Monday
Mar142016

Stuff I Like - Black Crows Furtis Poles

Fixed poles, choking up, Euro styleLike a lot of essential back country ski gear, pole choice is nearly completely dictated by the popular brands seen at every gear store. In the US, Black Diamond seems to dominate the field with a variety of offerings.  All them are adjustable and BD has developed numerous incarnations of the adjustment mechanism because, well, they often suck at some point. More on that later. In Europe, there are more options, some adjustable, some fixed. If you can break the spell of the former, you may be tempted by the latter.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Feb152016

Teton Hit Parade 2016

I've been back from my annual pilgrimage to Jackson, WY, for a few weeks now. I've had some good days in the Chugach and Anchorage Front Range. More on those later. But I've been meaning to share some images from my two weeks in the Tetons. So, here they are.

I arrived in Jackson at the end of a creepy cycle of deep slab instability. Most of my friends had avoided travelling into the heart of the range for several weeks. Warmer surface temperatures had been working their magic and stabilizing things while recent snowfall had been lacking. I arrived on Saturday afternoon and had immediate plans to get after it with a couple of strong partners the next day. I typically don't recommend coming from sea level and playing at 10,000 feet but conditions dictated otherwise. With only 12 days to play, I needed to make hay while the sun was shining.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Jan252016

Stuff I Like - Patagonia Ascentionist 35L Pack

A Brief History

I’ve been ski touring and climbing in the mountains for most of my life. I’ve bought and used countless packs for a variety of outings. The size, style and shape of each pack reflected the type of trip and the era. The early 70’s were dominated by external frames from Kelty and Jansport.

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Jan092016

Nez Perce Trifecta - Part Deux

The Sliver - Nez Perce, Grand Teton National ParkNormally, when one travels to altitude after living at sea level, it’s best to ease into high-level physical activity. The physiologic adaptations, which allow us to tolerate exercising up high, take the better part of a week to get rolling. Certainly, several weeks are needed to feel strong. But with short vacations, it’s hard to be patient. On my recent trip to the Tetons, I demonstrated a complete disregard for what needs to happen.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Dec142015

South Central AK Update - North and South

While the rest of the country has been waiting for winter to arrive (finally this week for them), AK has been quietly accumulating snow and delivering great ski days for those willing to hike above the rain line. Sadly, the large system that rolled through the Talkeetnas at the end of November delivered our first avy fatality of the season. Jed Workman from the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center described the conditions as the worst cycle in the last ten years. In spite of the dire warnings, Liam Walsh ventured out solo and never returned. His body recovery is unlikely until the spring thaw. Sobering.

Click to read more ...