Sep 17 2010

Snowlands Auction

Snowlands Network is hosting an auction through this weekend to raise money for protecting wilderness lands from mechanized intrusions. There are lots of good causes to support these days, and they all need it because it seems the attacks on what is good are relentless. In the context of Snowlands Network, the goal is to reduce and control the use of land traditionally enjoyed by human powered backcountry folk from the gas-powered variety. In simple terms, keeping snowmobiles out of backcountry and cross-country ski domains.

The easiest way to help with that ongoing battle is to donate money to the cause. Become a member of Snowlands Network and then add to their coffers so they can make the time to carry on the fight. The other way is to get involved and donate your time and energy.

For now, here’s a link to their site. Snowlands Network.

And a link to the auction going on through Sept. 19, 2010. Support the cause!
Auction ID: SummerSnow
Auction Password: Snowlands

Check out what they do and help as you can and are so inclined.

Sep 10 2010

Clip-skins Review (beta version)

When Kaj Gyr first told me of his idea for glueless climbing skins I was intrigued but skeptical. Glued skins have always had the potential for trouble, but with proper care and a bit of luck I’ve been satisfied with most pairs of skins I’ve used. Occasionally I’ll get a pair with a bogus batch of glue, but that’s not the norm.
clip-skins folded
However the potential for trouble doubles with fat skins. The more glue you have, the more you tempt fate.

Half the reason I still refuse to own a pair of skis wider than 90mm at the waist, and by extension, climbing skins wider than 90mm either, is because you can’t easily rip the hide when skins get wider than 85mm throughout their length. With a skinny, 80mm wide skin I can “rip the hide” in one fell swoop. Increase the width to only 90mm and I’m straining to separate the skin from ski every centimeter of its length. Make ‘em wider than 90mm and most folks are forced to take their skis off and use their body weight to get the skins off the skis.

The severity of how much force is necessary to rip wide hides was driven home when Kaj told me about a friend of his who fell over after straining to rip his skins from his skis. He pulled so hard he lost his balance, fell over, cracked the cornice he was standing on and was tumbled in an avalanche for 1500 feet.

Keep making backcountry turns

Sep 01 2010

Heli-skiing comes to Tahoe

It looks like heli-skiing will be an available option for Tahoe area skiers this winter (by the time there’s enough snow, probably 2011). The last time heli-skiing was offered in the Sierra was in the early 1970s, near Mammoth. This will be the first time ever in the Tahoe area.

According to Dave Rintala, owner of Pacific Crest Heli-Guides, “PCHG will expand their successful snowcat operation in Coldstream Canyon to include freshies in a zone north of I-80, south of the Sierra Buttes, and west of Mt. Lola and Castle Peak. An A-Star helicopter, courtesy of Heli-Tahoe, a Lake Tahoe sight seeing company, will shuttle skiers from Truckee airport to secret stashes on the weather side of the Pacific Crest with typical snow depths more than six feet.

Two attempts to bring helicopter skiing to the Sierra since the 1970s have been unable to obtain permits from the Forest Service who bowed to protests by backcountry skiers, often led by Snowlands Network.

“We chose the land we did for a couple of reasons, said Rintala.

“First, we wanted to avoid any confrontations with other users, so we steered clear of popular backcountry areas. Besides, those areas tend to be dedicated wilderness areas, or on forest service land. Secondly, we wanted to avoid the permit system.”
Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 26 2010

Memory Lane 1992

Harbinger of things to come (the cell phone) using gear that would all be usurped.

Been going through the old slides, trying to whittle down the amount of celluloid taking up space in our cramped abode. You can’t take it with you, and lugging it around is a major pain in the arse. Besides, if you’re not using all your stuff regularly, it’s just clutter. Who needs more of that?

Serendipitously the mad Josh Madsen, le editor for Telemark Skier Magazine, asked me to be on the lookout for images from when interest in telemarking was first catching fire in America. In Europe it was ski mountaineering A.T. style but stateside we had to come to it our own way. Nordic skiing had just experienced a boom in the 70s so America’s backcountry began courting converts with the telemark dance.
Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 23 2010

Exped’s Dreamwalker

Last fall Exped’s US marketing manager Kaj Bune sent me an email with a YouTube link. I’m a big fan of Exped’s down sleeping mats, but not a big fan of YouTube links and recommendations in emails, especially when there is a known marketing message involved. So I decided to call and harass him for cluttering my email with that junk. Kaj laughed but insisted I “check it out.” He admitted it was completely off the wall, but worth a few minutes time. So I did.

What a bunch of kooks! In this short vid Kaj Bune and Ted Steudel show up at a ski resort, then proceed to make turns and turn heads dressed in their Dreamwalker sleeping bags. Okay, it’s comical and he got my attention.

When I swung by the Exped booth at the recent summer OR show I had to ask Kaj to give me the real lowdown on the nutcase sleeping bag. It turns out this isn’t a new idea for Exped. The original concept was first introduced in 1998 as the Wallcreeper, something obviously aimed at adrenalin crazed climbers but not for more normal people. Or so I thought until Kaj took the time to explain.

Keep making backcountry turns

Aug 18 2010

Black Diamond’s Z-Poles

Despite the absence of winter product at the recent Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City there were still some items worth a closer look. Black Diamond introduced a new line of trekking poles. When I heard the word trekking I tried to avoid them but my friends at BD insisted on showing them. As soon as I saw them broken down for storage my skepticism vanished. These are not an adaptation of their popular Flick-Lock series, but rather an ingenious implementation of the Z-folding design of avalanche probes. The result is a line of poles for trekking called Z-poles that break down into a three section pole about 16” long.

There are three models; the carbon-fiber Ultra-Distance (MSRP $150), the Distance (MSRP $100), an aluminum economy version, and the Distance FL pole (MSRP $120), with an aluminum shaft and a Flick-Lock™ upper section to provide 20cm of length adjustment. The grips are made of EVA foam rubber which is super comfortable with a grippy, spongy rubber with a nice round top for palming and a strap that is easily adjusted with Velcro. At first look it would seem that these poles could be easily adapted to backcountry skiing, especially splitboarding, except for two gotchas. First, BD says they aren’t tough enough to withstand crashing on them sideways, an inevitable occurance with skiing or snowboarding. Secondly, the teeny baskets they come with would need to be replaced with a ski basket. To do that requires replacing the entire tip, not a trivial procedure, nor one BD intends to offer or stand by. Bummer for now, but who knows if/when this concept will migrate to the skiing realm.

The z-pole design allows for compact storage.

Aug 11 2010

NTN rumors at Summer OR 2010

By the second day it was apparent that there was nothing new to report on for core ski mountaineering equipment from the Summer Outdoor Retailer show last week (03-06 aug10). Not in 15 years has there been this little evidence of winter at the Summer Outdoor Retailer show. According to Lou Dawson, “it’s because the show is sold out. There just isn’t any room for winter equipment.”

By and large Lou was spot on. The exceptions were Scarpa and Garmont who had their full line of ski boots available to view and fondle, but true to the summer focus, those boots were largely ignored.

The most intriguing news of the show must remain a rumor, but it does indicate that there is hope for the long term survival of the New Telemark Norm boot/binding system.

It appears that at least a few people have been thinking of alternative ways to implement use of the new sole of NTN boots with a binding that may or may not violate Rottefella’s patent on use of the second heel. As ever, this is another combination of existing concepts that threaten to provide power on par with Hammerhead, true free-pivot touring and all for less than the current tele benchmark of three pounds per pair. If these ideas are successfully developed there may be an alternative NTN binding available in as little as two years.
Keep making backcountry turns