EarnYourTurns

Preview: Elan Adrenaline AT Binding

B.Litz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:36:54 +0000

Elan/Head's Adrenaline
MSRP: $525 • Weight: 5 lbs., 13.5 oz. (2650 g)

Hot on the heels of Marker’s Duke revamp and Salomon/Atomic’s new AT binding comes the Adrenaline, yet another AT binding where beef is the obsession, not weight. Designed and built by storied Austrian binding manufacturer, Tyrolia, the Adrenaline with be sold under both the Head and Elan marques.

Utterly few and far between at this stage of the game stateside, both the Head (red plastic highlights) and Elan (green plastic highlights) versions were on display during the recent SIA show. The operative word here being “on display” as none were available for actual testing. The samples did give an indication though of what we can expect from the binding.

Elan Adrenaline will work with most alpine and AT boots.

Being the offspring of an alpine binding company it comes as no surprise that the Adrenaline takes aim at the free-ride sidecountry crowd, with an emphasis on downhill performance, a wide stance for driving today’s fat skis, true step-in ease of entry, and high maximum DIN settings — plus a free-pivot for skinning back from harvesting freshies out-of-bounds. Weight-wise, the Adrenalines will be competitive with the Duke and Guardian/Tracker. With a stated weight of 5 lbs., 13.5 oz. (2650 grams) per pair they will not be vying for a place on the feet of the minimalist light ‘n’ fast tourers and rando-racers — nor were they designed to.

Like other air-worthy backcountry bindings, the Adrenaline will accept all modern alpine boots and the vast majority of alpine touring boots on the market, but not all. Older-generation Dynafit TLT4-type boots, with their tightly cropped toes are not compatible with any non-Tech bindings.

Per Tyrolia’s marketing material, Adrenaline’s key attributes include:

Tool-less length adjustment and two heights of climbing peg (7° shown).

Estimated street price: $449.00
Two versions (DIN 13 and 16) each coming in two lengths: 270-330mm and 300-360mm (BSL).
Switch between ski and walk mode without exiting the binding – mode switch fully operational with a ski pole.
Lightweight Titanal reinforcements throughout binding.
Fiberglass reinforced polymer “plate”.
Toe height said to be lower than a Duke – no definitive numbers on this yet.
Adjustable toe height for alpine and AT boots.

True 90° range of free-pivot touring motion with fiberglass reinfoced polymer baseplate.

Wide 70mm anti-friction device for constant release values when used with AT boots.
True 90° range of motion (see pic).
71mm wide Titanal toe mounting plate.
80mm wide rear Titanal track/mounting plate for enhanced stability, especially on wider skis.
Tool-less, 60mm length adjustment.
Low tension “double-hinged” rear heel piece for easy non-emergency egress from the binding.
Freeflex design minimizes ski dead spot under boot/binding.
Four brake widths (88mm, 97mm, 115mm, 130mm).
Three climbing heights — 0°, 7°, 13°.
Wide-set climbing post set directly under the heel for stability and “effective force transmission”.
Dampened with rubber fittings.
Anodized aluminum crampons in three crampon widths (90mm, 105mm, 120mm).
Stated weight: 2650 grams/5 lbs., 13.5 oz.

Of course a preview is just that, a preview, and not a predictor of the efficaciousness of a product’s engineering and durability. However the Adrenaline, at first fondle, appears to be a thoughtful and well-engineered freshman entry into the modern world of alpine touring bindings though one best suited for fit backcountry skiers, sidecountry excursions, and for skiers wanting one binding that can ski just like an alpine binding for day-in/day-out resort riding as well as off-piste adventures. Of course only time, and some real usage, will tell whether the Adrenaline is in line to succeed the Duke, or, if it will remain merely a pretender to the throne.

A final note: There were a few discrepancies in the information provided by Elan and Tyrolia. This includes the fact that Tyrolia is claiming two separate DIN-range bindings, one DIN 5—16 and one DIN 3.5—13. Elan on the other hand spoke of only one binding with a DIN 5—16 range. This is just one of those situations where the bindings samples, and support materials, were so fresh that the folks at both companies were still getting a grip on all facets of the new bindings. We’ll certainly stay on this stuff until we get it all sussed out.

