196 Search Results for "report"

• Angeli VanLaanen Speaks Out on Angeli VanLaanen Speaks Out on her Lyme Disease Awareness Film LymeLight

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    LymeLight - The Story Of Professional Freeskier Angeli VanLaanen Living With Lyme Disease from NEU PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

    "LymeLight," an inspirational Lyme Disease awareness film centered on professional freeskier Angeli VanLaanen and her battle with the complicated, debilating disease, was recently released for free online by Neu Productions.  We reached out to Angeli for her insight into the film, the biggest obstacles faced while filming, the level of Lyme awareness she hopes to achieve, and how she is currently doing with the disease. 

     

    Check out our interview with Angeli below, and watch "LymeLight" in it's entirety above. 

     

    What excites you most about the release of "LymeLight"?

    The making of "LymeLight" was in part funded by 150 people who donated during a Kickstarter fundraiser we held last May. The most exciting aspect of releasing "LymeLight" is sharing the final product with everyone involved in funding this film. I am forever grateful for their support in making "LymeLight" happen!

     

    What was the biggest challenge you faced while creating this film?

    The most challenging yet rewarding part of creating a documentary film on my battle with Lyme Disease has been processing the emotions that built up over 14 years of misdiagnosis. "LymeLight" is an authentic and raw account of what I went through before and after my diagnosis in 2009. 

     

    What is your inspiration behind "LymeLight" and what do you hope to accomplish with the film?

    My inspiration for "LymeLight" came from my personal experience battling and overcoming Lyme Disease. When I was diagnosed in November of 2009, I struggled to find a hopeful outlook on my diagnosis. I searched high and low for a Lyme treatment success story to look up to, but only found horror stories and a grim reality for people battling Lyme Disease. I looked for support from my family and close friends, but found their lack of understanding of Lyme Disease very isolating. When you have an illness that manifests as both physical symptoms and mental/emotional symptoms, it is challenging for someone who has not experienced a neurological condition themselves, to fully understand the impact. Hearing that I never looked sick from friends, is a testament to how invisible this disease can be. 

     

     

    I have many goals for "LymeLight", all of which fall under the category Lyme awareness. My family and friends often felt lost in trying to help me. Navigating your way through illness is tough for both the patient and their support system.  One of my goals in creating "LymeLight" is to reach out to the people battling Lyme Disease and their support systems. With understanding comes compassion and compassion inspires personal strength. I want to inspire people to be strong through hard times.

     

    I am motivated by preventative action! I went years clueless to the cause of my illness. For fourteen years I had doctors stumped! Through education, "LymeLight" will impact those not yet diagnosed. I found my diagnosis because of my Aunt Jenny. She saw a documentary film on Lyme, "Under Our Skin," and recognized the symptoms in my health struggles. I asked my doctor to be tested for Lyme Disease and two weeks later, I was diagnosed. That documentary changed my life. I want to make that same impact on the lives of others. 

     

    My goal is to bring Lyme Disease prevention through Lyme awareness. I plan to take LymeLight on a tour to talk to people, mainly schools about Lyme Disease. By teaching kids and their parents proper tick extraction and follow up protocols, we are empowering them to catch Lyme Disease early. With exciting and beautiful imagery balancing out the struggle in "LymeLight," this film will be relatable and appropriate for all ages.  

     

    You've been living with Lyme for over 15 years, what is your current state with the disease?

    I am happy to report, I'm in remission. And I'm ecstatic! Being in remission is the best case scenario for someone with Lyme Disease. There is no technique in the medical field reliable enough to test if you have eradicated the Lyme bacteria completely. Therefore, doctors use clinical diagnosis to determine your progress. When you are symptom free, is when you are in remission. With there being no guarantee of a cure, it's easy to doubt your recovery with the "what ifs" looming. This is one of the harshest realities about having Lyme Disease. I am still working to regain my physical confidence. My outlook is, with a healthy and active lifestyle I will support my body in remaining in remission.

     

    Check out more about Angeli and "LymeLight" here.

     

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• Jeremy Jones Asks Obama To Ste Jeremy Jones Asks Obama To Step Up Climate Game

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    

    (Washington, D.C.) - Warning that “winter is in trouble,” 75 Olympic medalists and other winter sports athletes – including White House “Champion of Change” awardee and pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones – are sending a letter to President Obama today urging the President to take action on climate and clean energy.

    The representatives of the global snow sports community signing the letter include X Games champions and World Champion snowboarders, alpine/Nordic skiers and professional climbers, including:

    • Olympic gold and silver medalist Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA)

    • Olympic silver medalist and four-time X Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO)

    • 10-time Big Mountain Rider of the Year Jeremy Jones (Truckee, CA)

    • Olympic silver medalist, three-time World champion, seven-time X Games champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton, VT)

    • Two-time Olympian and six-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Truckee, CA)

    • Olympic gold & silver medalist, six-time X Games medalist, six-time World Cup champion Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT)

    • 2010 Olympian, Nordic skier Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK)

    • Five-time winner Powder Magazine’s Best Female Performer Ingrid Backstrom (Seattle, WA)

    • Two-time World Freeskiing champion Chris Davenport (Aspen, CO)

    • Two-time World Freeeskiing champion, Kit Deslauriers (Jackson, WY)

    • 2013 World champion, X Games medalist Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO)

    For a full list of signers, go to protectourwinters.org/athleteletter.

    “Without a doubt, winter is in trouble,” the letter states. “… at risk are the economies of tourist-dependent states where winter tourism generates $12.2 billion in revenue annually, supports 212,000 jobs and $7 billion in salaries.  Those are the jobs and businesses owned by our friends and families, generators of billions in federal and state income.”

