Now - Off

Transcription

Now - Off

Priceless
Altai Skis
Tordrillos
Shralp Hawk
Avy Education
Weather Stations
June Mountain, CA
and more
Issue XXXIX
December 2008
Core Values.
Core |kôr|
noun - the most important part of something
Making skis isn’t a sideline at Voilé-USA, it exemplifies the core of who we are
and what we do. Because weight matters we handcraft our backcountry skis
with a lightweight, aspen wood core. These are shaped with our in-house,
precision 3D CNC router to enhance the natural liveliness of the laminated core.
Then we add a high quality (expensive) triaxial carbon fiberglass to the top and
bottom to enhance durability and torsional stability without sacrificing weight.
Generous dimensions insure flotation, and a short radius sidecut speeds up
responsiveness. The results are two skis from Voilé, the lively and fat Insane
and still fatter Asylum, that let you get right to the core of backcountry skiing—
untracked exhilaration—with no regrets.
Made by Voilé in the USA, Salt Lake City, Utah
195 ASYLUM
183 INSANE
www.voile-usa.com • 801-973-8622
2 Off-Piste December 2008
Issue XXXIX Off-Piste 3
Off-Piste
Contents
Volume X Issue XXXIX
Publisher/Editor
David Waag
Assistant Editor
Omar Sankari
features
Design Consultant
Ullr
Copy Editors
Eileen Garvin, Karen Holt
Contributing Writers
Kirk Bachman, Michael Becker, Eileen Garvin, Brian
Holcombe, Conor Hurley, Leigh Jones, Nils Larsen, Brian
Litz, Joe Merrimann, Andy Roof, Wendy Wagner, Lance
Waring, Andrew Wexler
Contributing Photographers/Artists
Adam Clark, Ian Coble, Chad Coleman,
Ryan Creary, Larry Goldie, Grant Gunderson, Michael
Halle, Conor Hurley, Nils Larsen, Jason Laramie,
Jason Leslie, Steve Ogle, Chris Miller, SP Parker, Andy
Riemenschneider, Howie Schwartz, David Waag, Andrew
Wexler, Will Wissman
Web Geek
Karen Holt
Confessions of a San Juan Skier
12
Cry of the Schralp Hawk
14
Ski Construction - Altai Style
16
Tordrillo Traverse - Take Two
The Sensitive San Jaun Snowpack - Lance Waring
Exploring the Outer Limits of Rogers Pass - Conor Hurley
Traditional Ski Construction - Nils Larsen
Second Time is a Charm - Andrew Wexler
departments
8 What’s Up
9 Letters
Printing & Distribution
Oregon Litho, McMinnville, OR
Off-Piste PO Box 1626 Hood River, OR 97031
509-999-2208 [email protected]
www.offpistemag.com
All Content Copyright 2008 Freeheel Press
18
20
24
26
28
34
36
Printed in the USA on recycled paper
Circulation: 6,500 + at selected outlets in North
America. Cool outdoor shops and select coffee houses
distribute Off-Piste. Call us and get on board.
Contribute: Be creative! Send artwork, photos, news,
stories, comments, and suggestions.
[email protected]
Advertise: Call or e-mail for our media kit.
Subscriptions: 4 issues = $15 / 8 issues= $25
The opinions expressed in Off-Piste do not necessarily represent those
of the publisher or editorial staff. Closed minds are dangerous. No part
of Off-Piste may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent
from Freeheel Press.
Warning: Backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous. It may well cause
disruption in your otherwise normal life. Off-Piste is no substitute for
honest field experience. Be careful out there.
Cover Photo: Will Wissman
SCA-0167_TX2_Lady_OffPiste-10x7_75.qx:Layout
Skier:
Tom Wayes leave shis mark on the 49th state 1
10
Sidecountry Attractions - June Mountain, CA
Gallery
Backcountry Beta - Idiot’s Guide to Weather Stations
Avy 101 - Education
Ask The PT - Hip Flexors
Words and Images - Book and Movie Reviews
Gear Talk - Assorted New & Useful Gear
Contents Page Illustration: Chris Miller
10/11/07
2:51 PM
Page 1
SCARPA TELEMARK SERIES
T2X LADY
There’s nothing ordinary about smiling into a blizzard for hours on end. But when the wind and snow combine
for endless freshies, it’s hard to wipe that grin off your face. Not merely a gussied up men’s model, the T2X
Lady is a fully-capable, go-anywhere, ski-anything boot designed specifically for women’s feet. The female
friendly flex, overlap cuff and Integrated Torsion Frame maximize downhill control while the Ski-Walk
mechanism, tour clasp, and PlusFit ® liners keep your feet happy during the tour. With a precise-fitting
boot like the T2X, you’ll always be ready for another lap. What more would you expect from the family
of craftsmen (and women!) dedicated to meeting the demands of those who lead less ordinary lives?
TO SEE THE COMPLETE LINE VISIT
S CA R PA.C O M
First Tracks
E
asy come, easy go is often the
name of the game in snow quality
around these parts. This week, that
saying applies to the snowpack. Just last
week we had about 30 inches on the ground
at treeline; today, it is all gone. It is early yet –
mid-November. And although I have seen images
of powder turns in the Wasatch and British Columbia,
I know it only takes one good Pacific cycle to start the
game here.
While out hiking (in shorts) today with the temperature at
the four thousand-foot level hovering near 60 degrees, I found
myself bitterly mumbling about the weather. In Oregon it is hard
to complain about hiking in the sunshine in November, as there are
years that the sun makes very few appearances between Halloween and
Easter. But I was doing pretty well at cursing the current conditions when
my wife reminded me of the winter of 2001-02, when we hiked in similar
snow-free conditions at close to six thousand feet on Thanksgiving day – and
that turned out to be a heck of a winter around here.
Of course, I remember the Thanksgivings that I skied pow; it’s part of the curse of
being snow-obsessed. I like to remind myself that I could have much more unseemly
obsessions. I also like to remind myself that what we lack in snow quality around here,
we make up for in sheer quantity. Mt. Hood sees an average of about 450 inches of snow a
year; 432 inches to be precise, according one source I consulted. Last season topped out at a
staggering 850-plus inches. Numbers like these are comforting to me when I am able to hike to
treeline in 60-degree weather in mid-November. Numbers like these are also comforting when images
of skiing from around the country begin to fill my inbox and I have yet to even wax my boards.
November is a month that can go either way; it can instill confidence in an epic snow year, or it can breed
uncertainty. As Saint Augustine would have it, patience is the companion of wisdom, and although he was not
referring to ski season, it is sound advice. Hopefully, by the time these words find their way into your hands, we
will all be skiing. - David Waag
Deep December in the Monashees
Bendy where it counts.
StormTracker Gloves™
The natural articulation of MotionWrap™ AT,
strategically combined with the weather-protective
stretch of WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shell fabric.
|
Seattle, WA | outdoorresearch.com/stormtracker
A
:6# PI T GN I R UOT E N IPL
7 retpahC
G N I R UO T E N IP L A
,
”.sloot yrtnuockcab laitnesse osla er’yeht
temos ;nur demoorg a
.y rtnuockcab eht ni od t’nac uoy gnih
ns y kcirt esoht enibmoC
dna kcap y vaeh a htiw snoitidnoc wo
pu gni kl aw morf eugitaf
h
ylgu teg nac sgniht dna ,sruoh rof lli
o yhw si siTh .y rruh a ni
u
r
n
e
y kooh ssel eht evah si ks TA w
dna ,piT elfiorP redwoP
s
h
a
l
l
o
w
e
eseTh .stucedis evitcaer ssel ,r
ot eripsnoc serutaef ow t
erom dna elbatciderp erom a edivorp
namrofrep gnivigrof
,gnii ks rof tsuj t’nera si ks TA ,tsaL .ec
b l aitnesse osl a er’yeht
a dliub t’nac uoy fI .sloot y rtnuockca
uoy ,si ks ruoy htiw dels
htiw dels y cnegreme na gnirb ot evah
sir erom emussa ro ,uoy
,esiwekiL .y cnegreme fo esac eht ni k
a na dliub t’nac uoy fi
c
h
era yeht esuaceb si ks ruoy htiw ro n
t deen uoy ,spit niw t
o
b
r
i
n
g
p
htiw rohcna rehto emos ro stekci
ek am secnatsni htoB .uoy
ssel gnii ks eht dna reivaeh kcap ruoy
ll a yhw s’taTh .elbayojne
dna sliat thgiarts evah si ks TA ruo fo
ni seloh etaroprocni tsom
a dnfi ll’uoy woleB .sliat dna spit eht
syaw fo y teirav
.sloot sa si ks TA 2 K ruoy esu nac uoy
gniiks rof tsuj t’nera siks TA“
erb rof tsuj ton s’ti -TA
tsetsaf eht s’ti tcaf nI .eromyna tsaf k a
t fo tnemges gniworg
h
e
s
p
o
r
t
.
nitraM sretset rebü tup ew oS
eLcM werdn A ,nekloV
tset s’nemow ruo dna tramS seliM ,na
ninfier krow ot maet
ruo si tluser eTh .noitcelloc TA ruo g
t enil TA etelpmoc tsom
namow reve tsrfi eht gnidulcni etad o
ht— sledom TA cfiiceps
neh W .enn A s kuhS dna rek aB ssiM e
reht ,i ks TA na gnitceles
,tsriF .redisnoc ot sgniht l areves era e
na kcap a gniy rrac er’uoy
ot .sbl 51 dda lliw kcap thgil a neve d
hw ,thgiew ll arevo ruoy
r
e
a
05 dda dluoc kcap thginrevo na s e
A ruo oS .erom ro .sbl
T
s
k
i
s
a
r
etadommocca ot reffits ylthgils e
txeN .thgiew artxe taht
y rtnuockcab eht ni snoitidnoc wons ,
reffid yltsav net fo era
.aera-ni retnuocne uoy esoht naht tne
oorg erehw ,stroser tA
fo emulov hgih a dna tnempiuqe gnim
inegomoh yl kciuq srei ks
gnignell ahc ylurt ,ecafrus wons eht ez
ylerar snoitidnoc
kcits redwop nees revE .gnol rof tsixe
l troser a dnuora
o
n
g
e
n
fi dn A ?tsurc nus a poleved ot hguo
noitidnoc hguot
s
d
o
e
x
i
s
t
,
i
ot revo esrevart ylpmis ot ysae s’t
45–60˚
10– 20˚
slo
pe
What’s Up
ski news, access issues, and more
Backcountry Snowsports Alliance
Annual Bash
The American Mountaineering Center delivered a world-class
venue as the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance and Powderwhore
Productions teamed up to host a raucous evening of backcountry
revelry at the 16th Annual Backcountry Bash on Saturday
November 8, 2008, in the foothills enclave of Golden, Colorado.
Boulder, Colorado’s Avery Brewing Company provided lubrication
with the brewery’s delicious ales while attendees enjoyed a
spread provided by Chipotle and Whole Foods of Cherry Creek.
The standing room-only crowd of more than 200 quickly turned
its attention to over $40,000 in silent auction items, including
reservations in many of Colorado’s backcountry huts and yurts
and gear from manufacturers including Backcountry Access,
Black Diamond, Mountain Hardwear, and many more. Frenzied
bidding ensued and continued as 2008 Colorado State Champion
Auctioneer Shawn Hagler offered an entertaining live auction
for items including a reservation for 16 in any 10th Mountain
Division Hut, a Voile SD Mojo Splitboard, and a pair of Garmont
ski boots.
As the fundraising drew to a close, the Howell brothers took
to the stage with their latest film, The Pact and thoroughly
entertained the crowd.
Revenue generated at the event, which should total more than
$20,000, will provide a significant portion of the funding for
the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance and its work preserving
human-powered recreation opportunities in Colorado’s winter
backcountry. Upcoming Alliance projects include reviewing the
White River National Forest Travel Plan, continuing work with a
strong local group opposing the proposed Breckenridge Ski Area
expansion onto Peak 6, and creating protections for the San
Juan Hut System in Southwest Colorado.
The Backcountry Snowsports Alliance would like to thank
all of the attendees, volunteers, and industry partners that
contributed to the most successful Backcountry Bash in the
organization’s 17-year history.
For more information on past successes, current projects, and
partners check out www.backcountryalliance.org.
- Brian Holcombe
Telluride Ski Resort Considers
Expansion into Bear Creek
For the past twenty years, the Bear Creek drainage has
offered easy side-country access from the Telluride Ski Resort.
Currently, skiing in the Creek (as locals call it) is strangely
bifurcated. As of 2002, upper Bear Creek’s high alpine bowls
have been accessible via a 20-minute hike to a backcountry
