Avy 101 Paul Parker Ski Pack Review Parallel vs Telemark The

Transcription

FREE
Avy 101
Paul Parker
Ski Pack Review
Parallel vs Telemark
The Spirit of Hut Skiing
and much more inside!
Issue XV
December 2002
FIRST
T
TR
RAC
ACK
KS
S
Off-Piste
Volume V - Issue XV
F
irst tracks are one of the bonuses of backcountry skiing, kind of
like having ice cream with a decadent dessert. I have a bad habit
of poaching first tracks. It stems from an uncanny ability to sense
others’ hesitation and drop in before anyone is the wiser. Having
garnered a bit of a reputation on a recent hut trip, I decided it was
time to swallow my instincts and quell my urge to go as my partners
readied for descent. From where we stood at the top of the ridge,
several lines dropped below us. There was an obvious line that if I
were to follow my urge and poach, I would claim. However, in an
attempt to save face, I restrained myself. I looked on as my partners
cut tracks into the white space below eliciting clouds of cold smoke
in their wakes.
Uninspired by the now tracked lines before me, I surveyed the scene.
A small slot caught my attention and like a magnet, I was drawn into
a new line that left me smiling at untouched real estate all the way to
valley bottom. One of the beauties of skiing off-piste is there is always
another line or different path from which to choose. And yes, that is a
big piece of why we backcountry ski. But is it always the driving
force?
Despite the pleasures of and my reputation for first tracks, the spirit of
off-piste adventure runs deeper for me. To ski the backcountry takes
on new meaning every winter as the familiarity of the known and the
excitement of the unknown fuel my spirit. Whether on a short day trip
or an extended hut trip, there are many pieces to the puzzle.
At the Banff Mountain Book and Film Festival this year, I had the
pleasure of hearing several renowned adventurers speak to their
passions of adventure. A common theme amongst everyone was a
sense of comfort in their chosen backcountry environment. The
backcountry is a place where day to day concerns of the modern
world drop away, a place where the environment energizes and
refreshes one’s spirit. We each find this in different places and at
varying levels, but there is no mistaking that being off-piste, traveling
in the backcountry, is a fundamental element.
So, in the hopes of sharing the spirit and soul of backcountry
adventure, Off-Piste finds its way into your hands. This issue is our
biggest ever and that means more for you to enjoy. Whether you find
yourself inspired by a feature story, dreaming of a new daypack, or
simply perusing the photos, we hope you enjoy the experience. If you
do subscribe!
Cheers, Dave
Cover
Skier: Glen Wade
Location: Crystal Mt. Backcountry, WA
Photographer: Chase Jarvis
Contents Location: Kootenays, BC
(above) Photographer: Karen Holt
Contents Location: Tabo, India
(top right) Photographer: Karen Holt
Warning: Backcountry skiing, boarding, and climbing are inherently dangerous. People die
in the backcountry. The information in Off-Piste is no substitute for experience or sound
judgement; be careful out there, use your heads, stay out of trouble, ski to live, eat well,
brush and floss regularly, be kind to your neighbors, and above all else ENJOY LIFE.
The opinions 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 Free Heel Press.
2 Off-Piste December 2002
Publisher/Editor
Free Heel Press/David Waag
Contributing Editors
Hans Adomit, Roger Alfred, Ted Helprin,
Karen Holt, Jeff Schuh, Etienne Scott
Contributing Writers
Roger Alfred, Myles Berney, Marc Deschenes, Scott, Johnston,
Nils Larsen, Lance Waring, David Waag, Dan Wilder
Contributing Photographers/Artists
Myles Berney, David Glunns, Karen Holt, Chase Jarvis,
Mathew Scholl, Carl Skoog, David Waag
Web Slave
Karen Holt
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 2002 Free Heel Press
Printed in the USA on recycled paper
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Circulation: 6,500 + at selected outlets in Alaska, British Columbia,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Utah, Vermont and more!
Retail Shops: Cool outdoor shops and a few coffee houses distribute
Off-Piste. If your favorite shop does not have Off-Piste, tell them to
drop us an email with the store name and address.
Contribute: We are the voice of the backcountry community. Be
creative! Send artwork, photos, news, stories, and events. Detailed
submission information is available on our web site or give us a call.
Advertise: Our readers want to know about your business!
Call or write for our media kit.
Subscriptions: Support the cause! SUBSCRIBE!
4 issues = $15 includes postage & labor
Back issues are available for $5 each.
Independent Media for Independent Minds!
F E AT U R E S
II N
N S
S II D
D E
E
PAUL PARKER
7
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE & PHILOSOPHY OF FREEHEEL SKIING - LANCE WARING
TOUCHING REALITY
8
THE SPIRIT OF HUT SKIING - NILS LARSEN
SOLO SOLACE 10
A LESSON IN SOLO TRAVEL - MYLES BERNEY
SKI TOURING PACKS
17
A REVIEW OF SKI SPECIFIC PACKS - SCOTT JOHNSTON
D E P A R T M E N T S
WHAT’S UP 4
NEWS, EVENTS, ISSUES
LETTERS
6
READER INPUT
GALLERY
14
WORDS & IMAGES
BACKCOUNTRY MEDIC
22
IMPROVISED RESCUE SLEDS BY DAN WILDER
AVY 101
24
COMMON ERRORS BY MARC DESCHENES
BACKCOUNTRY BETA
12
PARALLEL VS TELEMARK BY NILS LARSEN
CALENDAR
SHOP DIRECTORY
27
27
Issue XV Off-Piste 3
happen. Black Diamond is pursuing the International Ski
Mountaineering Committee (ISMC) for course
sanctioning which would put the event on the map for
folks looking to compete on the international point
series level. Several criteria need to be met for
sanctioning to occur including specific course details
such as vertical gained as well as certified judges
and check point stations. The event will occur
regardless of the sanctioning process.
In contrast to the Randonee Rally series, the Wasatch
event covers longer mileage and includes more off-piste
terrain than previous rallies. The race division will climb
over 5,000 vertical feet along a course of about 13 miles
while the citizen division will climb just over 3,000 feet along a
course of about 10 miles. We asked McLean whether he felt the
longer course would favor lighter Nordic gear over more traditional
AT or Tele gear and he said that the course would be designed to
include challenging descents as well as ascents and, although
any ski gear will be allowed he anticipates that the course will
dictate the use of traditional AT or Tele gear.
Mt. Superior and the Wasatch Mountains Photo: Carl Skoog
BLACK DIAMOND POWDER KEG
B
lack Diamond Equipment recently announced the first annual
Black Diamond Powder Keg, a point-to-point endurance ski
race cosponsored by Patagonia that will climb above Little
Cottonwood Canyon, traverse along the Wasatch Crest, and drop
into the Canyons Ski Area outside of Park City, Utah. Conceived of
by Andrew McLean, Black Diamond product developer and well
known ski mountaineer, the race will be March 15th, 2003 and the
course will be similar in format to the Life-Link Randonee Rally
series that has grown in popularity in recent years.
The course is planned to begin near the base of the Alta Ski Resort
and will climb to the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon, descend
into the Brighton Ski Resort, circumnavigate the Brighton area,
climb up to Wasatch crest towards Park City, and eventually
descend into the Canyons Ski Resort.
According to McLean, Black Diamond has considered such an
event for several years and felt that this was the year to make it
All participants will be required to carry standard avalanche safety
equipment and given that a good portion of the course will travel
through avalanche prone terrain, a high avalanche hazard may
require a last minute course change. www.bdel.com
YELLOWSTONE SNOWMOBILE BAN LIFTED
I
n November, the Bush administration formally announced its
intention to remove the phase-out and ban of snowmobiles in
Yellowstone National Park that was enacted by the National Park
Service under President Clinton two years ago. Despite the fact
that the ban was supported by 80 percent of the 370,000 people
who flooded the Park Service with comments, the new Bush plan
could actually increase the number of snowmobiles in the park
each year.
Back in November of 2000, the Park Service under President
Clinton released a final plan for winter use management in
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks that would phase out
snowmobiles by cutting traffic in half in the winter of 2002-2003,
and completely prohibiting use of snowmobiles in the parks by the
winter of 2003-2004. The plan was based in part on the
recommendations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
which concluded that the only way to prevent further deterioration
of the air quality in Yellowstone, as required under the Clean Air
Act, was to ban snowmobiles completely. Another, more recent
EPA report recommended that snowmobiles
should not be allowed in the park because of the
continued effects of snowmobile pollution on the
health of park rangers.
However, after the Clinton plan was released, the
International Snowmobile Manufacturers
Association (ISMA) sued the Park Service over
the proposed ban. The ISMA knew that by filing
a lawsuit, it would then be able to negotiate a
favorable settlement under the new Bush
administration that would remove the Clinton-era
rules. In July of this year, the ISMA lawsuit was
settled through a cozy agreement between the
Snowmobile Manufacturers and Secretary of the
Interior Gale Norton. The terms of the settlement
agreement resulted in the new Park Service rules
removing the phase-out and ban of
snowmobiles.
Despite the overwhelming public support for a
complete ban (comments ran four to one in favor
of a ban), the Park Service is now proposing to merely “limit” the
number of snowmobiles in Yellowstone. However, the new Park
Service “limitations” do not actually require fewer snowmobiles in
the park. In fact, the Park Service proposal could conceivably
allow 35 percent more traffic than in previous years.
Here’s why: instead of attempting to reduce the overall numbers of
snowmobilers using the park (which average 67,000 per winter),
the plan imposes daily limits on the numbers of sleds allowed at
each of the park’s gates: 50 at the North Entrance, 550 at the
West Entrance, 100 at the East Entrance and 250 at the South
Entrance, and another 150 a day would be allowed into Grand
Teton and the parkway, for a total maximum of 1,100 per day. The
current daily average is only 815. If each of the gates met its daily
maximum of riders every day, instead of today’s average of 67,000
snowmobiles per year, there could be over 90,000 snowmobiles
per year in Yellowstone.
Many groups have expressed outrage at the 180-degree change
of course by the Park Service, pointing out that the Bush
administration is turning its back on scientific, public and
government input over the last 10 years that said
banning snowmobiles was the best option for
preserving the parks.
“It’s an astonishing change of direction,” said
Chris Mehl of The Wilderness Society.
“Americans have always taken protection of our
national parks very seriously. We have now
signaled that we have retreated from that high
standard. Unfortunately, we’re tarnishing that
high ideal.”
“This is a sad chapter in America’s 130-year
commitment to protecting Yellowstone,” said Jon
Catton of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “The
priorities of our first national park are being
turned upside-down.”
The only glimmer of hope is that the new Park
Service rules will force the snowmobile industry
to produce cleaner four-stroke engines by
Photo: Mathew Scholl
helping create a market demand. Starting in the
winter of 2003-04, commercially guided snowmobiles in
Yellowstone are required to be less polluting and quieter fourstroke models. The following year, all snowmobiles used in the
parks will be required to have four-stroke engines. Four-stroke
engines are believed to reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 90
percent and carbon monoxide emissions by 70 percent.
Meanwhile this winter at Yellowstone, rangers will be offered
respirators, paper masks, foam earplugs or even a pair of batteryoperated noise-reducing earmuffs to combat noise and pollution at