    Jones is being honored on April 11 at a White House ceremony along with other “Champions of Change,” in recognition of “ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.”

    Jones is being recognized for his contribution to raising awareness about the impact of climate change on the winter sports industry by creating Protect Our Winters (POW), a foundation established in 2007 to unite and mobilize the global winter sports community against climate change.

    “This nomination is an absolute honor for me and the work we're doing at POW.  But it's now my responsibility to take this recognition and help secure a place in the climate discussions in Washington. The letter that's been enthusiastically signed by so many amazing athletes is a strong showing of solidarity from the leaders in snow sports on climate action, so together, we have to keep that momentum going,” Jones said.

    The letter to the president references a December 2012 report published by Protect Our Winters and the Natural Resources Defense Council highlighting the economic impact of inconsistent winters on the U.S. snow sports community and tourism-dependent states.  (See protectourwinters.org/climate_report/.)

    The athletes’ letter calls on Obama to follow through on the promise he made in the State of the Union address to fight climate change. He can do so by using executive authority currently available to reduce carbon pollution emitted by America’s power plants, the largest source of carbon pollution worsening climate change, and by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline, which would add millions of tons of new carbon pollution to the atmosphere.  

    “Mr. President, it’s time to force our transition to clean energy, and we need your leadership,” the letter states. “…on behalf of 23 million of us who love winter and depend on it for our economic livelihoods, please take the action on climate change you have promised.”

    The full text of the letter follows:

     

    Dear President Obama,

    During the recent State of the Union address, you urged Congress to “get together, pursue a bipartisan market-based solution to climate change...but if Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will.“

    As professional athletes, representing a community of 23 million winter sports enthusiasts, we’re witnessing climate change first-hand. Last year was the warmest year on record, and once again, we’re currently experiencing another winter season of inconsistent snow and questionable extremes. Without a doubt, winter is in trouble.

    And with this lack of consistent snow, at risk are the economies of tourist-dependent states where winter tourism generates $12.2 billion in revenue annually, supports 212,000 jobs and $7 billion in salaries. Those are the jobs and businesses owned by our friends and families, generators of billions in federal and state income.

    The good news is that because we know this warming is human-caused, we can do something about it and it can be done, now, from limiting carbon pollution from our nation's dirty power plants to rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

    First, it is time to tackle pollution from the biggest emitters in the United States: power plants. We’re asking for you to issue standards under the Clean Air Act that cut carbon pollution from America’s aging power plant fleet - at least 25 percent by 2020, while boosting energy efficiency and shifting to clean energy sources. Power plants are our largest source of carbon pollution. Cleaning them up will create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs, meet the pollution targets set for the country, and restore U.S. international leadership.

    Furthermore, we urge you to reject dirty fuels like tar sands. Specifically, reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which is not in our national interest because it would unlock vast amounts of additional carbon that we can’t afford to burn, extend our dangerous addiction to fossil fuels, endanger health and safety, and put critical water resources at risk.

    Mr. President, it’s time to force our transition to clean energy, these are the first big steps and we need your leadership.

    Again, on behalf of 23 million of us who love winter and depend on it for our economic livelihoods, please take the action on climate change you have promised.

    Thank you.

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• Announcing The Further and Dre Announcing The Further and Dream Factory Tour Winners

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    

    The dust has finally settled from the 2012 film tour, and the grand prize winners have been drawn. Both films this year provided a whole slew of amazing giveaways, and hopefully you walked away with something fresh from our sponsors. 

    And the winners are…

    Jeremy Jones’ Further, presented by O’Neill 

    Grand Prize: John from Bellingham, WA won the trip for two to ride at Squaw Valley. We connected with John just after his trip, and it sounds like it was a pretty epic adventure.  “The bluebird conditions, variety of terrain and size of Squaw Valley were incredible!  The mountain is so large that we were having trouble keeping track of which chair went where for the first two days!  We're already planning a return trip for next year and will be bringing our friends from our home mountain, Mt. Baker.  A big thanks from Belinda and I to Squaw Valley and TGR for making this amazing trip possible!”

    Runner up: Karta from Boulder, CO is headed to Japan to shred powder courtesy of Cloudline Tours.  After seeing the Japan segments from Further, she couldn’t have been happier, and we can’t wait to see the pictures.

    Second Place: Last but far from least, the head-to-toe O’Neill outerwear and a new board from Jones Snowboards goes to Jennifer in Boston, MA. 

    The Dream Factory

    Grand Prize: A heli-skiing trip for two courtesy of Alaska Heliskiing goes to Garrett from Colorado.  Pretty sure we heard his screams of excitement all the way up in Jackson Hole.  Garrett has yet to take the trip but we look forward to his report and some pictures.

    Runner Up: Caroline from Kentucky scored the trip for two to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  Unfortunately she is fresh off an ACL tear but Jackson Hole has been awesome in working with her to shift the prize to a summer filled with mountain biking and hiking rehab…Her dream of skiing Jackson’s legendary terrain is going to have to wait another year.

    Second Place: Ben in Colorado is getting hooked up with head-to-toe outerwear from The North Face and a pair of skis from Atomic.

    From all of us at Teton Gravity Research, THANK YOU for making the 2012 tour a memorable one.  The tours reached close to 300 cities combined across the globe, and without your amazing support every year, it simply would not be possible. Enjoy the rest of your season, and see you next fall!

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• Resort Review: Vail Colorado C Resort Review: Vail Colorado Celebrates 50 Years of Skiing

  • From: drewrouse
  • Description:

    

    Vail has quite the reputation with out me writing one word about it as a subject you probably already have an opinion on the place. However after living here for 15 years and growing up skiing this place with my family before that I know some of its secrets so perhaps I can add some perspective both as a former gaper and a long time local.
    