Preview: The Dozer™ – New BCA Shovel

Dostie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:58:32 +0000

BCA's Dozer™. Human Hoe would be more accurate, but not as PC.

One of the best new products introduced at the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter show was The Dozer™, a new shovel from BCA. They wanted to call it the Hoeback, but didn’t think the association with Jackson Hole’s classic Hoeback runs would survive the translation across the Atlantic.

The Dozer™ is only the third snow shovel that converts into a backcountry hoe for excavating large amounts of snow quickly, because it reduces shoveling from a three step process, to only two. So says Bruce Edgerly, BCA’s VP of Sales and Marketing. He’s right.

A normal shoveling operation requires driving the blade into the snow for the first step, then lifting it up for step two, and finally, taking a third step to toss it. When you’re using it like a hoe, you first swing the blade in to grab hold of the snow, then pull it sideways in a stroke that simultaneously tosses the snow backwards. It allows you to move more snow, faster — waaay faster. In effect, it allows you to become a human backhoe, efficiently scooping and throwing snow in a what can become a repetitive windmill like motion that moves snow with relentless, machine like efficiency.

So far, the only other light weight aluminum shovels that do this are K2′s Rescue Shovel Plus, and the Kodiak by Ortovox. The Dozer™ looks fairly beefy, thanks to an ovalized shaft and a solid T-style handle that doubles as the critical right angle to transform a straight shovel into an angled hoe blade. One side of the T-handle goes into the ferrel welded to the backbone ridge of the blade. The other acts as a horn to place one hand on for steadying the blade as you pull the snow. A small rubber sleeve at the opposite end of the shaft provides a small hook so that you won’t lose your grip at the far end of the shaft. The blade is not only heat treated, but also “coined” for greater strength and rigidity.

In truth I’m not looking forward to ‘testing’ this shovel. Shoveling is a load of work. But I’m confident once I put it through the paces on one of the more common test pieces available in Truckee — a berm of frozen slush blocking me in to my driveway, courtesy of the local plowman — the Dozer™ will make short work of that impasse thanks to its hoe function. That and my trusty HS928.

Backcountry Access
The Dozer™
MSRP: $79.95
Weight: 33 oz. (936 g)
Blade Dimensions: 10″ x 11″ (25 x 28 cm)
Handle+Shaft Dimensions: 18½” (47 cm)
Assembled Length (Hoe mode): 24.6″ (62.6 cm)
Assembled Length (straight): 31.9″ (81.1 cm)

Related Posts:
Strategic Shoveling: Human Snow Conveyor
Ortovox Kodiak Review

Nachtspektakl at Squaw Valley, Feb. 4

TurnEarning Editors — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:40:49 +0000

Tahoe City, California – On February 4th Squaw Valley, USA, Dynafit, and Alpenglow Sports will host California’s first ever Nacktspektakel ski touring event!

Nachtspektakel comes to Squaw Valley, Feb. 4th 2012. Tickets at Alpenglow Sports.

A Nachtspektakel (pr: knocked-shpeck-tockle) is a traditional European-style ski event that bonds people through the sport of ski touring. A cultural norm in Europe, Night Spectaculars are new ways to combine skiing, beer and food that are sure to catch on in the States. There is no better way to spend a Saturday night than skinning, drinking, and meeting like-minded new friends!

Ski tourers are invited to enjoy an evening ascent to Squaw Valley’s world-renown High Camp, followed by food and drink. Not only is this a rare chance to tour uphill at Squaw, but a fantastic way to meet new friends and stoke the fires of winter.

Tickets are $40 per person, cash only, and can be picked up at Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, CA.

Come appropriately dressed with complete uphill gear (skis, skins, boots, poles), warm clothes and most importantly – a headlamp. You might consider a spare layer of dry clothes for drinks/dinner.

Beacons, shovels, and probes are not required but recommended. Alpenglow Sports will offer free rentals for the evening. Rentals must be picked up the afternoon before the event.

Meet at the gondola for sign-in at 3:30pm. Event starts at 4:00pm. Questions please call Alpenglow 530.583.6917.

