Mar 11 2014
The weird winter we’re having in Tahoe this season forced the typical alpine demo day at Alpine Meadows to be canceled. Thankfully it was rescheduled for Sugar Bowl last Wednesday, March 5th. Unlike the last two years, this demo day featured soft snow conditions. No, it wasn’t light and fluffy powder, but for evaluating …
Feb 27 2014
Along with their expansion into the ski hardware business, La Sportiva rounds out their product offering with climbing skins using a 70/30 blend of mohair and nylon for Winter 2014. In theory you could get these same skins from Pomoca, their secret source, but with the La Sportiva version you also get the K2 …
Feb 25 2014
While it is fun to entertain the idea that NTN equipment is offering new possibilities without a duckbill, there are a few of us who still recognize the value of the duck and we’re not all quacks even if you think we are. To the young and inexperienced it is easy to become fascinated …
Feb 21 2014
One of the new directions in ski pole development has been a recognition of how limited the function of most baskets are. Yes, they provide a resistance to pole planting in soft snow but when it comes to using that disk for anything that requires a bit of backbone for support they’re next to …
Feb 19 2014
There’s another guidebook for backcountry riders in Washington. This time the author is noted guide Martin Volken, a Swiss guide whose training in the Alps has served him well in the glaciated environs of Washington’s volcanos and Cascade range. The book begins with an historical retrospective that lends insight to knowledge that exists only …
Feb 17 2014
Update 27aug17 — Glue verdict after 4 seasons There’s another “glueless” climbing skin now available from High Trails. Like other claims of glueless, this claim in pure marketing spin, of the 180° variety. They most definitely use a glue, but it is a silicon based adhesive that acts more like a Post-It, especially compared to …
Feb 11 2014
The word from retailers in 2014 is in stark contrast to the claims of 2-million telemark skiers from SIA. Nobody knows how many active telemark skiers remain, but three things are true: First, there aren’t 2-million or even half a million telemark skiers left in the US, but there are still a couple hundred …
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