the gates or elsewhere in the park. Catton says, “You have to
wonder what Teddy Roosevelt would have thought if he came.
‘Welcome to Yellowstone. Here are your earplugs and we
recommend you wear this mask over your nose and mouth”.
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Base Blister
-The base of my fav. 4x4
power tracs has a small
“size of a quarter” blister
from too hot an iron while
waxing. It does not stick
up much from the base so
maybe a steel scraper to
get it down? I’m really
worried about interal
damage! It’s very small,
but skis ain’t cheap,
could they delam or come
apart? Im bumming.
Thanks
Bob Schnieders
e-mail
-A blistered base is
worrisome but don’t worry
too much – the problem most
likely isn’t as bad as you
think. Let me start by
saying that without seeing
the ski it’s hard to give
you a completely accurate
assessment. And if you’re
not comfortable with
making your own ski repairs
seek professional help
locally. Strong and
lasting base repairs can
be tough to achieve with
the average home tuning
equipment.
With that
said, I can tell you that
it’s doubtful you damaged
the core or are in danger
of delamination with the
size blister you describe.
The main issue isn’t so
much how big around it is
but how much it has
bubbled up. If it’s not
much, I would not even
worry about it. Trying to
scrape
it
down
or
otherwise flatten it will
only just thin the base
in that spot. To repair
it like new will most
likely mean cutting that
spot out of the base and
putting in a patch or base
weld; a good job for your
local shop with the right
tools and know-how. - Ray
Thomas, OP Shop-Tech
Shop Thanks
-Hello from Rossland BC!
Just wanted to let you know
that
we
have
been
receiving a small stack
of each issue of your
magazine via the mail. I
enjoy reading it myself
and have noticed that when
I put them out with the
other reading material in
our Coffee House that they
are extremely popular with
our customers. Great
Stuff! Cheers!
- Steve Schmeeckle
Proprietor
Alpine Grind Coffee House,
Rossland BC
-Just wanted to say thanks
for the mag! You list our
shop in the back and we
appreciate that. We make
every pinhead,knuckle
dragger and AT punk leave
with a copy...except our
shop copy!
It’s fun to read peoples’
stories and everyday
experiences. Thanks.
Tom
Sierra Nevada Adventure
Company - SNAC
-It is good to hear
the retail end. Does
favorite shop carry
Piste? If not, tell
to give us a ring or
us an e-mail. - Ed
from
your
Offthem
drop
Subscriber Input
-My compliments to the
Off-Piste crew on the
last issue. I truely
enjoy the black and white
format and enclosed is a
check
to
renew
my
subscription.
My only suggestion is that
the mag needs more pages!
It’s a good, but quick,
read. I would love to see
an extra feature story and
more in depth reviews.
J. Newsome
Boulder, CO
-We enjoy the feedback and
hope you will appreciate
that this issue is four
pages longer than any
previous issue. With your
help, we are growing,
albeit slowly, but growing
nonetheless. Keep the
feedback coming and get
your friends to subscribe!
- Ed
design is within the new standard. If everything
stays on schedule, we should be launching the
NTN system in 2004.
OP: As a skier, it sounds like you have a dream
job.
PP: I develop skis for Tua and boots and clothing
for Garmont. We are getting ready for the coming
season, so I’ve been on the phone to Italy. I’ll be
overseas at the factories next week and then back
here to prepare for the Outdoor Retailer Show in
Salt Lake. After that is the ISPO show (the
European version of Outdoor Retailer) and then
the On-Snow Retailer’s Demo at Copper Mountain.
Photo: Brian Litz
OP: I thought you designed gear. What is your
role at all these trade shows?
PP: I work with designers and lend my own ideas
when appropriate. But the Italians call me “Uomo
Prodotto” which translates to “product manager.”
So part of my job is launching new products. At
the shows, I educate the reps so they can sell.
PP: I had good timing and good luck. As a
college student in Gunnison, I broke trail with
some of the American telemark pioneers. After
school, I instructed and directed courses for the
Colorado Outward Bound School. Along the way, I
was the first employee at Neptune Mountaineering
in Boulder. All those experiences led to working
with Yvon Chouinard and Chouinard Equipment,
and, of course, Tua Skis.
OP: What about your time on the PSIA Nordic
Demo team?
continued on page 25
OP: So what is new for this year?
F
or those who don’t already know
the name, Paul Parker is the
driving force behind the rise of
American telemark skiing. His influence
stems from over thirty years of freeheel skiing,
including an eight-year stint on the PSIA Nordic
Demo Team. In addition, Parker has been
designing and developing telemark gear for the
past twenty years—he is the man behind the
original Scarpa Terminator, as well as a veteran ski
designer for Tua Skis. Finally, Paul Parker wrote
the definitive telemark manual when he published
Free-Heel Skiing: Telemark and Parallel Techniques
in 1988. Off-Piste Magazine caught up with Paul
Parker on a fall afternoon at a coffee shop just
down the road from Parker’s home in
Breckenridge, Colorado.
OP: Thanks for making time on such a fine day.
PP: No worries. I’m done working and just
finished a good bike ride.
OP: What are you working on?
PP: You’ll see soon enough. Actually the big
telemark news is still a couple of years away.
OP: Can you spill the beans?
PP: We are creating a New Telemark Norm (NTN)
boot sole and binding that eliminates the
protruding “duck toe” found on current tele-boots.
Now the challenge is to unite all the European
boot and binding manufacturers and get them to
change production molds at the same time.
Changing molds is very expensive, so you can see
why not all the companies want to jump into
something new. Plus I’m trying to get the Italians
and the Scandinavians to work together which
isn’t always easy.
OP: Sounds like part of you job is international
relations. What else factors into bringing a new
boot/binding system to market?
PP: I’m waiting for the International Standards
Organization to meet and firm up a randonee boot
sole norm so that we can be sure that our new
Photo: Brian Litz
Issue XIV Off-Piste 7
I
t’s early March and I’m in the
first load leaving Powder
Creek Lodge where we have
just skied, eaten, sauna-ed,
and slept our way through the
coldest week of winter. The
helicopter rises, tilts left, and
swings off down the valley in a
smooth arc.
Photo: David Gluns
Photo: David Gluns
Photo: David Waag
Unlike an airplane, flying in a
helicopter feels more like
wandering, both in direction and
orientation. It never seems like
we’re quite on the beeline, but
constantly at odd angles and
changing speeds. It’s the
closest thing to dream flying, as
we float over snaggy treetops
and tilt one way or another for a
better view of a certain slide
path or a particular peak.
As we start down the valley I
can see the tops of the trees
where we skinned up and skied
down in the past week. Spruce,
with its dark needles sharp to
the touch, fir, with its anorexic
profile that leaves little for the
snow to rest on, and in the
upper reaches, the larch. They
grow near the alpine and suffer
through the worst abuses of
winter. Many stand twisted and
broken, growing in contorted
shapes, sometimes kept alive
by one spiky branch or a thin
vein of cambium connecting
tree to root. They appear
ageless as they perch in avy
paths or on windswept knolls,
giving us visibility, character,
and perspective on the snowy
days when we ventured to tree
line.
We all have our favorites of
these grand old trees that have
seen so much, old already at
the arrival of our ancestors a
blink of time ago. In those days
Mountain Caribou, now all but
gone, roamed and rested,
nibbling lichens under their
branches. Generations of Hawk
Owls nested in their pecked out
cavities and peered from high
branches for any sign of
movement on the snow below.
Chickadees ate and spread
their seed, martins chased
squirrels,
white
rabbits
crouched beneath sheltering
limbs with ears back as
wolverines rambled through the
winter wilds, eating anything
and everything they could
catch or find. Through it all the
snow fell soft and white, piling
in perfect stacks on needleless
branches and catching in the
cracks of the puzzle-piece bark.
Now,
the
helicopter
is
surrounded by granite and
quartzite peaks that rise
thousands of feet from the
valley floor. The haze of cloud
and falling snow obscures our
view of the valley’s edges, and
gives me the sense of a world
that is softly disappearing
around its visible margins.
I gaze out the window at the
landscape drifting by in slow
motion. Up to the left I can see
some slide paths across the
valley that we skied early in the
week. The snow was older then
and had re-crystalized during
below zero nights. It sloughed
easily and in the steep slots
and larches of Hidden Bowl we
skied diagonal lines to keep the
following snow from knocking
us down - or we tried to ski in
front of it - more difficult as the
runs steepened. Sometimes we
would get caught up in the
moving snow and the world
became a shifting surface with
no sense of firmness to it. This
is disconcerting - standing on
the earth is what grounds us.
Skiing snow like this is a lesson
in relinquishing control and of
quite literally going with the
flow.
As the day wears on our group
of seven becomes five then
dwindles to three and our final
run, a previously unnoticed but
long, steep line threading
between rock and trees
becomes the Crown Jewel of
the day. From the top I can hear
Twig hooting as he disappears
over the edge and then
reappears, a figurine in a flush
of snow boiling out near the
bottom of the run. Jenna first,
then I, tilt our skis into the fallline and find our own version of
a Great Run, riding down in
separate rivers of billowing
snow. In sheltering trees we
throw our skins on and make
water bottle toasts to the run,
the day, backcountry skiing and ourselves for sticking it out.
Moving in single file our happily
tired bodies settle in for the
long slide home. I feel the
pendulum swing of my legs, my
skis slinging forward in a loose
trajectory that ends with a clack
of heel contacting ski. I watch
my ski tips part the new snow
on the trail like the prows of two
ships gliding quiet and soft
through the thickening flakes to
a warm lodge, a hot sauna, and
a cold beer.
One night a wind comes up
which compresses the 12 to 14
inches of snow. Not a wind
pack, but a gentle pressing,
enough to create a cohesive
layer everywhere we go. The
following morning we wander
through wind etched snow to
Alberta Knob. On smaller
slopes we cut perfect slabs
loose with a well-placed ski cut
where the snow bulges and is
stretched tight and ripe for
release. We head for trees
looking for less slab and more
protection and even here find
that the snow fractures easily
past a certain angle. It’s
predictable though and we
work the terrain in the steep
trees, partnering up for each
new puzzle of a run.
On another day we head for
The Attic, a large and sheltered
basin with lots of ancient
larches rooted amidst huge
boulders that have tumbled
down over the millennia. The
basin drains to the northwest
and our approach from the east
finds it protected by a rock face.
It is breached only by one
steep ramp that narrows until
we remove our skis and boot
up the last 100 vertical feet. I
look back down and imagine
how in another time this could
be an Andean stronghold or a
Himalayan fortress, defendable
by one guy with a big rock and
a quiver full of arrows. Before
us the basin drops away in
scattered forest and rocky
gullies - perfect ski terrain. It
lies like a giant hand, cupped in
protection and tilted downward
to let us spill out at our
pleasure. We swoop through
the craggy larches with turns
rounding fat and full as a belly,
and the snow trailing over our
shoulders and drifting off
behind us like life.
The sauna quickly becomes
an essential evening activity.
We all develop our own sauna
ritual starting with the always
social warm up. As we sit on
tiered benches in soft light we
chat of the day, the world, the
weather - wrongly forecasted 6
out of 7 days - and what lies
ahead. Not in a long-range
philosophic sense but in a