TR: Crater Lake Circumnavigation

Brent Heffner — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:01:52 +0000

December’s lack of snow in California forced us to consider other opportunities. Oregon opportunities. So, Mark Chon and I hopped in the Jeep and headed for the border.

The view from Rim Village

We arrived at Rim Village on Wednesday, secured a permit and were off and jibbing by 1pm.

Mark ready to get his jib on.

The new skis, Rossi BC 110 for me and Voile Vector BC for Mark, worked well. Freed from our skins, we glided, gripped and skated along, heading towards The Watchman – the peak on the left. The day was sunny but cold. The snow was about 3-4 feet deep. We were carrying 45 pound packs loaded with 5 days of food and some extra layers.

The weather called for a windy storm on Thursday. Our plan was to ski in for several miles and hunker down on Thursday.

45 pound packs.

About 100 people a year jib around the lake. 70 skiers and 30 snowshoers. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the 7th deepest lake in the world. It is filled only by rain and snowfall; an average of 66 inches of rain and 44 feet of snow per year. No streams or springs feed into the lake. It took 250 years for the lake to fill with water. Over a thousand feet deep, it is one of the cleanest and purest lakes in the world. The water clarity has been recorded at a record breaking 142 feet.

The average height of the caldera rim is just over 7,000 feet with Mt. Scott being the highest peak in the park at 8,929 feet. The lake is 6.02 miles wide (east-west) by 4.54 miles (north-south). The route follows Rim Drive, the road around the lake, making the circumnavigation 31 miles long. Most people take 3 days to do the trip. Cross-country ski racers complete the route in under 8 hours.

Map view of Crater Lake and major landmarks.

We started out heading clock-wise around the lake. Two hours of skiing brought us to just past The Watchman. A small group of trees would be our home until Friday. Winds were predicted to be 40-50 mph on Thursday. We found some good protection for the tents and settled in. The winds arrived later that night as predicted. Not much snow overnight. The wind could be heard racing over the tops of the trees, but the ridge we were on deflected most of it. Our camp spot was perfect.

Wizard Island just before The Watchman.

We slept well overnight. On Thursday we woke, then went back to sleep. The weather outside was nasty so we pretty much slept all day. Just beyond our little group of trees, the wind tore away at Hillman Peak, the highest peak on the rim, on our left and The Watchman, to the right. Towards the end of the day, it looked like it was starting to clear up. The wind had died down and we took advantage of the break in the storm to walk around. Any loose snow was now in the lake. We were camped in the middle of an ice field.

Camp I

Walking around was tricky. My North Face down booties weren’t much help on the ice, I was slipping and sliding around. At one point, I walked away from the trees onto the ice. I was about 50 feet from the trees in a large opening or meadow. Suddenly, the ice beneath me dropped with a loud WHOMP! I could hear cracks shooting out in all directions. My heart jumped and I started running back. Well, I tried running. I wouldn’t have thought the slope was steep enough to slide, but it was too steep to run with my choice of footwear. Only about a 20° slope, but I wasn’t sticking around to test any theories. Two more loud WHOMPS! were heard as I frantically and gingerly made my way back to the trees across the slippery slope.

Moon rising over camp.

By the time I got to the trees, which seemed to take forever, I had gained momentum. I didn’t take into account the fact that the snow was grippier here. Two or three strides into the trees I fell flat on my ass. Safe and unharmed but with my heart still racing, I looked back at the slope. It hadn’t moved. I tucked myself back into my -30° down sleeping bag, prepared dinner, and we spent one more night in the trees.

Friday dawned cloudy and windy. Getting back up to the road was challenging. The ice was bullet-proof. Too stubborn to use our skins, we sidestepped and edged up the slippery slope. What should have taken maybe five minutes, took almost 30. We had gotten up early. I struggled and edged my way up the the crater rim to catch the sunrise.

Sunrise over Wizard Island.

Now the trip was starting. We had only skied about 3 miles on Wednesday. The storm on Thursday was expected so we were still on track. My GPS watch wasn’t holding enough juice to keep track of the miles and I had left all the info and maps we got from the rangers in the Jeep. I did have my topo map though, so we were able to get somewhat of an idea of how many miles we traveled each day.

