Jan 17 2012

Preview: Lange XT for BC

Lange enters the backcountry with the XT

Even Lange is joining the backcountry next year with their announcement of the XT boot. To which I can only say, sheesh, what took you so long? My very first pair of boots in the backcountry were Langes paired with Ramer bindings. That may have been why I had such a favorable impression of Ramer’s, because I had such good boots for downhill performance.

Ask almost anyone who is first getting in to the backcountry, especially if they’re a young ripper, and they’ll make it clear they’re only hiking for the turns. For them it’s totally about the down. Alpine companies are obviously waking up to that, but Lange, it seems, has been very slow to join the club.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 16 2012

Alpenglow Sports Under New Ownership

Tahoe City, Calif. – January 16, 2012 – Alpenglow Sports, Northern California’s leading provider of backcountry and Nordic ski equipment, and most things outdoors, today announced it’s sale to long-time employee Brendan Madigan.

Long-time employee Brendan Madigan steps up and takes the reins at North Lake Tahoe's premier outdoor shop, Alpenglow.

After coming to the Tahoe for its famed winters and epic wilderness running, Madigan began work at Alpenglow in 2003 and has functioned in a managerial capacity since 2007. Extremely excited and humbled by the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of outdoor specialty pioneer Donald Fyfe, Alpenglow’s owner of 32 years, Madigan calls his ownership of Alpenglow a “dream come true.”

Madigan, a native of Virginia states, “Alpenglow sells fun. And luckily for me, my passion for mountain sports channel directly into that mantra. I literally get to eat, sleep and breathe fun. I love what I do, and there couldn’t be a more perfect combination.”

Under the apprenticeship of Don Fyfe, Madigan has evolved in his capacity at the well-known Tahoe City business.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 15 2012

Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC this week

Just a quick note to let you know I’m off to the annual slobberfest known as the Outdoor Retailer show. For newbies this is the bi-annual trade show for the outdoor sports industry where manufacturers show off all the fun new toys they’ve cooked up for next season.

As you would expect there will be a whole bunch of new skis, boots, and bindings on tap for next year, plus the usual assortment of apparel in base, insulation, and outer layers to be wowed by as well as a ton of accessories that I can’t even begin to imagine the scope and depth of what will be revealed.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 14 2012

Review: A closer look at Hammerhead (beta)

Rerun: This article first appeared on Couloir Online 08aug01

Rainey Designs beta program delivers major improvements

The Hammerhead increases control for 21st century plastic boots to the same degree that the SuperLoop or Voile 3-pin cable did for leather boots back in the day. Which means the Hammerhead must be doing something dramatically different than other bindings. It is. The key elements are a 6 inch spring with a full two inches of travel (so you can’t bottom it out) and a cable that’s routed underfoot.

The original Hammerhead, circa 2001, that changed telemarks perception of itself.

In a nutshell, performance was improved over the beta version at either end of the tension scale. In high tension mode, the spring was softer, allowing it to engage more progressively. By comparison, the beta version kicked in pretty hard. Then, at the touring end, the new Hammerhead provides gobs more freedom in the heel for easier uphill skinning.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 11 2012

Review: Backcountry Mag, Jan. 2012

BC Mag Jan. 2012,
(Vol. 17, #86)

Nevermind that they were once my competitor, then a suitor, and for a short spell, a partner. While some might say that lacking any competition prevents calling them the preeminent mag on the subject, I say that’s a shallow argument overlooking the amount of space or depth that other snow publications devote to the subject. Over time Backcountry magazine has evolved into a solid representative for the backcountry skiing community and those who know me know this is not a casual admission.

The evidence, however, is irrefutable with the current issue now on newsstands. Within the space of 102 pages the Height of Land team manages to pack enough ads to appear not just solvent, but profitable. While some may lament the space devoted to ads I can assure you, those are not a detraction to this curmudgeons eyes, especially when they all reflect the spirit of earning turns, even if it is just a catchy slogan to get you to buy their gear. After all, some of the gear makes the experience better, and some is just plain necessary to be a backcountry skier, like skis, free-heel bindings and skins.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 10 2012

Preview: TNF Patrol 24 (ABS Pack)

The North Face's Patrol 24. Dual airbags with the ABS system for a cool $999.

The North Face will be entering the avalanche airbag market next season with two products, a 24 liter pack and a vest. Aside from staying home, airbag packs are the most reliable way to avoid being buried in an avalanche with a 97% survival rate. The North Face’s interest in the product stems from their team of athletes. TNF pro snowboarder Xavier de la Rue was caught in an avalanche and survived a 2,000-plus foot ride thanks to use of an ABS pack.

The first pack delivered will be the Patrol 24, a 24 liter pack built around the life saving system using dual airbags and a pyrotechnic trigger pioneered and perfected by ABS of Germany. Fabric for the pack will be a durable 315 denier Cordura® with an avalanche tools pocket and organizational sleeves inside, plus a simple tuck-away ski/board carry system. The quick deploying airbags will be made from Bombastic™ nylon, similar to that used in auto airbags.

Total weight for the Patrol 24 is targeted at 6 lbs. 9 oz. (~ 3 kg). This will include a new cartridge developed by The North Face which is even lighter than the carbon-fiber cartridge developed by ABS.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 04 2012

Preview: Garmont’s Power-Lite AT Boot Series

Garmont Cosmos • $700 • 1450g/boot
EZ Fit Liner • Sizes: 25 - 31.5 (mondo)

Garmont will be introducing a new series of Alpine Touring boots for next season aimed at true backcountry skiers, the kind who demand high performance going down and uphill. Four models will be available, the 4-buckle Cosmos and Celeste, along with the 3-buckle Orbit and Nova boots (mens and women’s respectively).

Most of the features listed in the press release indicate this is the sort of progression in design and functionality you would expect. Garmont did a bang-up job of recognizing early on that to pull more people out-of-bounds they had to provide downhill performance on par with resort boots. Weight was a key component to acceptance of these boots, as exhibited by their Delerium.
Keep making backcountry turns