more business at hand, short
term, skier gratification sense. I
guzzle water too, trying to
keep a steady flow going in at
least equal to the flow going
out. As heads droop and
sweat starts to run shiny
bodies stumble out into the
starry night and cold snow for
a roll and quickly return,
gasping, crusted in white. We
all have different tolerances for
heat. I find that if I stay in too
long I succumb to sauna stupor
followed quickly by sauna
stupid. The right timing
combined with a snow roll or
two and finished with a
lukewarm bucket shower
leaves me feeling clean and
revived, ready for the evenings
next most pressing concern food and beverage.
Photo: David Gluns
Photo: David Waag
We are self-catered this week,
which means that one or two of
us does a dinner and a
breakfast for the whole group,
then we are free of cooking
chores for the remainder. This
allows for wildly creative meals
and reduces cooking burnout.
Through the week we eat Thai
(John’s 5 course meal gets
“Best Food Of The Week”
award), Mexican, several pasta
Photo: David Gluns
S
un tipped mountain peaks serve
as my alarm. It is time for morning
rituals normally shared with friends but
I am alone. I feel small in this valley
retreat, yet I remain ambitious, with a
plan to tour to the headwaters of the
drainage. There lies a bowl of sweets
that I’ve wanted to taste since a distant
first glimpse years ago.
Slide path rivulets and steep treed ridges
bar access to my goal; I will weave my
way there, performing for no audience. I
lay a skin track and am drawn higher and
higher; each step affords a greater vision
of my surroundings. My pounding heart
fills my body with life; feeling clean, high,
and alive on a cross-lit ridge, I stand and
view ahead and above a path of technical
artistry that I’m only willing to admire from
below. Steeply exposed pillow flutes fall
like silky braids from the false summit;
though beautiful, the peak cares nothing
for me. Suspect of her personality and
intentions, I avoid the peak’s potential
sting and choose to go no further. For a
moment I am content to relax in this
beautiful tree-line oasis. Another tick off
the infinite list of places I’ve never been.
Still, this valley is a setup, a trap that I’ve
walked into once before, but this time I am
prepared. Helmet on, hasty pit behind,
and a first descent ahead, I savor the day.
A day with no partner is a tricky situation.
When motivated and eager for adventure,
it is difficult to hold back. Understanding
your limitations and your ability to make
wise decisions while alone is key.
I remember the day two years ago when
I’d woken early and toured alone for
hours, striving to reach a drainage that I’d
only seen on a map. Motivated by perfect
weather my eyes found a goal, a peaked
face beautiful and immaculate, gently
illuminated with afternoon light. Up
steeply and up deeply I moved, confident
and sure. Twenty meters from the summit
ridge a settlement in the snowpack froze
me in my tracks. As if time had stopped, I
remained stunned and motionless. A
checklist for survival stormed through my
head. What the hell was I doing here? No
one knew where I was because I didn’t
know where I was going when I left in the
morning. Thoroughly shaken and after a
long moment of deep assessment, I
tucked my tail and fled by the most
conservative line available. For the
remainder of that winter my solo
adventures consisted of road walks and
short treed runs, saving the alpine for
travel with ski partners.
Two years later I am exploring bigger
mountains, getting stronger, and gaining
experience. It all leads me back to the
same valley. I feel it is time to scratch the
mountain I’ve been unable and unwilling
to touch for these two years. With a lazy
morning behind me and no ski partners, I
decide to head out solo, establishing four
o’clock as my turn around time. Sticky
skins consume my will to continue but a
stronger desire pulls me upwards. I
ponder that I haven’t been back to this
peak since that day two years ago. I find
my rhythm, my skins stop sticking, and my
stride continues like meditation. A short
steep headwall leads me to a sub-alpine
Slide path rivulets and steep treed
ridges bar access to my goal; I will
weave my way there, performing for
no audience. I lay a skin track and am
drawn higher and higher; each step
affords a greater vision of my
surroundings.
meadow and a second glimpse of the
peak. Smaller than the image in my
inflamed memory, the route is still a
challenge as I weave a thin line to the col.
Four o’clock comes with the whistle to turn
back. I continue cautiously up a corniced
ridge to the narrow summit, my turn
around time extended. Eerily exhilarated,
my breath echoing my heart beat, I look
down to where I was stopped short on my
last visit, just twenty meters below. The
memory is eclipsed by the dizzying
perfection of this day.
Upon reaching the summit I realize that I
am not exactly where I had hoped to be,
and the line I had scoped to ski is not
accessible. Instead, a 300-meter bowl of
corniced chutes confronts me as the
easiest descent. In the waning light I take
a closer look with the hope of finding a
weakness that will ease me onto the
slope without a drop. Studying carefully
from ridge to valley bottom I find a route, a
four-meter wide uncorniced chute that
widens beautifully after 50 meters or so.
The magnetic lure of a clean line,
irresistible and shining, fills me with
excitement.
Up steeply and up deeply I moved,
confident and sure. Twenty meters
from the summit ridge a settlement in
the snowpack froze me in my tracks.
As if time had stopped, I remained
stunned and motionless. A checklist
for survival stormed through my head.
What the hell was I doing here?
This time, I know that snow stability has
been excellent all week, and I skied a
similar feature the previous day with
friends.
Alone and with darkness
approaching, this shot is my best option. I
cut a turn and stop short; my attention
focused on the snowpack. Everything
feels right, the day, the summit, the terrain,
and my complete calm. It is perfect.
Another fast turn and here I go. Fall-line
speed is my friend for several streaking
turns. But then I hit a roll and am airborne,
with one ski floating beside me as I land,
bounce, and tumble down the run-out. I
laugh away the shock as I kick steps back
up to my ski. Clicking in, I take a breath
and ski out the basin, so beautiful in the
waning light. Again the terrain drops off
steeply; a quick traverse finds a perfect
slot leading down to old growth glades
and the valley bottom. Old ski tracks slice
in from the side and join with my new
ones, leading me home.
Myles Berney lives in New Denver, BC and
calls the Selkirk Mountains his backyard.
Editors Note: Nearly everyone has a vision of
that perfect day and untouched slopes. Still, not
all of us are ready (or will ever be) to take on
such responsibility solo. Know your limits, let
people know your plans, always listen to your
best judgment, and always be prepared to turn
around; the mountain will be there another day
when conditions are right, and you are ready.
“There is no one more
insufferable about smoking
than the reformed smoker.”
M
any of us developed a
rather pious view of
skiing when we were
initiated into the world of
the telemark turn. We showed great
disdain for the parallel turn as well as
our alpine cousins and deemed the
“tele” the answer to all our turning
needs.
A couple things happened. First, on the
social front, our non-tele friends found us
as much fun to be around as Moonies at an
airport and, on the ski front, we started
noticing that there were times when a
parallel turn or three worked pretty darn
well. At first we would hide them. We’d
parallel when we were alone or no one
was watching, kind of like sneaking a drink
from a bottle of hooch during a Sunday
sermon. Sooner or later we were spotted
by our more devout (read - they can’t
parallel) friends and like any religion worth
its salt there was guilt involved.
There were (and sometimes still are)
accusations of heresy, especially from the
wooly woodsy folk that roam throughout
the western mountains. There is something
about rural locations that often breeds
conservatism and this holds true from
politics to tele skiers. When you get back
into the recesses of the mountains there is
an unwavering uniformity to the beliefs that
parallel a certain dress code, the granola
look. Snow crusted wool pants, grubby
gaiters; it’s a stereotype that we have
heard about adnauseam. I still have my
ratty old Peruvian hat stashed somewhere.
At this point, I must note that this stereotype
was very much alive in the Northwest,
where I was converted and spent my early
telemark years. However, as I traveled
more, I found attitudes varied by region,
especially near ski areas.
In the land of the Mormons, laying far to the
east and south of my Northwest roots,
many of the good freeheel skiers used only
parallel turns except when they raced
(oddly, this is where parallels are at there
best). Having visited this faraway land, we
affectionately dubbed our ski buddies there
UPJs, or “Utah Parallel Jerks”. Perhaps it
was a rebellion to a well entrenched
religious intolerance they had been dealing
with for years or perhaps it lay in the normal
“At first we would hide
them. We’d parallel when we
were alone or no one was
watching, kind of like
sneaking a drink from a
bottle of hooch during a
Sunday sermon. Sooner or
later we were spotted by our
more devout (read - they
can’t parallel) friends and
like any religion worth its
salt there was guilt involved”.
conditions of this area, nice corduroy or
light powder on a firm base. These
conditions are conducive to parallel turns,
especially when contrasted to the “normal”
Northwest conditions which range from
wind whipped powder to refrozen mush to
new snow so wet and thick we referred to it
as elephant snot.
Every region has its challenges for the
young testosterone infected male. In Utah,
it is skiing high speed groomers, which lead
to racing gates. In the Northwest, it is skiing
the snow de jour, with its manic mood
swings always capable of redefining the
term “problematic snow”. In the east, young
skiers test their metal skiing diamond hard
snow in equally hardwood forests, where a
one inch, innocent looking maple limb will
clothesline you in a blink and the snow
gets so hard that you must look for the
whitest spots on which to scrub a little
speed.
This gets us to the nub of the issue, the
issue this article is supposed to address;
what are the differences between a parallel
and a telemark turn. First off, the telemark
or parallel positions don’t make the skis
turn; they are body positions in which to
turn the skis and each has its own
strengths. Depending on conditions, the
different positions offer different forms of
stability. The telemark position, with its long
fore and aft spread, offers good stability in
variable and soft snows. These conditions
lend themselves to lots of fore and aft
instabilities due to varying depths and
densities in the snow. When we spread out
our stance and weight both skis (this is
fundamental to the telemark) we
essentially create a longer platform where
we need it, fore and aft. In the Northwest
fore and aft instabilities are endemic to
skiing.
The parallel stance favors hard or
consistent snow. On groomed or frozen
surfaces fore and aft stability is not the
issue but holding an edge (lateral stability)
is. The parallel position (on groomed and
hard snows) keeps the weight more on the
outside foot and locates the hips in a
stronger position to resist lateral forces.
Simply put, in a telemark position we drop
the uphill ski back which rotates our hips
(and center) up the hill and in a parallel
position we scoot the uphill ski forward,
rotating the hips (and center) down the hill.
We can mitigate this in a telemark by
keeping a tighter stance and driving our hips
more dynamically into the fall-line but the
tele position can’t equal the parallel in hard
snow stability.
Along with the purely functional reasons
there are other considerations in the
freeheel skier’s choice of turns. The bulk of
the good freeheel skiers come from an
alpine background. These skiers are often
very good parallel skiers from the outset
and in a matter of days can be comfortable
paralleling on freeheel gear, especially in