…keep reading on Page 2

First Look: Rottefella’s NTN Freedom

Dostie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:27:06 +0000

Decision time can be a nail biting experience. At what point do you go ahead and make the plunge? When it’s time for a new binding or boot the question on the table is whether to stick with the duckbill (75mm) or switch to a duckbutt (NTN).

Getting off on the right foot with NTN Freedom.

Since its introduction in 2007 telemarkers are slowly being magnetized by the power and control that NTN provides. Those who spend most days burning turns have already fallen under the spell of NTN. With the announcement that the Freedom binding will have touring performance on par with 75mm offerings, NTN has even more appeal.

Telemarkers who earn more than they burn have been holding out for better uphill performance, at least 50° worth. Rottefella claims 90° but they’re talking about the range of motion possible at your knee, which is a combination of the range of motion of the toe plate, plus the flex of your sole, ankle, and knee. Based on a photo of a boot pivoted forward while in tour mode the ROM of the NTN Freedom is at least 50°. It may not be record setting, but 50° is plenty for making jack-knife sharp kick turns when you need them.

A solid 50° ROM is plenty for long strides and tight kick turns.

Like its predecessor the Freeride, there remains a light amount of tension while touring with the Freedom. Even though the pivot is not frictionless, it has way less resistance than when the toe is locked. If you’re just heading up a skin track, it is difficult to even notice. When you want to make a tight switchback, that resistance means you need to snap the tail of the ski just right, and with enough force to overcome the light tension to get the tips to come up. It isn’t anything a bit of practice can’t cure, unless you’re too lazy to learn.

Members of the backcountry media 'test' the tourability of the Freedom binding at Solitude ski resort before the lifts open.

That light resistance feels like a lot when you lift the toe plate with your hands in tour mode, but you can hardly feel it with your legs. There will, however, be a few other consequences to this. Firstly, ski tips will not float to the surface in super light fluff. This will be more evident the lighter the snow is, and less obvious as snow density increases, or the width of your ski increases. Also, that minor tension may take a toll on a big vertical day, sapping strength slowly but surely. However the good news is that light tension will allow you to do a side-stepping motion on a traverse without the tails of your skis dropping your way. For the majority of days and conditions though, the light resistance is an acceptable compromise to enjoy the many other benefits that NTN offers.

When I finally had a chance to handle the binding one of my concerns was that you would need to bend over to pull on the pink tab to put it in touring mode. Indeed, you can, but there’s really no need. To flip it in to tour mode, flip up the front lever with the ledge of your ski pole handle. This will release the clamp on the 2nd heel, but as it releases the cable tension in the binding it also causes the mode switch to pop up. With it accordioned up you can toggle the front lever back down leaving your boot clamped to the binding, but in touring mode. An easy maneuver, and you don’t need to bend over either.

Rottefella's Freedom will have two plate sizes.

To get the total weight under 3½ pounds and keep Rottefella’s touring mechanism – a design first seen on the Cobra Free and used with the NTN Freeride – required some serious rethinking. At a certain point weight does make a serious difference, and four pounds, while bearable, is pushing the limits of reasonable weight for a touring binding.

So Rottefella went back to the drawing board, so to speak.

Metal was pared back where ever possible, from skeletonizing the front lever to flat out eliminating the binding frame and mounting plate. I realized the necessity of the binding frame was questionable when I bent about four of them during a test for Backcountry magazine in 2008. They iced up on to the mounting plate and the plates were binding on the heads of the mounting screws. Since I didn’t have a hammer, I tried kicking them off and bent the frames in the process. Andrew McLean had big fun documenting that. After rebending ‘em with pliers they survived the rest of the test.

Current NTN customers will complain about the loss of the mounting plate but it simply had to go to keep the weight down. In addition the mounting pattern was changed from a 4-hole to a 6-hole pattern. This same 6-hole pattern will be adopted on future mounting plates for the NTN Freeride to make swapping bindings possible without drilling new holes, but swapping bindings between Freedom and Freeride won’t be easy.

