The Mountain Shop in Portland, OR is organizing Mt Hood's first ever ski mountaineering race, the Ram's Head Rando Festival and Race on Sunday April 21 (this weekend!).
Off-Piste Mag will be there with a small booth as will other vendors with gear, food and beer.
The Festival will consist of an uphill - downhill course laid out on the Stadium complex, as well as ski demos, clinics, music, food and beer provided by Mt. Hood Meadows and Everybody's Brewing.
There's a $20 fee for the festival which covers:
-Entrance to the Festival
-Race Participation
-Recreational and Race Ski and Boot Demos
-Clinics
-Live Music
-Food
-Beer
Raffle to benefit the NW Weather and Avalanche Center.
Please show your support by joining us for the festival and enjoying all it has to offer.
A change in our rather boring weather pattern looks to be bringing some significant snowfall in the coming days, finally! There has been good skiing to be found, but the Northwest mountains are due for a refresh and, thankfully, it's on its way.
Also on the the way is a host of events that revolve around backcountry skiing. Ready, here we go:
You've got one more week (ends 2/28) to enter Backcountry Skiing Canada's Expose Yourself Photo Comp and win yourself a week-long hut trip to Carlyle Lodge or the Kokanee Glacier Hut, not to mention a sweet collection of gear prizes from G3 and Westcomb. Get all the deets here
Next up is the First Annual Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Portland Snowbash. That's right, the Friends of NWAC are coming to PDX to rally the troops on February 28. There will be beer, raffles and music by Portland's own Biscuits and Gravy. The venue is the hip and happenin' Velo Cult bike shop (what else would you expect for Portland, the place where old road bikes find new life). Tix are $20 in advance $25 at the door.
Moving a little farther from the Northwest, the Pinheads from Hell at the North American Telemark Organization are hosting their 38th Annual Mad River Glen Tele Fest on March 9 and 10. These guys know how to ski and they know how to throw a freeheel festival, so if you are lucky enough to live nearby or can make the trip to Vermont, get on it. Remember, half a binding = half a brain. Woops, I mean free the heel and free the mind!
A little closer to our home turf is the Second Annual Oregon Splitfest on Mt Hood. Not that any of us really needs an excuse to go touring and drink beer with like-minded riders, but sometimes an organized event helps us to get off our home leash . . .Anyway, March 8-10 is the time and Mt Hood is the place. There will evening social gatherings at Charley's in Govy and gear demos on the hill. Get all the deets here
Northwest splitboarders unite! It's the second annual Oregon Splitfest on Mount Hood, March 8, 9 &10. The multi-day event includes evening gatherings at Charlie's Mountain View Bar in Government Camp plus a full weekend of climbing and riding. The event is FREE. That's right, thanks to the generous support of sponsors, there is no fee to participate.
Sponsors will be on hand with demos including: Venture, Sparks,
Voile, Jones, Arbor, Next Adventure, US Outdoor and Protect Our Winters.
And the Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center has committed to sending someone to give a conditions overview in person.
There will a swag raffle with all raffle ticket proceeds going to NWAC.
The Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center have teamed up with Portland area backcountry skiers and boarders to present SNOWBASH PDX - a night of beer, music, camraderie and gear all in support of the Northwest Avalanche Center.
Mark February 28, 2013 (a Thursday night) on your calendars. The event will take place at Velo Cult on NE 42nd in Portland. It's a great space and a great cause to come out and support the folks who bring us the best mountain weather forecast and avalanche forecast for our region.
You know you would be lost without NWAC's forecasting and telemetry resources. Show your support for the avalanche center by buying a ticket and rubbing elbows with the Portland ski scene!
Vertfest Alpental kicks off this Saturday, February 16 with the Monika Johnson Memorial Uphill/Downhill Race. Following the race, the legendary awards ceremony and raffle are back again with skis, packs and trucks loads of gear to shovel out to the audience.
The ceremony is followed by opening act Head Like A Kite - featuring Tilson from the Seattle based Hip-Hop group the Saturday Knights. Headliners Daydream Vacation, featuring Asya of NYC based Smoosh bring their costumed craziness and killer stage presence to close out the evening.
Sunday clinics include backcountry skills, ski technique and photography workshops plus special guests Jessica Baker of Ski Divas and Neil Provo, professional splitboarder.
Portland area skiers, it's a great weekend to fill out your backcountry ski gear needs:
OMC (Oregon Mountain Community) is hosting their annual Backcountry Expo this weekend, Nov. 17) in Portland. The event offers a chance to sell your old gear on consignment as well as score deals on new gear at the shop. All consignment gear must arrive before 6pm on Friday. Details in the poster.
Not to be outdone, The Mountain Shop is hosting a Nordic Ski Expo on Nov 17 and 18 with waxing clinics, gear deals and beta on all backcountry and nordic gear. The Mountain Shop is sponsoring a weekend of free clinics with local Nordic experts, ski testing and evaluation of your old skis, tours of our new ski repair, tuning and waxing laboratory, High Performance Demos and Rental Services. Bring in your old skis for $15 dollars off any Custom Tuning and performance hot box waxing. Special pricing on select Nordic skis, waxes and brushes and tools from Swix and Toko, as well as much as 50% percent off on our demo skis.
The Spearhead Traverse is an iconic tour in the Coast Range, and the movement to establish three huts along the famed route is underway (read more about the Spearhead Huts Project). There are two fundraising events this November to help the project move forward.
The first is the 2012 Spearhead Huts Winter Kick-Off Party on November 3 in Squamish, BC. The Kees and Claire Memorial Hut Society is presenting the Jeremy Jones film Further, photographer Jordan Manley will present a slideshow about sports and wilderness in the Sea to Sky region and there's a silent auction with lots of booty.
The second event is the Spearhead Soiree on November 22 in Vancouver, BC. This event features pre-eminent Coast Range backcountry ski authority John Baldwin and guest presenters Jaqui Hudson and Peter Croft. Hudson will recount her 55-day ski traverse of the Fairweather and St. Elias Ranges, from Haines to Cordova, Alaska, while Croft will share the story of his ground-breaking first full mountaineering traverse of the Waddington Range, with fellow climbers, Greg Foweraker and Don Serl.
The Spearhead Huts Committee will also be on hand to give an update on the Spearhead Huts Project and there will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction.
Here's another great event to get on your radar: The Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival premieres November 9 in Boise and then launches into more than 100 showings around the world with each festival event serving up the best raffle in town, ice cold brews and mountains of winter inspiration.
The 90 minute program features seven films this year:
• Winner of the Best of the Backcountry award, Skiing the Void from Sweetgrass Productions is a reflection on taking chances during their two-year odyssey in the Andes.
• A festival cut of Further, from Teton Gravity Research, brings the return of Jeremy Jones and friends to push the limits of their mountain experience under their own power.
• Luc Mehl, winner of the Hans Sari Scholarship and winner of this year’s Best Grassroots Film, chronicles an epic trip across the wild in Alaska Wilderness Classic.
• A Story of Trust is a call for climate recovery from a nine-year-old activist and the winner of this year’s Best Environmental Film.
• Denali Experiment is a look at a different type of expedition film from Camp4Collective.
• From Switchback Entertainment comes Freedom Chair, an athlete’s journey back to the slopes and his love of winter.
• Unicorn Sashimi from Felt Soul Media highlights the amazing winter snowscapes of Japan
Help support the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center this fall by attending SnowBash 2012. This year's event is on November 15 in Seattle. A mere $20 gets you in the door ($25 day of event) for an evening of music, films and swag. Buy Tix here.
It looks like our Indian summer here in the Pacific Northwest is about to come to an abrupt end, which means snow is one step closer. To help while away the days before ski season kicks into gear there are a few events on the horizon:
NORTHWEST
Powderwhore - Choose Your Adventurein Seattle 10/10, Portland 10/11, Eugene 10/12, Bend 10/13 and then on to California, Colorado, Wyoming and more - tour schedule
This killer pre-season event is for seasoned pros and recreational users alike. It's an all day affair and loaded with great presentations on snow science, avalanche education and snow safety. It's in Seattle on November 4. Don't miss it. Buy your tickets now.
Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop 2012 CSAW 2012 will be October 19 at the National Mining Hall of Fame in Leadville.
Online registration is now open UNTIL October 15. Registration is $25 online and $40 at the door. Click here to register and here for the agenda.
Mountain Weather Workshop
The Silverton Avalanche School and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center are offering a three-day Mountain Weather Workshop, November 2-4 in Silverton Colorado. You can write info@avyschool.org for more information or click here to register.
NEW ENGLAND
Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop is being held in North Conway on November 10. Read all about it here
Whitefish Montana is hosting the second annual Northern Rockes Avalanche Safety Workshop on October 13, 2012. This one-day gathering of avalanche professionals is an ideal opportunuity for snow professionals and recreational users alike to immerse themselves in avalanche forecasting, theory, information processing, emergency decision making and other up-to-date backcountry safety topics.
Speakers include:
• Karl Birkeland - Founder of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in Bozeman with 30 years experience working professionally as a ski patroller, educator, backcountry forecaster and researcher.
• Scott Savage - Avalanche forecaster for Big Sky Resort in Montana
• LeeAnn Allegretto - Avalanche Program Leader for the Missoula National Weather Service.
• Elyse Saugstad iProfessional skier from Girdwood, Alaska, ski film star, competitive freeride skier and accomplished backcountry skier.
• Christopher Robinson - Navy SEAL specialized in stressful group dynamics and decision making methods to optimize performance and survival.
• Dale Atkins - 30 years of experience as an avalanche expert as a rescuer, forecaster, researcher and educator.
And for Northwest area skiers, don't forget to register for the 2012 Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit to be held on Seattle, Washington November 4.
The event offers pros and recreationalists alike the opportunity to hear lectures about avalanche and snow science, accident investigations, mountain weather and more. The event is educational and fun, plus you get to connect with countless other backcountry skiers and snow geeks. It's an all day affair, and tickets are cheap at $25. There are very few other opportunities to catch this many high level snow and avalanche discussions in one place.
This year's event moves to Kane Hall at the University of Washington on Saturday, November 4, 2012
Despite the summer-like weather here in the Northwest, the winter stoke is on the rise. Ski films are arriving in theaters far and wide, and the ski mags are churning out pre-season stoke. One of my favorite pre-season events is the annual Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit in Seattle, Washington, which is scheduled for November 4, 2012.
The event offers pros and recreationalists alike the opportunity to hear lectures about avalanche and snow science, accident investigations, mountain weather and more. The event is educational and fun, plus you get to connect with countless other backcountry skiers and snow geeks. It's an all day affair, and tickets are cheap at $25. There are very few other opportunities to catch this many high level snow and avalanche discussions in one place.
This year's event moves to Kane Hall at the University of Washington on Saturday, November 4, 2012
Black Diamond Hosts Event to Rally SkiLink Opposition
Black Diamond Equipment is hosting a fundraiser on June 11 for a celebration of the Wasatch Mountains and to thank Utah Representative Jim Matheson for his ongoing commitment to protecting these precious mountains. Matheson is the only member of Utah's Congressional delegation opposed to selling U.S. Forest Service land in the Wasatch for the proposed SkiLink project headed by Talisker.
SkiLink would open tens of thousands of acres in the Wasatch Mountains to commercial skiing and resort development inevitably bringing construction and human traffic that would seriously threaten most heavily used backcountry recreation terrain and the water supply on which half of the Salt Lake Valley’s population relies.
A coalition of developers, lobbyists and politicians are pushing SkiLink, a proposed gondola that would ferry skiers over the ridge that separates The Canyons resort in Summit County on the Wasatch Back to Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon on the Wasatch Front. Building this lift would require the Forest Service to sell a two mile long parcel of proposed wilderness along and just below the Wasatch Crest, home to some of Utah’s more popular and easily accessed backcountry ski, mountain biking, hiking and trail running terrain.
"The allure of the Wasatch is its compact nature. It provides both stunning access and a profound natural setting in a close proximity to the greater Salt Lake area. The proposed SkiLink would be akin to introducing a strip mall to this area,” explains Peter Metcalf, President and CEO of Black Diamond, Inc. “One off inter-connects would urbanize the backcountry, ruin the integrity of our water shed, mar the views, and do nothing to minimize traffic, transforming the Wasatch from a gem of multi-use activities to a sprawl of lifts, cars and buildings. We already have 7 great ski areas in the central Wasatch. Part of Utah’s great allure is the juxtaposition of these world-class resorts to pristine backcountry skiing. This is what makes Utah a signature destination ski attraction. Building SkiLink will not enhance ski tourism, it will actually degrade it and work at cross purposes to why people come here."
The event is set for 6 p.m. in the Black Diamond Atrium, 2092 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. A $30 contribution is requested.
The boys over at backcountryskiingcanada.com and innate-gear.com have created a new photo competition designed to put gear in your quiver on a weekly basis.
Enter on Mondays; win on Fridays. Pretty simple, eh.
Hood River area mountain bikers should turn out to hear Jim Thornton from the USFS share his experience with building mountain bike trails for the USFS. Given the ice storm damage this winter and the industrious trail building scene here in Hood River, it's a great time to learn some of the finer points of trail design, construction and maintenance. Thornton has, dare I say, decades of trail building experience, and he is a passionate mountain biker. From design and ride flow to reducing impact and the best tools for the job,Thornton will share his years of experience.
Mt Hood's healthy snowpack bodes well for some excellent summer skiing this year. Summer skiing on the scale that Mt Hood offers is a treat unique to the Cascade Volcanos. T-shirts, sun hats and thousands of vertical feet of dreamy corn snow define the summer experience, as does a cold beer in the warm afternoon sun.
Wy'East Nordic is hosting its 28th annual Summer Ski Camp at Timberline ski area on Mt Hood from June 22-24. And it's not just for telemarkers any more! That's right, even fixed heel skiers can join the fun this year. It's hard to beat the full experience of warm weather, great corn snow and expert tips to improve your skiing; it's an ideal scenario for taking your ski skills to the next level. The clinic includes three full days of summer skiing high on the snowfields of Mt. Hood - two days of instruction, plus a day of touring. Bring your tele or AT gear and keep your season going through June!
You can count on the Northwest's best Telemark and Alpine instructors to give you great tips to improve your skiing. Register for the clinic prior to May 1 and you'll get a 10% discount on the cost!
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Snowball 2012
As backcountry skiers, we rely heavily on our local avalanche centers for detailed weather and avalanche forecast information. The Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center is hosting the 4th Annual Snowball Dinner and Auction on Friday, April 20, 2012, from 6-10pm. This event is the perfect opportunity to share in thanking NWAC for their services and helping to raise funds for next year's operational budget.
This year's end-of-the-season celebration event will be at Mountaineers Program Center in Seattle. Tickets are $75 - buy yours soon; this event sold out last year!
You will find friends and familiar faces at the event plus a great dinner and a chance to participate in live and silent auctions for great gear, trips and more!
Suggested Dress: Backcountry Formal (ie – better than you usually dress)
Location: Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
More information www.nwac.us/snowball
OK freeheel freaks and anyone interested in backcountry skiing, the Mountain Shop in Portland is hosting the second Tele-Tuesday of the season up at Mt Hood Ski Bowl on February 21!
Join the Mountain Shop and many others Tuesday, Feb 21 from 5 pm - 9 pm at Ski Bowl. Proceeds from the event go to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. This event features a avalanche beacon demo, brought to you by Timberline Mountain Guides and Mountain Savvy. The other cool event is a XCD freeski competition. Check out the Mountain Shop Website for more info.
Are you a backcountry purist? The Association of Backcountry Lodges of British Columbia just launched a contest offering four weeks of guided and catered backcountry hut skiing to the backcountry skier who can best represent the backcountry purist . . . that's right FOUR weeks of hut skiing!
Enjoy an inspiring evening of free riding in the rugged Cascades and majestic Tetons with Crest Pictures and KGB Productions. The two filmmakers have teamed up to share center stage for a fun-filled evening in Seattle on Feb 3.
Follow local Northwest splitboard mountaineer Kyle Miller on his “epic hunt for good snow” in the U.S. premiere of Crest Pictures’ newest film FreeRider.
Take a journey deep into the mountains of Wyoming with a group of hard-charging skiers and snowboarders in KGB Productions’ Wyoming Triumph.
FreeRider is a 14-minute documentary chronicling Miller's great passion for his sport, his love of the mountains and the wilderness, his ski bum lifestyle, his triumphs and disappointments, his pain and his joys, and his unyielding dedication towards fulfilling his riding dreams. Snowboarding has come a long way in the last few years, and splitboard mountaineering is at the forefront now. Miller is part of this new vanguard. He is an admired and respected splitboarder who has been featured in Off-Piste, Backcountry and Frequency magazines. Each season Miller sets a high bar for himself. In 2010, he successfully climbed and rode all 25 volcanoes in the Western United States. Last year he went for and completed Washington’s 10 highest peaks while the cameras rolled during the filming of FreeRider.
Wyoming Triumph is a 55-minute grassroots film featuring a veteran and youthful band of ski and snowboard friends and professionals, including Rob LaPier, Trevor Hiatt, Max Hammer, Tucker Mead, North Parker, Matt Luczkow, Trevor Thomas and Aidan Sheahan. Two years ago they set out on a mission to scout the vast and mostly unskied rugged interior of their home state, where more folks own elk rifles than skis. They traveled throughout the great big mountainous backcountry terrain of Wyoming in search of fresh lines and remote locations. The film not only explores the drive of this unique group of passionate individuals, but also takes the audience on a Wild West journey through parts of the “Old West” that still exists today. Following countless broken bones, close calls and getting lost, they return home with a story.
Presenting on Friday, Feb 3, at The Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE in Seattle. Admission is $10. The doors open at 6:30 PM so come early, drink beer, buy raffle tickets, and hook up with friends. The show starts around 7:30 PM with a brief introduction of FreeRider by filmmaker Robert Chrestensen and local rider Kyle Miller. Then KGB screens its feature-length film Wyoming Triumph. A raffle for gear from EVO and Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent will follow the show. Proceeds are for the benefit of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC).
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Event in PDX
Winter has finally kicked into gear! Portland, Oregon area skiers can show their support for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center on Friday, January 27 by attending the Portland premier of Being There, a film by Field Productions.
Where: Mazama Mountaineering Center: 527 SE 43rd (cross street is Stark)
Doors open at 6pm - film at 7pm
Tickets available at the MMC or online on the Mazamas website
$5 members & $8 non-members (in advance)
$10 at the door (members & non-members)
Bring extra money for food, drinks, and raffle tickets.
All proceeds to benefit NWAC.
Come on down to enjoy the movie, gear raffle, beer, wine and share tales from the past week of storm cycle skiing.
Backcountry Skiing Canada is hosting its second annual Expose Yourself Photo and Video competition. Submit backcountry photos and videos, along with a good backcountry story, and enter the comp for gi-normous prizes from the likes of Mt Carlyle Lodge, G3, Westcomb and the Alpine Club of Canada.
Seattle area backcountry skiers, it's Snowbash 2011 this Thursday. Support the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center and enjoy great music by the Tripwires. This annual event is a great time to connect with your ski pals and have a chance to win some great swag in the raffle, all while helping to raise some funds to keep NWAC's awesome forecasts rolling.
The Mountain Shop / Castle Board Shop in Portland, OR is offering a free do-it-yourself splitboard workshop at 7:30pm on Wednesday November 16. Snowboard jokes aside, this is great opportunity to set yourself up with a board that will get you into the backcountry. Splitboards have proven to tbe the best tool for riding in the backcountry and although it is not rocket science, watching it done and asking key questions will facilitate a smooth project in your home shop. Here is what the Mountain Shop has to say . . .
You don't need to bring anything, but if you would like, you can bring your board to address cutting questions. Even if you are already geared up, this will be a fun event and a great way to meet other splitboard riders.
We will be splitting a board, demonstrating epoxy techniques and mounting splitboard hardware. There are several tips that I wish someone had told me when I cut my first back-country weapon, and I can answer any of your questions.
You will also be able to use a "splitboard workshop" discount on most items in the store during this event. Get yourself a deal on avalanche transceivers, outerwear, splitboard hardware and splitboard bindings, etc. You will need to get a professional base grind at the completion of your board project, so we are also offering grinds for half off to the folks who attend.
This event is FREE, so tell you friends and come hang out.
for more info contact Jordan Huotari
Castle Boardshop Portland
503.445.0844 shop
cboardshop@yahoo.com
Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) has partnered with the USFS to host a CLIF Bar Day of Action, and they want YOU to be a part of it!
Help by volunteering to place boundary markers and educational kiosks in Wilderness Areas. WWA and the Forest Service are utilizing this project as a template for establishing better winter management and a community stewardship ethic for wilderness areas throughout the country.
Join WWA for a day in the dirt on Saturday, October 1st.
WWA will be involved at three work sites:
1. Winegar Hole Wilderness - near Island Park Idaho:
At this work site you will dig holes and set boundary markers in the Winegar Hole Wilderness. The work site is just a few yards off the main road.
2. Jedediah Smith Wilderness - near Driggs, Idaho:
This work party will be hiking into the "Jed" Wilderness to dig holes and set boundary markers. It is a 2-hour hike into the work site and a 2-hour hike out.
3. Glory Peak - off Teton Pass: For the heartier folks; Volunteers will be placing a winter kiosk sign on Glory Peak. As a group, you will hike in a 20 x 24 inch sign and 2 lodge poles. Hikers will be carrying 5-7 pounds of concrete for footings. Volunteers should expect a 2-3 hour hike in.
Calling all freeheel skiers - WyEast Nordic just announced their summer Tele Camp schedule. This year marks the 27th annual Summer Tele-Ski Camp! This year there will be a documentary film night plus unique historic footage of previous tele camp participants and skiing styles. Here is what Shelley has to say...
Join us for high glacier skiing, spectacular scenery and professional instruction at the Summer Tele-Ski Camp. The 2011 Mt. Hood summer snowpack should be outstanding.
Whether you are an 'extreme skier' or new to the sport... we can help you improve your telemark skills. Our experienced teaching staff will give you the "tricks" and skills needed to ski new terrain and try new slopes!
Three full days of summer skiing high on the snowfields of Mt. Hood - two days of special instruction, plus our traditional "ski down" days offer a unique opportunity for you to practice, enhance and enjoy your tele skills.
Lodging and famous homestyle meals will be available at the Mazama Lodge on Mt. Hood just above Government Camp.
Our teaching staff includes internationally known mountaineers & professional ski instructors from throughout the Northwest. We provide beginning through advanced instruction, small classes and video analysis.
The crew at BackcountrySkiingCanada.com checked in to remind everyone that their backcountry skiing photo contest wraps up at the end of March. They are offering some excellent prizes for the winners. The competition involves submitting a photo or video as well as 100+ words telling the story behind the scene.
We recently connected with Shayne over at Freeheelgranola.com - a site dedicated to freeheel pursuits. He has some interesting posts and is running a contest to build up his Facebook numbers. "Like" the freeheelgranola facebook page and you get a chance to win a copy of this year's PowderWhore movie and a 1-year subscription to Off-Piste Mag!
While we are in the Facebook topic, click our "Like" button up on the left of the blog! It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy when we get more friends, and we don't have very many right now. We are hardly Facebook fanatics, but our "Like" numbers on the webpage are a low relative to our readership numbers. I suppose this is a good sign that you are out skiing more than you are facebooking - that makes us all warm and fuzzy too.
Finally, we recently talked to Eric over at a Radio-Coteau Winery in Sebastopol , CA, and he has a new wine called Pinhead Red, complete with a cool freeheeling skier on the label. We have not been able to sample any wine yet, but talking with Eric it sounds like a cool project. He is offering a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the wine to some great organizations including the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center and the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Support your avy center, drink some Pinhead Red!. Learn more about Pinhead Red Wine
There are a couple of great ski festivals this weekend including the 36th Annual North American Telemark Organization (NATO) Festival. Freeheel guru Dickie Hall puts on his annual telemark bash this weekend, March 12-13 at Mad River Glen in Vermont (read a great interview with Dickie Hall here). New School, old school, it's all cool at the 36th annual NATO festival - the Mother of all Telemark Festivals. The celebration includes extraordinary Mad River Glen skiing, wild-championship competitions, skill clinics, demo gear, the legendary Magic Hat Tele-Dance Party, surprises, prizes and loads of fun.
The Telelizard Classic is all about the costume and this year's theme is the Lizard of Oz. Proceeds from the day's events go to the Special Olympics. Oakshire Brewing from Eugene will be on hand to quench your thirst, and rumor has it that Northwest Freeheel Guru Jarl Berg will be in attendance as well.
NWAC SNOWBALL! Support the NW Weather and Avalanche Center
Join the Friends and the NWAC team for the
3rd annual Snowball Dinner and Auction on April 15, 2011, 6-10pm.
This spring's end-of-the-season celebration and fundraiser for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, will be at St. Demetrios Hall in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle. Tickets are $65 before March 15, and $70 after - buy yours soon, this event sold out last year! Join your friends and familiar faces at this evening of live and silent auctions, as well as a delicious dinner, all for a great cause!
The second and final Tele Tuesday of the 2011 season draws nigh! It takes place on Tuesday 2/8. Ten dollars gets you unlimited tele and/or alpine touring ski and boot demos courtesy of the Mountain Shop. $20 gets you in the freeheel freestyle competition held in the upper bowl. Demo and race fee proceeds benefit the Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC).
Come to the a-frame between the base lodge and the bottom of the lower chair,, show your faces, ski under the lights, listen to the music, hang out and hoist a pint of Terminal Gravity IPA to the Mountainshop and NWAC. Bring your own cup for two buck pints. The weather looks like it will clear Tuesday.
Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival Returns to Whitewater, February 25-28, 2011
Four Great Days of How-To Clinics, Equipment Demos, Parties, and Prizes
What’s Coldsmoke? Superlight, fluffy, powder puff snow that skiers passionately pursue each winter.
What’s the Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival?
A four day (February 25 – 28) grass-roots gathering of backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and telemarkers from all over British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest at Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson, BC.
Now in its fifth year, the Coldsmoke Powder Festival (presented by Arc’teryx, Whitewater Ski Resort, and Mountain Gear) draws dedicated, die hard and enthusiasts as well as neophyte backcountry skiers and snowboarders who want to give off-piste adventures a try. Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival Website
American Alpine Club Annual Dinner to be in Seattle.
Film actors convene every year for the Oscars. Musicians gather for the Grammys. For climbers and mountaineers, the nation’s best come together for an annual gala hosted by The American Alpine Club.
This year the AAC Annual Benefit Dinner is in Seattle, WA on February 26. The event features a unique conversation about the risks, sacrifices, joys and freedoms that come with deep commitment in the mountains. Leading the discussion are two of America’s greatest climbers from different generations, Dr. Tom Hornbein and Steve House.
After dinner, five climbing greats, ages spanning from 20 to almost 90, will receive awards: Fred Beckey, Bob Craig, Tom Frost, Hayden Kennedy, and Royal Robbins.
“On Commitment: A Conversation between Dr. Tom Hornbein and Steve House” is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. These climbing legends may never all come together again. And unlike the Oscars or Grammys, this annual meet-up has been running for more than a hundred years, since 1902.
The events on February 26, 2011 are open to the public. The evening features waterfront dining, cocktails and silent and live auctions in the International Promenade of the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle. Seat reservations are required. AAC members and non-members alike are invited to attend. New this year is a deeply discounted youth ticket for those 28 and younger.
VertFest 2011 is on the horizon, and it is bigger and better than ever!
This year's event includes two days of clinics, demos, films and of course the biggest rando rally in the Northwest!
It all begins on Saturday, February 12, at Alpental with Ski Photography clinics with Grant Gunderson and Jason Hummel. Sidecoutnry Adventure Skiing with pros and guides from Pro Guiding Service; other clinics will include Advance Beacon Skills and Snow Pack analysis.
Once the fun is over on the mountain, join the Backcountry Film Festival at the North Bend Theater in the evening. There will be awesome gear raffles, a chance to check out the latest product showcased by the sponsors and time to enjoy beer and food in the beer garden, not to mention some great backcountry films!
Sunday, February 13, is race day, so don’t drink too much on Saturday at the film fest!
While up in BC at Carlyle Lodge in the Kootenays, I met Andrew and Brad from BackcountryskiingCanada.com. Based in Nelson, BC, their site offers beta on ski touring in the Coast Range, Interior Mountains and the Rockies in Canada. They are running a photo competition this winter with some great prizes, including a cat ski trip to Retallack Lodge, BD skis and an avalanche course.
The contest requires a photo or video submission along with at least 100 words about the scene. Grab the full details from their website and good luck!
Oakshire Brewing in Eugene is sponsoring TeleFest at the Hoodoo ski area January 8-9, 2011.
The event begins on Saturday with registration at 8:30am. It is a day of skiing, costumes, dancing, big air competition, drinking great Oakshire beer and communing with others who enjoy sliding on snow! Stay once the lifts have closed for movies, an apres ski dance party sponsored by Oakshire and a fun night of camping in the lovely outdoors.
Free your heel at Mt Hood's Ski Bowl this winter January 11 and February 8! Actually, you can check out AT gear, too. The Mountain Shop of Portland has been promoting this event for ten years, and it is a great time to get a taste of all the new tele and AT minded skis and boots on the market. The Mountain Shop brings up their full demo fleet and reps from just about every player in the business are on hand to offer demos for the evening.
If that is not enough reason to go, consider the telemark lessons (from Wyeast Nordic), gear raffles and ski competitions that are happening. Not to mention that all proceeds go to support the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.
Prices are great too - Tele/AT Demos $10, Telemark Lessons $20, Ski Competitions $20. Get all the details at the Mountain Shop's website
OMC in Portland, Oregon is hosting its annual backcountry expo this weekend. It is a great opportunity to check out the latest equipment , chat with industry reps and find a great deal on used and rental gear.
Winter Wildland Alliance announces the sixth annual the Backcountry Film Festival. The festival premier is in Boise on November 4. Submissions come from world renowned filmmakers who travel every corner of the globe to submit their best backcountry work, and from grassroots filmmakers who take a video camera out on their weekend excursions and submit their best film short. The top films are then juried and assembled into a night of fun for all.
The Film Festival benefits Winter Wildlands Alliance’s efforts to preserve and conserve winter landscapes for quiet users. After its Boise premiere, the festival travels to more than 30 communities throughout the United States, all the way from Alaska to New Hampshire. Funds raised stay in local communities to support local human-powered recreation efforts.
Winners of the festival this year include:
Best of Festival: Teton Gravity Research’s “Deeper” follows legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones and other top riders as they forsake helicopters, snowmobiles and lifts to venture deep into untouched terrain under their own power.
Best Short Film: “Desert River” from Sweetgrass Productions, is a beautiful ski adventure into Alaska.
Best Environmental Film; “Whitebark Warrior” from TreeFight and Snaz Media, chronicles the decline of thousand-year old whitebark pines due to climate change and efforts underway to save these iconic high alpine trees.
Tele-Vision, the latest ski film from Powderwhore Productions is coming to Hood River on Friday, October 15 at Dog River Coffee. Tele-Vision is the Powderwhore’s sixth film and continues theirtradition of filming the world’s top telemark skiers skiing untracked lines. This year’s footage includes Utah’s Wasatch Range and the Revelation and Chugach Mountains in Alaska. Tele-Vision offers up classic Powderwhore humor, big lines and outrageous freeheel skiing. The Powderwhore crew logs plenty of uphill miles and delivers some serious face shots. Tele-Vision is sure to fuel the ski season stoke. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $10.
The Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit 2010 - Sunday November 7th.
The Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit (NSAS) is a professional development seminar for avalanche workers, and a continuing education opportunity for recreationalists. NSAS is intended for ski patrollers, forecasters, ski guides, search and rescue teams, as well as any number of other occupations that occur on and around snow. The content of NSAS is relevant to professionals and recreationalists alike.
I just got this note from Shelley Hakanson at WyEast Nordic. She just announced the summer tele camp schedule. Join us for the 27th anniversary of the Summer Tele-Ski Camp! This year there will be a documentary film night plus unique historic footage of previous tele camp participants and skiing styles. Here is what Shelley has to say...
Join us for high glacier skiing, spectacular scenery and professional instruction at the Summer Tele-Ski Camp.
Hello everyone! With this wonderful new extension of the winter season covering our high country, it's time to think about the 27th Annual Summer Tele-Ski Camp. Don't put away your skis yet- take a few more runs with some of the northwest's best tele instructors, see some old friends and ski on some incredible summer snow! Timberline has base of about 150" right now and with the good grooming up on Palmer, the snow should be quite good this year!
Please check out the website- www.wyeastnordic.com for more info. This year we will be welcoming back Karen Reader , Dave Waag and of course Mr. Larsen. Seattle's famous Shannon Marie and few surprise guests will be also on the list.
Itching to get your tele groove on? Pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate the telemark community with fellow enthusiasts at Stevens Pass!
The Sven:
Join in the 3rd Annual Sven's Telemark Classic Race! Pay tribute to a longtime Stevens Pass local who loved racing and diligently supported telemark skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Event consists of two runs and combines elements of Nordic and Cross Country Downhill in a wilderness setting; includes: downhill gates, Reipelykkje (360 degree banked turn), skate sections, whoops and a jump. Two cracks at the course for best combined time. Great fun for spectators and participants alike. BBQ following race!
Date: March 20, 2010 (Saturday)*
Location: Tye Bowl off Tye Mill Chair
Time: Race @ 10:30 am, w/pre-race meeting & group course inspection @ 10 am. (Registration 8:00-9:30 am @Pacific Crest Lodge)
The Glenn:
Strap on your tele skis and join in this 27th Annual Memorial Race! In the 80's, Glenn Willcutt first introduced telemark ski racing to Stevens Pass where it continues to thrive today. Event consists of a downhill race with two timed giant slalom runs. Award and prizes for best costume! Can you one-up two-time winner Capt'n BadAss/Wild Thing Monster to clinch the Golden Tele Trophy?
Date: March 21, 2010 (Sunday) *
Location: Showcase off Kehr’s Chair (old Big Chief lift)
Time: Race @ 10:30 am, w/pre-race meeting & group course inspection @ 10 am. (Registration 8:00-9:30 am @ Pacific Crest Lodge)
COSTUME DIVISION: Best Retro Costume!
Volunteers are needed for both days! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387). Earn lift tickets!
Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival - backcountry skiing around Whitewater
Nils Larsen is back from the Altai (more on his trip soon) and is busy helping to get the annual Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival rolling. Here is the latest on the ski event from Nils . . .
I know the Olympics might make the skiing in BC look pretty grim right now, but it's all about where you go. This season's warm weather in the northwest may be becausing lower elevation ski areas to suffer, but not Whitewater. The last time it rained at Whitewater was early...
The Friends of Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center have announced their spring fundraising event: Snowball 2010. This is a great time to catch up with the backcountry ski community and support the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. The event includes an auction that is packed with great ski-centric items. All proceeds benefit the avalanche center...
Second Annual Snowball Dinner & Auction - April 16, 2010, 6-10pm.
This spring's end-of-the-season celebration and fundraiser for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, will be at St. Demetrios Hall in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle. Join your friends and familiar faces at this evening of live and silent auctions, as well as a delicious dinner, all for a great cause!
Vertfest is the Northwest's mid-winter celebration of backcountry culture and a chance to test your stamina in a fun uphill /downhill ski race. The beer will be flowing after racers cross the finish line, so come join in the festivities and catch up with your friends even if you don’t tape on a bib number. There will also be a rescue companion clinicto build your snow-safety know-how. While there is only one Vertfest this year, mark your calendars! It’s going to be a good one!
Jim Thornton (USFS) and Roland Emetaz (NWAC) will be presenting an Avalanche Awareness Program on February 11 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Dog River Coffee Shop, 411 Oak Street in Hood River.
The avalanche awareness session will cover how terrain, snow cover, weather, and human factors all contribute to avalanche danger. Clues which indicate probabilities of avalanches, characteristics of relatively safe winter travel routes, and essential gear needed on winter outings are just some of the topics discussed. Information on what to do if caught in an avalanche will also be presented.
The program is free and open to the general public. For more information, please contact the Barlow Ranger District at 541-467-2291 or the Hood River Ranger District at 541-352-6002.
This weekend, January 9-10, is the seventh annual Tele-Fest at Hoodoo, Oregon. Jarl from Berg's Ski Shop organizes this event and it has proven to be one of the best attended Telemark festival on the west coast.
This year Jarl has even added a Rando-Fest subheading as a nod to the growing randonee market, but the heart and soul of the Hoodoo fest is freeheel skiing.
There are demos available from everyone in the industry as well as lessons and races all weekend. The best part is that the event entry is simply the price of a lift ticket at the Hoodoo ski area ($42).
Join in the festivities, demo some fine gear, and free your heel. Contact Jarl Berg at Berg's Ski Shop (541) 683-1300 or Cell (541) 968-8678, jarl at bergsskishop dot com.
Swift. Silent. Deep. premiers in Oregon on Saturday, December 19 at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River.
Swift. Silent. Deep. is a multi-dimensional look at skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the story of the Jackson Hole Air Force, a notorious group of hardcore ski bums who skirted authority as they explored the out-of-bounds terrain of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. It is not an epic line, deep powder film meant to fuel your inner stoke, but rather a documentary style...
Snow is a flyin' in the Northwest. You can get a taste of winter through the eyes of Sweetgrass Production's new flick Signatures in Hood River and Portland this week. Signatures is not your average ski porn.
Nick Waggoner, director of Sweetgrass Productions, spent last year in Hokkaido, Japan. Signatures captures his year in Hokkaido through the lives of local skiers, riders and artists. The film blends backcountry ski footage with the voices of local skiers and riders as the winter season unfolds in Hokkaido. In addition to local island talent, the film features footage of numerous other skiers including Hood River’s own Charlie Canon.
Hood RIver Show:
November 9 - Monday - Columbia Center for the ArtsDoors open at 7 p.m for the, show starts at 7:30 p.m. Double Mountain will be on tap. Tickets are $10 and available at Waucoma Books or at the door.
Portland Show:
November 11 - Wednesday - Kennedy School 8pm. tickets ar e$9
Avy center fund-raisers are getting underway around the west as everyone gets fired up for the upcoming season. Here is the scoop for the Bozeman, MT based crew from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
Powder Blast
The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center and Jeff King of Edward Jones are sponsoring the 11th annual Powder Blast on Friday, October 23rd.
Once again, it’ll be held at the Emerson Cultural Center from 6:30-10:30 p.m. A $30 admission gets you one of the valley’s best silent auctions with thousands of dollars of outdoor gear and other goodies. It also includes two drink coupons, a great meal from Bountiful Table, a raffle and music and videos by DJAJ. Tickets will certainly sell out, so get yours early. They go on sale Thursday, October 1 at Barrel Mountaineering, Northern Lights Trading Company, Team Bozeman and Timber Trails.
NSAS is a professional development seminar for avalanche workers and a continuing education opportunity for recreationalists. Presentations topics include wet snow characteristics, avalanche terrain exposure scale, and deep slab instabilities. The event is being held at the REI flagship store in Seattle. NSAS has sold old the past two years so sign up now! Details and registration
Just got a note from Stuart Craig up in Seattle about his annual Wingnut Telemark Free-For-All - WTF. Join the fun at Crystal Mountain on April 11.
Yes, the Wingnut Telemark Free-for-All – or, put a more inclusive way, the Wingnut Tool-Independent Free-for-All – is back, Saturday, April 11, at Crystal, for its 3rd year!
I certainly hope your season has been full of the wonder that only skiing can bring, and that you are unwilling – in mangled homage to Dylan Thomas – to go gently into that (not so) good summer! Which, of course, if what the WTF is all about!
We’ll gather in the main lodge at Crystal at 830 (that’s a.m. in the morning – as opposed to evening – in case you were wondering) on the 11th (and we’ll plan for lunch at Campbell Basin about 1130 in case you’d like a less early start). The program: to ski lots and hang with like-minded snow people! There are no “levels,” this is decidedly just for fun – a bunch of folks, on any kind of snow sliding gear, ripping around the hill. Yes, that’s right: this is a Tool-Independent event, so come on Alpine skis, Tele skis, snowboards, etc., but come and slide with us!
We’ve been very successful over the years and keeping a pretty large group of diverse characters together, no matter where we ski, and we’ll go for the same this year. We’re out for fun, nothing else!
At the end of the day, we’ll gather in the Bull Wheel for some, uh, Bull .... Wait: I mean some beverages!
So come play with us on the 11th! If you have any questions, drop me an email or give me a call.
Ski hard, play fair...Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
Friends of Flagstaff is holding a meeting tonight at REI in Salt Lake City about the potential for a chairlift on Flagstaff Mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon accross from the Alta Ski Resort. The impact of this on popular backcountry terrain would be huge.
Over the past several years Alta Ski Lifts (ASL) has been planning to expand north of SR-210 (LCC Highway).ASL, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and the Town of Alta are in the planning phases of examining alternative avalanche control methods on the slopes above the Town of Alta.The current method of shooting explosives over occupied structures is attempting to be minimized.Pressure from the federal government as well limited munitions seem to be motivating factors. However, ski area expansion is a likely incentive as well.
A mechanized lift on Flagstaff Mountain is being planned to aid snow safety personnel access to Emma Ridge to deliver hand charges and thereby turn Flagstaff Mountain and Emma Ridge into a pay-to-play ski area.This would aid controlling avalanches via “skier compaction”.
Time to show our appreciation for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC). The inaugural Snowball Dinner and Auction to support NWAC is less than two weeks away...Friday, April 10! Please join us at the Ballard Elks Club on Shilshole Bay in Seattle and show your support for a service we all rely on to plan trips and stay safe in the mountains.
NWAC's budget is extremely threatened next year with a projected shortfall of over $100,000 right now. Your support is more important than ever. And besides, what better way to spend a Fri evening than sharing stories with 200+ other skiers and riders, enjoying dinner and drinks with friends, and going home with a selection of over 100 great auction items.
Tables are filling up...we have less than 50 tickets left, so buy yours before it's too late. We have to plan dinners, so we won't be selling tickets at the door!
Come pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate with fellow supporters of the telemark community at Stevens Pass, WA!
The Sven:
Pay tribute to a longtime Stevens Pass local who loved racing and diligently supported telemark skiing in the Pacific Northwest.BBQ following race!
Volunteers are needed! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387).
Date: March 13, 2009 (Friday)
Location:Tye Bowl off Tye Mill Chair
Time:Race @ 10 am (Registration 8:00-9:30 am at Granite Peaks Lodge)
The Glenn:
26th annual memorial race.Event consists of a downhill race with two timed giant slalom runs.
Volunteers are needed! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387).
Date: March 15, 2009 (Sunday)
Location:Blue Trail run off Hogsback Chair
Time:Race @ 10 am (Registration 8:00-9:30 am at Granite Peaks Lodge) COSTUME DIVISION:Best Retro Costume!
Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle
What comes down must first go up! Watch as teams of two competitors scramble upslope before heading back down.There will be checkpoints laid out throughout the mountain, designated lifts, runs and hikes that you must complete to finish the course.All competitors will be tracked in real time by Flaik GPS. The hike will be boot pack, telemarkers, alpiners & snowboarders are welcome and this is not a randonee.
Date: March 14, 2009 (Saturday)Time: Athletes can register online or at the event. Each event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with registration opening at 8am. 10 am (Arrive early for check-in, GPS instruction, etc.)
For those wanting to be within stumbling distance of the festivities, RV camping is available at the ski area.Options for electrical hookups ($30/night) in the main lot or no charge for the overflow lot (no hook-ups).Looking forward to seeing you out at Stevens next weekend!
Nils Larsen and I will be in Portland, OR tonight showing Nils' movie about the timeless skiers of the Altai. The show is at Solstice Outdoor in North Portland (map) and is being organized by the Snowrider PDX foundation
Show starts at 7pm. Come on down for a fun evening exploring the history of skiing in Central Asia.
What: Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and juniors under 16. The film will start at 7pm, is 46 minutes long and will be followed by a Q&A session with Nils.
Why: To learn about the origins of skiing in the Altai Mountains of western China and to raise funds for the Portland chapter of the Surfrider Foundation’s Snowrider Project.
There is so much going on this time of year on the ski festival front that it can be hard to decide where to focus your time. Here's a new one to add to the "to do list", the Big LePowski.
The event is a a weekend of clinics, films, and parties based out of Big Cottonwood Canyon's Brighton Ski Resort.
Folks like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Chris Davenport, and Andrew McLean will be on hand to offer tips on throwing 360's and accessing steep lines.
In addition, the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival rolls Thursday evening, and money raised from the weekend's events will go towards the Billy Poole Fund, established in the memory of freeskier Billy Poole who died while skiing in the Wasatch last year. Full details
I just got a short note worthy of passing on for Portland area skiers. Snowrider PDX project is participating in the Madrone Wall preservation benefit in Portland on Thursday Feb 5.
The piece of interest to backcountry skiers is that Tom Spangler (Meadows GM) will be there to speak in a Q&A format about
the ski area's howitzer use and how it is impacting access. This is a perfect opportunity to speak directly with the descision makers at Meadows about their new no uphill traffic access policies.
Also in the Gorge, the Telluride Mountain Film Festival returns to Hood River on Sunday, February 1 at Andrews Skylight Theater. The film festival is a fundraiser for the Mosier Community School. Tickets are available in advance at Waucoma books or at the door. Shows are 3pm 5:30pm, and 8pm.
If you are a little further south, check out the Bear Valley Tele Festival Feb 6-8. These guys put on a great show. It has been a few years since I have been to the event, but it is one of the bigger tele events in the west. Loads of clinics and demos come together into one big party on Saturday night.
If Montana is more your style, the Whitefish Winter Carnival is celebrationg its 50th year Feb 6-8. It is sure to be a big event and a good family event. The website offers the following tale
Once upon a time, there lived a god named Ullr who reigned over winter activities in the Nordic regions. Aiding him were his Prime Minister and Queen, who were skilled in creating the beauties of winter. full legend
Don't forget Kootenay Cold Smoke at Whiewater, BC Feb 20-23. Quality, clinics, killer terrain, and legendary evening fun make Coldsmoke a great event. The event is great excuse to pack the rig and head for Nelson, BC. The combination of personalities, snow, and terrain is hard to beat. Get on board!
Finally, if you are in the East check out the Magic Mountain Rando Race Series in southern Vermont Feb 16 and March 14. Races include several divisions and are open just about any touring gear you might have. There will be backcountry related clinics and demos following the races.
This is just a reminder to pack yourself up after dinner this Friday, Dec. 12 and come on down to the Cashmere Riverside Center for some dessert, conversation, and entertaining films about snow.
Where: CASHMERE RIVERSIDE CENTER
When: Friday, December 12, 2008
Time: ...
Ah, the snow is beginning to arrive around the country. Even the East saw a good storm in late October. As the weather gods bring us the goods, there are a wide variety of events happening this weekend to help fuel the ski season fire.
Beginning with a local event, Sweetgrass Productions is showing their film Hand Cut here in Hood River on Thursday Nov. 6 at Dog River Coffee at 7pm and they are in PDX tonight at the Kennedy School - Full tour details are here. The film is great and is worth checking out if you are can manage a night out after the big election last night. We've got the trailer on the blog here if you peruse the movie category.
Finally, looking toward mid-winter is the Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival up in Nelson BC February 20-23, 2009. This event is worth planning ahead to attend. It is in its third season and every year has been great so far. There are numerous press releases associated with the event and you can find them here or visit www.coldsmokepowderfest.com.
Here is a plug for some local evening fun. The Elliot Glacier Public House in Parkdale, OR (base of Mt Hood) is hosting a weekly Ski Film night starting this Friday , Oct . 24 @ 7:30pm
The series will last four weeks and starts with retro '70's films and gets a step closer to modern times with each week. In addition, local skier, Paul Klein will present pieces of his South American Ski Guide. Check it out. Click the poster for a bigger version.
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The clouds lifted yesterday to reveal a solid layer of snow on the mountains in the Northwest. Local photographer, Darryl Lloyd, took this shot of Mt Adams from downtown Hood River.
This week brings the Powder Whore crew and their latest movie, the Pact to the Northwest. They will be in Bend on the 8th, Eugene on the 9th, Portland on the 10th, and Hood River on the 11th. From Oregon, they head to Washinton, Montana, California, and Colorado. The full tour...
There are several events comming up in March this year. First there are a couple of interest to Mt Hood area tele skiers.
March 4th - Tele Tuesday at Mt Hood Ski Bowl - www.mountainshop.net
March 15th - Mt Hood Meadows Classic Tele Race. Full details here
March 15th - Black Diamond Powder Keg - Full Details here
Telepalooza is gearing up to be a big event this year. The event is hosted by Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaksa March 28-30. This three day celebration brings together friends, families and members of the telemark community for a weekend of telemark
clinics, races, demonstrations, live music and lots of fun
Grand prize for the raffle this year: a trip to Valkyr Adventures Lodge in B.C.! www.valkyradventures.com . Second prize: a backcountry heli drop for two from...
Last year, Arcteryx, Mountain Gear, and Whitewater Ski Resort hosted an event called the Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival. The event is back for round two this winter; the 2nd annual Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival will be February 22-25, 2008 in Nelson, BC and Whitewater Ski Resort.
The Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Fest is a gathering of backcountry skiers in celebration of backsountry ski culture. Last year the festival attracted a wide variety of skiers and was truely a blast. Clinics...
Following two weeks of sunny fall weather, winter is trying to make a comeback here in the Northwest. Hood is till thin on snow but the forecast looks good for more. Word is that Whistler is sporting 40+ inches and may be spinning the lifts sooner than expected. Mt Baker was not as fortunate on the last storm cycle but their base is growing and the forecast looks promising there too.
It is ski swap season and if you are in Portland, Oregon, the Portland chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club is hosting its annual gear swap on December 4th. Details are here
The first annual Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit is November 17th in Seattle. The event will be followed up by Snowbash, the annual fundraiser party for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC). Snowbash is an evening of music (Tallboys!) and dancing to benefit the NW Weather and Avalanche Center. There will be a live auction, raffle and silent auction with all of the proceeds benefiting the Friends of the NW Weather and Avalanche Center. Tickets are $20 in advance via Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com) or $25 at the door.
The Mountain Shop in Portland, OR is organizing Mt Hood's first ever ski mountaineering race, the Ram's Head Rando Festival and Race on Sunday April 21 (this weekend!).
You've got one more week (ends 2/28) to enter Backcountry Skiing Canada's Expose Yourself Photo Comp and win yourself a week-long hut trip to Carlyle Lodge or the Kokanee Glacier Hut, not to mention a sweet collection of gear prizes from G3 and Westcomb. 
NORTHWEST
Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit
As backcountry skiers, we rely heavily on our local avalanche centers for detailed weather and avalanche forecast information. The Friends of the 
Enjoy an inspiring evening of free riding in the rugged Cascades and majestic Tetons with Crest Pictures and KGB Productions. The two filmmakers have teamed up to share center stage for a fun-filled evening in Seattle on Feb 3.
Backcountry Skiing Canada is hosting its second annual Expose Yourself Photo and Video competition. Submit backcountry photos and videos, along with a good backcountry story, and enter the comp for gi-normous prizes from the likes of Mt Carlyle Lodge, G3, Westcomb and the Alpine Club of Canada.
Calling all freeheel skiers - 
The crew at BackcountrySkiingCanada.com checked in to remind everyone that their 
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Oakshire Brewing in Eugene is sponsoring TeleFest at 
Come pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate with fellow supporters of the telemark community at 
There is so much going on this time of year on the ski festival front that it can be hard to decide where to focus your time. Here's a new one to add to the "to do list", .jpg)
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The event will be followed up by 