conditions that favor parallels to begin with.
Since, it has become (generally speaking)
“OK to parallel” there have been ongoing
debates about the lack of efficiency of the
tele turn and in a purely functional world
there is some truth to this. All things being
equal - as in ambidexterity with both turns parallels can cover a wider range of
conditions with less effort than the tele.
“For those that preach the supremacy of the parallel, its technical superiority and overall
efficiency, I would say we don’t ski to be efficient; we ski for the pleasure of it.”
There is a bias here though in that many of
the debaters start with the parallel as their
native turn and often never really master the
telemark. There is a delicacy in the fore and
aft weight distribution of the tele position that
can be hard to master. It’s a bit of a tightrope
and without this balanced stance the turn
really doesn’t work very well, especially
where it should, in soft snow.
For those that preach the supremacy of the
parallel, its technical superiority and overall
efficiency, I would say we don’t ski to be
efficient; we ski for the pleasure of it. There is
something truly poetic about the tele turn
whose essence is as natural and simple as
the human gait. Teles do require more
movement and yes, sometimes more effort
then parallels but so does waltzing around a
room compared to standing there and
tapping your foot to the music. There is an
essence and pleasure to both turns and the
beauty of freeheel skiing is its versatility and
freedom of movement. Mix the two turns in a
run and use your weaker of the two to make
you a better skier. Both turns compliment
each other and fit together in a Yin Yang way
to make a more complete skier.
are a good challenge for me to stay
well centered on my skis, especially in
weird snow or difficult terrain. And lets
face it, when my legs get tired,
paralleling feels pretty nice. Perhaps
there should be a rule out there in the
tele world that when you break forty
you are given a free pass to turn as
you like, to mix teles and parallels at
your pleasure. Hey, maybe that should
be a rule for everyone.
As I have gotten more comfortable with
parallel turns and - not coincidentally older, I find I use them more. Parallels
Nils Larsen, a regular contributor to OffPiste, produces freeheel videos and
teaches freeheel workshops around
the country. www.freeheels.com
Skier: Frode Gronvald.
Location: Chamonix, France
Photographer: Chase Jarvis
A wise man makes his own
decisions, an ignorant man
follows the public opinion.
- Chinese proverb
Skier: Jesse Goosman
Location: Kootenays, BC
Photographer: Carl Skoog
Skier: Adam U
Location: North Cascades, WA
A man who stands for nothing
will fall for anything.
- Malcolm X
Skier: Friend Holloway
Location: North Cascades, WA
If we don’t change the direction we are headed,
we are likely to end up where we are going.
- Amory Lovins
SKI TOURING PACKS
A Review of Backcountry Ski Specific Packs
by Scott Johnston
You know you have achieved
perfection of design, not when you
have nothing left to add, but when
you have nothing left to take off.
- Antoine de Saint Exupery
That’s right, the side that has been against
your sweaty back for the last hour and a half of
skinning. This sweaty side can, if the fabric is
not carefully chosen, pick up as much snow as
the sticky side of your skins if they fall into the
snow.
U
All this doesn’t mean zipper packs are to be
ignored; in fact, several earn worthy praise, but
be aware of your usage. Zipper packs can
provide a nice clean profile if done well (more
on this anon).
nfortunately, Antoine is not designing
packs, and many pack designers could
take a lesson in elegance from this
engineer, artist, and writer. Let’s face the music
right now: hard core, committed backcountry
skiers are a small minority of the otherwise
growing “alternative” gear buying public.
Manufacturers dedicate their energy to
designing packs that meet the varied needs of
most consumers not the specialized needs of
core backcountry users. That said most
manufacturers have a pack or three designed to
pacify the general needs of the backcountry ski
crowd. In a small market crowded with many
players there is a need to distinguish one’s
product; however it appears that, in their efforts
at distinction, many pack manufacturers have
chosen to ignore Antoine’s sage advice and
have added a plethora of features to their packs
that may or may not be useful to core
backcountry skiers. Before we get to the
individual reviews, let’s talk a bit about what the
testers look for and some of the pros, cons,
and tradeoffs of various design features.
Zipper Panel vs. Top Loader
For me, this debate died long ago when I
witnessed a major zipper failure on my partner’s
pack while touring/climbing in the Tetons in
January of 1977. Pete Athans was not a happy
man when his pack zipper blew out while
attempting to stuff just one more slightly frozen
article of clothing into his pack. The result
made for an interesting remainder of the trip,
what with all the lashing of webbing and what
not. But hey that was years ago; I’m willing to
revisit this issue in light of new materials and
better zippers. But, I harbor a secret suspicion
that the recent advent of zipper closures is due
to the fact that the previous generation of pack
designers who dealt with the shortcomings of
this style have all retired and the new wave
thinks they have just stumbled onto a clever
idea.
Old fashioned as they are; you can always stuff
just one more item into a top loading pack with
a lid and drawstring. The same can’t be said
for zipper closure packs as evidenced by the
above mentioned tale and many more like it.
This over stuffing capability is important to
most mountain travelers. An old but oft
overlooked benefit of a top loader is the ability
to stuff the lid into a partly filled sack, pull the
drawstring tight making a much smaller and
more streamlined package.
The main benefit of the standard zip pack is
that you have full access to all your gear by
utilizing the clamshell design. This is a good
thing when it can help you get at the stuff on
the bottom easily. However, in opening the
zipper fully you usually have to undo several
compression straps, and when laid fully open,
most zip packs start to risk major spillage of
gear or the unwanted entrance of snow into the
pack. If you don’t undo the compression straps
or open the zipper fully, most of these packs
offer more restricted access than a top loader.
The second most discouraging drawback of
MOST zip packs is that they open from the
front surface (the side facing away from your
back) which means that to open them fully you
have to lay them flat on their back in the snow.
Ski Carrying Systems
Most of us don’t carry our skis on the pack too
often or for very long at any given time.
However, a slick ski carrying system can make
the chore much more pleasant. The standard
scenario for deciding to carry skis rather than
keeping them on your feet goes something like
this: you’ve chosen a line of ascent that
becomes too steep or dangerous to continue
skinning. However, your awareness of this
usually happens once you are in the steeps
where it may be precarious to mount your skis
to your pack. The decision to pack the skis or
switchback up the gully is easily influenced by
the ease of your ski mounting system. Since
the idea of wrestling your pack around in the
snow on a 45-degree slope is generally
unappealing, we often heft the skis over our
shoulder and boot up the fall line. Well, there
is now a better way. Several packs offer a
diagonal ski mount system on the outside of
the pack that is simplicity itself. With just one
buckle, the skis are secured out of the way. No
more “A” or “H” frame. Both of which entail
stability issues as well as functionality
problems for kicking steps and or pack access.
The diagonal carrying system is a sweet recent
design innovation that Antoine would embrace
as it is moves in the simpler direction.
To o l s
We backcountry touristas need to carry a few
essential tools: shovel, probe, avy pit kit, first
aid kit, repair kit, maybe a snow saw if you are
serious about your pit studies. In the not too
distant past we were lucky if pack makers made
any special considerations for carrying even a
shovel. Nowadays, many packs have sprouted
pockets and straps for carrying all sorts of stuff
on either the inside or outside and sometimes
both. Putting the tools inside has always been
a possibility but often results in crowding and
difficulty in extracting your other needed gear
from amongst your tools. If you like the garage
sale look, festoon the outside of your pack with
shovel, probe saw and maybe an ice ax.
However, those may not be admiring glances
you are getting as most pros prefer to keep
their tools secure inside their packs. This not
only provides a cleaner look, but also avoids
hooking tools on low branches, which can
bring an unglamorous end to your tree skiing.
Mostly however, inside tool storage keeps
things safe and secure should you take a
tumble or go for a ride in an avalanche or sluff.
This may sound unlikely but hey, that is why
you brought all those tools out there in the first
place isn’t it? Some of these packs were
designed by devotees of the garage sale look,
while others were designed for serious
backcountry use with well designed tool
storage areas.
Suspension Systems
All of these packs carry very well and offer well
designed and comfortable suspensions.
Clearly, there has been a great deal of
emphasis and progress in this area, industrywide. In fact, some of these packs have
suspension systems suitable for packs twice
their size. All of our testers agreed that the
suspension systems on several of the packs
were over built. Unless you’re smuggling gold
bars you’d be hard pressed to overload some of
the smaller volume packs in this test. Choose a
suspension system that matches your intended
load and use, not one based on how soft and
comfy it feels in the store. We measured our
typical load of an all day winter ski tour and
came up with 16/18lbs. This load included;
shovel, probe, first aid kit, avy pit kit, 1 liter of
water, 1/2 liter thermos of tea, small repair tool,
lunch, extra gloves, goggles, insulated jacket.
Remembering that extra weight can really impact
your skiing enjoyment, this seems like a
manageable and yet, not scrimpy amount. So,
you can see that even if you pack a bit heavy it
would be hard to top 25lbs. Even the lightest
suspension systems in this review will easily
carry 25lbs with comfort.
Instructions
With the additional complexity of some of these
packs, the manufacturers would be wise to
include owners’ manuals. To our knowledge
only Wookey does this. For various reasons the
myriad of features on many of these packs
remain unknown to their owners.
Weights and Volumes
Cast a wary eye on the manufacturers’
advertised weights and volumes. We aren’t
sure if there is some sort of industry standard
for volume measurements, but we carefully
loaded each pack with Styrofoam packing
peanuts, filling all the available pockets and
lightly stuffing everything to ensure complete
filling. We did this on all the packs, using the
same method to ensure uniformity. Our results
are listed in the specs and make for some
interesting comparisons.
Armed with this background information let’s
take a close look at each of the packs we tested.
Arc’Teryx - M30
Arc’Teryx’s newest entry
into the backcountry ski/
board market has one very
noticeable, novel feature
that sets it apart from the
crowd: A dry bag, roll top
closure. This opening
system does offer quick
access to the contents but
is really no better than a
conventional top loader. It
could be handy for skiing
in a downpour, but really, how often do you
need a super waterproof closure? The roll top
doesn’t allow any over stuffing or it will not
close. The incidentals pocket that would
normally be in the top flap has been relegated to
a tiny pocket near the roll top that will not hold
much more than a pair of sunglasses. This
seemed like a big oversight to us. The back pad
is very stiff and unyielding, which seems
unnecessary in such a small pack. The back
material absorbs water and seems to have open
cell foam under it, which will hold that water a
long time. The ski/board holder is meant to