Overall entrance and exit to the binding is the same as the NTN Freeride. It’s fast and easy, maybe even easier than the Freeride version.

How does it feel when arcing? . . . Like an NTN binding.

On an early morning tour at the recent Outdoor Retailer On-Snow Demo day Rottefella reps took pains to explain that the Freedom wasn’t as powerful, torsionally rigid, or as quick to respond as the Freeride. That may be true, but in two quick runs on scrappy hardpack the difference was hard to tell, even though I compared the two bindings side by side for half a run. My experience suggests the Freedom delivers powerful yet soulfully deep tele turns, and holds a solid edge on hardpack. For reference I was skiing in TX-Pro boots with blue springs at level 3 (out of 5).

Let freedom ring! Rottefella drops weight, adds more range of motion for better touring.

It is worth mentioning that not everyone in the media group was enamored with how NTN skied. Then again, I remember having to make adjustments to my telemark style when first converting from leather to plastic, and again from 75mm to NTN. Thus, the basic ‘feel’ of the Freedom binding is very similar to the Freeride and will require some technique adjustment if you’re coming directly from a 75mm cable binding.

I would be remiss if I overlooked one of the more compelling features of NTN — the release system. When the heel is flat it offers a safety release based on the tension of the clamping cable. It isn’t DIN rated or TUV certified, but it does seem to work. Plus, I’ll keep saying it, it has a quick release that could make it easy to jettison those skis on command if you’re riding a rumbling slab of doom. Just pull up on the front lever and your binding opens up and you get to say bye bye to those anchors formerly known as skis. This move ought to help you stay on top – but no guarantees.

Rottefella's NTN Freedom • 3 lbs., 4 oz./pair (1468 g/pr) • MSRP: $429 USD

Overall my first impression is that Rottefella has finally delivered a binding that not only provides powerful turns, safety release, convenient entrance and exit from the binding, and brakes, but now it comes with a touring feature that isn’t limited by a less than adequate range of motion. Rottefella is even planning to offer crampons to go with the Freedom binding. If you’ve been waiting for the promise of NTN to be fulfilled, there isn’t much reason to sit on the fence any longer, but you will have to wait until Fall 2012.

Preview: G3 Enzo

Dostie — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:30:18 +0000

Back in August, 2011 it was hinted that there were three new bindings to be introduced in the winter of 2012. Well it’s Winter 2012 and Rottefella’s Freedom is old news. A second binding I was referring to was the TTS binding, which, theoretically will have enough modifications to it to make it “new” from the standpoint of revised components and improved adjustability.

G3's Enzo • 3lbs. 13 oz./pair (1734 g/pr) • $289

The one nobody caught wind of until after Christmas was Enzo, G3′s return to the tele market. On first look Enzo appears to be a synthesis of numerous bindings already on the market.

The most obvious is the duplication of 22 Design’s cable configuration. There are a few noticeable differences like a different spring housing, regular compression springs instead of flat-wire springs, and a yoke of solid wire around the heel instead of braided cable, but that’s window dressing on the same basic design.

Then there is the toe plate which is reminiscent of the wrap-around design Voile uses with their Switchback — it’s rather immune to snow packing underneath. The same concept is also found in the Burnt Mountain Designs Tele Bulldog and Lite Dogz.

The mode switch is a combination of Black Diamond’s simple push-button switch that you toggle for touring or turning with a ski pole. At the back of the toe-plate, two prongs extend from inside a sealed toe riser to hold down a rear spreader bar, just like Voile’s Switchback.

With all those ingredients G3′s Enzo has a lot to like about it. Easy mode switching, adjustable power and lots of it, plus leagues of theoretical improvement over the Targa Icent to prevent icing up.

And what’s with the name? There’s always a story behind G3′s product names. Does the Enzo merely signify the end of new ideas for 75mm telemark, where the only changes possible are a rearrangement of the pieces? Or does it have something to do with Lorenzo? It will be interesting to see the marketing story on that one.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show 2012 – On Snow report

Dostie — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:31:36 +0000

The Outdoor Retailer Show for Winter 12 began on Wednesday, Jan. 18th. Thankfully Old man Winter chose to return to the mountains that day, but not enough to change conditions much for the on-snow demo. Solitude did an admirable job of making snow, but it was hard and scrappy. Winter’s late return delivered an inch of fresh, allowing snow to build up in patches so you could strategically alternate softer turns with scratchy ones.