    Essentially a 5 mile by 5 mile expanse of ridges and huge open bowls that happen to sit at the south end of the Gore Range which creates a jagged cloud trap to catch any precipitation and funnel it towards Vail. It is the reason that there can be 5 inches on the report at mid vail but the back bowls and Blue Sky basin will receive feet as happened just this last storm cycle. On a good year well over 400 inches of super light Colorado fluff fall back there a few miles from the village.
    
    The terrain here is mostly mellow but trust me there are some steeps and cliffs if that your thing. I spoke with young big mtn up and comer Christian Nichols formerly of Ski Club Vail’s Big Mtn Team and he told me that its legit terrain for him and the rest of the team to have to train on to prepare for contests at mountains that are much more highly regarded as steep and technical.  The terrain parks at Vail are looking better than ever with a brand new 22 foot super pipe this season and always innovative rails and eagle counties little secret, lots of log slides in the trees if jibbing lumber is your thing.
    
    Lines can be long on weekends or big powder days but there are ways to get away from the crowds. Show up early with a plan and get ahead of everyone and you will be lapping untracked powder for hours or show up late when its dumping and go seek out some stashes. Ptarmigan cornice and the ends of the ridges in the bowls are some of my favorite places to look for super deep wind-loaded leftovers.  As a kid I can remember loving to go out to inner and outer Mongolia bowls just because there was no one ever out there and there was a lot of terrain to explore. Its not that steep but it is always worth a look if you want to find some solitutde.
    
    The resort has a bunch of easily accessible side-country, which means you can usually find fresh snow even weeks after a storm if you know where to look. East Vail, The Minturn Mile, West vail trees…. It would take you years and years to ride all of the lines located a short walk from Vail’s ropes. Just remember here in Eagle County more often than not we have a sketchy snow pack with lots of depth hoar and a recipe for slabs that step down into bigger slides so use good sense and remember your Avalanche gear if you are wanting to venture out.  Seems almost every year someone is lost in an avalanche around here and its definitely something that’s always in the back of my mind.
    
    The snow is not the only attraction here, Vail does a pretty good job of putting on events and concerts all year long almost. With the Burton U.S open making its Vail debut,  this coming weekend it looks like they are just stepping it up.  Things have never been better as far as nightlife goes and bridge street, will keep even the most seasoned partiers happy.  Check out the George if you want to chill or Samana Lounge to get your groove on.
    
    Some of the things I have heard is that Vail is flat and its crowded, full of gapers, extremely corporate,  expensive, my aspen friends call it a truck stop and yada yada yada.  So what, a lot of negative things are true about this place and people always hate on the biggest for whatever reason but subtract that and what do you have.  A huge expansive mountain with a pretty fun town, pretty easy access from Denver, via a very well maintained highway that doesn’t close often enough for my liking. Check Vail out, you may have the time of your life here whether it’s a deep pow day or a night out on the town, I know I have.

    Skier Drew Rouse
    Photo Ben Koelker

    Vail Lodging Sale, book online through Mountain Reservations.

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• News: Avalanches Kill Two Skie News: Avalanches Kill Two Skiers In Wyoming

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Story via the Jackson Hole Daily
    
    Jackson Hole, Wyo. - A pair of unrelated avalanches near Jackson killed two backcountry skiers Sunday.
    
    Elizabeth “Liza” Benson, 28, and Nick Gillespie, 30, died from trauma in two separate slides, officials reported. The fatalities were the first of the winter and came after fresh snowfall over the weekend broke a prolonged dry spell in Jackson Hole.
    
    Benson was skiing in the Cliff Creek drainage, off Hoback Canyon in Sublette County, in a group of five people. The party, including her boyfriend and a physician, were skiing in the Clause Creek area, commonly reached by snowmobile.
    
    A slide with an 8-inch crown swept her into a tree at about 9,200 feet elevation, according to reports from the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office. The Sublette Sheriff’s Office received a call from the group at about 3:25 p.m.
    
    The initial report was that a skier had been injured. The doctor in the group pronounced Benson dead during the phone call, the sheriff’s department said.

    ............
    
    Gillespie, a seasonal trail crew worker in Grand Teton National Park, was the second valley resident to be killed Sunday. He was descending the southeast slopes of Survey Peak, near the park’s north boundary, when he got caught in an avalanche around 5 p.m.
    
    Gillespie was skiing in a group of four that had been staying at the Upper Berry Creek patrol cabin since Thursday, park officials said.
    
    The group climbed and skied the 9,277-foot peak that day. Two remained near the base of the mountain while Gillespie and a partner made a second lap, park deputy chief of interpretation Mike Nicklas said.
    
    Gillespie descended first and apparently triggered the avalanche.
    
    Read The Rest Of The Story
    
    Ream More On Wyoming Snowpack

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• Through The Lens Of Jim Harris Through The Lens Of Jim Harris

  • From: kimhavell
  • Description:

    Chris Davenport skis a chute in Antarctica. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    “Through The Lens” is a regular column on TetonGravity.com that highlights the work of a photographer in the ski and snowboard industries. The series exists to celebrate the photographers who bring us extraordinary imagery, to get to know who they are, and to understand their process.
    
    Jim Harris is a TGR success story. An athlete with an artistic eye and a photographer of great strength and perseverance, Jim hit the big time from an unlikely start. Through honest and thoughtful posts on the TGR web forums, Jim unwittingly developed a huge following and grabbed the attention of industry players. Proving himself time and time again in the field and at the computer, Jim has photographs, stories, and drawings featured across varied media spots, print and online, in the world of adventure sport. He is humble, adventurous, and bright, and gets things done.
    
