear you already own (and for less than $10)…