In the course of the day I managed to get out on the new Salomon Guardian sidecountry binding, Rottefella’s new NTN Freedom binding, G3′s new Enzo and BD’s O1 with a six-hole mounting plate. Saw that 22 Designs had a non-touring version of the Axl, called The Vice and beheld the new Duke from Marker with an 88mm wide chassis for more power.

Plus there were a few skis enjoyed on the slopes of Solitude resort while running in to old friends in the demo tent city and I did a quick skin glide comparison between a pair of green skins and BD’s new line of Ascension skins with a completely new plush and glue. Within two steps the difference was clear, BD’s new line of Ascension skins glide far better than the brand from Mars.

And the surprise news of the show (so far) is that Height of Land Publications has sold Telemark Skier Magazine to the editor for the publication, Josh Madsen. Josh has some exciting ideas on how to simultaneously increase the frequency and relevance of the mag.

Further details on these products and more in the coming days and weeks.

Preview: Marker Duke upgrade for 12/13

Dostie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:23:36 +0000

New colors on the The Duke signify a wider, stronger frame for more power.

It’s no secret that Marker’s Duke has dominated binding sales for young and aggressive backcountry skiers since it was first introduced in 2007. It now has three siblings, the equally capable Baron with a DIN rating of only 12, plus the more tour friendly F12 and F10.

Not content to sit on their laurels, especially now that Salomon has woken to the potential in the backcountry with their own version of a huck-worthy backcountry binder the Duke gets a face lift for next year, and a wider foundation for transferring even more power to the edges of today’s super fat skis.

To be more specific, the Duke’s new Extended Power Frame Chassis will be 88mm wide, a stunning 28% wider. Refinements to the heel and toe dimensions not only make the binding sleeker, but lighter too, although it still tips the scales at just over six pounds per pair. The Baron and the rest of the touring family from Marker remain essentially unchanged for next year.

Preview: Lange XT for BC

Dostie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:21:07 +0000

Lange enters the backcountry with the XT

Even Lange is joining the backcountry next year with their announcement of the XT boot. To which I can only say, sheesh, what took you so long? My very first pair of boots in the backcountry were Langes paired with Ramer bindings. That may have been why I had such a favorable impression of Ramer’s, because I had such good boots for downhill performance.

Ask almost anyone who is first getting in to the backcountry, especially if they’re a young ripper, and they’ll make it clear they’re only hiking for the turns. For them it’s totally about the down. Alpine companies are obviously waking up to that, but Lange, it seems, has been very slow to join the club.

A V-Lock switch frees the cuff.

The XT has all the basic features you would expect in a randonnee boot, like a cuff that locks forward at ~20° but releases for walking comfort. The cuff buckles have a touring latch that allows the buckles to open wide but not let go. No tech fittings yet and hopefully Lange won’t drag their feet in seeing the value of adding those to future offerings. In the meantime, the boot at least has lugged soles for grip while scrambling over talus.

The biggest thing Lange is potentially offering with the XT is the classic Lange fit which translates in to superior control and power. The jury is out on that last feature, but theoretically the promise is there with a shell stiffness rating of 130 and Lange’s reputation for fit. It’s been over 25 years since I last wore Lange boots but at least their posters still suggest they are the ultimate in comfort.

Alpenglow Sports Under New Ownership

Dostie — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:52:51 +0000

Tahoe City, Calif. – January 16, 2012 – Alpenglow Sports, Northern California’s leading provider of backcountry and Nordic ski equipment, and most things outdoors, today announced it’s sale to long-time employee Brendan Madigan.

Long-time employee Brendan Madigan steps up and takes the reins at North Lake Tahoe's premier outdoor shop, Alpenglow.