    Jim has been behind the lens for Sweetgrass Productions, Powderwhore Productions, Camp4Collective, First Ascent, Powder Magazine and more. From scaling 20,000-foot peaks in Bolivia to descending steep couloirs in Antarctica to negotiating a pack raft down Alaskan rivers, this motivated talent keeps at it as he proves that with heart and hard work, success will be a reality.
    
    Jim’s sincere and straight-up approach resonates with his audiences. Follow his creative journeys as “GnarWhale” on TGR and as Perpetual Weekend online at his Blog, Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter sites. www.perpetualweekend.com
    
    Forrest McCarthy melts water at a ridge line campsite as a storm rolls in. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Start.
    
    I was first interested in photography when I was a kid playing with this all-metal Nikormat that my dad had brought back from Japan a decade or two before I was born. I didn’t develop a twitchy shutter button finger until I was around 16 and started documenting the graffiti scene where I grew up. Looking back at those boxes of prints, I was pretty much just mechanically recording ephemeral art. A few years later I extracted myself from that scene by moving to Montana where I enrolled in Wildlife Biology and Fine Art courses. The blend of planning, creativity, daring, and community that made the street art scene compelling also runs through mountain culture. It didn’t take but a few weeks in Montana before I began pointing my camera at people on mountains.
    
    Studying Wildlife Biology seemed like a good route to finding a job that combined adventure with critical thinking, plus I was good at plant and animal identification. An empirical science education has proved to be a good framework for learning about the world, even though I never took up wearing one of those flat-brim Smokey hats. The fine art courses were just for kicks, but I regret missing the memo that my university had a Photo Journalism school.
    
    Andrew McLean skis the Chugach Mountains in Alaska. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    TGR.
    
    While I’d been registered on TetonGravity.com’s message board for years, I rarely visited until I moved to the Wasatch Mountains in 2007 and discovered it offered a way to meet backcountry touring partners. Then I began posting photos of ski tours and that led to invites on more missions. One of those photo essays prompted Gordy Peifer to offer me a spot on one of his Straightline Advenutures Ski Camps, and another trip report garnered an invite to shoot with Powderewhore Productions in Alaska. That AK trip, in turn, resulted in my first print-published words and photos (Powder Magazine 40.1 “Beast out of the Earth”). Then I won a TGR and Smith Optics photo contest where the prize was an Ice Axe Expeditions ski cruise to Antarctica.
    
    I was sharing just for the sake of sharing and that idealism struck a chord with people. If I suddenly couldn’t sell photos and stories about the sort of trips I like to take, I’d be okay going right back to doing them just for the intrinsic rewards.
    
    Hi-fives with Andrew McLean after discovering and skiing a rad chute in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Inspiration.
    
    Media-makers who also are high-performance athletes hold a role I admire. Photographers who can climb and ski alongside top athletes are the ones who, most often I think, bring back something insightful to share.
    
    Galen Rowell about tops my list of “photographers I wish had reincarnated as me.”
    
    Christian Pondella has crafted a career shooting photos with skis on his pack, an ice axe in one hand and that shines through in his photos.
    
    The Camp 4 Collective team brings boots-on-the-ledge perspective to their productions and it’s apparent in the art and illustrations of Renan Ozturk, Jeremy Collins and Adam Haynes.
    
    Leslie Anthony writes with legitimacy in his words and Fitz Cahall’s Dirtbag Diaries carry that too.
    
    What all of them have in common is this gonzo journalism approach where, because they can hang athletically, they’re able to convey a first-person narrative that offers candid, humanizing insights into the lives of super-human athletes.
    
    On the business side, I admire the people who help others to create content in our ski media ecosystem. When done well, enabling other peoples’ creativity is good for one’s own income. The TGR Forums empowered me and I hope the web ad revenue more than pays for the server space.
    
    Photographers Adam Barker and Chase Jarvis both open source some of their knowledge via web interviews and tutorials. They’re investing their knowledge in aspirant photographers while legitimizing their expertise at the same time. It’s both altruistic and shrewd.
    
    Sunrise on Illimani, Bolivia, while the city of La Paz still sleeps. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Challenge.
    
    I want to be a really good storyteller. Sometimes when I speak, my thoughts branch into a tangent, then a tangent of that, until I’m caught in a spiraling fractal of storylines and everyone has stopped listening. So it takes some intention for me to spin a story well. Photo essays keep me on point and the narrative jogging along.
    
    At some heady level, wilderness adventure stories like the ones I want to tell are another variant of Joe Campbell’s monomyth: the hero marches off into the wild, conquers something untamable, perhaps then realizes that the real conquest happened inside his or her head, and then returns home to share the new wisdom.
    
    My challenge is that I don’t want to just tell those stories but want to actually watch them unfold too. Going up and down difficult mountains with interesting people carves as close to living that myth as I know how to get.
    
    Alan Schwer hops down a steep ski line at 19,000 feet on Volcan Pomarape, Bolivia. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Business.
    
    The business-side of working as a self-employed creative is a murky learning curve. There’s no roadmap to “making it” and even things as dry as sending photos for an editor to review turn out to involve diplomatic maneuvering. Many working photographers will tell you that your photos are only valuable if you keep ‘em squirreled away, unseen by anyone but the editor, right until they appear in print. While I see the wisdom in that approach, the only reason I’m paid to take photos now is because I’ve enjoyed sharing pictures in the past. So, I’ve continued to post photos on TGR, though I’ve become more strategic about sharing.
    