gate. On the other hand, the steep trees and narrow chutes of
lower Bear Creek, which are proximal to existing ski runs, have
been closed since a series of avalanche fatalities in 1987. Now,
the ski area’s new CEO, Dave Riley, is considering expansion into
the Creek.
Last winter, in his first year on the job, Riley opened huge
swaths of hike-to terrain, including the summit of 13,320-foot
Palmyra Peak and the Gold Hill ridge. This summer, he oversaw
the construction of a new chairlift in Revelation Bowl. The new
lift terminates a three-minute stroll below the Bear Creek access
gate.
Now, Riley is floating the idea of building another chairlift to
convert upper Bear Creek into fully lift-served terrain. And, in
a surprise move, he announced the possible creation of access
gates into lower Bear Creek for the 2009 season. Some locals
support him; others claim he is the anti-Christ. One thing is
certain; If Riley’s expansionist vision prevails, side-country
skiing in Bear Creek may soon be smothered under a field of
bumps. - Lance Waring
Letters
Unfortunate Financial Situation
Advice for the Younger Generation
Hi Guys, I won’t be subscribing to your mag this season,
but I wanted to let you know that it’s strictly an
unfortunate financial decision, and has nothing to do with
your mag. I loved your magazine/paper, and maybe because
I’m stuck being more of a backcountry dreamer than doer, every time it showed up in my box was an exciting
day. I don’t subscribe to any other ski magazines and
wouldn’t consider them because I’m strictly interested
in backcountry skiing, and you were the only consistent
outlet for that interest. I assume it’s the same for other
backcountry skiers as well. Also, for a dreamer you might
think glossy color pics would draw me to other magazines,
but I felt that the organic and “home grown” feel of your
magazine was more appealing and more fitting with the
independent spirit of the backcountry lifestyle. Please
keep up the good work.
Dear Mr. Waag
Being in the vanguard of the baby-boomer generation
(those ravagers of social security and the environment).
I have come up with a list of indicators for you younger
backcountry aficionados that your time is short, and you
had better stop snoozing and get out of bed for that next
run. Death is “plucking your ear” as Oliver Wendell Holmes
would have it, when:
Future subscriber
David - CA
Ski Review, Subscriptions
Way to go Off-Piste. For a free publication (I know, I
know, I can subscribe – and I will) you guys create a
fine rag. You have the most insightful ski review in the
business (albeit, not as comprehensive as some – like
where are the Volkls?) Nonetheless, you deserve my money
for a subscription. Think snow!.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The bastard file that tunes your boards begins to work well on your toenails.
You lose more gear during the winter than you find during the spring snowmelt.
You know your progeny are better drivers to the trailhead than you ever were.
Your wife states that as long as the receiver works, loss of the transmit function is not grounds for a new transceiver
Your wife no longer inquires whether you are wearing your transceiver unless her progeny are going with you.
You actually enjoy skiing with pregnant women be
cause they do not drink your beer at the end of the day.
You are no longer concerned whether or not your urine is “clear and copious” as long as it is not red.
Gary Hollenbaugh - CO
Rich Peterson - WA
express yourself
Weather Geeks Unite
Thanks for continuing my favorite magazine. I loved the
ENSO article. Weather geeks that can write - who’d a
thunk!
Jonathon - OR
- the good, the bad, and the ugly
We welcome all feedback; . If we print your letter, you
will receive a complimmentary 1-year subscription.
po box 1626 hood river, or 97031
[email protected]
D GuiDe
2008 Karhu XC17
5, 185, 195cm
109-78-95mm
::
165,
Karhu Gear & XCD history ProjeCt
www.KarhusKiCo.com
www.WhereWiLLyousKi.com
Photos: (L) Allan Bard and Tom Carter, yodeling on the Redline
Traverse, by Tom Carter. (C and R): Larry Goldie, Justin Nyberg and
Steve Barnett XCD touring in the N. Cascades, by Graham Gephart.
Karhu® and Karhu & Design are registered trademarks of Karhu
Holding B.V. and are used herein under license.
T
hirty years of exploration, of turns, of sweat, of smiles. Thirty years
since we launched the first Karhu XCD ski and inspired a backcountry
revolution. Marrying elements of downhill and Nordic design, Karhu
XCD skis opened up a wilder side of winter on the feet of pioneers like Allan
Bard and Tom Carter. It's been 30 years, but the same spirit lives on today in
the full line of XCD Backcountry skis and boots built for go-anywhere backcountry versatility.
Confessions of a San Juan Skier
Lance Waring
The fact that I survived my first season in the
San Juans merely proves there is a god who looks
after drunks, small children, and powder skiers.
I
was 20 years old when I first arrived in Colorado’s San Juan
Mountains – far too young to dwell on the famously dangerous
nature of the snowpack. Like a puppy, I joyfully tagged along
whenever I was invited to join an experienced group for a
backcountry tour. Sure, I knew avalanches happened. But like most
youngsters, I didn’t believe they would happen to me.
Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t completely naive. I toured with
trusted friends who knew the routes and the snowpack. I faithfully
carried a borrowed beacon and shovel. I tried not to fall when
it was steep. The fact that I survived my first season in the San
Juans merely proves there is a god who looks after drunks, small
children, and powder skiers.
The next winter, I was up on the Telluride Ski Resort early one
morning. The director of snow safety, a wise and venerable man
named Craig Sterbenz, bent his own rules and invited me to tag
along on a bombing run. From a safe vantage point, I witnessed
the savage power of my first real-life avalanche – a rumbling wall
of snow that destroyed a half-acre stand of mature spruce in front
of my horrified eyes. I immediately enrolled in a Level I avalanche
course taught by Sterbenz and other members of the Telluride Ski
Patrol.
The class was an excellent introduction to avalanche science. We
discussed the effects of wind and weather on the snowpack. We
spent hours digging, assessing, and interpreting the information
contained in snow pits. We learned the basics of route finding.
And, of course, we practiced rescue techniques. I still recall
straining to discern the barely audible “pings” in the earpieces of
archaic Pieps and Skadis when we searched for buried beacons.
From that Level I class, I took away the following rules of thumb:
1)Avalanche danger is highest during and immediately after a
storm.
2)Beware of sudden changes in temperature.
3)Beware of the effects of wind.
4)Avoid terrain traps.
5)Any natural avalanche activity is a red light.
6)Because of their steep shapes, dramatic temperature gradients,
and continental snowpack, the San Juans are one of the most
unpredictable and avalanche-prone mountain ranges on the
planet.
Between 1985 and 1995, my first decade of touring in the San
Juans, those simplistic rules and a bit of good luck kept me out
of harm’s way. During that time, there were almost a dozen
avalanche fatalities, and at least twice as many close calls, in
the Telluride region. Fortunately – for me, at least – all the
dire events happened to strangers. Somehow, a combination
of skill, intuition, and good karma kept my immediate posse of
backcountry ski buddies alive. Once, I had a bad scare when
refrigerator-size blocks engulfed a dear friend. But he got a glove
up at the last minute, and our rescue was simple, swift, and
successful.
Photo Will Wissman
Nevertheless, the incident was a clear shot across the bow, and
it prompted me to enroll in a Level II avalanche course held
in nearby Silverton with some of the country’s top avalanche
Spatial variability dealt a crushing blow to
my fantasy of security in the backcountry. My
inviolable rules of avalanche safety were suddenly
trumped by the vagaries of Mother Nature.
scientists. For three days, we gathered in the classroom to discuss
avalanche arcana like the importance of turbulent suspension
during wind transport and the effect of localized curvature on
tensile stress in an inclined snowpack. The concept that really
stuck in my head was the notion of spatial variability.
In snow science, spatial variability describes an ugly truth: The
strength of the snowpack may vary across the area of a slope.
Proof of spatial variability came in a photograph of a pretty snowcovered bowl with an overlaid checkerboard consisting of onemeter squares. Snow scientists had painstakingly excavated and
examined the snow contained in each square. Most of their pits
showed well-bonded, cohesive layers. But, in seemingly random
places, they discovered potentially lethal weaknesses.
Spatial variability dealt a crushing blow to my fantasy of security
in the backcountry. My inviolable rules of avalanche safety were
suddenly trumped by the vagaries of Mother Nature. With terrifying
clarity, I realized a fundamental truth: Backcountry skiing in
the San Juans is a giant crapshoot. The corollary was equally
frightening. If I was playing a numbers game and had been lucky
so far, statistically how much longer could I expect my streak to
run?
My luck held for another decade. But in the spring of 2005, two
savvy friends had close brushes with the reaper. Brian O’Neill, a
respected mountain guide and world-class skier, took a 1,200-foot
ride while skiing a trade route off the backside of the ski resort.
The same day, Jerry Roberts, a long-time professional avalanche
forecaster and one of my snow science mentors, was buried for
seven minutes in an avalanche on Red Mountain Pass.
The good news – both friends survived. The bad news – my
confidence in anyone claiming to predict the stability of the local
snowpack vanished. After 25 years of backcountry skiing in the
San Juans, it seemed I was simply rolling the dice, hoping to avoid
snake eyes. I could dig ten pits every tour, carefully monitor wind
and weather, interpret all the data correctly, and follow protocol to
the letter, but deep in the belly of every soft powder turn lurked
spatial variability – i.e., an element of random luck.
The realization scares me, but I still go backcountry skiing in the
San Juans. Of course, I employ all techniques and tools at my
disposal to assess the avalanche hazard. And I frequently seek
out conservative lines in the low-angle trees. Admittedly, the turns
aren’t as exciting as steep couloirs or huge bowls, but I ski better
when I’m not looking over my shoulder anticipating the white
death.
Then there are days when the snow seems stable and all the signs
are right. I’ll confess that those days, when friends and I venture
into the backcountry to ski something big and open – when we
stick our heads in the lion’s jaws and pull ever-so-gently on his tail
– are the sweetest, most memorable, finest ski days of all. On the
other hand, I’ll also confess to a blissful sense of serenity every
day I ski bumps on the resort or glide around the Nordic track,
because any day I’m not in the San Juan backcountry is another
day I’m guaranteed not to die of slow suffocation beneath a pile of
avalanche debris.
R
the buried weak layer heightened the schralp hawk’s senses. Using
aptors soar gracefully through the sky, circling over their
the Forever Young Couloir as a test slope to gain knowledge of the
prey, stalking from above. The elusive schralp hawk shares
