Mar 17 2014

Review: Leki’s trick Tourstick-Vario ski pole

 
Leki's Tourstick has 20cm of Speedlock adjustability, then folds down to < 40cm. Leki’s Tourstick has 20cm of Speedlock adjustability, then folds down to < 40cm.[/caption]Leki has a new pole, the micro adjustable, foldable, TourStick Vario, that anyone with traveling on their mind should be taking a closer look at. It combines a lot of nice features into a single ski pole, including Leki's ultra comfortable Aergon® grip, their SpeedLock clamp for quick length adjustment, and a lower shaft that Z-folds so the maximum length of the stored pole is less than 16 inches (< 40 cm). Perfect for stashing in just about any piece of luggage except a carry on pack, but not because it won't fit. The TSA will have a fit if you try to board with this weapons grade ski pole. Keep making backcountry turns

Mar 16 2014

How long do you keep your ski boots?

How long do you keep your ski boots? To get some sense of that the poll on the right was posted on this site.
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Mar 11 2014

2015 Fat ski demo at Sugar Bowl

 

Winter is thin in 2014, but conditions are still worth the hike.

Spring conditions are still worth the hike.

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 how much mettle a ski has it’s hard to beat the multipurpose functionality of mush. It’s not exciting or photogenic but if a ski can ski mush its powder performance is a given. Likewise, if it can plow through mush it can hold it’s own in crud. All that’s left to determine is whether a ski can merely hold an edge on firm snow, or actually carve a turn.
Keep making backcountry turns

Mar 10 2014

Project Zero launches Know the Snow Contest

 

Google Earth view of terrain where two were killed in an avalanche on Feb. 15, 2014.

Google Earth view of terrain where two were killed in an avalanche on Feb. 15, 2014.

A recent post by a friend on Farcebook made me realize there are still an awful lot of people unwittingly relying on luck for survival when they head out of bounds for fresh tracks. He did a quick survey at the OB gate and found less than 10% of those going out had basic safety gear like a beacon, shovel, and probe. It seems all many folks need is a nod of approval overheard in a chairlift line professing “the snow’s stable, it’s all good.” Obviously they were missing the most important piece of safety gear, a brain that is engaged in considering the consequences of snow conditions in the wild.

Which is but one example of why North American avalanche safety organizations are teaming up to raise awareness about avalanche danger when skiing out-of-bounds, whether that’s sidecountry or deep in the backcountry. They’re issuing a challenge to skiers and snowboarders: Make a 4-minute video that shows the proper preparation for riding beyond resort boundaries, and your film could become a tool for waking fellow BC Riders up to the dangers that prey upon novice through expert skiers. Use your camera to tell the story about how you and your crew get ready to safely explore beyond the resort boundary and you’ll have a great chance to win the following prizes:
Keep making backcountry turns

Mar 06 2014

BCTalk: TR – Durrand Glacier Lodge

James, of the BCTalk forum, is pushing the envelope of mobile communication and filing blow-by-blow reports from the field while on his backcountry ski trip at SME (Selkirk Military Mountain Experience) in British Columbia.

Uploaded by James minutes ago.

Uploaded by James minutes ago.

The terrain here is mind blowing and I like the Euro atmosphere. — James

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Mar 04 2014

Technique: Installing inserts for ski bindings

 

Got inserts?

Got inserts?

For the average skier, using inserts to mount your bindings is overkill. As long as you do a decent job and put the screws in straight, with a dab of wood glue to seal and bond the screw, you will not have any issues with your bindings ripping out. The exception is with aggressive telemark skiers who, due to the upward pull of the rear foot, are effectively trying to pull their toepiece out of the ski hundreds if not thousands of times per day.

Inserts are one way to reduce the pulling forces on each screw by increasing the bonding surface area within the ski by using a larger diameter screw, i.e. an insert. This has the side benefit of allowing you to use a machine threaded screw to remove and connect hundreds of times with no loss in structural integrity or the strength of the connection.
Keep making backcountry turns

Mar 02 2014

Mt. Jumbo avalanche buries 3 in Missoula home

 

View of the Mt. Jumbo avalanche starting zone.

Mt. Jumbo avalanche starting zone. Luke Laird photo.

An avalanche on the north side off Mount Jumbo, in Missoula, Montana destroyed two houses and buried three people late in the afternoon of February 28th, 2014. About a hundred neighbors shoveled out an 8 year-old boy, a woman, and an elderly man. The adults are in critical condition. The avalanche was triggered by a backcountry snowboarder.
Keep making backcountry turns