    The ski photo world is a tough one to find recognition in, in part because much of it has fallen prey to this syndrome of collaborative competition where somebody says “Oh! Look at what they’re doing.  We should be doing that too.” Photo buyers, photo makers, and athletes all push one another to converge. One outcome is that photographers face an uphill battle when it comes to creating marketable work that also conveys individual style.
    
    On the other hand, who wants to feel like they’re leaving money on the table because they’re too elitist to take routine photos? Faced with that question, I’m no strict idealist. I’m not exactly shooting decorative cupcakes, but I’ve dug into commercial projects, studio opportunities, and jobs outside the ski industry. Sometimes they feel like art school assignments where students replicate some Old Master’s painting. Even if it’s not an approach that I’m particularly interested in, it’s impossible not to glean something useful. Those Elinchrom-lit sets are great for learning technique but they’re not where my aspirations lie.
    
    Tyler Jones leads a climb in the Waddington Range while Seth and Solveig Waterfall follow. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Being Diverse.
    
    When I was about ten I was way into these Redwall books about mice doing medieval things. My parents took me to a reading by the author, Brian Jacques, at the neighborhood bookstore and he described to us kids around him that he’d worked as a sailor, and a truck driver, and a milkman, and some jobs that I’ve forgotten before he eventually became a writer too. The notion that one could do a lot of things in a lifetime, rather than be stuck with just one profession, took root in my ten-year-old cortex that day.
    
    Photography has been my main focus for the last year or two, but it’s not my only outlet. I still dabble in woodcut printmaking, painting, shooting video, writing, and teaching. If this photo gig stops working out, I’ll always have the latitude to sidestep into one of these other roles.
    
    Solveig Waterfall skiing from the summit of Mt Waddington, BC over a cavernous crevasse. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Expedition Style.
    
    One thing that distinguishes me from the pack is that I like unstaged, one-take, expedition shooting. Long and difficult trips are full of little victories and disappointments and they make for great photographic moments. As a member of an expedition team, I share credit and blame for the ups and downs I’m chronicling. Every bit of the process from planning, traveling, climbing, skiing, cooking, laughing and just surviving together is rewarding.
    
    There are a couple big hurdles to being an expedition shooter. One is keeping one’s gear alive in the cold, wet, sandy, camera-killing places. That takes diligence but isn’t rocket surgery. Another is that one has to learn to suffer with grace. That takes practice and some balanced brain chemistry.
    
    The biggest hurdle, however, is managing the dual loyalties of being both a weight-pulling team member while also caring enough about one’s audience to stop helping your buddies and grab the camera. Jabbing a camera in someone’s face in a cruxy moment can be a bridge-burning move. It takes a pretty keen awareness of the group dynamic plus articulate communication to balance photographic and team needs.
    
    Before leaving for our first trip together, ski mountaineer Andrew McLean told me he was willing to ski for the camera but that he didn’t intend to re-hike anything for a missed shot. If you’ve skied with Andrew, you know that he zips uphill then right back down. Either I had to bully him into slowing down or learn to be quick on the draw, get the shot the first time, and not sulk when I misfired. I went with the second approach and haven’t regretted it.
    
    One-take shooting is an ethos I’ve embraced. Shooting actual skiing down actual lines, as opposed to the ubiquitous one-turn-wonder approach, feels truthy. As a bonus, there’s a lot more skiing involved in a “work” day.
    
    Chris Davenport skiing in Antarctica. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Turning Point.
    
    Three years ago, three friends and I spent a month backpacking and then rafting across Wrangell St Elias National Park. That trip changed my view of what’s achievable by a small, unsponsored team. I felt empowered by our success and humbled by the times I faltered.
    
    Back at home, I tried to summarize the story via a long column of captioned photos. The resulting trip report garnered a lot of attention that I never expected. Something about our mix of ambition, unique route, and amateur status really resonated with people, and not just the outdoorsy ones. Traffic poured in from Digg, Reddit and other link-sharing sites.
    
    Years later, I’m still feeling the reverberations of that trip. I’ve been back to the Wrangells once and have plans for another trip this year. I’m also packing today for a crazy Mexico adventure that I’ve been invited on because a couple of Alaska’s most-audacious wilderness travelers saw my photo essay and thought I’d be a good fit for their team. Looking back, it is comical how many doors have opened for me based on something that I never guessed would have much impact.
    
    Forrest McCarthy midway through a 120 mile traverse of the Abaroka Beartooth Mountains. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Future Direction.
    
    There’s been this recent uptick in the ski industry’s acknowledgment that what we do is risky. At a fundamental level, action sports culture pushes the idea that “advancing the sport” or “pushing the envelope” is the loftiest goal an athlete can strive for. I think that presumption deserves some scrutiny because it is steering our risk-taking. We’re not going to revert to blue-square level skiing in movies but it’s worth acknowledging that there are perhaps less death-defying ways to “advance the sport.”
    
    For me, that means looking for trips that are challenging because they’re remote, or because they require an endurance component, or because they offer a quirky perspective on the norm. Both writers and photographers search for unique angles. As someone with a growing grasp of both pursuits, I’m positioned to connect interesting story ideas with smart photos.
    
    Jim Harris' Powder Magazine cover photo. Skier unknown.
    
    Game Changers.
    
    A few years ago, I watched an acquaintance trigger and then swept by an avalanche. It was formative.  It changed how I communicate with partners, how I plan for a tour, and is a continual reminder to make conservative choices.
    
    Soon after that incident, I began teaching avalanche classes. Now that I’ve shifted to proselytizing wilderness skiing for a living, teaching the prophylactic aspect of it feels essential. Not only does it feel like righteous work but teaching avy classes also helps keep my skills honed.
    