After coming to the Tahoe for its famed winters and epic wilderness running, Madigan began work at Alpenglow in 2003 and has functioned in a managerial capacity since 2007. Extremely excited and humbled by the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of outdoor specialty pioneer Donald Fyfe, Alpenglow’s owner of 32 years, Madigan calls his ownership of Alpenglow a “dream come true.”

Madigan, a native of Virginia states, “Alpenglow sells fun. And luckily for me, my passion for mountain sports channel directly into that mantra. I literally get to eat, sleep and breathe fun. I love what I do, and there couldn’t be a more perfect combination.”

Under the apprenticeship of Don Fyfe, Madigan has evolved in his capacity at the well-known Tahoe City business.

Brendan Madigan: Still skiing, not bumming.

“I first signed on at Alpenglow as a classic ski bum in 2003,” said Madigan. “As the years went by I was immersed and enamored by the outdoor industry and its unique business climate. On a day-to-day basis, it quickly became apparent to me that the business of sharing the passion of backcountry skiing, climbing, and running with the amazing people of Tahoe was the way I wanted to spend my life.”

“Under Don’s professional tutelage and expertise, we have been able to blend a proven and successful business model with the exciting new prospects of social media, events, and thinking outside the box.”

Alpenglow Sports, located in the heart of downtown Tahoe City, specializes in backcountry and nordic ski equipment, snowshoeing, mountaineering, rock climbing, trail running, backpacking, and hiking. The shop prides itself on friendly, premier, user-based expertise and encourages its employees to play as hard as they work.

“Managing Alpenglow Sports has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” said Madigan. “I love coming to work, my coworkers, the mountain lifestyle and our amazing community. I find great honor in sharing the passion behind the sports we all love – whether a day hike or a big-mountain expedition.”

Madigan, climbing up Pinner Couloir on Denali's West Buttress.

Alpenglow’s core passion, backcountry skiing, is currently experiencing an immense increase in popularity. Alpenglow has always been known for its accomplished employee-athletes and has a well established reputation for early dawn patrol missions to ski virgin backcountry powder, climb peaks, or enjoy Tahoe’s trails. Madigan also champions this mantra, culminating in his 2010 ski descent of Mt. McKinley (20,320 feet) and a through-run of Tahoe’s Rim Trail.

“I was lucky enough to cut my teeth under local heroes Dave Nettle, Aaron Zanto and Mark Kircher,” said Madigan. ‘These guys had the goodwill to drag a youngster out of bed at 4am to ski pristine backcountry powder. Luckily, and with tremendous respect for them and the Alpenglow legacy, I’ve never looked back.”

Madigan also has the blessing of previous owner Don Fyfe. “Brendan has brought a unique sense of enthusiasm and professionalism to Alpenglow,” said Fyfe. “His ability to lead through difficult times and his tremendous loyalty to Tahoe City and the community at large is both refreshing and admirable. I have no doubt he will be successful. ”

“We’ve got a proven formula here at the shop,” states Madigan. “I’m excited to maintain a tradition of premier, unique customer service, and continue to provide free, fun and motivational events for the community.”

Madigan on top of Denali, overcoming the odds of denial.

Alpenglow’s major events include: the free Lake Tahoe Winter Film Series, which showcases both a world-famous athlete and raises money for community non-profits; the Lake Tahoe Backcountry Vertical Challenge, a community-wide fund raising initiative to benefit the Sierra Avalanche Center; free community avalanche seminars; women’s specific backcountry evenings; and the Lake Tahoe Alpine Touring and Telemark Demo Event at Alpine Meadows.

“I feel strongly about giving back to my community,” said Madigan. “We’re all in it together here in Tahoe, and at Alpenglow we are hopeful that our service, friendliness, expertise, and free community events resonate with the community. In this day and age it is our responsibility to support each other.”

About Alpenglow Sports:
Alpenglow Sports, established in 1979, is Northern California’s leading resource on all things outdoors. Specializing in backcountry and Nordic skiing, mountaineering, snowshoeing, rock climbing, trail running, backpacking, hiking and climbing, Alpenglow provides premier, user-based expertise. Come in and let our friendly staff help you for your next adventure! Located in the heart of Tahoe City, Alpenglow can be reached at 530.583.6917.
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