Backcountry Skier Personalities – The Jaded Local Continuing our sarcastic look at backcountry skier personalities, we profile the typically grumpy and often misanthropic Jaded Local. Also check out Gearhead, Luddite, Bro Brah, Rando Racer and Newby profiles. The Jaded Local The Jaded Local is generally an anti-social creature. Unless you happen to be part of his inner circle or, perhaps,… Read More
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
Tip Rise Meets Camber and Control If you’re not familiar with Ogso skis, it’s time to get acquainted. Based in Chamonix, France, Ogso Mountain Essentials is a rising new ski brand that makes a range of very fun and versatile touring skis – read more about Ogso and our review of the Ogso Schwarztor ski, which we awarded a quiver-of-one label…. Read More
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
Backcountry Skier Personalities Backcountry skiers can be a curious bunch. We come in a variety of flavors and there are several easy stereotypes to poke fun at. Of course, we all hold traits from a mix of stereotypes, but in the spirit of making fun of ourselves, we broke backcountry skier personalities into six classic stereotypes — Gearhead, Jaded Local,… Read More
Ultralight Insulated Jacket – Patagonia Micro Puff Down vs Synthetic Insulation A puffy or insulated jacket is essential gear for backcountry skiing. Ask a skier if they prefer down or synthetic, and you’ll find less consensus. While synthetic insulation is more durable, stays warm when wet and is better suited to the repeated stuffing and re-stuffing that a puffy experiences… Read More
Wow, Folllow the Forecast has some great deep snow footage. These guys really get the goods. Big Lines. Pillow lines. Deep Lines. Sit back and enjoy. Follow the Forecast
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.
Chest Harness or Pants Pocket – What’s the Best Place to Wear Your Avalanche Transceiver Standard protocol for wearing an avalanche transceiver has long been strapped to your chest in its harness. In the last handful of years, more and more skiers are moving to storing their beacons in a pants pocket. Using a pant pocket makes for convenient access… Read More
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but it sure helps when it comes to ENSO and remembering the difference between La Niña and El Niño and their respective influences on the weather in your local ski stash. Below is an article from the Off-Piste Mag archives that lays out the details about ENSO and… Read More
Fresh Ground Coffee, Anywhere! Coffee, the magical fuel of many an adventure and a daily ritual for many of us. And who can deny that fresh ground beans are the best way to make the best cup of coffee? The art of making coffee in the backcountry and on road trips takes many forms. Regardless of how you make your… Read More
GORE SHAKEDRY GORE set the standard to which waterproof, breathable outerwear is measured, and their latest innovation, GORE SHAKEDRY™, takes everything GORE-TEX is known for to a higher level of performance – waterproofness, breathability and lightweight construction. SHAKEDRY’s distinct design uses a GORE-TEX membrane as the face fabric and a 100% polyamide fabric as a backer. What does that mean?… Read More
The Man Behind the Maps – Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues Ski resorts and trail maps are synonymous. We’ve all poured over a resort map taking in the detail in search of the best terrain and the right runs or simply to decide which way to go. You might have guessed that ski resort trail maps are digitally rendered photographs…. Read More
Osprey Soelden 32 Backcountry Ski Pack Skins. Shovel. Probe. Layers. Goggles. Food. Water. Check. Packing for a ski tour isn’t rocket science, but dialing in your ski pack for easy access to the gear you want — when you want it — takes practice and a pack with thoughtful organization. The Osprey Soelden 32 backcountry ski pack balances a quick-access… Read More
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
