Latest
Outdoor Research Face Mask
Outdoor Research Face Mask Review Welcome to the new norm – face mask required. There's no need to debate or explain. The bottom line is that face mask wearing is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. Lots of great outdoor brands have jumped on face mask production, we thought we'd see what a nice commercially made face mask feels like. I've managed with a combination of homemade cloth masks and a mask I picked up in Vietnam a few years back. But as we are all learning there are some drawbacks to simple cloth models. Not to mention it's important to have more than one mask in your quiver. Enter the Outdoor Research Essential Face Mask. So what's it like to upgrade…
Gear
Adventure Ride Essentials – Gravel Tires
Adventure Bike Gravel Tires Reviewed So many choices, so little time. Choosing the best gravel tire is a bit like choosing the right shoes for the day. It’s all about the terrain and surfaces that are on the agenda. And when adventure riding is on the table, maximum volume/width is key. Tread is important too. But volume is directly related to overall… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials – Camelbak Chase Review
Camelbak Chase Bike Vest Review One of the big limiting factors when setting out on an extended adventure ride is water carrying capacity. It takes a lot of water to stay hydrated on a 100+ mile ride. The obvious solution is a hydration pack. But when traveling light is your goal, most hydration packs are overkill. The Camelbak Chase bike… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials – Club Ride Mountain Surf Shorts
Club Ride Mountain Surf Shorts – Adventure Ride Ready I don’t need to remind anyone that ski season came to an abrupt end in late March this year. The upside has been an early start to the adventure pedaling season here in the Pacific Northwest. With mountain bike access limited, the gravel bike has taken center stage. In other words,… Read More
G3 Minimist Climbing Skins
G3 Minimist Climbing Skins I’m a minimalist by nature. Less is more has proven to be a solid motto for most things backcountry skiing. Well, maybe not when it comes to the width of my skis, but today’s wide skis help fuel the less is more mantra, because if you’re gonna slide around on 110-130mm underfoot, you better lighten your… Read More
DPS PHANTOM
DPS Phantom I’ve always enjoyed the ritual of waxing of skis. In the fall, it marks the approaching ski season. During the season, it harkens the call of a powder day or the anticipation of an extended trip deserving of fresh glide. Ski waxing can be a social event or a good reason to dissappear into your workshop. So when… Read More
Ogso Skis – The Schwarztor – A Quiver of One
The Ogso Schwarztor – A Quiver of One – 135-104-120 Choosing one pair of skis to do it all in the backcountry is a big ask. There’s no shortage of good skis. It’s finding the one ski that blends playful powder skiing with confident control while keeping it light underfoot that’s the hard part. I typically spend my winter on… Read More
Features
Outdoor Research Face Mask
Outdoor Research Face Mask Review Welcome to the new norm – face mask required. There’s no need to debate or explain. The bottom line is that face mask wearing is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. Lots of great outdoor brands have jumped on face mask production, we thought we’d see what a nice commercially made face… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials – Gravel Tires
Adventure Bike Gravel Tires Reviewed So many choices, so little time. Choosing the best gravel tire is a bit like choosing the right shoes for the day. It’s all about the terrain and surfaces that are on the agenda. And when adventure riding is on the table, maximum volume/width is key. Tread is important too. But volume is directly related to overall… Read More
Wacaco Nanopresso – Portable Espresso Maker
Wacaco Nanopresso – Portable Espresso Maker Strong coffee and adventure go hand in hand. When traveling and backcountry trips require packing your own coffee making supplies, you can go as basic as a cone filter or upgrade to the popular Aeropress. Both methods offer a solid approach to brewing a stout cup of coffee with its own merits. For those who… Read More
DPS Lotus 124 2.0
DPS Lotus 124 2.0 – Alchemist Edition For the most part, backcountry ski waist widths have settled into the 100-115mm zone the last couple of seasons. You can confidently grab a pair of skis with a waist in the low hundreds for just about any day of touring. Between rocker, sidecut and lightweight core materials, these skis are agile, light,… Read More
Avalanche Safety
Backcountry Access BC Link FRS Radio Review
Backcountry Access BC Link FRS Radio Review Good communication in the backcountry means many things. But on the most basic level, communication is about actually being able to talk to each other. Two-way radios are a great tool to facilitate communication when the terrain splits the group. Whether it’s simply to make sure you get a photo set up just… Read More
Avalanche Safety – Communication in the Backcountry
Avalanche Safety – Communication in the Backcountry The freezing levels in the Northwest have been on their typical fall rollercoaster ride and, with the ride, the snow has come and gone and come again. Early season skiing has its attraction, but I like to remind myself that there is no rush. That said, plenty of skiers have seized the moment… Read More
Movies
TGR – Make Believe Ski Film Trailer
TGR – Make Believe It’s pushing 100-degrees Fahrenheit outside. It’s a great day to cool down with thoughts of the upcoming winter. TGR offers up Make Believe. For 25 years TGR has focused on turning ‘Make Believe’ into reality, from exploring powder stashes in our backyard playground to first descents on unnamed peaks, the ethos of “live the dream” has defined… Read More
HuckYeah Ski Movie Trailer
HuckYeah A little dose of winter for a hot summer day Matchstick Productions latest ski film trailer HuckYeah!
The Vault
The Art of the Uptrack
The Art of the Uptrack 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 with my two most regular ski partners. Our… Read More
Dream Job – Avalanche Forecaster
Dream Job – Avalanche Forecaster An Interview with ChugachNational Forest Avalanche Center Forecaster Wendy Wagner by David Waag We all appreciate the value of our regional avalanche forecast centers and, let’s be honest, who hasn’t dreamed of working as an avalanche professional. It’s all face shots, field observations and free gear right? Well, it turns out there’s a lot more… Read More