mount skis vertically on the front surface with
Arc’Teryx’s nice sticky rubber material, but the
strap system is MUCH better at holding a
snowboard than skis. The trademark shovel
pocket on the front surface will hold a full size
Voile blade but just barely and with cold fingers
it’s a struggle. There is no water bladder
carrying compartment, though our testers are
split on the relative merits of bladders. Larry
noticed several unbound seams on the inside,
which do not seem indicative of Arc’Teryx
construction. In our collective experience,
Arc’Teryx durability is fairly good so this may not
be much of an issue. In short, Arc’Teryx makes
better ski specific packs in the form of the tried
and tested Khamski and the Borea. We all felt
the roll top feature was a gimmick and not
practical.
Pack Review
Arc’Teryx - Borea
This time-tested
work horse met
with
almost
universal praise
except from Steve
who thought it too
big (enough for a 5
day tour, says he).
Larry was very
impressed with the
workmanship and
materials which
includes Spectra
cloth in the main body. This top
loader has a lot of features that
make it very well suited for ski
touring. However, this spring I also
used it for several day trips of
alpine climbing and found it big
enough to carry a rope, a climbing
rack, all the other guiding gear, and
still climb well. I was able to easily
remove the waist belt so it wouldn’t
interfere with the climbing harness
and it still carried fine due to the
superb suspension. A side zipper
gives easy access to the bottom of
the load if needed. The versatile
size allows for overnight use but is
still small enough to comfortably
use on day trips. A large external
pocket is meant to carry a shovel
but will hold a lot more since it also
encloses a smaller pocket for
seldom needed items like a repair
kit. A handy side pocket carries a
saw, probe and shovel handle. The
lid is nice and big with inner and
outer zippers but we didn’t really
like the top zipper’s placement in
the middle of the lid rather than
positioned close to the back
surface. What didn’t we like? The
back material absorbs water, there
is no hydration pouch inside, and
the ski carrying system is the older
A/H frame type and has all their
inherent shortcomings.
Backcountry Access Stash BC
BCA has produced a simple and
cleanly designed
touring pack for the
serious skier with
some very nice
features. This zipper
style pack uses
“waterproof” zippers
throughout, thus
eliminating the need
for those pesky
zipper flaps that can
make
entry
a
hassle. The main
compartment
is
opened via a normal
clamshell zipper that is crossed by
the two upper compression
straps. These two straps are low
enough on the pack that even with
them cinched up the zipper can be
opened far enough to give easy
access like a top loader (the lack of
zipper flap helps make this a
breeze). Unlike most of the zipper
packs tested, BCA realized that the
lid pockets on top loaders offer
valuable space and provided both
an interior and exterior incidental
pocket of good size. Not only does
the pack have a water bladder
pouch, it includes a bladder and
utilizes a novel feature of running
the drink tube inside the left
. . .
continued
shoulder strap. This routing not
only keeps the tube out of the way
but the insulated strap is reputed
to keep it from freezing; kudos to
BCA on this feature. As anyone
who has had their drink tube freeze
can attest, this system should be
required for a winter pack with a
bladder system. All testers felt
that the shoulder straps are
uncomfortably wide to the point of
interfering with normal arm
movements, especially on smaller
users. A dual mode ski carrying
system is provided. Side straps
allow for A-frame mounting, and a
diagonal front mount allows front
mounting. The ice axe loop and
diagonal loops tuck away into
nice little pockets when not
needed. Tool storage is all internal
like it should be. The back pad
material absorbs water but not the
pad itself. The suspension system
is simple and adequate for a pack
of this size but on the light end of
the spectrum in this test. The black
Ninja look is pretty basic and
doesn’t highlight the features of
the pack well.
Black Diamond Snow Pack II
This BD pack has been around a
few seasons now for good reason.
It is the best
compromise
pack of the
bunch. If you
can only have
one small pack
to use for
alpine climbing
and ski touring,
this should be
it.
Several
specific features
make it ideal for
touring. All the tools fit inside in
special holders. Ski carrying straps
are fitted, albeit the older A-frame
style, but the zipper still allows
access. The suspension is
adequate for the load but not
overkill.
The quality of
workmanship is average and the
shoulder straps seem a bit
flimsy compared to the rest.
Larry suspected the foam would
pack out in a season or two.
The back pad material is
waterproof, which doesn’t feel
as plush in the store but works
great in the field. A crampon
pouch and ice axe holders add
versatility, and a hydration pocket
is fitted. Clearly this pack is
designed by skiers/climbers and it
shows. The zipper closure… Oh
well, we’ve been there already and
it is a matter of preference that we’ll
leave to the well informed
consumer, but we will say, of the
zip packs we looked at this is the
only one with a large and easily
accessed incidental pocket. It is a
simple, no nonsense pack.
DaKine - Guide
The crew in Hood River has
managed to fit a wide variety of
features into this pack. Although
this gives the user options, it
results in a heavy pack for its size.
Chinese sourcing allows DaKine to
keep such a fully featured pack at a
very competitive price (In fact, we
took a brief look at DaKine’s Blade
pack too, which is a full featured,
scaled down version of this guy
and retails for only
$100). Very nice
die
cut
shoulder
straps
are
coupled with
an excellent
suspension
system and
nonabsorbent
waterproof
materials for
the back pad.
Two features
that really stand
out as innovative, useful ideas are
the zipper access through the back
panel to the main compartment
and the clever diagonal ski carrying
system we talked about earlier. A
couple of features we found less
useful were the clear plastic map
window sewn into the bottom of
the lid whose stiffness keeps the
lid from sealing well. The other is
the large sewn-in compartment like
stuff sacks inside the main body;
the hydration one gets in the way
of the clever back panel access
while the other just makes for
confusion while rooting inside.
Your shovel blade goes into a
special pocket and all the tools fit
into internal sleeves. There is even
a wand stashing sleeve on the
outside and a snowboard carrying
system. There is also a convenient
removable stash pocket on the
waist belt. If you can think of it,
this pack probably has it. In use,
we have seen several DaKine packs
with seam failures, particularly haul
loops pulling out. The Guide is a
good sized pack that will easily
carry all your stuff for a long
winter’s day tour and can be
pressed into service for extended
hut trips too.
Granite Gear - Cornice
Steve liked the way this pack
carried and the good size to weight
ratio of this traditional and simple
top loader. Good workmanship is
evident, but once again the pack
pad soaks up water like a sponge.
The ski attachment is the standard
A/H configuration but uses four
removable rubber straps like the
kind found on crampons. These
straps make for secure mounting
but give the pack a cluttered look.
The stretchy shovel pocket, which
appears to be made from
Spandura, is unique in this group
and did a good job of holding the
blade on the front of the pack.
This pouch will unavoidably hold a
lot of snow on deep powder days
should you be so
gauche as to fall.
The lid zipper
seemed too
short to us as
it hampered
access to the
contents.
There is an
extension/
spindrift collar
at the top
opening and
Pack Specs
Pack
Mfg. Volume
Our Volume
Mfg. Weight
Our Weight
Price
Arc’Teryx - M30
Arc’Teryx - Borea
BC Access - Stash BC
BD -Snow Pack II
Dakine -Guide
Graite Gear - Cornice
Life-Link - Rando
Mammut - Glacier 30
Mountainsmith - Chasm
North Face - Patrol
Ortovox - Challenge 35L
Wookie - Sundog
1850 cu in
2870 cu in
2000 cu in
2000 cu in
2800 cu in
2800 cu in
2200 cu in
1830 cu in
2600 cu in
2990 cu in
2135 cu in
1860 cu in
1550 cu in
2750 cu in
2000 cu in
2050 cu in
2660 cu in
2500 cu in
1600 cu in
2100cu in
1780cu in
2900 cu in
2180 cu in
1500 cu in
4lbs 1oz
4lbs 6oz
3lbs 5oz
3lbs 5oz
4lbs 3oz
3lbs 6oz
2lbs 9oz
3lbs 2oz
4lbs 1oz
4lbs 13oz
3lbs 8oz
3lbs 2oz
4lbs 2oz
4lbs 8oz
3bs 7oz
3bs 8oz
5lbs 1oz
3lbs 8oz
2lbs 12oz
3lbs 1oz
4lbs
5lbs 3oz
3lbs 8oz
3lbs 12oz
$210
$259
$145
$145
$135
$155
$125
$185
$150
$199
$135
$187
Tester Profiles
North Cascade Mountain Guides
North Cascades Mountain Guides is a small company of guides residing in
Mazama, Washington, the epicenter of skiing and climbing at the base of
famed Washington Pass. All of the testers work for NCMG and spend the
bulk of their waking hours in the mountains either skiing or climbing for
work or play. Such a committed group takes their gear selection very
seriously and the stuff that doesn’t make the grade heartlessly goes to the
next ski swap. Off Piste has asked these pros to evaluate several different
pieces of specialized ski touring gear, so over the next few issues they’ll be
casting a critical eye at some of the gear the industry is trying to persuade
us that we can’t live without. www.ncmountainguides.com
Testers
Steve House: Fully certified UIAGM guide, climbing, ski touring, and heliski guide. Can go both ways but prefers AT gear. Minimalist when it
comes to pack volume, Steve is a major proponent of the light and fast
style in all things outdoors related.
Anne Keller: Climbing, ski touring and heli-ski guide. AT gear. Practical
approach offers a kinder, gentler view of the gear being tested; took the
edge off the testosterone imbalance in the test crew.
Larry Goldie: Climbing and ski touring guide. Accomplished AT skier but
diehard (some would say rabid) pin head. An accomplished pack builder
himself, Larry offered a workman’s eye view of features and construction.
Scott Johnston: Climbing and ski touring guide. Abandoned tele gear in
1978 when he got a pair of Ramer AT bindings and has never looked
back, although he has upgraded his bindings. The Luddite of the group.
only one drawstring is fitted at the
top of it for cinching the top shut.
Unlike most top loaders, there is
no drawstring closure at the top of
the main body. This didn’t cause
us any trouble but does mean that
there is no way to tighten up a
lightly loaded pack, and stuffing
the lid into the body is
out
of the question.
The
lid
is
removable and
we puzzled over
the extra side
release buckles
on the lid and
top
of
the
shoulder straps
for quite along
time (instructions
would be helpful).
Larry decided that
the clips could be used when the
pack is extra loaded to allow
reattachment of the shoulder straps
onto the lid for better control of the
load. This sounds complicated, but
it’s not when you see it. We didn’t
have an opportunity to carry such
an over loaded pack to test this
feature and hope you don’t either
even though it looks like it would
work.
Life-Link - Rando
New from the team in Jackson,
Wyoming, is this super-specialized
touring pack. Antoine would be all
over this rig as it presents the
cleanest/ simplest design of the
bunch. Clearly a lot of field
testing and feedback went into
stripping this sack of any frills. It’s
a bit on the small side for a full
day outing in mid winter at a
measured 1500 cu in. (we might
be off a few inches but no way is
this a 2200 cu in pack). It’s zip
pack but overcomes the major
drawbacks of all the other zipper
models we looked at by some very
clever and simple design
innovations. First, the zipper
opening on the main compartment
curves around the edge of the back
pad, meaning that like the DaKine
you can lay the pack front side
down in the snow and open the
entire back to access your stuff.
Unlike all the other zip packs, no
compression straps need to be
undone, giving this pack the
easiest access. Second, all your
tools are stored inside another
compartment on the front, which is
accessed through an asymmetric
zipper that is also unhindered by
compression straps. This front
pouch has ample room for shovel,
