October 2012 archive

Rerun: Time Changes

Every year the seasons change, and though the calendar says they begin at the same time, we know when they start and end are as predictable as the numbers on a roulette wheel. Sure there is a range of when it will occur, but the exact day, just as the exact number to bet on, changes all the time.

ISSW 2012 Report

  Finally, the snow show came to my doorstep. The International Snow Science Workshop has been high on my tick list for years and now as the colorful leaves of fall began blowing off the trees, I was on the road to Anchorage’s convention center on the other side of the Chugach. The road trip …

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Review: The Ramer Classic, the original
American Touring binding.

Ramer Classic AT binding

Last week I was struck by the hole that exists in the AT world these days for a binding that works with tech-less alpine boots and weighs less than four pounds. It simply doesn’t exist anymore. Not in retail stores anyway. But if you sleuth enough, you can find an old pair of Ramer Classics …

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Review: Ortovox 3+ avalanche beacon

3+ avalanche transceiver display when searching for a signal

The 3+ from Ortovox is a fresh breath of simplicity in the beacon world. It doesn’t go overboard with brainiac features, at least, not overtly. It doesn’t provide the directional clues of the S1, but it can still separate the various signals, only without getting confused like the first gen S1.

Review: Scarpa’s TX – a T2 for NTN

Of the NTN compatible boots I’ve skied, Scarpa’s TX is most like their T2-Eco. It has enough cuff to drive a fat ski, but it is flexible enough that it yields a comfortable stride for stretches of dry trail or skinning the flats. Many of today’s rando boots give a larger range of motion in the cuff, but you won’t notice it much except on the flats, and only if you know better.

Review: Dynafit’s Radical AT binding

Ten years ago Dynafit reps were lamenting the rise in popularity of the Fritschi Freeride. Interest in the US was just starting to pick up for Dynafit system and it seemed like the Freeride took the wind out of those sails. And then again with Marker’s Duke. But over that same period of time, many …

Keep making backcountry turns