Nov 02 2012

Preparing Wood for Winter

 
Thankfully, for the moment, the threat of winter has relented. Actually, it can come back any time but I needed the last three days to better prepare for it. In short, that meant splitting and stacking the wood supply for the winter.

Knotty wood – natural art.


Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 31 2012

Tech Tip: Boot Fitting 101 – Footbeds

Nearly everyone needs some sort of customization to get the maximum performance and comfort out of a ski boot. Some folks always need a lot of tweaking, some need very little, and the boot that we tend to buy is the one that requires the least amount of adjustments to make fit.

Fit is a simple three letter word but there are a lot of things that need to mesh together well to get even an acceptable fit. If you want long term comfort and high performance, more things need to align well. Then add in the special requirements of backcountry skiing where the performance of a boot is intimately tied to its walking comfort as well as a firm delivery of leg power and you have a very tall order to fulfill.
Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 28 2012

Event: Legend of Aahhh’s comes to Tahoe

 

In Tahoe Nov. 2nd., 2012

Legend of Aahhh’s is coming to the Tahoe area this Friday, Nov. 2nd at the Olympic Valley Lodge. Come get amped for the new season by reflecting on one of the most influential ski films ever produced, the Blizzard of Aahhh’s by Greg Stump.

Sponsored by the Start Haus, Truckee’s local radio station 101.5 KTKE-FM and the Squaw Valley Institute, this Friday is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Tahoe’s local ski culture and its influence around the world. The Start Haus kicks things off with a showing of Blizzard of Aahhh’s at their Truckee store (10990 Donner Pass Rd.) at 4 pm, Friday afternoon, Nov. 2nd.
Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 28 2012

TR: First turns at Squaw

Last week was an unexpected delight with up to three feet of snow blowing in on the Sierra Crest on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Travis Ganong files the following pictorial report, the day the storm abatted.

Ah, the benefits of getting after it early, and solo.


Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 24 2012

TR: In-bounds, untracked at Sugar Bowl

 

Lots of folks willing to hike at Sugar Bowl for the first turns of the 12/13 season.

What are the results from the season opener? Fresh tracks, two face shots, a serendipitous meeting with friends, revelations with G3’s Onyx, some sweet tele turns with an attack of the nuns using the NTN Freedom binding, no trouble but an unexpected symptom with Ascension glue, the usual frosting with G3 Alpinists skins, and great tackiness with BCA’s Magic Carpet skins.

About 25 people made turns at Sugar Bowl resort yesterday. A nice skin track was laid from the village up the groomers on the north side of Disney. The upper pitches held pretty steady at 20° and none of the skins I tried had a problem with that. The fact that they were 85mm wide straight skins did require a bit of technique to prevent the exposed p-tex on the Nunataqs from affecting grip, but I managed to hold on easy enough, even on a few short 23° sections.
Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 23 2012

Ski Season 12/13 Begins – Day 1

First storm of the 12/13 season – more than enough to ski in.

Like every good storm I’ve ever seen in Tahoe, this one came in early. Cousin JD reported 18 inches of fresh yesterday at Alpine Meadows and I didn’t think we’d get half of that until tomorrow. So it’s time to organize and hit it early in the morning.

There’s been a bunch of gear begging for some publicity with nothing but the slippery slopes of speculation to judge them from – until now. I did a quick and efficient backcountry wax job on a pair of Volkl’s and G3 Spitfire LT’s. It is one of the narrowest skis G3 makes, but perfectly sized for a batch of skins that need to be experienced again to remind me of their subtle differences. There is little concern that they will grip adequately. I’m more interested in whether one seems to glide better, is easier to rip the hide with, pull apart after storage, or ice up if the conditions are ripe for it. G3’s Alpinist, BD’s Ascensions, BCA’s Magic Carpet and Colltex’s mohair/nylon blend are on the menu for comparison.
Keep making backcountry turns

Oct 22 2012

Review: A closer look at Lange’s XT

It was love at first kiss and the way the Lange XT held my feet I couldn’t help wonder what a longer term relationship might produce. I still haven’t had the pleasure of even a single day tour with a pair but I’ve had a chance to look a lot closer at the design. Aside from not having tech inserts, the Lange XT still looks like an excellent passport boot, ready to cross boundaries on a whim and keep you smiling on both sides of the ridge.

Keep making backcountry turns