Hey, ski season ain’t over yet, okay? Not for me. But review season needs a breather —
It’s a Powder Monday somewhere today. Pssst, don’t tell the boss.
Apr 14 2013
Lil’ Morrison Powder
Apr 10 2013
Meanderthal Conversations
It had been a long time, too long, since we had all skied together. At least five years. Gilski and I had rendezvoused a few times at Mammoth in the interim but the last time I skied with Lou was at Onion Valley back in ’97 and with Rober’ it had been since ’05 in the Selkirks.
Reaping what we earned – Gilski takes a faceshot on the chin.
Apr 08 2013
Technique: Waxing Skins – How & Why
Waxing skins is an essential part of taking care of your climbing skins which will also improve their performance. While skins are used for their climbing ability, their ability to glide when sliding between grip modes will help you climb faster. It does so two ways.
Glopped up! Time for a waxy cure.
Most importantly it can prevent a skin from icing up, which severely hampers glide by creating a rough surface and extra weight. Trying to ascend with iced up skins sucks! By waxing your skins you give them a waterproof coating that helps prevent the fibers from absorbing moisture when the snow is wet. Once they get wet and they come in contact with cold, dry snow, it will freeze to the skin, and then more and more crystals will and soon you’ll have huge globs of snow stuck to the bottom of your skis.
Secondarily, and less noticeable, with the right wax you can increase actual gliding speed and distance on flats or going downhill. You’re less likely to notice the latter benefit, but certainly you can notice the first. So always bring a small bar of wax, and rub it on at the trailhead, tip to tail. It can help you and it won’t hurt you.
This was underscored on my last tour to Tahoe’s west shore recently, all because I forgot a small chunk o’ wax.
Keep making backcountry turns
Apr 03 2013
Technique: Meanderthal avy assessment
Ooops. Mount Judah’s east bowl wasn’t
as stable as last visit.
My preference is to throw a few in. Makes for a quicker climb to the microwave towers while confirming the best, and/or avy prone conditions by throwing in a few jackknife turns in select zones. Plus I like to include a little technique test for those who are switchback challenged and can’t do the free-pivot switchback dance (yet). It requires a little ballroom footwork, but less energy once you figure it out.
Keep making backcountry turns
Apr 01 2013
Review: Adrenaline, Tyrolia’s passport binder
Adrenaline, Tyrolia’s BC passport
In downhill mode there is little to distinguish Tyrolia’s AT trainer binding from other brands. A passing glance would suggest the only difference between the Adrenaline’s toepiece and the Duke’s or Guardian’s is color, name, and brand painted on it. It seems that to provide the requisite adjustability in toe height that is necessary to accomodate AT and alpine boots there are limits to how creative you can be. Same for the heel. One could lament the lack of diversity in design, or accept it as being on par with other proven designs. My vote is for the latter, which is why it should be on your list of considerations if you want an AT binding that can perform wherever you point ’em, down or up.
Keep making backcountry turns
Mar 28 2013
Review: Ascension Climbing Skins (v.12-13)
It has been a year since my first tour with the current version of Ascension climbing skins. The last pair of nylon skins from BD sported the tire tread pattern, Glidelite brand name, and lasted 5+ years before the glue went bad (serendipitously just one week after a rave review 😉 ) You can tell this is a new version by the inclusion of the BD logo sprinkled about the pattern on the plush. The previous version was monochromatic burnt-orange, the current model is a visual upgrade.
Jason Layh returns to the tracks for another lap, powered by Ascension and sweat.
That’s the most obvious change until you get set to trim them to your skis. At that moment you can definitely tell that the glue is different.
Keep making backcountry turns
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