probe, pit kit etc. and keeps
everything neat and separated from
the main compartment, which can
be compressed by some shorty
straps. We felt that it would be
nice to have the straps be able to
also compress the gear pouch in
order to keep the load closer to the
back. Third, a slick diagonal ski
carry system needing only one
buckle to mount makes the chore
of carrying skis as simple as it can
be. With skis mounted, the pack
carries very well thanks to a well
designed suspension that is
appropriate for such a small
volume sack. Aside from the size
limitation the only other negative
comments are that the fuzzy/comfy
back pad material is absorbent
(although the underlying foam
didn’t seem to be), and the number
10 zipper will leak. This seems like
a good place for one of those new
waterproof zippers that seem to be
all the rage. A nice handle on top
makes for easy hefting and
carrying. A great pack for short
days or spring trips and out of
bounds skiing. I’m sure we’ll see a
lot of these out there this winter.
Congrats Life-Link.
Mammut - Glacier 30
The Glacier is a panel loader with
zipper access. The clean and
simple design creates a no
nonsense pack that speaks to its
Swiss roots. It carries skis in the
traditional A-frame style or will carry a
snowboard along the front of the
pack body. The side ski holsters are
nice and beefy and accommodate
modern fat skis. The snowboard
mount is very simple, secure, and
separate from the ski mounts. Both
Pack Review
double as compression straps and
inhibit entry to the pack to a degree
when fastened. The main body of
the pack offers a hydration system
sleeve and a roomy accessory pocket
(although the pocket’s zipper could
use a larger opening) The secondary
or outside compartment is dedicated
to avy gear with plenty of room for
your shovel and sleeves for your
handle, probe,
and saw to
k e e p
everything
easy to find.
The pocket
also has a
drain to keep
moisture from
your shovel or
skins from
pooling in the
bottom. Despite
its
spacious
design, the outside panel could be
improved with a longer zipper/larger
opening. The pack is sized just right
for your average winter/spring day. If
you need a pack that can be pushed
to overnight service or you prefer to
take the kitchen sink along, try the
Glacier 40, a mirror pack that specs
out at 2440 cubic inches. Fit and
comfort are excellent but the pack (at
least the 30) definitely favors those
with a shorter torso. The waist belt
includes a quality gear loop on one
side and a small zipper pocket on the
other and is fully removable for
wearing a harness. The shoulder
straps include Velcro loops to keep
your hydration tube handy and
. . .
continued
adjustable ice axe loops finish off the
outside. Overall, the Glacier 30 is a
clean practical pack, with some of the
best workmanship and materials of
the bunch.
Mountainsmith - Chasm
A traditional top loader with good
workmanship, materials, and an all
around design make this pack a
good choice for folks needing
versatility. Not very light or very
innovative, but it will get the job done
without fuss. It has a very comfy
suspension system that carries
wonderfully but seems like overkill
on such a small pack. Once again
the back pad materials are
water
absorbent.
Standard ski slots and
compression straps are
used to allow A/H
frame mounting for
carrying.
A
crisscrossed bungee
cord on the front
allows a shovel blade
to be carried but is not
as secure a set up as a
pocket and all the
other tools have to be
lashed on the outside
or mixed inside with the main load. A
small spindrift collar with only one
drawstring still allows lid stuffing but
not much volume extension. This is
odd given that the lid is meant to
extend a bit to accommodate a
bigger load. Larry was impressed
with how well the lid fit but the
attaching straps for it are mounted a
good 7 inches down the back so
that when you open the lid it falls
inconveniently far. The lid has a nice
big pocket with a smaller pocket
inside for little stuff and a hydration
sleeve is fitted inside the pack body
too. The rope carrying strap under
the lid was a nuisance, because one
end of it always fell down between
the pad and our backs.
The North Face - Patrol
Perhaps in an attempt to out do
DaKine in the weight and option
department, TNF’s offering is an
amazing display of over-engineering
that must have Antoine rolling in his
grave. It’s big and I used it on a one
week hut trip. It carried well due to
the nice suspension (hey, we said
they all did this part well) helped by
die cut shoulder straps and hip belt.
Larry and I puzzled over several
features for so long that in the
end we could still couldn’t
figure out what they were for
(owner’s manual please).
Luckily for us the weird double
beaver tail flaps were easily
removed. Typical of TNF, high
quality
materials
and
construction are found
throughout. The lid has a nice
small stuff pocket inside. The
lid attachment, like the
Mountainsmith, is so far
down the back that the lid
falls into the snow each time
you open it. The strange
extension sleeve doesn’t
have a sew tube for its
drawstring, but when
extended makes this into
one mondo size pack. A
hydration sleeve is fitted
and there is a nice side
zipper to access stuff that is lower
down in the large body. However,
opening it is hampered by the 3
compression straps on each side.
Extra bungees and straps left us
confused but you could haul the
kitchen sink with this guy. The pack
offers an A-frame ski carrying system
and a unique way of sliding the skis
vertically down behind one of the
beaver tails. Sorry guys, we know you
can do better.
Ortovox - Challenge 35L
The 35 L is a traditional top loader
with a relatively clean design targeted
at skiers and ski mountaineers. The
pack accommodates a hydration
system with an internal “envelope”
creating space for the bladder and
has functional elastic loops to hold
the hose along the shoulder strap.
The pack body offers two draw
strings, one at the top and one on a
small extension/powder skirt (which
may be handy as the lid fit is
awkward unless the pack is fully
loaded). The outside uses a zippered
compartment that is promoted to
hold your shovel blade and handle,
but with a full size Voile shovel, we
found it an awkward fit for both, so
we ended up with the handle inside
the pack. A secondary
sleeve along side the pack
makes a very nice probe
pocket. Skis are carried via
a traditional A-frame mount
and the pack can
accommodate two ice
axes. The two straps
meant for the ice axes can
be removed for an even
cleaner appearance. The lid
is roomy and has three
separate compartments. On the top
side is a nice small fleece lined and
padded pocket for glasses/goggles.
The underside of the lid has a small
mesh pocket with a key
clip and the main lid
compartment is of
standard size but with a
zipper that runs along
two sides allowing for
easy access. The lid
attaches to the front of
the pack via a single 1.5
inch fastex buckle while
the backside is sewn
into the pack along the
lids full width. Although
the sewn-in lid makes
for a clean design, the lid fits poorly
unless the pack is fully loaded. The
waist belt is well padded, offers a
Velcro closure pocket on one
side and a sturdy gear loop on
the other. The belt is also
removable for use with a
climbing harness.
Wookey - Sundog
This pack is made by a small
firm in Bozeman, whose quality
driven attitude is amply evident
They were also the only ones
who supplied us with a well
thought out owner’s manual,
which actually did prove useful
when we were fitting the ski
carrying straps. The quality of
materials and workmanship are
unmatched by any other pack in this
test. It is very clear that these US
made packs are put together with
skill and care and are built to last
several lifetimes of abuse.
Unfortunately, the design doesn’t live
up to the workmanship. We found
this zipper sack to be the hardest by
far to get into. Six compression
straps cover the back of this small
pack when the ski carrying straps are
in place. To get full access,
which is the point of a zip
pack, you must undo all six.
A burly zipper flap makes
partial opening a chore. If you
are carrying the shovel blade
on the front as recommended,
access becomes even more
difficult. The suspension
carries beautifully, and would
do justice to a 3000-cu in
pack, but it is overkill on such
a small pack. The back pad is
of a super plush and comfy
material that is also super absorbent
(Antoine, have we said this enough
that the designers will get it?). The
ski
carrying
system is a
removable set of
straps giving a
vertical, bases
together, set-up
on the front, sort
of like TNF’s
beaver
tail
arrangement. On
a zip pack, this
mounting makes
access even
more difficult.
Clearly Wookey
has the ability to build packs with the
best of them and we hope they will
focus on this market with a more ski
specific model in the future.
Scott Johnston, an acomplished skier
and mountaineer, brings us this review
from the North Cascades where keeps
the NCMG crew in line.
I
t’s early and your
breath crystallizes
before you as you skin
upwards toward the
col. The temp is in the
teens, the snow is deep,
and you are out with three
friends for a day of ski
touring. The first to reach
the col, you take a break
for a hot drink and begin
the ritual of preparing for
descent.
Your small group of friends is
made up of strong skiers and
you are looking forward to a
good day of skiing. As the
group assembles on the col,
you discuss routes of descent
and agree upon a line to ski.
You are nearly three thousand
vertical from the valley floor
and the three mile ski out the
summer trail. Conditions have
been stable all week and a
quick pit and sheer test
confirm reasonable stability.
Nonetheless, you follow
conservative protocol and ski
the upper pitch one at a time.
The conditions are flawless
and with the skin track in
place, everyone is on board
for making laps in the upper
bowl. You methodically track
out the choice aspects of the
bowl’s upper reaches and as
the days of winter are short, it
is soon time to drop into the
trees and begin the final
descent homeward bound.
The first shot in the trees
elicits a loud cry for help.
Richard caught a small snag
and has taken a bad fall.
Everyone convenes around
his side and the bad news is
obvious; he has done serious
damage to his knee ligaments
and is not able to ski out.
It is late afternoon, you are about a thousand vertical feet through moderate
trees to the trail and another three miles down the trail to the car and your
ski partner is injured. What do you do?
It is late afternoon, you are
about a thousand vertical feet
through moderate trees to the
trail and another three miles
down the trail back to the car
and your ski partner is injured.
What do you do?
This scenario is one that no
one likes to imagine and one
that a similarly small number
of people think they are
actually prepared to handle.
However, given a few key
items and a good level of
common sense, evacuating
an injured skier can be done
utilizing many pieces of
standard equipment that you
already have with you.
Step I - Patient Care
Assess the injury – Leg,
knee, and ankle injuries can
be evacuated, spinal injuries
may require professional help
(for information on spinal
injuries see Off-Piste IX).
Keep the victim warm – layer
up, it will be a long, cold ride
out.
Immobilize the limb/joint –
utilize clothing, packs, poles
and any gear that can be
spared to create a splint.
Step II – Create A Sled
Sled Necessities
Skis – preferably with holes
in tip and tail (many skis
include this feature)
he
idea
is
to
be
prepared to build a sled
without carrying a repair/
emergency kit that weighs an
extra ten pounds. It is better to
create a small kit that you are
willing carry than to create a
length of parachute cord in
your snow study kit as a
“rutsch cord” (used for a
rutschblock stability test). This
cord will allow you to fasten
the poles and shovel handles
to the skis when building the
sled and can be helpful in
strapping the victim to the
sled. The victim’s skis don’t
have holes in the tips and tail?
Bummer. Trade skis with
someone who does, attempt
to create holes with a pocket
knife (from the base up), or if
you have plenty of duct, you
may be able to get by without
holes.
large one that rarely
gets put into the pack.
On the subject of duct tape, its
