Aug 14 2013

Passport Bindings for the ’14 Season

 

Spirit Dan rips freshies on Tahoe's West Shore.

Spirit Dan rips freshies on Tahoe’s West Shore.

Lured by the Backcountry?
There are roughly three different styles of backcountry equipment you should consider if you’re hunting fresh powder: alpine, snowboard, or telemark. Of the three disciplines, alpine offers the easiest to understand, and adopt, set of options.

The style of alpine binding that appeals easiest to budding BC skiers are what I call Passport bindings. These are essentially alpine bindings mounted on a plate with a hinge. To ski uphill you need gumption, climbing skins and a free heel – that’s what the hinge is for – so you can simply walk up the mountain while sliding on top of the snow. It’s ridiculously easy as long as you enjoy the workout going uphill; that’s what the gumption is for.

Passport Bindings for 2013/14
Brand/Model Shift-
on-fly3		 Height (toe/heel) DIN Range Weight / ft.
ounces (grams)		 M$RP
Tyrolia1 Adrenaline Y 28½ mm 5-16 46 oz. (1300 g) $495
Marker Duke N 36 mm 6-16 49 oz. (1334 g) $495
Salomon2 Guardian Y 26/32 mm 7-16 52¼ oz.(1480 g) $495
Tyrolia1 Adrenaline 13 Y 28½ mm 4-13 42½ oz.(1195 g) $425
Marker Baron N 36 mm 4-13 43¼ oz.(1225 g) $445
Salomon2 Guardian 13 Y 26/32 mm 5-13 50¼ oz. (1445 g) $415
Tyrolia1 Ambition Y 35/40 mm 4-13 36 oz. (1030 g) $425
Fritschi Freeride Pro Y 38/44 mm 4-12 36 oz. (1020 g) $570
Fritschi Eagle Y 38/44 mm 4-12 35½ oz. (1 kg) $490
Marker Tour F12 N 36mm 4-12 37 oz. (1042 g) $429
Marker Tour F10 N 36 mm 3-10 37 oz. (1042 g) $399

Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 11 2013

Summer OR 2013: Headlamp Roundup

 

Petzl's new Tikka R+

Petzl’s new Tikka R+, lighter & brighter.

The short version of what’s coming in the headlamp world is that LED technology has racheted up another notch. Across the board everyone making headlamps has increased the light output of their headlamps, while simultaneously lowering weight and holding steady on cost, or in some cases, going lower. With improved LED’s the necessity to have power from large batteries appears to be fading with headlamps offering over 160 lumens with just 3 AAA batteries in whatever form you prefer, alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable NmH or NiCd if you still have some.
Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 08 2013

First Look: Jetboil Joule™

 

Joule inverts the canister and preheats the fuel for more efficient output.

Joule inverts the canister and preheats the fuel for more efficient output.

Jetboil is upping the ante with Joule, their new stove system that combines the fuel efficient improvements of their Helios stove with a larger pot for car camping or groups. As with all Jetboil systems, it packs down nice and neat inside its own 2½-liter pot.

Not only does the Joule eek out every last drop of butane fuel by inverting the canister, but it also preheats the fuel by running the fuel line through the flame for maximum efficiency. The preheat of the fuel will really help at altitude, or snow camping. An updated valve also allows for more adjustment range on the flame, so you can bring water to a boil fast, then turn it down to simmer while your dehydrated food cooks, or for cooking perishables slowly on an old fashioned cast iron skillet.
Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 06 2013

Events Calendar for BC skiers

 

The biggest TeleFest in the west - at Bear Valley (circa 2008).

The biggest TeleFest in the west – at Bear Valley.

Just a quick note to introduce the Events Calendar on this site. In your haste you probably didn’t notice, but yes, there is a new tab in the navigation bar up top and there is also a widget (those boxes in the sidebars) on the right which shows the next five or so events coming up. Just click on the event title and that will take you to a page giving all details of the event, including when and where (with a Google Map for convenience) and how much it costs.

There aren’t a whole lot of events to announce at this time, but it is still summertime. Even so, there are about to be a flurry of swap meets and fund raisers for Avalanche Centers bearing down on our social schedules, begging for our attendance.
Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 05 2013

Report from Summer O.R. show 2013

Walk this way to BC toys galore.

Walk this way to BC toys galore.

Once again, last week was spent in Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace, temporary home to the toy palace of every outdoor aficionado’s wildest dreams. Though the focus of EarnYourTurns is essentially winter, we don’t go into hibernation when the weather gets warmer. So I wandered the halls of the Summer Outdoor Retailer show looking for cool accessories that are equally useful no matter what the temperature is.

Energy Bars
My focus this past show was on headlamps and energy snacks, although I must admit nibbling on samples from PowerBar, ClifBar, and Honey Stinger, plus hot samples of the latest dehydrated food from BackPacker’s Pantry did not quite keep the hunger pangs at bay for the entire day. Twice in four days I fell for the satisfaction of a mini-carbo, nutritionally toxic, wheat bomb, sometimes called a soft pretzel. On the days I didn’t, I simply hit on BackPacker’s Pantry twice to sample more of their delicious offerings. My fave was pretty much everyone’s fave, Phad Thai, although the Pad See Ew was rather tasty, as was their new stew, the name of which evades me.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 28 2013

Fridtjof Nansen: Visionary Skier

…those wonderful, long, steep mountainsides, where the snow lies soft as eiderdown, where one can ski as fast as one desires…From the tips of the skis…the snow sprays knee-high, to swirl up in white clouds behind; but ahead all is clear. You cleave the snow like an arrow…you just have to tense your muscles, keep your body under control, and let yourself wing down-wards like an avalanche.
— Fridtjof Nansen, En Skitur fra Voss til Kristiania, 1884

Fridtjof Nansen - Pride of Norway.

Fridtjof Nansen – Pride of Norway.

Fridtjof Nansen’s first flight off the Huseby Hill ski jump near Christiania (as Oslo was then called) was inauspicious for the man who would prove the virtues of skis in exploration across Greenland and on the pack ice of the North Pole. Forbidden by his parents from using the big jump, he nonetheless flew off it at age ten, landing head first in soft snow, to the laughter of his friends. He improved with practice, becoming one of the best all-around skiers in Norway.

A century ago Nansen, a zoologist, pioneering neurologist and oceanographer, best-selling author and Norwegian national hero, earned worldwide fame for his epic ski journeys.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jul 26 2013

Fey Bros. take over Crispi US Distribution

Crispi's Shiver Rando comes with tech inserts.

Crispi’s Shiver Rando comes with tech inserts.

Fans of Crispi boots can breath a sigh of relief that their favorite brand will be available this season (13/14). The Fey brothers, owners of Telemarkdown.com and the promoters of teleboarding, the telemark version of snowboarding, have acquired exclusive distribution rights to Crispi ski boots in the United States. Crispi ski boots will be available online through Summitcone Sports.

Crispi was the third brand to build plastic telemark boots in the late 90s. The brand never attained much market share, but its customers were loyal. Last year Alpina did not renew their contract to distribute Crispi in the United States and the future availability of Crispi was up in the air.
Keep making backcountry turns