C Dostie

Author's posts

BCTalk: Colorado is STILL skiing

Colorado is reaping its just deserts lately. After several years of meager conditions, in spite of man’s meddling, God is sending a thrilling end to a solid season. Even in the parched Sierra, the storms continue to dust the land, but those same storms seem to be saving their full strength for Colorado. Witness a …

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Review: Devilish details of Fritschi’s Vipec

  First year products usually need a bit of refinement before they are solid. The devil is in the details they say, and some of those don’t reveal themselves until you add ignorance to the picture; something only a customer can provide. Fritschi Diamir’s new Vipec is no different. By and large it works well, …

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Review: OMG’s TTS toe – beta, not better

  It has been a season now since Olympus Mountain Gear has introduced their own 2-pin tele toe to make a complete binding package. The looming question, is it ready for prime time, or is it still a beta binding? Sadly, the OMG’s toe piece confirms beta status, albiet with good performance if you’re willing …

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Review: G3’s Zenoxide Carbon skis

  As a touring ski in almost any variety of soft snow, even with some zipper crust thrown in for texture, G3’s Zenoxide Carbon 93 is a great ski to ride. It has a smooth even flex to deliver nice round turns. Thanks to a little carbon fiber thrown into the layup mix, it’s not …

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Review: Petzl Tikka R+ headlamp

  Petzl’s new incarnation of the Tikka headlamp, the R+, keeps the same low profile and light weight, with a powerful 170 lumen high beam and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It’s great for use around the house, walking the dog, camping, or dawn patrols. Gone is the ability to flip a fresnel lens over the …

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TR: North side of Mt. Lassen

  Meeting people through the internet has always seemed a bit weird. The concept isn’t what is weird. Meeting strangers at a party, in a bar, through a dating service, or a notice on a kiosk is always a bit of an adventure with the unknown. The internet is just the electronic version of how …

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BCM’s Gear Test: A Family Affair

Beer – it’s not just for breakfast anymore. When you read the dispatches from the Backcountry Mag crew on the status of their annual Gear Test week at Powder Mountain resort you can’t help but think what a party scene the whole affair is. Indeed, a festive atmosphere does dominate the whole scene. How could …

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