merits are well known and
many skiers keep tape on their
ski poles. This is a good thing
but better is to keep the tape
wrapped on something that is
not continually exposed to the
elements. Ever try using tape
that has been on a pole for a
season or two? It’s not always
in good shape. Try wrapping
tape on your water bottle,
thermos or, for the hydration
pack folks without water
bottles, try your lighter (you
carry a lighter, right?). Just
wrap a lighter or two with tape
and keep them in your repair
kit and you will find the tape
lasts longer than on the ski
pole.
The basic rescue sled recipe
utilizes the skis, poles, and
shovel handle of the injured
skier. In addition to these
“everyday” items, parachute
cord or a cordalette/webbing
will go a long way in helping
to make the sled more
structurally sound. A good
alternative for carrying extra
cord is to have a good long
The next key is to pad your
sled so that the victim is in
relative comfort and off of the
snow. The best thing for this is
a full size ensolite sleeping
pad but the back pad from a
pack also works, especially
when combined with a couple
of other pads from your ski
partner’s packs. This is a good
time to check and see if your
Poles
Shovel
handle
Lashing
cord
/straps
(anything from duct tape to
Voile straps or parachute
cord)
Duct tape
Ensolite pad – back pad
from pack or empty packs will
work
T
Emergency Kit
Parachute cord – doubles as “rutsch cord”
Lighter – something to hold your duct tape
Duct Tape – wrap around the lighter
Matches – matches are a good backup to the lighter
Space blanket – even the lightest space blanket will do
Voile straps – fix bindings, make sleds, all around useful
Leatherman style tool – pliers, knife, screwdriver
Small ensolite pad – most packs have a removable pad
Extra binding screws and steel wool or thin tin strips
Skin wax – cut a slice off the larger block
Down jacket – should go with you on all ski trips
pack has a removable pad,
most do. If not, think about
cutting up an old sleeping pad
to create a seat pad to keep in
your pack. Ensolite can be
used to make a nice splint too.
Another key item that should
be part of everyone’s repair/
emergency kit is a space
blanket. Use the blanket as the
outer layer on your victim as
you set them into the
improvised litter. Anything from
the most basic Mylar blanket
to a more elaborate bivy sack
(Adventure Medical Kits makes
a nice compromise space
blanket that is a higher quality
than the basic Mylar version
and includes Velcro along the
edge to create a bivy sack).
Finally, you need a way to haul
the sled. Again, parachute cord
or similar works well. If
everyone in the group has a
“rutsch cord”, there should be
enough to make a hauling
system. Ski poles will also work
but again you need cord or
straps to secure them to the sled.
An improvised sled is just that,
improvised. The basic recipe
stands but it is important to be
creative and make due with
what you have available.
F
or most of us, choosing to
recreate in the winter mountain
environment often involves the
added risk of avalanche hazard.
Avalanche hazard is an important
piece of the winter weather dynamic
and revolves around the interaction
between terrain, snowpack, and
weather conditions.
Avalanche incidents do not happen
by accident and most human
involvement is a matter of choice,
not chance. Although some victims
are involved in naturally triggered
avalanches, most avalanche
accidents result from slab avalanche
releases triggered by the victim or by
members of the victim’s party,
whether on foot, skis, snowboard, or
snowmobile. Statistics show that
recreationists account for up to 90%
of avalanche fatalities in North
America.
Investigation of accident reports
shows that recreationists repeatedly
fail to recognize the danger factors,
underestimate the hazard, and
overestimate their ability to deal with
the hazard. The following is a
discussion about some of the
common errors people commit when
involved in avalanche accidents.
Terrain
Failure to recognize critical slope
angle (30-45 degrees). People tend
to estimate the “average” slope angle
rather than recognize critical areas.
Failure to recognize how specific
terrain features cause weaknesses in
the snowpack. Learn to recognize
and consider the importance of
convex rolls, intermittent cliffs,
unsupported slopes, sporadic
vegetation, smooth ground surface.
Failure to recognize terrain traps.
Traps such as gullies, cliffs, flat
ground, or trees at the base of steep
slopes should all indicate potential
terrain traps.
Failure to predict possible trigger
points including remote triggers.
Avalanches are not only triggered
from the top of a slope. Travelling in
avalanche terrain requires seeing
subtle trigger points and traveling out
of direct slide paths.
Failure to realize that even short
slopes can have serious
consequences. We are less
intimidated by shorter slopes since
we assume that avalanches are likely
to be small. If trees are present on or
at the base of even a short slope, the
consequences and risk rapidly
increase.
Underestimating avalanche runout
potential.
Underestimating the possibility of a
second avalanche occurring on the
same slope.
The Human Factor
This phenomenon is often
overlooked and is a major contributor
to avalanche accidents. The human
factor is not based on the
observation and collection of terrain,
snow, weather, and avalanche data. It
is about human perceptions and
behaviors: how much risk we are
willing to accept, how we deal with a
given situation, how we make
assumptions, the confidence we put
into our abilities. Investigative reports
show an increasing number of
accidents involve victims who have
had some level of avalanche safety
training. Often, these people notice
the clear signs of danger but choose
to ignore them.
Snowpack
Not recognizing weak layers deep
in the snowpack (depth hoar,
surface hoar, facets, crusts) that can
linger for long periods of time.
Inability to predict snowpack
variability across an avalanche
starting zone. Variations occur in the
snow depth and strength across a
slope as a result of elevation, slope
angle, orientation to the sun and the
wind.
Underestimating how quickly snow
can lose strength on sun exposed
slopes.
Underestimating over how large an
area slab avalanches can propagate.
Incorrect Assumptions
Weather
Failure
to recognize or
underestimating the critical
influence of the wind in modifying
the snowpack. Wind-loaded lee
slopes, the cross load wind effect
over a slope, wind near mountain
passes, down-flowing winds in
confined terrain all have significant
influence on the snowpack.
Underestimating the effect of
rapid temperature changes.
warming due to solar radiation
quickly decreases the snow
stability.
Noting that the hazard was rated as
moderate, or seeing that the slope
had previously been used, or
believing that the snow stability was
good. Thinking “it won’t happen to
me” or “this slope is probably safe”
Attitude
This is about our decisions being
confronted with our ego, our pride,
our goal-oriented focus. It would
appear that attitudes tend to serve
our needs and cause us to push the
acceptable risk level higher. Goalorientated people like to focus on
that “perfect line” or the “big air” or
choose not to turn around although
there may be danger signs lurking.
Weather
Nice sunny, calm weather makes
people enjoy the good feeling of
being out with friends. However,
many avalanche accidents occur
during fine weather days between
storms. Given poor weather, people
tend to hurry back to their vehicle or
shelter, which often leads to poor
decisions in route selection and poor
observation of the signs of instability.
Safety in numbers
People have a tendency to feel safer
in larger groups and fail to recognize
that an increase in group size also
leads to an increase in the hazard.
More people means more weight on
the slope and more stress on the
snowpack, more chance of
encountering trigger points, and
more risk of a multiple burial
scenario.
Communication
Poor communication often results in
poor decision-making. Those with
less experience tend to follow the
leader and do not to speak up when
they have concerns. In other cases,
there may be misunderstandings of
what is communicated. Poor group
management and judgment have
been the cause of accidents.
We are all guilty of committing errors
while in the mountains. Some errors
have larger consequences than
others and hopefully we have the
opportunity to learn from our
experiences.
In the end, we must learn and think
about the conditions that lead to
avalanches, collect relevant data and
information, properly evaluate the
hazard, and practice safe route
selection based on our best
observation skills.
Master your skills in recognizing
macro and micro terrain features.
Practice relating snow distribution and
snow stability to the configuration of
the terrain. Tune in with the ever
changing weather. Communicate and
discuss major issues with all
members of your group. These
points, along with experience, will
help you improve your decisionmaking skills, minimize risk exposure,
and prevent accidents.
To ignore the conditions that favour
avalanches means accepting higher
risk than is necessary.
Marc Deschênes is an ACMG certified
Ski Guide, a professional member of
the Canadian Avalanche Association,
and instructor of the CAA Training
Schools program.
Paul Parker
. . . continued
PP: It was a tremendous experience—I met a lot of great people and shared
skiing in a lot of interesting places. My time on the demo team allowed me to
immerse myself in the philosophy as much as the mechanics of telemark skiing.
skiers, half-pipe huckers—everybody will share technological advances and a
love of the sport. But in the same breath, each telemark sub-genre I mentioned
will continue to evolve on its own.
OP: I’m ready for the philosophy of telemark skiing …
OP: Speaking of evolving, you’ve been in Breckenridge for over twenty-five
years. You must have seen some changes.
PP: In a nutshell, it’s all about freedom—the freedom to find snow undisturbed
by man and the freedom to make whatever kind of turn you choose without
worrying about a final form.
OP: So you don’t hold to the saying “Drop the knee or drop the sport?”
PP: Not at all. Both turns are valid; both are useful. Actually, I wrote the book to
dispel the myth that telemark turns were the only way to descend with free-heel
gear.
OP: Was it a hard decision to give up your spot on the demo team?
PP: No, I wanted to focus on my work with Chouinard Equipment. I’ve always
known that being an athlete was not a guarantee of longevity in a sport. I wanted
to make skiing my career, not just one of the things I did as a kid. I wonder
about the young, sponsored skiers. What happens when their sponsorships run
dry?
OP: With that question in mind, what is your vision of the future of telemark
skiing?
PP: In one sense, we will continue to blend—racers, free-skiers, backcountry
PP: Sure. And I’m certainly not a fan of development for its own sake. I wonder
when we will draw the line and say, “This is enough.” I hope we save some open
space for the future generations. Even with all the growth, I stay in Breckenridge
because of the community, the proximity to an international airport, and the high
quality skiing.
OP: Has the backcountry become over-crowded around Breckenridge?
PP: There is always another stash over the next ridge. And if access is that much
more difficult, that many less people will be willing to make the effort
OP: As a developer of essentially hedonistic ski gear for those lucky enough to
afford it, how do you justify the ecological costs of production?
PP: Well, good gear makes people happy. And making people happy is
certainly better than bombing Iraq. All I ask of people is that they have a
conscience, get involved, and create something good.
Lance Waring lives in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains but has chosen to spend the
winter on a beach in Thailand to ensure that Colorado has a big snow year.
Thanks Lance!
AVALANCHE / WEATHER RESOURCES
General
Vancouver 604-290-9333
www.avalanche.org
Western Canada 800-667-1105
www.avalanche.ca
Rockies 403-243-7253 x7669
nimbo.wrh.noaa.gov/
Banff 403-762-1460
www.winterwildlands.com
Colorado
www.wildwilderness.org
www.geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanche
California
Boulder 303-275-5360
www.r5.fs.fed.us/tahoe/avalanche Summit Cty 970-668-0600
www.shastaavalanche.org
Southern CO 970-247-8187
Mt. Shasta 530-926-9613
Durango - 970-247-8187
Tahoe 530-587-2158
Fort Collins - 970-482-0457
Mammoth/Bishop 760-924-5500 Vail - 970-827-5687
Aspen - 970-920-1664
Canada
CO Springs 719-520-0020
www.weatheroffice.com
Idaho
www.avalanche.org/~svavctr
Sun Valley 208-622-8027
Panhandle National Forest
208-765-7323, 208-752-1221
Payette - 208-634-0409
New Hampshire
www.tuckerman.org
Montana
www.mtavalanche.com
www.glacieravalanche.org
www.wrh.noaa.gov/Missoula
NW MT -406-257-8402 - 800-526-5329
Bozeman-406-587-6981
Cook City-406-838-2259
Utah
www.avalanche.org/~uac
Tri-Canyon Area 801-364-1581
Alta - 801-742-0830
Park City - 435-658-5512
Provo - 801-378-4333
Oregon
www.nwac.noaa.gov
Southern WA / Mt. Hood
503-808-2400
Ogden - 801-626-8600
Logan - 435-797-4146
LaSal - 800-648-7433
Washington
www.nwac.noaa.gov
www.avalanchenw.org
Cascades/Olympics 206-526-6677
Wyoming
www.crh.noaaa.gov/riw/index.htm
www.jhavalanche.org
Bridger-Teton - 307-733-2664
variations, and a smattering of other
feasts that generally leave us in a
semi reclining position ruminating on
the quality of life over a dram of
good single malt. We’re not a late
night crowd and most of us drift off
early to dream of turns, past and
future, beneath the soft rustle of
falling snow, or the glow of stars in
full brightness.
Mornings start quiet. Small groups of
us cradling steaming cups of coffee
gather over maps or huddle on a
couch watching the morning light on
the surrounding mountains. This
morning is our coldest, -29C. We
make plans on direction and not
much more then that. My favorite
touring is like this, spontaneous and
wandering, leaving the decisions of
safety and good skiing to the clearer
view of the here and now rather then
the predictive view made over a warm
cup of coffee. To set off on a cold
morning with a lunch, a direction
and the simple goals of safety and
good skiing leaves us with huge
possibilities fat with discovery and
dark with the unknown. The classic
wilderness recipe.
Our group’s looking a little puffy as
we leave the lodge - down coats,
warmest gloves, and double long
johns. Skis are scraped of frost and
warm skins are laid against the cold
ptex. We move out quickly in the
early light, anxious to get going and
blood flowing. The snow is squeaky
cold and our moist breath
condenses on our coats, hats, and
hair leaving a white halo around our
faces. We ski towards Mosquito Lake
through loose forest laced with
tracks of martin and squirrel, who
forever spend their days trying to
connect and avoid connection. As
we start climbing in the shade of the
north side, it’s face numbing cold ,
ahead we can see sunshine where
the steep apron starts to flatten. But
as we reach it we find a stiff wind
that more then trumps the sun’s
warmth. Hunkered down and
huddled together in the lee of some
small trees we add clothing and
contemplate our choices - back or
forward. I think of the warm lodge,
the sauna, hot chocolate with
perhaps a bit of schnapps. Later. We
continue on with our backs against
the diagonal wind and are soon
rewarded when it mysteriously dies
away. Even on the ridge top it is
calm and the sun warms us as we
gaze into the next valley, munching
on snacks and drinking hot tea. Life
could get better, but not much. A
couple of hasty pits and some
traversing finds us skiing down to a
pair of frozen lakes. The angled sun
sparkles on ice crystals that float
suspended in the cold air as we take
turns skiing through rimed larch in
thigh deep snow. It’s one of those
runs that’s longer then it seems and
Jenna, the first skier in our group of
four, is a small figure by the time she
glides out onto the closest lake
followed by a long wispy trail. We
spend the rest of the day on a winter
ski-about, thoroughly enjoying some
great skiing, the snow, the
mountains, and good friends.
As we fly down valley I look at the
small river that is Powder Creek. In
the distance I can see where it flows
through rock bluffs and into
Kootenay Lake, a long north/south
fault lake that separates the Selkirks
from the Purcells. We are all intimate
with water yet it’s still a mysterious
and wondrous substance, capable
of being gas, liquid, or solid. In these
mountains it is stored for the winter
in a sensuous thick blanket that
softens a sharp landscape. We ski it,
seeking its feather light state. We
sweat it out of us as we climb
through its depths, drink it as we get
tired, pee it as our bodies insist, and
watch it run through creek, lake, river,
and ocean, then condense and
return as clouds to thicken the white
blanket. Snow is contrarily complex,
even in just its frozen state. It ranges
from the down of powder that swirls
around us like dust motes as we
glide through it to the white hammer
of a slide that snaps large trees like
an atomic wind.
We are over the dark blue lake now
and can see the far shore, the
landing spot, the cars, and the paved
road that will carry us away and back
to the “real” world. As the helicopter
banks for our approach there is a
moment when I can see back across
the lake and up the valley that holds
Powder Creek. Face against window,
I try to spot where we skied for a
week. Swirling clouds and snow
obscure the view leaving the upper
basins and peaks hazy and surreal.
The helicopter rolls right, the view is
gone, and we settle softly onto the
field we left a week ago.
Nils “all snow is good snow” Larsen
can be found skiing all over the
mountainous west.
December
February
12/3 Bellingham, WA - Banff Mt. Film
360-650-6130
12/12 SanFrancisco, CA - TGR. Film
415-433-3223
12/4-6 Seattle, WA - Banff Mt. Film
206-284-6310
12/7-8 Olympia, WA Banff Mt. Film 360-956-1699
12/10 Stevens Pass, WA TeleTuesDaze Demo Day
www.stevenspass.com
12/11 Golden, BC Banff Mt. Film 250-344-6186
12/28 Kelowna, BC Banff Mt. Film 250-763-9696
2/1-2 Big Mountain, MT Telemark Open races
406-862-2900
2/4, 25 Mt Hood Ski Bowl Tele Tuesday
503-288-6768
2/16 Crested Butte, CO Life-Link Randonee Rally
www.life-link.com
2/22 Hoodoo Ski Area, OR Tele Festival
866-754-2374 [email protected]
2/23 Alpental, WA Life-Link Randonee Rally
www.life-link.com
2/26-3/2 Crested Butte, CO Tele-X Festival
www.skicb.com/telemark
2/28-3/2 Mazama, WA Freeheel Festival
509-996-3194
January
1/6 Fernie, BC Banff Mt. Film 250-423-3132
1/7, 14, 21, 28 Stevens Pass, WA Tele TuesDaze
www.stevenspass.com
1/7,21 Mt Hood Ski Bowl Tele Tuesday
503-288-6768
1/7 Twisp, WA Lowell Skoog Presentation on North
Cascades Mountaineering History 509-996-2870
1/11 Whistler, BC Life-Link Randonee Rally
www.life-link.com
1/11 - Sunday River, ME Telemark Festival
[email protected]
1/18 - Cain Mt, BC Telemark Festival
www.island.net/~cain
1/24 Crested Butte, CO Winter Carnival 10 days
970-349-5430 [email protected]
March
3/1-3 Grand Targhee, WY Teton Telephoria
www.freeheels.com
3/9 Stevens Pass, WA Life-Link Randonee Rally
www.life-link.com
3/15 Alta, UT Black Diamond / Patagonia Powder
Keg Backcountry Race www.bdel.com
3/15-16 Mad River, VT NATO Telemark Festival
www.telemarknato.com
3/20-24 Big Mountain, MT World
Championship Telemark Open 406-862-2900
3/22 Jackson, WY Life-Link Randonee Rally
www.life-link.com
List an Event in Our Calendar - 509-999-2208 or E-mail [email protected]
OFF-PISTE SHOP DIRECTORY
ALBERTA
Freewheel Jasper
618 Patricia st.
Jasper, AB T0E 1E0
www.freewheeljasper.com
COLORADO
Backcountry Experience
1205 Camino Del Rio
Durango, CO 81301
www.bcexp.com
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Patagonia Outlet Store
333 Baker Street
Nelson, BC
877.669.7225
Rip Curl Factory Outlet
1365A Dalhousie Drive
Kamloops, BC V2C 5P6
250.377.8899
CALIFORNIA
The Backcountry
2 stores - Tahoe City &Truckee
888.625.8444
www.thebackcountry.net
Bear Valley Cross Country
#1 Bear Valley Road
Bear Valley, CA 95223
www.bearvalleyxc.com
The Fifth Season
300 N Mt. Shasta Blvd
Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
www.thefifthseason.com
Mammoth Mountaineering Supply
3189 Main Street
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
www.mammothgear.com
Marmot Mountain Works
3049 Adeline St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.marmotmountain.com
Mountain Sports
176 E 3rd Street
Chico, CA 95928
530.345.5011
Sierra Nevada Adventure Co./SNAC
2293 Hwy 4 - Arnold, CA
173 S. Washington St., Sonora, CA
www.snacattack.com
Wolf Creek Wilderness
595 East Main Street
Grass Valley, CA 95945
www.wolfcreekwilderness.com
World Cycle
180 N 8th St
Boise, ID 83702
www.worldcycleboise.com
Mountain Tracks Ski and Board
Huckleberry Inn
Government Camp, OR 97028
www.mtntracks.com
Northwest Snowboards
2805 Bridgeport Way
Tacoma, WA 98466
253.564.5974
Mountain Recreation Company
PO Box 756
Clark, CO 80428
www.mtnrec.com
MAINE
Aardvark Outfitters
108 Fairbanks Road
Farmington, ME 04938
www.aardvarkoutfitters.com
Pine Mountain Sports
133 SW Century Drive
Bend, OR 97702
www.pinemountainsports.com
Olympic Mountaineering
140 W. Front St.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
360.452.0240
Nordicskiis.com
PO Box 969 313 Elk Ave
Crested Butte, CO 81224
www.nordicskiis.com
Allspeed Bicysle and Ski
1041 Washington Ave
Portland, ME 04103
www.allspeed.com
Redpoint Climber’s Supply
639 NW Franklin
Bend, OR 97701
www.goclimbing.com
Pro Ski Service
8954 Aurora Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98103
proguiding.com
Pine Needle Mountaineering
835 Main St. #112
Durango, CO 81301
800.607.0364
Mahoosuc Sports
PO Box 70 Rte 26
Locke Mills, ME 04255
www.teleskis.com
Storm Warning
112 Oak Street
www.stormwarning.biz
Second Ascent
5209 Ballard Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
www.secondascent.com
Icebox Mountain Sports
505 Zerex
Fraser, CO 80442
970.722.7780
MONTANA
Barrel Mountaineering
240 East Main
Bozeman, MT 59715
800.779.7364
WASHINGTON
Backpackers Supply
5206 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409
The North Face
1023 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
206.622.4111
Switchback Mountain Gear
468 Pagosa St.
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
970.264.2225
IDAHO
Alpine Designs Bike and Ski
312 Fifth Ave
SandPoint, ID 83864
208.263.9373
Backwoods Mountain Sports
711 N. Main St.
Ketchum, ID 83340
208.726.8818
Hyperbud Sports
907 S. First St. / 402 S. Main
Yakima, WA 98901 / Moscow, ID 83843
509.248.2093 / 208.883.1150
Idaho Mountain Touring
1310 Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
www.idahomountaintouring.com
Rendezvous Sports
408 Main St.
Salmon, ID 83467
www.rendezvoussports.com
The Trail Head
110 East Pine Street
Missoula, MT 59802
www.trailheadmontana.net
NEVADA
Reno Mountain Sports
155 E Moana Ln
Reno, NV 89502
www.renomountainsports.com
NEW MEXICO
Wild Mountain Outfitters
541 W. Cordova
Santa Fe, NM 87505
www.wildmountainoutfitters.com
OREGON
Doug Sports
101 Oak Street
hoodriverwindsurfing.com
Mountain Shop
628 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
www.mountainshop.net
Cascade Crags
2820 Rucker Ave
Everett, WA 98201
www.cascadecrags.com
Enumclaw Ski & Mountain Sports
240 Roosevelt E.
Enumclaw, WA 98022
www.snowways.com
WEST VIRGINIA
White Grass Touring Center
Canaan Valley, WV 26260
www.whitegrass.com
WYOMING
Skinny Skis
65 W. Deloney
Jackson, WY 83001
www.skinnyskis.com
Feathered Friends
119 Yale Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98109
www.featheredfriends.com
UTAH
Wasatch Mountain Touring
702 E. 100 S.
SLC, UT 84102
www.wasatchtouring.com
Marmot Mountain Works
827 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Wild Rose
702 Third Ave
SLC, UT 84108
Mountain Goat Outfitters
915 W. Broadway
Spokane, WA 99201
www.mountaingoatoutfitters.com
Mountain High Sports
105 E. 4th
Ellensberg, WA 98926
509.925.4626

Avy 101 Paul Parker Ski Pack Review Parallel vs Telemark The

Transcription

Similar documents

Print and Share PDF Flyer

Pamphlet skitreat 16

What`s In Your Pack?

Chancey - George R. Stuart Elementary

Lech and Zurs - Arlberg Ski Centre

Get fit now and enjoy your ski or snowboard holiday with

alpine skiing snowboarding xc skiing snowshoeing

Madshus Integrates IntelliGrip® Skin Technology

DECEMBER 2011 General membership meetings

Roy Parker - New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame