Latest
Ride. Clean. Repeat. A Pressure Washer for Bikes
Keeping your bike running smoothly is all about routine maintenance. Regular cleaning, lubing and fine-tuning are what keep the miles rolling easy. As the wet season begins here in the Pacific Northwest, regular cleaning is more important than ever to keep your bike running well. As the old saying goes for horses, "rode hard and put away wet" is no way to treat your bike. Whether you ride road, gravel or mountain bikes, cleaning your bike post-ride (and lubing the drivetrain) is key to getting out the door quickly the next time you want to ride. Muc-Off is on a mission to promote clean, well-maintained bikes. It offers a host of cleaning and lubricant products formulated specifically for bikes, including a pressure washer for bikes.…
Gear
Arcteryx Alpha SV – Alpine Minimalism at its Best
The Arc’teryx Alpha SV in a Word — Refined Prior to 1998, Arc’teryx was a niche Canadian brand making climbing harnesses and backpacks. When they stepped into the outerwear world 25 years ago, they did so with an all-or-nothing attitude. As a company founded and run by dedicated climbers and skiers, Arc’teryx set out to build a jacket that could… Read More
The 2024 Scarpa Maestrale AT Ski Boot
We’ve skied just about every generation of the Scarpa Maestrale Ski Boots — and its predecessor, the Spirit Three. In 2023, we likened the Maestrale to the Toyota Tacoma of alpine touring ski boots — a utilitarian backcountry ski boot that gets more capable with every generation. The new 2024 Maestrale turns up the performance with a lighter, stiffer, and… Read More
Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid Ski Shell
A Backcountry Ski Jacket for the Ascent and Descent I’m a longtime advocate of ditching a full-on waterproof, breathable hardshell ski jacket in favor of a more breathable softshell ski jacket. Nonetheless, I always keep a waterproof shell in my pack for windy ridge tops and stormy weather. The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid Ski Sell walks the line between… Read More
Ski Goggle Case – Tailgate Industries Niner Goggle Case
Pack-Friendly Ski Goggle Case Goggles are essential gear for most backcountry ski tours, but packing them is not so simple. Big hard cases are just that, big and bulky. And a simple goggle bag offers limited protection when goggle are in your backpack. Our favorite low-profile ski goggle case for ski touring use is the Niner from Tailgate Industries in Bend,… Read More
Features
Route Planning 101 — How to Create Adventure Bike Routes
Bikepacking Route Craft 101 “All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” — JR Tolkien. Gandolf’s words to Frodo as the Hobbit departs in search of Aragorn are equally sage advice for those looking to learn the art of creating bikepacking and adventure gravel routes. Route craft is equal parts map reading skills, curiosity… Read More
Summer Gear Storage – How to Store Climbing Skins, Skis, Beacon
How to Store Climbing Skins, Skis and Avalanche Beacon for the Summer As the main ski season comes to a close, it’s worth giving some thought to storing your climbing skins and ski gear for the summer. A few easy steps will make sure your backcountry equipment is ready to roll and easy to find when the snow flies in… Read More
The Future of Waterproof, Breathable Outerwear is PFC-Free
PFC-Free GORE-TEX GORE-TEX has been setting the standard for waterproof, breathable outerwear for more than 30 years. Now, they’re shaping the future of waterproof, breathable outerwear, and it’s PFC-free. The GORE-TEX fabrics we all know feature a combination of materials laminated to a thin membrane called ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) — read more about the different types of GORE-TEX. PTFE is… Read More
Arcteryx Alpha SV – Alpine Minimalism at its Best
The Arc’teryx Alpha SV in a Word — Refined Prior to 1998, Arc’teryx was a niche Canadian brand making climbing harnesses and backpacks. When they stepped into the outerwear world 25 years ago, they did so with an all-or-nothing attitude. As a company founded and run by dedicated climbers and skiers, Arc’teryx set out to build a jacket that could… Read More
Adventure Ride Essentials
Tifosi Rail XC — Affordable Cycling Sunglasses
Performance sunglasses can easily cost more than $200. And I’ll admit to being a bit of a sunglasses snob who likes quality optics. But do you really need to spend that kind of money to get great cycling and skiing sunglasses? Thanks to Tifosi Optics, the answer is no; you don’t need to spend $200. You don’t even need to… Read More
Mountain Bike Waist Pack Reviews
For those old enough to remember the 90s, it’s hard to believe that fanny packs have returned. Sure, they’re called hip or waist packs now, and they’ve evolved on the features front. Nonetheless, I’ve been slow to embrace the waist pack trend until recently. Turns out they’re pretty functional for mountain biking and adventure rides. Hydration Waist Packs for Mountain Biking… Read More
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Ultralight, Packable Rain Jacket
Outdoor Research Helium Jacket – Ultralight, Packable Rain Jacket Mountain weather can be fickle. Sun in the morning. Rain in the afternoon. Sure, you can head out the door without a rain shell, but when you can pack one that fits in the palm of your hand, why not take it? The Outdoor Research Helium Ultralight Rain Jacket sets a… Read More
Showers Pass Apex Mountain Bike Pants
Extend Your Riding Season with the Showers Pass Apex Mountain Bike Pants You might recognize Showers Pass as the brand that makes bomber rain gear for cycling, born and proven in the damp climate of Portland, Oregon. Turns out their bike-know-how extends beyond rain gear. Last spring, I tested the Showers Pass Apex Mountain Bike Shorts and loved them. Their… Read More
Bikepacking Gear Reveiws – Salsa Handlebar bag
Ready. Set. Pack. Salsa EXP Handlebar Bag Review Choosing the best bikepacking gear is a lesson in weight, space, function and durability. Salsa Cycles strikes a nice balance in their bikepacking handlebar bag – the Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle Handlebar Kit. The three-part set-up includes the EXP Anything Cradle, the EXP Dry Bag and an Anything Cradle Accessory Pouch. The… Read More
Bikepacking Gear Reveiws – Ortlieb Handlebar Bag
Waterproof. Durable. Secure. Ortlieb Handlebar Bag Review Well known for their bike panniers, Ortlieb has been making bomber-grade, waterproof bike packs since 1982. So, it’s no surprise that the Ortlieb bikepacking handlebar bag serves up secure, waterproof storage in a durable and easy-to-use design. Clean and simple describe the bag well. But it’s far from basic. It’s a minimalist dream… Read More
Industry News
Backcountry Film Festival – Online Stream
Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival Presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Backcountry Film Festival captures a range of backcountry adventure, culture and advocacy. You can stream the full two-hour show right at home! Check out the film festival trailer below. Just kick down $20 to support the Winter Wildlands mission, and you can watch the full selection of films… Read More
Avalanche Safety
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
Avalanche Rescue Shovel Technique
Can You Dig It – Avalanche Shoveling Technique 101 Avalanche rescue has several stages. The longest and most strenuous aspect of most rescues is the shoveling phase. Proficient shoveling saves vaulable minutes. From where you start digging relative to your probe strike to effectively moving snow, there are several shoveling techniques that help make for fast, efficient recovery of… Read More
Avalanche Canada Webinar – Recognizing Avalanche Terrain
Recognizing Avalanche Terrain Avalanche Canada has a webinar series this season covering a variety of avalanche safety topics. Recognizing Avalanche Terrain and Trip Preparedness provides a good introduction to or refresher on avalance hazards. It includes info specific to Avalanche Canada’s website, but more it’s a solid overview for anyone looking to broaden their backcountry knowledge.
Avalanche Rescue Probe Technique
Avalanche Rescue Probe Technique Aside from trying to understand the hazard and avoiding avalanches, most backcountry skiers focus their snow safety efforts on efficient transceiver use. Proficency with your beacon is definitely important. However given a burial, shoveling and probing can easily be the most time consuming piece of an avalanche rescue. Backcountry Access (BCA) offers a number of educational… Read More
Movies
Old School Powder Skiing
Long Skis. Deep Snow Old school powder skiing circa 1992 from Red Mountain British Columbia . . . courtesy of the WorldWidetimeWaster. Oh, to have been in Rossland in the 90s. Houses for $30k and plenty of powder skiing. Look at those skis; these guys and gals were ripping it up!
2023 Ski Movie Trailers
It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the ski movie trailers are dropping like leaves. That’s right, it’s officially ski movie trailer season. Here’s a collection of our favorites ski movie trailers for 2023 . . . Land of Giants Ski Movie Legend Has It Ski Movie Fortune Hunters Ski Movie… Read More
Mountain Bike Movie Trailers 2022
Mountain Bike Movie Trailers 2022 Get out that chain lube. Tune up those deraileurs. Air up those tires. Grab your helmet and get on your bike . . . As summer heats up, it’s full speed ahead for bike season. Here are a couple mountain bike movie trailers to motivate ya to grab that bike. Biketown: A Story of Mountain… Read More
Snowflake Science – The Snowflake Mystery Video
The Science of Snowflakes 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
The Vault
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Bro Brah
Backcountry Skier Personalities We all know a Bro or two. A classic ski bum stereotype, the Bro Brah is found all over the world. Stay tuned for the still to come Rando Racer and Newbie profiles. The Bro Brah Few skiers are as easy to identify as the quintessential Bro Brah. The Bro Brah is part ski bum and part… Read More
Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Luddite
Backcountry Skier Personalities No backcountry skier profile would be complete without a look at the Luddite. Sometimes grumpy and always enthusiastic, the Luddite is like a snapshot in time from ski gear history. Stay tuned for the still to come Bro Brah, Rando Racer and Newby profiles and be sure to read the Gearhead, Luddite and Jaded Local profiles. The… Read More