    At the other end of the spectrum, one of my photos is running on the cover of the new Powder Magazine Photo Annual. For someone who’s only been making a living as a photographer for just over a year, it’s like putting boots on at 9:30 and somehow still catching first chair. That cover isn’t recognition I’d expected to have so soon in my photo career, but I’m grateful for it.
    
    Want to shoot like Jim, start with some high end DSLR camera gear available at Amazon.com

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• How Electronics Interfere With How Electronics Interfere With Avalanche Transceivers

  • From: brennanlagasse
  • Description:

    The International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) is held every two years in a major mountain region of the world. It is regarded by snow science professionals as a top conference, bringing researchers and practitioners together to report on experiments, exchange theory and share their experiences in the field to better understand the science of snow.
    
    This past fall, ISSW took place in Anchorage, Alaska, where John Barkhausen, a student at Alaska Pacific University, discussed his findings after organizing a field study to test the theory of electrical interference and avalanche transceivers. The topic has been discussed in many snowcentric circles across the globe for several years. However, a recent YouTube video posted by Stuart Pitches is arguably what has brought the topic into the households of a majority of everyday snow folks.
    
    

    
    
    The video clearly shows that when a GoPro camera is on and in close proximity to a searching avalanche transceiver it can cause interference. The GoPro can facilitate false signal readings, which ultimately may negatively impact the searchers attempt to locate a buried avalanche victim. With so many people using GoPro’s and other helmet cameras while also utilizing avalanche transceivers in the field, it’s obvious there are reasons for concern. The range of interference has been identified as variable depending on model, but the bottom line is that these cameras do influence the working mechanics of avalanche transceivers.
    
    What John Barkhausen discussed at ISSW was not solely related to helmet cameras, but electronics as a whole. Not only are skiers and riders who employ the use of avalanche transceivers increasingly using helmet cameras, they also tend to carry radios, cell phones, GPS devices, other types of cameras or an iPod. Simplistically, the answer to if electronics influence transceiver function is yes. However, the real question is to what degree? Even if helmet cameras were deemed unsafe for use do to the manner that they influence avalanche transceiver function, many backcountry experts support to use of cell phones in the field, as they can provide a necessary point of contact to initiate rescue efforts.
    
    At ISSW Barkhausen placed several electronic devices including a RFID tag (Alyeska lift ticket), Spot emergency locator, cell phone, iPod, radio, digital camera, and GPS unit in the near vicinity of a searching avalanche transceiver to measure the effects. He tested for how the transceiver would be influenced in terms of a searching pattern as well as its receiving range. He used three different transceivers including a Pieps DSP, Barryvox Pulse, and BCA Tracker DTS.
    
    Ultimately, Barkhausen found that none of these electronic devices produced negative impacts on a transmitting beacon. That was big news, as some outfits had initially thought the use of, say, a GoPro or even having a digital camera in ones pack might throw off the ability of a transceiver to function as it’s been designed. He also found that no particular brand of transceiver was more or less affected than the other. 
    
    However, Barkhausen did find that within a range of 17 inches, electronic devices will alter the ability for a transceiver to search for a signal properly. Above 17 inches, interference is minimal, but within that distance, problems are persistent. This is also evident in the video shared by Pitches. The safest way to insure you will not alter your transceiver’s ability to function properly when in search mode is to do what you are taught in an Avi I course — keep your transceiver at arm’s length when in search mode. That way, you should be at least 17 inches away from any electronic interference. The International Commission on Alpine Rescue is reportedly considering that the 17 inches be replaced by about 2 feet (24 inches) for all electronics to ensure a safe distance is met by all users. It’s also important to think about turning your electronic devices off entirely when in avalanche terrain.
    
    As you can see in Picthes video, when your avalanche transceiver is being altered by electrical interference, you will either see erratic numbers or false triggers on your display window and/or overall range will be lost. You might also get false distance readings as well as wrong directions to follow when attempting to search. Even if you don’t have a purely analog transceiver, you will still get so much interference that instead of improper numbers and directions the beeps you are supposed to listen to and follow while searching will be filled with static and thus rendered inaudible.
    
    Clearly, more study is needed to be able to provide full conclusive data regarding different brands and products that represent the most risk for users. According to Barkhausen’s work, iPod’s and GPS units seem to create the most interference of all the electronic devices, although from Picthes video GoPro’s don’t seem to be too far off in terms of potential negative impacts. I’m sure more study and conversation on the subject will be forth coming in the weeks/months ahead so we can all better understand the issue as a whole.
    
    Barkhausen is scheduled to follow up this years presentation at the 2014 ISSW in Banff, Canada, but in the meantime, take home points in the now are to make sure you always perform a transceiver search at arm’s length. If you’re on a snowmobile, get off it to perform a search, so as to not allow any electronics (spark plugs) or noise to influence your search. Also, think about turning your electronic devices off and stowing them away from you transceiver when you are spending time in avalanche terrain.
    
    Read More Here

    Shop for Avalanche beacons while supporting TGR. 10% of each sales goes back to out site from http://backcountry.com

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• Tahoe Sees First Avalanche Dea Tahoe Sees First Avalanche Deaths Of 2012-13 Season

  • From: jeremybenson
  • Description:

    A large avalanche crown is seen in the Tahoe backcountry on Dec. 27, 2012. In late Decemeber, as the area saw new snow, it also saw many avalanches, including two that caused fatalities at Alpine Meadows and Donner Ski Ranch.
    
