Latest
Gregory Targhee FT 35 Ski Pack
Made for Big Days Traditional backcountry ski packs get less attention in this age of avalanche airbag packs. Airbags certainly have their place, but so do regular ski packs. For example, the Gregory Targhee FT 35. It's a ski pack that's ready for big loads, overnight trips and technical objectives. Targhee Pack Design The Targhee FT 35 is a traditional top loader with a large opening and extendable volume to meet the demands of gear intensive missions. FT stands for FastTrack, which is a ski carry system that lets you strap on your skis without removing the pack (more on this below). One thing that sets the Targhee FT apart from other packs in its class is a lightweight (and removable) internal frame. Given the pack's…
Gear
Patagonia SnowDrifter 30L Ski Pack Review
The Best Backpacks Keep it Simple Backpack design is a funny thing. Designers are always looking for new ways to reinvent the wheel. When, in my opinion, the hallmark of a great backpack is simplicity. The newest Patagonia SnowDrifter 30L ski pack nails it with a clean, user-friendly and ski-ready design. It also happens to be made with 100% recycled… Read More
DPS Pagoda Tour 112 Review
Light, Playful Powder Touring Machine – The Pagoda Tour 112 RP In the words of DPS, “The best untracked snow is worth walking for.” And that’s the motivation behind the new DPS Pagoda Tour skis, including the Pagoda Tour 112 RP. Following in the playful powder tracks of their lightweight Tour 1 skis, the design wizards at DPS bring us… Read More
Scarpa Maestrale Review – Versatile and Utilitarian
The 2022 Scarpa Maestrale AT Ski Boots Renowned for balancing uphill walkability and downhill ski performance, the Scarpa Maestrale ski boot is like the Toyota Tacoma of ski boots. It’s versatile, utilitarian and appeals to a wide range of skiers. You can find bigger, burlier boots. In fact, too many people overlook the Maestrale in favor of the stiffer Maestrale… Read More
BCA Hybrid Climbing Skins
Easy On, Easy Off — Hybrid Climbing Skins Most of us have struggled at one time or another while attempting to pull apart climbing skins stuck glue-to-glue. Sure, they eventually pull apart. But it’s no fun to struggle with them. That’s where the BCA Hybrid Climbing Skins come into the picture. The word hybrid in the name has double meaning…. Read More
La Sportiva Vanguard Ski Boots Review – Uphill Efficiency and Downhill Power
Lightweight and Powerful with a Wide-Ranging Walk Mode Alpine touring ski boots need to balance weight, power and durability with walkability, flex and comfort. Generally speaking, the more powerful the ski boot, the less walk-friendly and heavier the design. The new La Sportiva Vanguard ski boots break that trend by being lighter and more powerful than similar boots while setting a… Read More
Big Sky Mountain Products Climbing Skins – Made is USA
Essential Backcountry Equipment — Climbing Skins Climbing skins don’t get nearly as much attention as skis, boots and bindings when building out a backcountry ski kit. Nonetheless, skins are essential equipment for backcountry skiing and deserve some real consideration. The big questions when looking for skins are: What’s the best plush — nylon, mohair or a blend? What’s the glue reputation?… Read More
Features
Lightweight Merino Baselayers
Artilect Boulder – Next Generation Merino Baselayers Your layering system is only as effective as its foundation. So, it pays to wear a good baselayer. Breathable, sweat-wicking and quick-drying baselayers are the key to staying warm, dry and comfortable when backcountry skiing. I’ve tried countless baselayer materials over the years — synthetics, merino, blends. Synthetics breathe and wick well, but… Read More
DPS Pagoda Tour 112 Review
Light, Playful Powder Touring Machine – The Pagoda Tour 112 RP In the words of DPS, “The best untracked snow is worth walking for.” And that’s the motivation behind the new DPS Pagoda Tour skis, including the Pagoda Tour 112 RP. Following in the playful powder tracks of their lightweight Tour 1 skis, the design wizards at DPS bring us… Read More
Best Ski Goggles For The Backcountry
What are the Best Ski Goggles? What makes one ski goggle better than another? It’s a combination of factors including lens shape, optical quality, venting, tint, fit — the list goes on. How do you decide which goggles are best for you? Without getting too bogged down in the tech, we recommend narrowing down the lens shape that suits your budget… Read More
Climbing Skin Reglue Service – Big Sky Mountain Products
Time for a Skin Reglue? Is your climbing skin glue a gooey mess? Do your skins leave sticky residue on your ski bases? Does your skin glue lose its effectiveness as the day goes on? Failing skin glue will put an early end to an otherwise great ski day. Whether your skins have seen too many uptracks, you’ve abused them… Read More
Avalanche Safety
Terrain Tips
Using Terrain to Your Advantage – Seven Terrain Tricks Safe backcountry skiing starts with a big picture perspective (plus reading and understanding the local avalanche conditions report). Experienced skiers often reference terrain as trumping hazard. In fact, “The snowpack is the problem, and the terrain is the solution,” is an old ski guide’s adage that informs a lot of backcountry decision-making…. Read More
BCA Dozer 2H Avalanche Shovel – We Dig It
Avalanche Rescue and Snow Pits – The BCA Dozer 2H Shovel Does It All Avalanche shovels are the kind of gear we hope to never really use for their intended purpose of recovering a buried ski partner. But the shovels we all carry have many other uses, primary being to dig snow pits in search of weak layers and to… Read More
Backcountry Radio Channels – Group-to-Group Communication
Designated Radio Channels for Popular Backcountry Zones It’s commonly understood that avalanche safety often hinges on human driven factors. Ideas like familiarity with terrain, the expert halo and group communication (or lack thereof) rise to the top of the list as contributors to avalanche accidents. Broadly speaking, group communication is at the root of many mistakes. Communication alone will not… Read More
Common Snowpack Stability Tests
Know Your Snowpack Stability Tests With the growing complexity of snowpacks around the country, it’s a great time to brush up on your snowpack knowledge, specifically common snowpack stability tests. The following video presentation of snowpack stability tests by Bruce Jamieson and Mike Conlan from the Applied Snow and Avalanche Research Center at the University of Calgary in Alberta offers a lot of… Read More
Movies
Snowflake Science – The Snowflake Mystery Video
Dr Ken Libbrecht is the world’s expert on snowflakes. From stunning snowflake images to the movie Frozen – his photos and knowledge of snowflakes have appeared around the world. Learn more about the man behing the snowflake books and the science behind snowflakes in this video – The Snowflake Mystery See more ski movies
Tales from Cascadia – Ski Film Trailer
Six Tales That Define The Cascadia State of Mind Cascadia is a bioregion defined by its unique natural characteristics, its people and its diversity. From the shores of the Pacific coast, to the lush rainforests, to the volcanic mountain peaks, there are tales that define this harmony. Blank Collective films embeds themselves in Cascadia in pursuit of these winter tales.
TGR Ski Movie Trailer – Stoke The Fire
Ski movie trailers are dropping like snowflakes. Get your winter stoke fix with the the latest ski movie trailer from TGR: Stoke The Fire Stoke The Fire – Behind The Scenes
The Alpinist – Movie Trailer
The Alpinist – Feature Film Movie Trailer As the sport of climbing turns from a niche pursuit to mainstream media event, Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. On remote alpine faces, the free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. Yet, he draws scant attention. With no cameras, no rope, and no margin for error,… Read More
The Vault
The Art of the Uptrack
The Art of the Uptrack – How to Make an Efficient Skin Track Larry Goldie – Owner, Lead Guide at North Cascade Mountain Guides First, there was the epiphany. It was a deep day, sixteen inches of new and still snowing. The hookup began as many do, spontaneously meeting at the trailhead with the same objective in mind. I was… Read More
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Newbie
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Newbie We’ve all been there. New gear or new to the sport, the Newbie is both endearing and embarassing. The Newbie You needn’t search far afield for the Newbie. This species is ubiquitous around North America and commonly sighted at sidecountry locations and roadside attractions made popular by their easy access and moderate terrain. A Newbie… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials
Portable Solar Panel – GoSun SolarPanel 10
GoSun 10 Watt Portable Solar Panel Phone, GPS unit, satelite communicator, camera gear, headlamp, the list goes on. Carrying electronics in the backcountry is the norm these days. Keeping them charged over the course of a multi-day backcountry trip, however, is a project of its own. Portable batteries are an obvious solution and are great for a single device for… Read More
Showers Pass Cloudburst Rain Jacket
Cloudburst Rain Jacket We’ve all heard the phrase; “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” And of all the ways to endure bad weather, few avtivities highlight bad clothing as quickly as cycling in the rain. Riding a bike with any real effort puts waterproof, breathable claims to a serious test. It’s one thing to throw on… Read More
7Mesh Horizon Cycling Jersey – Low-Key Look, Refined Feel
The boom in gravel riding and adventure cycling has brought with it a fresh take on cycling clothing — jerseys and shorts that offer all the performance of technical cycling kit with a clean, simple take on the look and feel. You no longer have to settle for the race team or over-stylized cycling jersey that has dominated riding apparel… Read More
Tubeless Tire Tips
Go Tubeless or Go Home If you aren’t using tubeless tires on your adventure gravel bike, you should be. Imagine bombing down gravel descents and across rough ground without concern for flats. Going tubeless is the key to reducing tire issues on adventurous rides. Tubeless lets you run lower tire pressure without fear of pinch flats and essentially eliminates routine… Read More
