Louis Dandurand taking Spike out for a walk in the woods.
Backcountry turns continue… »
Review: Burnt Mt. Design’s teledog – Spike!
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Backcountry turns continue… »
Technique: Prevent Blisters w/Knee Highs
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One of the most common foot ailments of skiers and hikers are blisters. Half the problem stems from imperfectly fitting shoes or boots. The other half from the manner in which blisters form.
Owwww!!!!
The common solution, one I’m adamantly opposed to, is to apply duct tape over the existing blister, or as prevention over a known zone of trouble. Duct tape has to be one of the stooopidest solutions to this problem I’ve ever encountered.
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Review: Dynafit’s fat boy – Huascaran
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Anyone who knows my quiver knows I am not fond of oversized skis, especially those whose waist has ballooned beyond 100mm. When forced I’ll accept another 10mm of blubber but only with a locked heel. That bias runs deep, so beware this review is an attempt to give enough information based on my experience and in spite of my perceptual handicap. Those who want fuller figured skis based need be careful how you interpret my experience with the Huascaran to see if it warrants a place in your quiver.
Dynafit delivers the fattest ski they dare – Huascaran, 115mm wide at the waist.
As a fat by width but skinny by weight type ski the Huascaran is a study in limits. On the uphill the weight is barely discernible from many skinnier skis because the requisite skins are wider too. Even so, that’s the major appeal of the Husacaran. Widebody float with moderate weight. Though it weighs by itself like it’s skin and bones it has some sinewy muscles to deliver a nice flex with a rebounding snap to launch you from turn to turn. This is particularly nice in all manner of soft snow, from mush to fluff, even crud as long as it isn’t riddled with frozen crust.
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First Look: Atomic’s Waymaker AT boots
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Atomic’s Waymaker Tour 110
for 2013/14
In round two Atomic ups the ante by adding the Waymaker series to the Tracker. The Waymaker Tour keeps the customizable Intuition ® liner, stiffens the shell, and adds Tech inserts for true BC utility. There is also a Waymaker Carbon series that uses a classic alpine boot liner, carbon reinforcement in the shell, and DIN standard soles. They also expand the line from 3 Tracker models to 7 Waymaker models, from an ultra stiff, carbon reinforced Waymaker Carbon 130 to a moderate Waymaker Tour 90.
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First Look: Rossi All Track AT boots
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Even Rossignol joins the AT crowd with their AllTrack boot
To be sure there are more budding BC skiers than those experiened enough to be dreaming of trudging across the Sierra for a week with all the essentials on their back. Thus, for the true backcountry snob Rossi’s All Track is an easy option to cross off the list. For the guy who still prefers to get his kicks with lifts, but is willing to invest a bit of sweat to respond to the lure of untracked snow out of bounds the All Track makes a lot of sense.
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TR: Shasta via Avalanche Gulch
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Shano Collins rips up Shasta corn.
Fortunately for us, not only did our schedules manage to synch up, so did the weather. A quick call to Chris Carr with Shasta Mountain Guides indicated what we suspected, there was not a lot of snow, but enough. The West Face was possible, but the entrance had been scoured by the wind. On the other side, the road to the Hotlum-Wintun trail head was still blocked with snow miles from the trail head, same for North Gate. The good news was the winds that had been raging for the past week, preventing access to higher elevations or the snow from morphing to corn, were forecast to back off on Friday, the exact day we had chosen for our trip.
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Loveland Pass Avalanche claims 5
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Google view of the terrain that trapped five.
Denver Post story (recommended) by Jason Blevins
More details from Jason Blevins at the Denver Post
CAIC early report
Associated Press report
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Tahoe’s last call for Winter Twelve-13?
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Ross Collins nabs freshies off the E side of peak 10,120, near the 2-stroke smoke zone.
Figuring the temperatures would be rising quickly Ross and I arrived at the trailhead to Lake Incline an hour earlier than originally planned. Two cars were already there, and two guys were busy changing boots and waxing their skins. They asked in a friendly way where we were headed but I replied evasively, “skins on we go up, skins off we go down.” Within minutes they hit the trail while we donned a second coat of sunscreen.
Backcountry turns continue… »
Lil’ Morrison Powder
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Hey, ski season ain’t over yet, okay? Not for me. But review season needs a breather —
It’s a Powder Monday somewhere today. Pssst, don’t tell the boss.
Meanderthal Conversations
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It had been a long time, too long, since we had all skied together. At least five years. Gilski and I had rendezvoused a few times at Mammoth in the interim but the last time I skied with Lou was at Onion Valley back in ’97 and with Rober’ it had been since ’05 in the Selkirks.
Reaping what we earned – Gilski takes a faceshot on the chin.