    Sunday, Dec. 23, was yet another stormy powder day in a string of many at Squaw Valley, Calif. Ski patrol and mountain operations teams had been doing battle with harsh weather and copious snowfall for days on end. Midway through the morning they managed to open the KT-22 chair to the public. Shortly after opening, a powerful avalanche was triggered above The Fingers, directly beneath the chairlift. The avalanche swept up one skier, a 39-year-old female, and was so powerful that chunks of the avalanching snow deflected up in the air, knocking a 16-year-old male skier from the chairlift and into the avalanche. Both skiers were conscious, and neither completely buried in the slide. The woman was treated and released from the medical clinic, and the young man was taken to the local hospital to be treated for a shoulder injury. This post-control inbounds avalanche was an unfortunate accident, but the outcome could certainly have been much worse.
    
    Earlier in December, the Tahoe region experienced above-average temperatures, resulting in rain that created a distinct crust layer in our snowpack. Since then, faceted snow crystals developed both above and below this crust creating some especially weak layers. Significant amounts of new snow piled up above these persistent weak layers resulting in an uncharacteristically unpredictable snowpack for the area. With an advisory rating of “considerable,” a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (low, moderate, considerable, high, extreme), the Sierra Avalanche Center’s advisory for the days before Christmas said, “Overall the data indicates a snowpack teetering on the edge of failure.”
    
    The following day, Dec. 24, 2012, broke clear and cold in Tahoe. The blue skies were a welcome respite from the relentless storm that dropped 4-6 feet in four days on the west side of the lake. The holiday crowds were out in force at resorts around the region, eager to ski all the new powder, and I was among them. I went to Alpine Meadows that morning, the “considerable” avalanche danger rating, recent large avalanches, and persistent weak layers in our snowpack kept me from venturing into the backcountry. Summit chair opened shortly after 9 a.m. as patrol finished avalanche control on the front side of the mountain. For my first run I headed out to Art’s Knob, my friends and I shocked to find a 4 foot crown on the convex roll at the top and large cracks in the snow stretching in both directions along the ridge. The entirety of the storm snow had slid down to the rain crust, one of many large intentional avalanches at the resort that day.
    
    About an hour later, the distinct blue and white colored Care Flight helicopter flew overhead toward the Sherwood chairlift. I thought it odd due to the fact that Sherwood wasn’t open, nor had it been yet this season. I hoped they were doing some sort of training exercise, not realizing that patrol was doing avalanche control work back there at the time. Later that day, I was saddened to hear the news that Bill Foster, a 28-year veteran of the Alpine Meadows Patrol, was caught in an avalanche while doing control work.
    
    According to a press release from Amelia Richmond, the Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows public relations representative, “The avalanche was triggered by an explosive charge that had been thrown by a senior member of the ski patrol team. The patrol team members were positioned in an area that was, based on historical experience, believed to have been a protected area. The charge triggered the avalanche, which broke much higher and wider on the slope than previously observed in past snow safety missions.” With nearly 3 decades of experience on the Alpine Meadows patrol, Foster had routinely performed avalanche mitigation work in this area. “The patroller was found within one minute and uncovered within eight minutes from the time of the avalanche,” wrote Richmond, “After uncovering the buried patroller, members of the ski patrol team immediately began CPR.” Foster was flown via Care Flight Helicopter to Renown Hospital in Reno where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
    
    The site of the in-bounds avalanche at Donner Ski Ranch.
    
    That same day at Donner Ski Ranch, a small ski area at the top of Highway 40 on Donner Summit, an avalanche occurred around 9:30 a.m. According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a man around noon on Monday saying that a member of his group was overdue and was feared to have been caught in an avalanche that occurred sometime around 9:30 a.m. The search was assisted by neighboring ski resorts and a body was found in the debris, buried under 2-3 feet of snow, nearly five hours after the slide happened. Truckee resident, 49-year-old Steven “Rocker” Anderson was snowboarding that morning when he was caught up in the inbounds slide. According to reports, Anderson had just moved back to the area and was enjoying his first day snowboarding for the season.
    
    Since that tragic day last week, the Tahoe region has received roughly two more feet of snow, burying our weak layers in as much as 7 to 8 feet of snow. As our snow depth increases, triggering avalanches on our persistent weak layers is becoming less and less likely, but remains far from impossible. Any avalanches that propagate along the facets by the buried rain crust are likely to be massive and catastrophic. Our typical “more stable than most” snowpack is clearly different than usual, and it takes some getting used to. Our current weak layers and recent events have reminded me that there is no room for error or complacency when it comes to avalanche safety. Skiing is the best thing in the world, but it’s not worth dying for. Have a happy and safe New Year.

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• Backcountry Gear Testing: Dyna Backcountry Gear Testing: Dynafit, G3, Scarpa, And OR

  • From: leelau
  • Description:

    Southwestern British Columbia has been having an “average” snow year. This has led to some early-season angst among those with short-term memories who've remembered the past two years with above average and near-record snowfall totals.
    
    “Average” is relative, as friends of mine from Utah and Colorado - currently in full on snow drought, again - remind me. Whistler has had 366 centimeters of cumulative snowfall this year and a 155 cm base at the upper mountain weather plot (divide by 2.54 to convert to freedom units). Alpine totals are usually about 1.5 to 2 times the weather plot totals, so coverage is healthy. I recently had the chance to tour into the Duffey area this past week and the snowpack in that area is also getting nice and “average.”
    
    
    
    
    Skinning up to Lesser Flute. Technically this is Whistler inbounds. You can bootpack it, too.
    
    Just an average snow year. Cruising a lap on Lesser Flute.
    
    Just another average snow lap.
    
    
    Railing Boundary Bowl.
    