snowpack, the hawk planned a bold first descent of West Copper
the graceful approach of its raptor kin, but it dwells in drafty
Peak’s northeast face and north couloir.
basement apartments and feeds
On March 6, he swooped down the
on big lines and powder turns.
line, completing the first descent
The species descends from the
of the 800-plus-vertical-meter
common ski bum, but differs
The elusive schralp hawk shares the graceful approach of its raptor
couloir that averages 45 degrees.
from that ordinary creature in
Later in the month, he feasted on
its preference for climbing what
kin, but it dwells in drafty basement apartments and feeds on big
Ursus Minor’s northeast face and
it skis rather than hedonistically
lines and powder turns. The species descends from the common ski
Avalanche Mountain’s northwest
participating in lift-served powder
couloir – lines that had rarely (if
bum, but differs from that ordinary creature in its preference for
consumption. The schralp hawk,
ever) felt the caress of p-tex.
surviving on next to no money
climbing what it skis rather than hedonistically participating in liftand eating peanut butter and
served powder consumption.
As April neared, the schralp hawk
banana sandwiches all winter
strayed further into the nether
long, lives to climb and ski.
regions of Rogers Pass, exploring
powder turns around Avalanche Creek
The ornithological desire to
and returning via the Herdman Couloir.
pursue and study the culture of
But a hunger deep in his belly grew, and
the schralp hawk drove me from the
it could only be satisfied by a line that had
White Mountains of New Hampshire to
eluded him all season. The 500-vertical-meter,
Revelstoke, British Columbia. Perched
55-degree Comstock Couloir, which hangs from a col between the sumon the shore of the Columbia River in the heart of the Selkirk and
Monashee Mountains, Revelstoke is an epicenter for ski touring, ideal for mits of Mt. Feuz and Mt. Hasler (at 3,377 meters, the Selkirks’ second
highest peak), was the only thing that would satisfy his voracious apstalking the elusive schralp hawk. Good fortune struck when I stumbled
petite.
upon a schralp hawk’s nest in early December – a ghetto dwelling
complete with a bouldering wall in the living room. Through extensive
On the first of April the schralp hawk made a break for the Dawson
time spent ski touring around Rogers Pass in Canada’s Glacier National
Range. Going on a hunch, I and two other ornithologists (Greg Hill and
Park, I was able to document the schralp hawk’s movements over the
Aaron Chance) sped out of Revelstoke at 4:20 a.m. in pursuit of the
course of a full season.
raptor gone wild. Over the course of two days, my colleagues and I
witnessed an unprecedented flock of six schralp hawks skiing and riding
By the time of the winter solstice, the bird of prey had already begun
Mt. Hasler, Mt. Selwyn, Mt. Fox, and, ultimately, the Comstock Couloir.
leaving his marks on the couloirs of Mt. Sifton and Grizzly Mountain,
but these lines were simply mouse appetizers; the rabbits were still
While the days grew longer and the temperatures crept ever closer to
to come. The first high pressure system of the winter arrived in midthe freezing mark, the schralp hawk continued to wander, sneaking
January and yielded classic “Pass” tours such as the Jupiter Traverse
through the Copper Peak/Bagheera Mountain col down to Ursus Creek
via the Thorington Route, a variation of the Three Pass Traverse, and a
during a 14-hour, 3,150-vertical-meter, 28-kilometer, five-pass tour
descent of Mt. Green’s north face.
through Glacier National Park.
January passed into February. The snow piled up and so did the days
The spring migration pattern of these particular birds is a tough one to
of touring – 60-plus. Then as the winter storms backed off, the schralp
follow. As spring approached it became apparent that schralp hawks,
hawk grew hungry; he binged on lines like the upper north face of Mt.
like common people, must re-supply their reserves. Some go east,
Rogers, the southeast face of Balu Peak, the Tuzo Couloir (twice), Mt.
Bonney’s hanging glacier (at night), the Bonney Neve Traverse via Smart some go west. Others slink south and chase the Austral winter. The
schralp hawk I tracked appeared to be headed toward the cut blocks of
Creek, the north couloir on Cheops, and the east face of Avalanche
the East Kootenays, where he would spend the next couple of months
Mountain.
stuffing seedlings by the thousands into the ground in hopes that he
would be able to generate enough income to spend the next winter furMarch arrived like a lion, burying a late February surface hoar layer
ther stalking the uncharted territories of Rogers Pass.
under copious amounts of cold Selkirk powder. The reactive nature of
I
Image 1. Nils begins the process by notching the log with an axe.
n 2005, I had the good fortune to travel to the Altai Mountains
in northwestern China to document the indigenous use of skis.
The Altai Mountains are home to a tradition and style of skiing
that dates back to the earliest use of skis thousands of years
ago. I have since returned to the region a number of times, and I
continue to dig into the mysteries surrounding the origins of skiing.
During my first trip, I met Gessir, a local villager living in a small
settlement up in the mountains. He showed me how skis are made in the
Altai; it is a fascinating process that is, in most ways, ancient. I brought
the skis that Gessir made, along with other pairs, home to the states. I
skied on them around my place in northeastern Washington, but I was
constantly worried about breaking or damaging what are essentially
museum pieces. So last year I began constructing my own Altai skis
using the same methods and (as much as possible) the same tools that
Gessir used.
In the Altai, the tree of
choice for making skis
is the Siberian Spruce
(Picea obovata). Spruce
wood is light, relatively
strong, and was long
favored for ship masts
until recent times. I used
Engelmann Spruce (Picea
engelmannii), which grows
in the interior regions
of the northwestern
United States and is
similar in structure and
temperament to the
Siberian variety. On a cold
day in early December I
wandered into the woods
and found my ski tree; it
was growing in a shady
basin and was about
eight inches in diameter,
straight, tall, and mostly
free of limbs.
After sizing the log to
roughly the right length,
I split the tree as Gessir
had in the Altai, using
a small auger (hand
Gessir shapes his ski in the Altai.
Image 2. Nils starts the shaping process
drill), an axe, and some wooden wedges.
The first step is the tedious process of
drilling a set of parallel holes along the
center and through the log where you
intend to split it. Spruce often grows in
a twisting spiral, and drilling the holes
seems to keep the split line straight.
Centered along the line of holes and on
opposite sides of the log, wedge-shaped
grooves are cut with the axe (image 1),
like connecting the dots. This is the split
line, and once I made the grooves deep
enough, the frozen log split easily.
The next step is to roughly shape each
half of the tree into a ski blank. This
is done almost entirely with an axe.
Hand-forged and shafted with birch, the
hand axe is a universal tool in the Altai
Mountains. The villagers in the Altai are
remarkably skilled in all sorts of axe
work, from cutting down trees to making
complicated joints in their log work. My
axe work is not so practiced, so it took
me twice as long as Gessir to whittle
down the two halves into suitable blanks
(images 2 and 3). The final shaping and
dressing of the edges and the top and
bottom surfaces is done with a block
plane (image 4).
Image 3. Nils continues shaping.
The skis we found in the Altai varied a bit
in length and width depending on skiers
The Kalvträsk Bog Ski
continued on page 30
Image 4. Nils works with the block plane.
Gessir works on the shape with a block plane in the Altai.
Ease of use when it
matters most
...when it’s your partner’s beacon
and you’re the one praying to be found.
Simplicity, durability, and real-time display.
That’s why Tracker DTS™ is North America’s
best-selling avalanche transceiver.
Tracker DTS™
The First. The Easiest.
Backcountry Access, Inc.
Fresh Tracks. Fresh Ideas.
www.backcountryaccess.com
800.670.8735
For more information on transceiver use and avalanche safety, visit www.backcountryaccess.com/education.
O
n Friday, May 16, Joe, Dylan, and I flew into Alaska’s
Tordrillo Mountains. We’d spent a week loitering in
Anchorage, waiting for better weather and perfecting
a circuit among some of the city’s more rugged
establishments. What the hell – if we weren’t going
to be skiing, we could at least be enjoying ourselves. And besides,
as everyone knows, the best training for a period of prolonged
suffering is, of course, a period of hedonistic pleasure. So we
embraced our purgatory and withheld little. Well, Dylan and I did,
at least. As for Joe, he stayed true to form and pressured us to bolt
every time a blue patch appeared in the sky. He is like one of those
thoroughly overbred race horses that must have a goat in his stall
to calm his nerves. In this case, Dylan and I were his billy goats.
and eventually got stranded on an unsupported mushroom of snow,
directly below some enormous seracs. I swallowed hard, unclipped
from my skis, and reversed the track to where Joe and Dylan were
waiting. We roped up and headed for a prominent shark fin ridge
splitting the icefall. From the ridge crest, we were faced with a blind
50-plus-degree roll-over that led down to more broken terrain.
Joe belayed Dylan into the void. When the rope came tight, Dylan
unclipped and we followed him down. Once off the shark fin ridge,
we skirted a few massive holes before exiting onto the compression
zone. We spent the next few hours sweltering in the heat on our
way to a col between the Upper Capps Glacier and the Triumvirate
Glacier, and we set up camp at 4,500 feet below some of the most
beautiful orange granite spires I have ever seen.
ut the truth was that if we launched in haste, we would
likely repeat last year’s fiasco. In 2007, Joe and I spent
ten days going nowhere on the same traverse. We
needed to be patient and play our hand. If we bluffed
and the weather called us, we’d be sitting in our tent,
getting fat and failing for the second time in as many years. We
needed to hold a good forecast if we were to complete our objective
of skiing a 100-mile, 38,000-vertical-foot high traverse across
Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains. We wanted to accomplish this without
caches, and we wanted to climb and ski the range’s four highest
peaks along the way. We needed at least seven days of perfect
weather to cover the distance, ski the avalanche-prone shots, and
navigate the complex icefalls. We got ten.
Day 4:
Day 1:
Day 6:
B
Doug Brewer of Alaska West Air in Kenai shuttled us into the
mountains one at a time in a Super Cub. He put us down on a
bench at 2,400 feet on the side of 11,069-foot Mt. Spurr. We spent
the next five hours climbing 5,200 feet to the summit of Crater
Peak. On our backs, we carried 65-pound packs with enough
staying power for 12 days. From Crater Peak, we dropped down to
a saddle below Mt. Spurr and set up camp at 7,100 feet.
Day 2:
After taking way more time than expected due to heavy packs, boot
top ski pen, and a less-than-ideal route, we summitted Mt. Spurr
and skied from the top. We wanted to push on and drop down to a
lower elevation, but we needed to be fresh to navigate the 4,000foot icefall separating us from the Capps Glacier. We set up camp at
9,800 feet and froze.
Day 3:
“Well, I’ve been colder at night, but I’m not sure that I’ve ever
been colder in a sleeping bag,” was the first thing out of Dylan’s
mouth in the morning.
We packed up and started moving in all of our layers. We got to
the icefall and began our descent into the broken maze. I led down
We spent the day working our way up through another icefall and
set up camp below the Torbert Plateau at 7,000 feet. The big days
were causing us to tear through the food. Dylan pondered aloud
the likelihood of killing and eating a bear when we got closer to the
Skwentna River.
Day 5:
The day dawned cold and clear, and we headed for the Torbert
Plateau. We summitted Mt. Torbert (11,413 feet) and Mount
Talachulitna (11,070 feet), and covered 20 miles and 7,800 feet
in the process. We could not have asked for better weather or
conditions.
We broke camp and skied up to the Great Wall. This 14-mile,
2,000-foot-high barrier runs east-west across the range, and was
the end point of our trip in 2007. We skinned up to the base of a
steep pass and boot-packed up to the ridge. Dylan was out front
and warned us that the ridge was heavily corniced. We threaded
the needle between a cornice fracture line and an avalanche
crown, and worked our way over to a small bench. We tried sawing
through a section of cornice with the rope, which resulted in us
almost getting the rope irretrievably stuck. We tried throwing big
rocks onto the cornice. We accomplished nothing. All we managed
to do was weaken the cornice and increase the odds that it would
release naturally while we were below it. In the end, we found the
least corniced section of ridge and set an anchor.
“Who wants to be the guinea pig this time?” Dylan asked.
I took the bait and clipped in. Joe belayed and I down-climbed
until the rope came tight. Six inches of snow covered blue ice, so I
made a v-thread and equalized it to a screw. I unclipped from the
rope and Joe pulled it up. He belayed Dylan down next, and then
down-climbed with a belay from below. We repeated this process
two more times before we clipped back into our skis. There was a
bergschrund at the base of the slope, and we were mindful of our
turns while still above it. We skied a few more hours that evening,
and set camp on the upper Triumvirate Glacier, in almost the exact
same spot that our trip had ended in 2007.
Day 7:
After a few hours of skinning over a glacier that sparkled like a
disco ball, we summitted Mt. Gerdine (11,258 feet) in high winds
and began the 5,000-foot descent to the Trimble Glacier.
That evening at camp, I brought up the possibility of concluding
the trip early. “I’m OK with having a perfect trip,” I told Joe and
Dylan. “I don’t need to continue on to the Skwentna River for
bushwhacking and grizzlies.”
To his credit, Joe stayed calm in the face of my treason. “You’re
welcome to call a flight in tomorrow and leave,” he said, and added,
“I’ll ski to the Skwentna alone if I have to.” I should have known
as much. If there was one certainty on this trip from the start, it’s
that Joe Stock had a wild hair up his ass for the Skwentna River.
“It’s gotta be the full traverse of the range,” he kept saying. “Lake
Chakachamna to the Skwentna!” The man’s mind was set like
concrete, and there was little hope of changing our trajectory.
Day 8:
Gerdine, it was obvious that the peak was getting hammered. We
dropped down to Hayes Pass and the Hayes Glacier. From there, we
climbed a steep moraine and headed for Spring Creek Pass at 5,500
feet. With the lower elevation came massive grizzly bear tracks,
and we spent most of the day weaving in and out
of them.
14
Photo:
SusieAfter
Sutphin
hours on the move, we boot-packed up Old Man Pass and set up
camp at 4,500 feet.
Day 9:
When the alarm went off at 4 a.m., I did not want to move. I would
have been content to lie in the same position all day. If everything
went according to plan, we would reach the Skwentna River that
afternoon and call in the pilot. At least that was the idea. In reality,
we didn’t know if a pilot would be able to land on the Skwentna.
I was running on vapors for energy and was too tired to give the
question much thought. We broke camp and dropped 3,000 feet.
We stopped to brew up, and then began a 3,000 foot skin and bootpack up snow and shale. From the ridge crest, we were treated to
a 4,000-plus foot descent to the Skwentna River. We should have
been elated, but we weren’t. We were just tired. We called the pilot
and arranged for a tentative pick-up the following day. Then we
passed out.
We woke at 4 a.m. to high winds buffeting the tent. Visibility had
dropped to 100 feet. It was snowing. Looking back up toward Mt.
map illustration: Jason Leslie
Sidecountry Attractions
resort accessed backcountry
June’s seven chairlifts aren’t new, aren’t high-speed, and don’t carry six people per
chair. But for those interested in lift-accessed backcountry, June Mountain has it all.
June’s lifts make possible a 5,000-foot run with only 2,000 feet of skinning.
O
ne million years ago, the 1,600-foot-thick Rush Creek
Glacier swept down out of California’s June Mountain
Highlands. Unlike more common glaciers, Rush Creek
Glacier’s 24 square miles of ice split in two, its north and south
arms diverging and creating a unique, horseshoe-shaped canyon
below June Mountain and nearby San Joaquin Ridge.
Centuries later, the Piute Indians found plentiful hunting and
fishing and chose to settle in the area. By 1927, the June
Mountain Post Office opened, but even in the age of the
automobile, winter mail was, for many years, delivered by
dogsled. June Mountain Ski Area opened its first chairlift in 1961,
and in 1968 Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort owner Dave McCoy
bought June Mountain. His dream was to create a European-style
mega-resort by stringing lifts along 10-mile-long San Joaquin
Ridge, connecting Mammoth Mountain to June Mountain. Dave
McCoy never realized his dream, but the lift-riding resort skier’s
loss is the backcountry rider’s gain.
Just 30 minutes south of Yosemite National Park, June Mountain,
at 500 acres, proves that smaller is bigger when backcountry
access is the goal. Overlooked by the winter resort crowds drawn
to world-famous Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort and ignored by
spring skiers who have Yosemite’s famed Tioga Pass corn on their
radar, June’s seven chairlifts aren’t new, aren’t high-speed, and
don’t carry six people per chair. But for those interested in liftaccessed backcountry, June Mountain has it all. June’s lifts make
possible a 5,000-foot run with only 2,000 feet of skinning. Locals
rattle off an endless list of backcountry peaks, bowls, and chutes.
For those who avoid lifts, June Lake Road offers many touring
possibilities, including the 12,637-foot eastside giant, Mt. Wood.
Easily skied from June Mountain’s 10,147-foot summit, the Nome
Zone is served by small and intimate Chair Seven. Without the
speed and flash of bigger resort lifts, Chair Seven allows for time
to scope lines and routes as you approach June’s summit. The
Nome Zone’s glades provide an easy warm-up for getting to know
the terrain around June Mountain.
From the top of June, San Joaquin Ridge is across a glaciercarved valley. The ridge holds a cluster of steep chutes called the
Negatives, which offer committing drops. The ridge is accessible
through the Nome Zone’s trees or along a more open lower ridge
to the valley floor. A moderate, hourglass-shaped chute toward
the valley’s head is the easiest access to the top of San Joaquin
Ridge. It provides a continuous 2,000-foot ascent to the ridgetop,
Skiing the Negatives, June Mountain, CA.
as well as a long, sustained descent if you are aren’t interested in
the Negatives. Skiers who tour for views can follow San Joaquin
Ridge all the way to Mammoth Mountain Resort.
A real gem of a descent is the Devil’s Slide Couloir. Linking a
line from the ridgetop with Devil’s Slide makes a full 5,000-foot
European-style descent ending near the Double Eagle Spa and
Resort’s parking lot at the valley bottom. Hidden deep in the
valley, once found the chute delivers a 40-degree pitch for riding.
Though the Double Eagle caters to families cruising June’s wide
groomers, the restaurant and bar, in true European fashion,
welcome backcountry skiers and allow shuttle parking.
Local guide services including Sierra Mountain Guides and Sierra
Mountain Center know the area well, and can help you find the
goods. “This is my backyard,” says Howie Schwartz of Sierra
Mountain Guides. “We love bringing people here just because it’s
so much fun.”
June Mountain is located off Highway 395, 149 miles south
of Reno, 329 miles north of Los Angeles, and 236 miles from
San Francisco. With its open boundary policy, June provides
an uncrowded, welcoming experience to skiers and riders who
appreciate access and quality terrain without the glitz. If you
work with a local guide service, June Mountain offers discounted
lift passes, but if you head up on your own, expect to pay for a
full day pass. The resort does permit overnight parking for longer
trips in the eastern Sierra.
For more information:
www.sierramtnguides.com
www.sierramountaincenter.com
www.JuneMountain.com
www.LakeFrontCabins.net
www.DoubleEagle.com
www.avalanche.org
scenic image by SP Parker, Sierra Mountain Center; map by Jason
Leslie; ski shot by Howie Schwartz, Sierra Mountain Guides
There’s no substitute
for ﬁeld testing.
Freezeproof
BCA Stash packs.
Now insulated with Outlast® phase change technology.
We invented freezeproof winter hydration.
Conceived in the ﬁeld.
Perfected in the lab.
Backcountry Access, Inc.
www.backcountryaccess.com
Fresh Tracks. Fresh Ideas.
Mark Kelly, powder junkie/ski guide
Location: undisclosed powder stash
Stash BC
Don’t suck ice
Gallery
Uptrack art in the Valhallas. Track: Larry Goldie. Kootenay Style
Photo: Andy Riemenschneider
Photo: Steve Ogle
Wayne Grevey in ski mode.
Gallery
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
-Gandhi
Dean Collins in tour mode. Mt Baker, WA Backcountry
Crystal Mountain, WA Backcountry
Photo: Grant Gunderson
Photo: Ian Coble
Gallery
Zac Ramras, Jumbo Pass, BC. Photo: Ryan Creary
Gallery
Aron Smith enjoys another day in the Wasatch. Photo: Adam Clark
Backcountry Beta
tips, techniques, recipes, etiquette, and more
Swamp Angel Study Plot near Red Mountain Pass, CO. Photo courtesy of the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, Silverton, CO
4
:00 am.
The alarm goes off. Your heart rate jumps. You
shoot out of bed, start the coffee, and pop open your laptop.
Yesterday’s forecast called for 12 to 20 inches. Your dawn patrol
crew is about to convene, and you are wondering what to expect
out there. As you anxiously prepare to head out into the white
room, toying with the idea of venturing into avalanche terrain, the
questions abound: What’s going on up in the mountains? What
should we expect out of the new snow? Where should we go? The
quality of your turns and, most importantly, your safety are at
stake. There is much to be considered, and the time to get pertinent
information is now.
If you are familiar with this scenario, then we can offer some insight
into quickly, carefully, and accurately deducing weather and snow
conditions from automated weather stations. Weather station
data arrive on your computer screen as numbers listed in a table
or squiggly lines on a graph. On their own, their meaning is not
intuitive; they are meant to be analyzed in context with observations
taken at other times and locations. It’s easy to check the morning
data at a few weather stations, but can you tell your partners what
they’ll actually encounter out there? Have you ever been surprised
by the conditions? If the thought of reading an article on how to
look at numbers on a graph elicits a yawn, then allow us to share
with you our humble, yet meteorologically-grounded opinions:
Understanding this sort of information increases your chances of 1,
coming home, and 2, coming home wearing a big smile. Plus, you
can act like a know-it-all weather weenie in front of your friends.
Thus, what follows is our own “idiot’s guide” to weather observation
interpretation.
First, the information you can get from an automated weather
station will depend on the station setup. The bare bones setup
measures standard meteorological parameters: air temperature,
wind speed and direction, and moisture content. For specific
applications, other instruments are added to measure precipitation,
pressure, etc. So, if there’s a slew of data out there and a myriad of
stations, where does one find it all? The National Weather Service
is the best source for automated weather station data as well as
forecast information. Your local avalanche forecast center also most
likely has links of their own to relevant stations and weather data in
your area.
If you want to become a true weather weenie, then check out
MesoWest (www.met.utah.edu/mesowest). Staff at the University
of Utah have been working collaboratively for over a decade
with federal, state and local agencies, commercial firms, other
universities, and the public to collect weather information, store
it, and make it available for a variety of applications. When you
access automated weather station data in the West on a National
Weather Service web page, you are relying on MesoWest. John
Horel, coordinator of the MesoWest project, describes its purpose
as follows: “The goal is to collect weather information from anyone
willing to share it. People and organizations spend a lot of money
and time putting weather equipment out for specialized applications.
We really appreciate the folks who take that extra step and make
data available for other uses, such as protection of life and property,
as well as recreational applications.” He notes that the dedicated
backcountry skier can use MesoWest to check out a storm from
last week, last season, or five years ago. Do you ever wonder what
happened on your best ski day ever?
So, you’ve learned where to snag some weather observations, but
how can you use them to snoop out the best snow for the day? As
a backcountry skier, you are most concerned with two parts of the
snowpack: that which was on the ground pre-storm, and that which
has fallen throughout the storm. While it’s up to you to keep track of
the pre-storm snowpack, the mountain weather stations keep track
of the storm snow.
To begin with, consider a few important basics. How big was the
dump? It’s the first question that races to the front of your mind. At
automated stations in the mountains, snow depth is almost never
measured manually. Instead, it is measured by an acoustic snow
depth sensor mounted above the snow surface. Snow depth may be
reported as hourly measurements of the entire seasonal snowpack
depth, or it may be converted to an accumulation during a time
interval of a few hours. In the latter case, the report shown on
your screen will start at zero, increase (or decrease) in time, then
will be reset to zero for the beginning of the next measurement
interval. Be careful when interpreting short (hour-to-hour) changes
in snow depth. The snow pack will settle during and after a storm.
Furthermore, acoustic sensors rely on a sound pulse traveling down
to the snow surface and back. If it’s really windy, the sound pulse
gets blown away, and you’ll see erratic readings.
Now, snow depth is nice to know, but its liquid equivalent can offer
more information on the condition of the snow that has fallen. SWE
(snow water equivalent) is important for deducing the density and
weight of the storm snow on the existing snowpack. The agencies
that put out a lot of the backcountry weather stations are more
interested in monitoring whether there will be enough water next
summer to water the lawn. So, many SWE measurements are
designed more for seasonal snowpack monitoring than what’s
happening during a particular storm. Ski areas and some agencies
may deploy gauges that catch the snow and melt it with heat or
antifreeze. The weight of
the meltwater is converted
to a liquid precipitation
amount.
Still, what you really want
to know is just how good
are the goods going to be?
If you’ve got snow depth
and SWE measurements
over the course of the
storm, you can calculate
the storm’s snow density.
Over a given time
period, simply divide the
accumulated SWE by the
accumulated snowfall. That’s your density ratio. For a percentage,
multiply the ratio by 100%. So for a given storm, a 1:5 ratio of SWE
to snow depth denotes a 20% storm snow density — wet concrete!
Cold smoke has a ratio of around 1:20 and 5% snow density. This
is good information, but it gets better. If you calculate the density
during smaller time intervals, you can see how it has changed
throughout the course of the storm. Beyond assisting with pure turn
enjoyment, the density profile in the storm snow may also illuminate
serious avalanche implications.
during the storm and at what elevation. The rain-snow line is rarely
at 0°C (32°F). Snow will most often switch over to rain at a couple
degrees warmer than freezing. You can get a mental image of the
rain-snow elevation by checking stations that span a multitude
of elevations around the mountain range. Note the temperature
record over the length of the storm. The Pacific Northwest often
sees multiple frontal passages with the potential to change the
precipitation type a few times during one storm cycle. Rain-on-snow
is most easily deduced using the SWE and snow depth records. If
you see a station reporting an increase in SWE while snow depth
remains constant or decreases, then you’ve got rain. Yuck!
Therefore, looking at precipitation, winds and temperature, there’s
a lot that we can glean from these remote observation devices.
However, even when Old Man Winter gets the best of the machinery,
you can still tell what’s going on. Take this example: The data shows
that precipitation is occurring, that the temperature is close to the
freezing mark, and that the wind speed was mysteriously zero for
a few hours. From these clues you could expect that a pretty solid
riming event was taking place at that time. The anemometer (wind
speed sensor that often looks like an airplane propeller) had probably
continued on page 32
That being said, a notable consideration is that weather stations
are often located in wind-sheltered spots. Simply calculating snow
density from depth and SWE may not cut it if it’s blowing hard. You
know that the wind direction is central to loading, but don’t forget
that winds in complex topography are squirrely! Intimately knowing
a station’s environment—it’s elevation, aspect and surrounding
terrain—is paramount. Additionally, make sure to check the record
over the course of the storm and consider how the snow has been
blown around during that time. And, by the way, the convention is to
report the direction from which the wind is blowing. Directions listed
as numbers rather than letters are another convention. Think of it
like a 360-degree circle with 90 degrees being east, 180 degrees
being south, etc.
If whipping winds weren’t enough to wreck your freshies, toss in
a little rain for maximum glop. During warm storms or for lower
elevation ranges, the questions are often whether rain has fallen
shop
winter is about to drop
are you ready?
telemark
randonnee
cross country
alpine
snowboard
628 ne broadway
portland, oregon
(503) 288-6768
Avy 101
avalanche science
Field session in progress. Photo: Larry Goldie
T
he allure of
in the field and creating a
If it has been a while since your last multi-day
backcountry skiing
tour plan. A good avalanche
is in the adventure
course does not need to take
course, start with a level one or a level one refresher.
and the ability to go
place on your home turf. In
Anyone considering a level two should have current
anywhere your boards can
fact, taking an avalanche
avalanche and snow terminology in their lexicon and be
travel. Armed with gear and a
course in unfamiliar terrain and
passion to ski fresh snow and
snowpack often means that
comfortable digging test pits and using compression,
steep lines, everyone wants to
you are more likely to see new
Rutschblock, and hand hardness tests.
get the goods. But backcountry
things and learn more than you
ambitions inevitably meet with
would in more familiar terrain,
unfamiliar terrain and unknown
especially when applying tour
snow conditions. This means everyone who skis in the backcountry
planning skills.
needs avalanche education. It’s your habits and practices that keep
you alive – or don’t. Avalanche savvy is based on experience and on
A good course offers exposure to terrain and snowpack with
interpreting observations while in the mountains, and, like avalanche
an avalanche history where you can practice digging snow pits,
education, is an ongoing process. So what kind of avalanche training
observe layering and weaknesses in the snowpack, and understand
course is right for you?
the complexities of mountain terrain. Hut-based courses offer the
advantage of being very close to terrain for learning, but a potential
Avalanche course offerings begin with basic avalanche awareness
downside is that media and technology may not be available nearby.
lectures. These presentations often take place at outdoor shops or
Be sure to ask course providers what the strengths of their courses
through local outdoor clubs, offer limited or no field time, and are
are before enrolling.
designed for newcomers to the backcountry. These are gateway
classes and are a good way to get started. However, the cornerstone
Another component of the level one course is companion rescue
for recreational avalanche education is the level one course with
skills, including transceiver skills and strategic probing and shoveling
guidelines and curriculum established by the American Avalanche
techniques. Good companion rescue training also includes group
Association (AAA).
management and rescue scenario protocol practiced under the
pressure of a mock scenario for
A three-day level one course
single and multiple burials.
Level one courses offer intensive learning. Sixty
(with a minimum of 24 hours
of instruction time) is the
Like ski skills, avalanche safety
percent of a level one course is spent in the
standard for comprehensive
skills build with each season of
mountains applying skills in observing the influence
fundamentals. The level one
experience, and the level one
of snowpack, terrain, and weather conditions on
is designed to be a standcourse is the foundation. Veteran
alone course – one that
backcountry skiers who have
snowpack stability.
teaches observation-based
taken level one training should
avalanche safety skills, how to
consider level two training. Level
communicate with your ski partners, be a competent member of your two courses are four days long and more in-depth in their content.
tour group, and apply the decision making framework outlined in the
They focus on understanding snowpack processes, weather and
course. Together, these components add up to better decision making avalanche forecasting skills, and tour leadership and planning applied
throughout a day of backcountry skiing.
to challenging terrain in the field.
Level one courses offer intensive learning. Sixty percent of a level
one course is spent in the mountains applying skills in observing the
influence of snowpack, terrain, and weather conditions on snowpack
stability. The relationship between interpreting observations and
making field decisions is the basis for safe travel in the backcountry,
and a good course connects these observations with the decisions
you make as you consider route choices and goals in the mountains.
In addition, level one courses address applying avalanche bulletins
If it has been a while since your last multi-day course, start with
a level one or a level one refresher. Anyone considering a level
two should have current avalanche and snow terminology in their
lexicon and be comfortable digging test pits and using compression,
Rutschblock, and hand hardness tests. An important component to
any course is the student-to-instructor ratio. A course that promises
lots of field time is most productive with a small student-to-instructor
ratio.
Avy 101
avalanche science
A good avalanche course does not need take place on
your home turf. In fact, taking an avalanche course in
unfamiliar terrain and snowpack often means that you
are more likely to see new things and learn more than
you would in more familiar terrain, especially when
applying tour planning skills.
A great option for extended education, or even introductory work, is
to consider forming your own group and hiring a private guide as an
avalanche educator to focus on exactly what you want to learn (route
finding, terrain management, etc.). This approach is most effective
in a small group setting and is a great way to go beyond a level one
course.
Finally, there is a human factor that is essential in all avalanche
education. Case studies show that avalanche accidents are the result
of poor decisions and communication among skiers in a group as well
the inability to recognize instability. Poor communication and, more
often than not, egos play a significant role in avalanche accidents.
A good avalanche course, regardless of its level, models good
interaction between skiers and discusses the importance of human
factors. A seasoned ski guide with professional training will provide
excellent modeling in all aspects of safe backcountry practices,
including communication.
Ultimately, the quality of any course is determined by the experience
and training of the instructor. When looking for courses, ask
whether instructors are affiliated with organizations such as the
American or Canadian Avalanche Associations or the American
Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), and find
out if instructors are certified members of the American Mountain
Guides Association or the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
Detailed content standards and certified instructors can be found on
the American Avalanche Association website.
Kirk Bachman is a certified American Avalanche Association
instructor, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education
course provider, and certified American Mountain Guides Association
ski mountaineering and alpine guide. He serves on the education
committees for the AAA and the AIARE, and he directs winter
programs for Sawtooth Mountain Guides in Stanley, Idaho.
For more details on courses and certified instructors, visit:
American Avalanche Association: americanavalancheassociation.org
American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education: avtraining.org
Canadian Avalanche Association: avalanche.ca
American Mountain Guides Association: amga.com
Association of Candian Mountain Guides: acmg.ca
Westwide Avalanche Network: avalanche.org
Ask the PT
training, stretching, and advice to keep your body skiing
Question:
Last season I strained my right hip flexor while breaking trail
through several feet of powder on the way in to a hut. It took
a week or so for it stop hurting with normal activities, but
a deep ache in the front of my right hip and groin returned
after 30 minutes of skinning on every outing for the rest of
the season. What can I do to fully recover from this strain and
ensure that it does not plague me again this season?
Answer:
Breaking trail through deep snow is brutal on the hip flexors for
two reasons:
1. We don’t strongly contract our hip flexors through a large range of motion during our normal activities. It is a unique way of moving our bodies, and we are generally not pre-trained to do it.
2. Breaking trail in deep snow creates a load on the ski that acts as a lever arm against which we must work to break trail. Weight directly over your feet is one thing, but moving against weight that is two to three feet away from your hip joint significantly increases torque on the joint.
In order to fully rehabilitate the hip, you need to stretch out the
tight hip flexor, and then strengthen it for ski-specific demands.
Try the parking lot stretch for the hip flexors (Off Piste 35,
December 2007). Another way to stretch out the hip muscles,
while providing traction to the joint is seen in Position 1. Lie
on your back on your bed with the affected leg (right side)
hanging off the edge. Place the sole of your left foot against
the inner aspect of your right knee. Let the left knee fall left
and down towards the bed. Tighten your abs and buttocks
to flatten your back and increase the stretch through your
hips. Hold for 30-60 seconds and breathe deeply. Repeat on
both sides. This is also a great stretch for cyclists.
Activities that mimic skinning such as hiking and running hills or
stairs are great for pre-season conditioning of the hip flexors.
The muscles have to shorten repeatedly in what is called a
concentric contraction.
Two exercises for ski-specific training of the hip flexors are
shown in Positions 2 and 3. In Position 2, you are starting in a
standing position and essentially doing backwards lunges while
keeping your arms outstretched in front of you at shoulder
height. Alternating sides, do two to three sets of ten and hold
each lunge position for five seconds. This trains the hip flexors
on your back leg to stabilize the joint in a neutral position with
minimal stretch or shortening of the muscle across the hip.
This is referred to as an isometric contraction. For increased
difficulty, hold a medicine ball in your hands.
In Position 3, stand on your left foot 12 - 18 inches from a
wall. Reach overhead and back to touch the wall with your
right hand. Return to upright position and repeat with the
left hand. Allow your body to extend through the hip joint
while maintaining a neutral spine position, rather than just
hyperextending your lower back. Work two to three sets of ten
on each foot. This exercise focuses on training the hip flexors
to generate force in a lengthened or eccentric contraction.
Now that you have rehabilitated your hip muscles, focus on
making them work as efficiently as possible during skinning.
Work on firm alternate-arm pole plants with a bit of torso
rotation with each stride (i.e. right arm and left leg move
forward together). This stretches the hip flexor on the back leg
like a spring, and allows it to shorten with less effort on the
ensuing forward stride.
Andy Roof is a physical therapist in The Dalles, OR. Do you have a
recurring issue or are you interested in an exercise or two that will
will improve your ski experience?
Send Andy your questions via e-mail [email protected]
5515 ORT Off-Piste 08/09 S1
9/6/08
9:36 AM
Page 1
FINDS ALL YOUR FRIENDS
The world leader in backcountry safety equipment.
Fully automatic switch
over: transmit/scan
Stelvio Light 117/115-84-105 1290g
SkiTrabusa.com
S: Todd Glew
P: Mark Lengel
Detailed situation
analysis at a glance
www.ortovox.com
Accurate navigation by
means of bearing line
and direction arrow
Intuitive, visual pinpoint
search: fast and
precise
Manage transceiver
functions, print activity
and update software
Contact: [email protected]; In Canada 403-238-8944
and their locations, but the design is fairly
uniform. The Altai ski features a raised foot
platform with a center ridge extending to
both tip and tail. The tip tapers in a reverse
sidecut. Altai skiers say this is to make the ski
easier to turn. The ski is close to straight from
the front of the foot platform to the tail. All
skis have four holes drilled vertically through
the ski to hold the binding. What’s remarkable
about this design is its similarity to one of
the old bog skis found in Scandinavia. The
Kalvträsk ski, found in northern Sweden,
incorporates many of the same design
features found in the “modern” Altai skis,
including a raised ridge fore and aft of a foot
plate and a nearly identical four-hole binding
pattern. The Kalvträsk ski, dug out of a peat
bog by a forestry inspector in 1924, has been
carbon dated to about 5,000 years ago!
Image 5. Nils works on bending the ski tips.
After I shaped the skis, I tried to bend the tips
using the methods Gessir used in the Altai.
Gessir had taken the shaped blanks and stuck
the tips directly into his wood stove. Using the
moisture in the wood (the tree had been alive
two days before), he steamed the tips directly
in the fire until he was able to bend them.
Unfortunately, I had done the shaping over a month’s time and the moisture had pretty
much left the wood, so I resorted to boiling the tips, a method used in the Altai to re-bend
ski tips when they flatten over time (image 5). This worked well, and I soon had my skis
blocked and drying (image 6).
The bindings are mounted roughly on balance point, and after digging the holes out with
a gouge, I burned them clean with a metal rod. Working with a chunk of cow skin I had
been given, which required a lot of working and stretching, I made bindings just like the
ones Gessir had made. The bindings are a simple X design, with each point of the X going
through one of the four holes in the ski. The toe of the shoe fits into the X, and a longer
piece of rawhide wraps around the heel and ties off to the other side of the X. On the
positive side, the system is simple, adjustable, very light, and easy to work on. On the
minus side, it offers virtually no lateral control of the ski.
The final part of building the skis is putting skins on the base. Altai skis have skins
permanently attached; the vast majority of the skis have horsehide skins. The Altai skiers
are quite particular about using the winter hide and only hide from the legs. The leg hair
does seem to be fine and glides quite well, but there is, no doubt, a lot of tradition and
symbolism in the use of hair from a horse leg, too. Ancient skis in China were referred to
as wooden horses; the horse was the pinnacle of human speed and mobility until more
recent times.
Image 6. Ski tips blocked and drying.
In keeping with this tradition, I put out the word in October that I was looking for some
recently deceased horses. For the next few months, as I drove by the many small herds
in my area I would slow and admire the horses’ nice thick coats, similar to those of the
Mongolian horses of the Altai. I was seeing horses in a whole new light. I had several false
leads where coyotes got to the horses well ahead of me, and as the fall wore on and I had
yet to procure horse skins for my skis, I found myself imagining otherwise healthy horses
INFO + RESERVATIONS: 1.800.666.9420
One Day, One Night Packages
February 20 - 23, 2009
The Kootenay Coldsmoke Powderfest
is a celebration of backcountry
enthusiasts both experienced and
novice alike. Get ready for loads of ski
and snowboard clinics with big-name
athletes as well as equipment demos,
a dual slalom costume race, socials
and more! Mark your calendars, this
4-day fest arrives on Feb 20-23. Visit
our website for more info at
skiwhitewater.com or visit
mountaingear.com/coldsmoke
The Alpine Motel – European hospitality $70
The Dancing Bear Inn – Award winning hostel $61
Hume Hotel – Full service hotel $85
Mountain Hound Inn – Downtown boutique $72
The New Grand Hotel – The charm of tradition - $63
The North Shore Inn – Warm hospitality $65
Prestige Lakeside Resort – Luxury, full service $92
*Prices are in US dollars, do not include applicable taxes and
are subject to change according to exchange rate.
to be showing signs of lameness. Fortunately for my neighbors’
horses, a local vet was able to help my endeavor over this hump, and
I finally got the leg skins I needed.
reducing icing, something I noticed on over half the skis I saw in the
Altai. I had an old pair of rubber boots, so I added this feature to my
skis as well.
After a good soaking, I stretched and tacked the skins onto the
bases of my new skis. The traditional method of attachment used
rawhide lacing, but with the advent of cheap Chinese tacks, the Altai
locals have modernized this aspect of their skis. A second recent
modification is the use of an old rubber boot patch under the foot to
After a week or so of drying, the skis were ready to go (image14).
Unfortunately, I had spent the better part of the winter assembling
the parts and building the skis, and the cold snow out the back door
– ideal for Altai skis – was gone for the season. The skis did get four
or five good outings in higher terrain, but this year . . . look out.
Image 7. Nils threads the bindings.
Image 8. The finished product.
Gessir works on the tips and burns in the binding holes in the Altai
An Idiot’s Guide to Weather Station Data
been rimed stiff. If temperatures stay steady at 0°C (32°F) for a few
hours, it’s likely that the temperature sensor got rimed as well. Let’s
say you see snow depth significantly increasing while SWE remains
constant. Excluding some miraculous, spontaneous decrease in snow
density, all signs point to precipitation gauge capping. Heavy snow
can stick to the top of the gauge, effectively capping the top. Thus,
while winter weather provides a tricky environment in which to take
observations, information can still be garnered from these minor
measurement disasters. It’s a good idea to keep this possibility in
mind when the data don’t look quite right.
continued
useful tool. While radars often have poor coverage in mountain
areas, there are a few that have a good view of the skies above
particular terrain. If the weather in your local hills can be seen by
radar, it’s a good idea to become familiar with it. The website www.
rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar is a great source for radar loops (and
other weather goodies), if you haven’t already glommed onto that
from the local National Weather Service web page.
With all that said, have fun and be safe out there. Hopefully, we have
convinced you to squeeze in a little time while the coffee is brewing
to check your bookmarked weather stations, calculate a little snow
density, look at the winds, and whet your snow snooping senses.
Remember that eyeballs on the ground are the best -- and most
fun -- way to make sense of all those numbers and graphs. When
you get back, check out what your stations of the day reported and
compare it to what you experienced. And of course, this is all in the
quest for the perfect conditions on your most sought after line!
Leigh Pender Jones and Wendy Wagner share a love for backcountry
skiing and mountain weather. They are currently in graduate school
at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City where they are both
working toward their Master degrees in Meteorology under Dr.
John Horel. When Leigh’s had it with calculating rain-snow fraction
statistics and Wendy’s not dinking around with her thermal snow
maps, they can be found playing in Utah’s Wasatch mountains.
Our list of common observations would not be complete if we didn’t
quickly mention a couple more. Never underestimate the power of
the webcam. State departments of transportation, ski resorts, the
National Weather Service, and others link to these real-time eyesin-the-mountains. Road surfaces viewed by the D.O.T’s webcams
provide a good sense of surface conditions. Radar loops are another
OREGON MOUNTAIN COMMUNIT Y
DECEMBER SPECIALS!!
SAVE UP TO 20% ON SELECT BACKCOUNTRY EQUIPMENT
SAVE 15% ON ALL TELEMARK & AT SKIS
SAVE 15% ON ALL TELEMARK & AT BOOTS
SAVE 10% ON ALL TELEMARK & AT BINDINGS
SAVE 15% ON ALL BEACONS, PROBES & SHOVELS
SAVE 20% ON ALL SKI PACKS
ALL ITEMS LIMITED TO STOCK ON-HAND, WHILE QUANTITIES LAST
2975 NE SANDY BLVD - PORTLAND, OR
M-F 10-7 SAT 10-6 SUN 12-5
503-227-1038
Visit our website :
www.e-omc.com
For a FREE membership & 10% Discount off all
Regular priced items along with HUNDREDS of
other screaming deals for WINTER !
Words and Images
opinions on books and film
Bugaboo Dreams
A Story of Skiers, Helicopters & Mountains
By Topher Donahue
Rocky Mountain Books, www.rmbooks.com, $29.95, 296 pages
It’s easy to understand Topher Donahue’s fascination with Canadian heli-skiing, which began
as a half-baked idea between two broke Austrian skier friends in the 1950’s and became a
$100-million industry. It continues today in the form of Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH),
a powerhouse of a business with 12 luxury lodges and access to the remote reaches of the
Columbia Mountains in British Columbia.
Donahue lays out the history of heli-skiing in Bugaboo Dreams — A Story of Skiers, Helicopters &
Mountains, which recounts the 44-year (and counting) legacy of Hans Gmoser and Leo Grillmair,
who launched heli-skiing out of a desire to help people experience the wilderness.
A journalist and mountaineer, Donahue casts a wide net based on a promise to Gmoser that
the story would not be solely about him. The result is comprehensive as Donahue recounts the
history of heli-skiing through its founders, first guests, first guides (nicknamed “The Swiss Mafia”
for their unique approach to guest service), and the remote, pristine beauty of the Columbia
Mountains.
In the early days, guests slept in a rustic sawmill camp after a 43-kilometer tow behind a
snowmobile. Donahue paints a picture of hard skiing, harder partying, camaraderie, and
dedication to the mountains. Although the accommodations have improved dramatically along
with the etiquette of guests and staff, the mission appears to remain the same: to provide the
best skiing in the world.
Some of the most hilarious and gripping stories come from the early years as Gmoser, Grillmair,
and their staff experienced the evolution of the industry they were creating — avalanche safety,
guiding, customer service, and continuous expansion to include lodges, heli-hiking and heliclimbing in the Bugaboos, Adamants, Cariboos, Purcells, and other Columbia ranges.
Despite Donahue’s promise, I found myself wanting to hear more about Gmoser, who died at the
age of 74 in a bicycling accident a few years ago. I also wondered about the critics of heli-skiing’s
environmental impact and how CMH has responded to them. However, without sensationalism
Donahue captures the powerful mystique of these mountains, which ensnare visitors and staff
alike. Describing the first trip that started it all, Donahue writes, “It was about summits, big features,
new terrain, long runs, and adventure.” Anyone who appreciates that sentiment will enjoy this
book. — Eileen Garvin
Ski House Cookbook by Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo
Clarkson Potter Publishers, $30, www.clarksonpotter.com, 192 pages
The Ski House Cookbook is not a backcountry cookbook. But authors Tina Anderson and Sarah
Pinneo, avid area skiers, start with a key question: Why waste time in the kitchen when you
could be out skiing? Finding no reasonable answer, they offer 125 hearty recipes designed to
free up more ski time. Backcountry and area skiers alike will appreciate this philosophy and the
recipes.
I don’t trust sugary, carb-heavy breakfasts to keep me going for very long, so I liked these two
options from Ski House: ’Twas the Night Before French Toast and Ham and Cheddar Breakfast
Strata. Both are sincere in the protein department and are thrown together the night before for
an easy morning meal.
Lunch challenges me. I am that person who hauls around a sad PB&J and a very old Cliff bar, so
I really liked Anderson and Pinneo’s ideas for the midday meal. Not Your Grandmother’s Chicken
Salad and Roast Beef-Blue Cheese Roll are just two that fight the soggy factor and are big on
flavor. Several soup recipes offer healthy, hot options for your thermos.
The Aprés-Ski Snacks section has some nice treats for the pre-dinner hour. Spicy Roasted
Chickpeas, Sweet and Spicy Glazed Nuts, and Back Bowl Bagna Cauda are sure to score
you points when it is your night to cook dinner at the hut. There is nothing better than good
munchies waiting on the table after a day of ski touring.
For the evening meal, a couple of pasta dishes stand out among the usual suspects – Pasta with
Creamy Pumpkin Sauce and Penne Alla Vodka. Beef Short Ribs, Spicy Pulled Pork, and Brisket
with Sweet Mustard Sauce are tasty crockpot options.
A dessert chapter rounds off the book with everything from standard brownies and cookies to
Red Wine-Poached Pears and Rustic Apple-Pear Pie. If you like to drink your dessert, try the
Glögg or the Sour Cherrytini.
The Ski House Cookbook is a great collection of meals to help you earn your turns. - Eileen
Garvin
Powder Ghost Towns
Epic Backcountry Runs in Colorado’s Lost Ski Resorts by Peter Bronski
Wilderness Press, $16, www.wildernesspress.com, 244 pages
Colorado has been home to some 200 ski areas over the years. The state’s first rope tow
was installed on Berthoud Pass in 1936, and the first overhead chairlift followed at the aptly
named Pioneer Ski Area near Crested Butte in 1939. Berthoud, well-known to many skiers and
backcountry touring aficionados alike, and Pioneer, less well-known, both sit dormant today. In
fact, only 27 of the state’s 200 once-operational ski areas currently operate. That leaves quite
the quiver of old ski hills scattered around the state, and Powder Ghost Towns by Peter Bronski
functions as a guide to skiing at 36 such lost ski areas and offers a window into their history.
Backcountry skiing at defunct ski areas offers relatively easy access, and Bronski lays out some
basic criteria for selecting the lost resorts for his guide, including
reliable snowfall, worthwhile vertical drop, and legal accessibility. He
reports that more than half of Colorado’s lost resorts are on private
property.
Bronski’s work is more a guidebook than a history lesson, but it does
paint a historical picture of every resort covered, making it a fun twist
on the standard ski guide. Also included for each entry is standard
guidebook fare like difficulty ratings, elevation and location specs,
and a ski quality rating. In addition, Bronski gives details on après ski
offerings at nearby towns.
Powder Ghost Towns is a unique guide that offers a wide variety of
destinations for backcountry skiing, from the offbeat to the betterknown. Both Colorado-based skiers and those traveling around the state
will find it a useful guide as well as a source for some interesting ski
history.
– David Waag
The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing (DVD)
Greg Hill $16, www.greghill.ca
Greg Hill is a respected
name in the backcountry
ski community. Hill has
placed well in many
randonee type races,
set some incredible
endurance standards
in climbing and skiing,
and generally pushes
the window for humanpowered big mountain ski
exploration from his home
in Revelstoke, British
Columbia.
Last season, Hill decided
to carry a video camera with him on his many ski touring adventures
around the Rogers Pass region. The result, The Unbearable Lightness
of Skiing, is a true grassroots human-powered ski touring film. The
film follows Hill and his companions on numerous adventures in and
around Rogers Pass. Given his appetite for getting out to ski, you might
imagine a long homespun look at an epic winter of skiing with the boys.
It may have a homespun feel, but to Hill’s credit, the film is edited down
to about 20 minutes and only leaves you wanting to see more of their
adventures. Hill offers a low-key commentary that compliments the
excellent ski footage and inspiring adventures undertaken by his local
posse.
The film may be brief, but it left me and my fellow viewers more fired
up to get out and explore new terrain this season than any other film I
have seen in a while. You can find movies with more extreme footage,
but you will be hard pressed to find a film that inspires human powered
ski adventures any better than this one.
The final version of the DVD includes a couple of other shorts to round
out the coverage of Hill’s adventures last season. – David Waag
The Pact (DVD)
Powderwhores
$22, www.powderwhore.com
The Howell brothers, better known as
Powderwhore productions, are back this
season with The Pact. It is their fourth
film is as many seasons, and it offers
the usual fine blend of radical lines,
hedonistic powder consumption, and
freeheel finesse.
This year’s film is heavy on Wasatch
footage, which, given the snow quality
from the 0708 season, makes good
sense. No sense in leaving good snow to
find good snow - right?
If you have seen the previous
Powderwhore productions, you have
a good sense of what The Pact has to
offer. The Howell brothers have their formula and stick to it. Noticeably
absent this season is Andrew McLean’s cameo appearance in the
“Masterpiece Theater” spoof, but they do offer a quick spoof on MTV’s
“Cribs” show. For the most part this season, they keep the camera
focused on big lines and big ski performances from Utah to Alaska,
and they also showcase a brief but snow-filled trip to Japan. The film
features fine skiing performances by many of the usual suspects as well
as several women who rip. All in all, The Pact is classic ski porn from the
Powderwhore crew. – David Waag
Professionally guided ski touring in British Columbia’s Howson Range
BearMountaineering.ca | 250.847.3351
Gear Talk
Black Diamond Alias Pack
$129 ($229 w/Avalung)
www.bdel.com
I am often compelled to reach for
the scissors and trim off excess
straps and accoutrements when
I first inspect a pack. Black
Diamond’s new Alias ski pack
passed my initial inspection
without causing me to grab my
scissors.
The Alias, at 30 liters, or just shy of
2000 cubic inches, is a streamlined
rig that holds just the right amount
of gear for a big day tour. I have
a preference for top loaders, and
the Alias is a straightforward
top loader with a well-designed
infrastructure. Long term
parking items like first aid, extra
gloves, and a puffy coat settle nicely
into the tapered bottom, creating a
shelf for readily accessible items during
the tour. There is a clean and separate
front compartment for your shovel, probe,
and avy tools that keeps them out of the
main body yet easily accessible when
needed. The top lid is reasonably roomy
and has security pockets so you don’t
have to hitchhike home because you lost
your keys - again.
A small beef with the lid is that it is fixed
to the body. Adjustable lids allow for some
extra packing space, but the fixed lid is in
line with the Alias’ streamlined approach
and is fully functional. The harness and
shoulder straps are well-matched to the pack
size and fit cleanly over touring layers. The waist
belt includes small zippered pockets for easy-access items, but the
pockets are my only real disappointment with the pack; they could
be bigger, and thus more versatile, without negatively impacting
the pack’s aesthetic design. As they are, their use is limited.
The Alias is hydration compatible with an insulated sleeve on the
shoulder strap. The pack carries agreeably with 25 lbs given the
internal aluminum stay, although when packed well, the stay’s
removal went unnoticed. Skis attach securely to the pack with
minimal effort and are held tightly for hiking.
The Alias is reasonably stout without being unnecessarily heavy,
and is offered in two sizes for a better fit; the M/L fit nicely on my
6’2” frame. At $129, the Alias is competitively priced with similar
sized packs, but wins my nod for clean, efficient design. For $229,
the pack comes with an integrated Avalung, a safety device which,
- Michael Becker
if you ever need it, is well worth the price.
Ortovox Check and Ride
$19.95, www.ortovox.com
Lost amongst the
plethora of superb
transceivers, shovels,
and probes available
to skiers today is a
manifestly low-tech
little tool meant to help
keep you out of avalanches in the first place. Built by Ortovox and
new this season, the Check and Ride is described as a “quick visual
reference of the daily avalanche report.” Ortovox research led
the company to believe that far too many people still do not avail
themselves of the daily avalanche forecast on a consistent, pre-tour
basis.
Enter the Check and Ride, which allows you to “dial in” the current
avalanche report into a series of spring-loaded wheels arrayed
in sequence along an axle. Once you have entered the data, the
Check and Ride rides along with you - either in a pocket or clipped
onto your shell or pack - offering a clever, colorful reminder of the
general hazard. The white, green, and blue wheels, from left to
right, allow you to enter information regarding the overall danger
rating, the expected trend (increasing, decreasing, or remaining
constant), the critical elevation or zone (Alpine, sub-alpine or across
all elevation zones), the rough elevation in meters, and the aspect
range thought to represent the greatest avalanche hazard (say from
north to northeast). Additionally, the Check and Ride has a small,
simple compass built into one end, a crude but effective slope angle
measuring device, a strong attachment loop, and it comes with a
thoughtful, informative instruction sheet.
The Check and Ride is not a tool for predicting future conditions
or hazard nor is it intended as a substitute for informed and
responsible decision making. The Check and Ride’s true utility is as a
prod to spur you into thinking, talking, and visualizing with your ski
partners about things such as tour goals, route options, which runs
to rip, and general avalanche safety protocol. – Brian Litz
Brooks-Range Backcountry Tool Kit
$45, www.brooks-range.com
One of the best ways
to increase your
understanding of
your local snowpack
is to record field
observations throughout
the season. This allows
you to track, compare,
and better visualize the
dynamics influencing
the snowpack.
To be at all serious
about such an endeavor
you need to have a
dedicated notebook
Gear Talk
and system for recording your observations. The Backcountry
Toolkit from Brooks-Range Mountaineering offers a very nice
package from which to build your own custom field kit. The basic
backcountry kit includes a well crafted and handy waterproof Field
Organizer made of rip-stop type nylon, an All-in-One Map Tool, an
All-in-One Lat/Long Ruler, SOS/Emergency cards, and a Rite in the
Rain brand field book for recording you observations.
The field organizer offers several slots to store your notebook
and various supporting materials as well as three dedicated pen/
pencil slots and a secure Velcro closure. The complete package
only weighs a few ounces and makes a tidy, flat package for
easy storage in your pack. The kit can be combined with the
Brooks-Range Ski Guide Cards to create a package that lays out
how to record your data using the same format as most snow
professionals. The waterproof field organizer is available on its
own if you do not need the additional “tools” or prefer to create
your own. Either way, if you plan to record and track your local
snow observations, the kit is a great resource. - David Waag
Doc Allen’s Versatool
$12.95 ($4.50 for the optional metric bit set)
www.docallensversatool.com
After years of carrying all manner of
compact – and not so compact –
ratcheting screw drivers, Swiss Army
knives, and multi-tools into the field,
I serendipitously stumbled across
what might be the perfect screwdriver
set for skiers who like, or need, a
real screwdriver in the field, but who
wince at having to schlep any more
dead weight around the hills than is
absolutely necessary.
Hailing from less-than-alpine Fort Worth, Texas,
Doc Allen’s Versatool is the brainchild of a local
orthodontist. What ghastly oral procedure he was
engaged in when inspiration for the tool struck, I have no idea,
but his elegant, efficacious design couldn’t serve the needs of the
backcountry skier better.
From the socket forward the Versatool looks and acts like any
compact modular screwdriver. It is the design of the low-profile
handle - a continuous teardrop-shaped loop of stainless steel
rod stock - that distances it from its competitors. Permanently
attached to this handle is a free sliding and free spinning
“adapter.” Attached to this adapter is a removable quarter inch
socket. Along one side of the handle are three discrete, snap-in
torque positions. Depending on where you position the adapter,
the Versatool offers three levels of rotational force, which is
considerable in the high torque position. The shape of the barebones handle has the added benefit of providing positive grip for
cold or gloved hands
In addition to the handle/adapter and socket, the Versatool comes
with a zippered pouch, eleven non-metric bits (including slots,
Phillips, and hex bits), and an extender shaft for accessing hard
to reach screws – like those in most alpine touring and telemark
bindings. An optional metric set is available as an option. I’d be
surprised if you didn’t customize your Versatool kit by stripping
the supplied bit kit down slightly while adding a few extra
after-market bits, including key skiing-oriented bits like
TORX and true Pozidriv heads. Even some quarter
wrench sockets will work with the Versatool.
The all-steel Versatool weighs in
at a mere three ounces (without
bits). Considering, too, the way the
Versatool’s adapter folds flat back
into itself, the Versatool offers an
unmatched blend of quality, compact
size, versatility, and raw cranking
power. Even if Doc Allen’s Versatool
was offered at twice the price, it would
be a highly recommended addition
to your emergency/repair kit. At $12.95
complete, however, it is a no-brainer. If you
can’t find a Versatool locally, just give the Lone Star boys a shout
and order direct. - Brian Litz
PRESENTED BY:
SUPPORTERS:
OT
O
PH
SY
RT
E
CO
U
PH
OT
O
OF
OF
R
PA
GE
LE
.
LE
PA
GE
UG
DO
DO
UG
RT
.
SO
SK
IR
ES
OR
T.
SK
IR
E
W
HIT
EW
AT
ER
EW
AT
E
HIT
W
CO
UR
TE
SY
.
RT
E
SY
CO
UR
TE
SY
CO
U
PH
OT
O
OT
O
PH
W
HIT
R
.
UG
DO
LE
PA
GE
RT
.
SO
DO
UG
SK
IR
E
SK
IR
ES
OR
T.
EW
AT
E
W
HIT
EW
AT
ER
OF
OF
PA
GE
LE
.
WHITEWATER WNTER RESORT. NELSON. BC
FEBRUARY 20 - 23, 2009
WWW.COLDSMOKEPOWDERFEST.COM
HOSTED BY:
GOLD SPONSORS:
MEDIA SPONSORS:

Now - Off

Transcription

Similar documents

What`s In Your Pack?

DECEMBER 2011 General membership meetings

Roy Parker - New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame

Aramón (Spain)

APPENDIX 1b - De La Salle College

PDF - Blandford Ski Area

Ski Tech - Gabriella Le Breton

THE APRÉ - Double Diamond Ski Club

Gudauri - SkiData

Craigleith Ski Club - Collingwood, ON February 1st, 2013