    Now that I got some skiing pow stoke shots out of the way, let's cut to the chase. I've got some product reviews to do and some initial impressions to give. Unlike other sites that just go on and on about gear, I like to show equipment in use. Since all of the products I am now going to showcase are ostensibly for backcountry gear, I'm not going to talk about its hardpack performance, but instead going to babble on about how they perform in powder - the environment in which they should be used.
    
    - An “average” snowpack means one can let their skis run a bit more. I've got some G3 Districts in size 179 to try out.
    
    - I need some boots to put on my feet. This year I've got the Dynafit Mercury and the Scarpa Maestrale RS to long-term test.
    
    - Finally, I need something to wear. I'm fully kitted out in OR: Trailbreaker Pants, Ferrosi softshell hoody.
    
    Below are as many products as one can cram into a set of photographs as possible.
    
    Can't remember why I look so constipated. G3 Districts, Dynafit Mercury, OR Ferrosi hoody, Trailbreaker pants.
    
    More posing - G3 Districts, Scarpa Maestrale RS, OR Trailbreaker pants.
    
    Test Conditions
    
    I chose to try some pow performance in Whistler after 25 cms fell inbounds (see video) in the Lesser Flute slackcountry adjoining the resort and in the Duffey backcountry area. Especially on the Duffey, early season touring usually means a bit of trail breaking.
    
    I filed snow observations with a local conditions service that read something like this: “Nface Chief P. 30 – 50 cms ski pen. 220 cms at ridgeline. No wind affect to speak of. 60 - 80cms fist. Temps -10 atl, -6 valley floor. Enough coverage to ski out comfortably all the way to valley bottom.”
    
    In non-avalanche observations shorthand, that translates to balls deep trail breaking and over-the-head blower pow. Pictures follow.
    
    Some short hand comments about the gear are in the picture descriptions. I've got a pretty heavy geek boot commentary coming, so I restrained myself from nerding out over boot minutiae until sometime in the next week, when I'll put out something specific to the Scarpa and Dynafit boots. More long-term running verbosity about the outerwear and the skis will also be inflicted on readers as I get more time on the gear.
    
    
    The G3 District is a decently wide ski (140/112/130) with moderate sidecut. It has a 25-meter turn radius in the 179 tested; and is relatively light at 1850 grams per ski. It's got camber underfoot but a fair amount of early rise at tip or tail, but is not a twin tip. This is good, because I pretty much can't stand using twin tips for touring.
    
    With just 8 days on them, impressions are preliminary. At my size, it's almost too fat, as I then need fairly light snow to get skiing in the snow feeling (as opposed to on top of the snow) that I personally enjoy. It's reasonably quick-turning, possibly because the tips and tails are softer than the mid-section. The G3 release video showed that it likes speed and long fast turns, but I found them to get knocked around a bit in chopped up inbounds pow, so maybe it's best for wide-open pow fields. I'll have to get into that kind of terrain to find out for myself.
    
    
    The Dynafit Mercury is the slightly less expensive version of the much lusted-after Vulcan. This boot is the everyman's variant in Dynafit's "Free Touring" line (oh marketing jargon, how you make me barf) intended to balance downhill and uphill ability and incorporating Dynafit's wonderful deserving-of-praise patented Ultra-Lock walk-mode: In one motion, the top buckle closes top of shell and engages ski mode; reverse for walk mode.
    
    At 1600 grams, the Mercury is average in weight for touring boots with a meaningful walk mode. I've used them about 3 times now, skiing them with tongues inbounds and without tongues in the pow. At my skeletal 75 kg weight (160 lbs in freedom units), I'm not going to stress out boots too much, so I expected to find these things to be plenty of boot. With 60 degrees of floating cuff that's easily engaged (open the top and middle buckle to flip to touring mode), transitions are quick. That same remarkable amount of floating cuff allows for an astounding walk mode that's best in class. Other than the difficulty of farting around with tongue removal and re-insertion in the field (try that in the cold in deep snow) there's not much complain about the Mercury.
    
    Long-term impressions will concentrate on longevity of gear: wear at toe, buckles, cables, liner wear and tear, and how the boot does in varying temperatures.
    
    
    I've already reviewed the Scarpa Maestrale RS and the Maestrale from which the RS was derived. The mango Maestrales, in particular, pretty much forced every other bootmaker to up their game when Scarpa introduced them in the 2010-'11 model year: A boot that was relatively stiff, had a best-in-class walk mode and that was cheaper than anything else? Impossible!
    
    The Maestrale was Scarpa's best-ever selling AT boot. Other bootmakers have improved their offerings, but so has Scarpa. The RS is basically a stiffer, uglier version of the mango Maestrale with better hardware, but still with a fantastic walk mode - and - weighs in ever so slightly heavier at 1570 grams. I've had the RS since the end of last season and toward the beginning of this, so have had about 12 days on them. Prognosis so far is acceptable with no perceptible wear to rivets, buckles, straps or toe rubber. The RS is noticeably stiffer than the Maestrale (I'd guess 10 percent to 15 percent stiffer) but did not get appreciably softer in spring heat, which is possibly attributable to the Grilamid plastic used in shell construction.
    
    One difference immediately noted is that the RS is even more sensitive to buckle placement than the Maestrale; an effect which extend to touring and to downhill. For example, I found that leaving the top buckle completely unlatched dramatically improved walk mode. The upside is that you can tune the boot to have a totally different feeling descending as opposed to ascending. The downside is slower transistions as you have to fart around more with buckles.
    
    Longer term impressions will follow, of course.
    
    Seattle-based Outdoor Research's Trailbreaker Pants and Ferrosi Hoody perform acceptably in over-the-head blower powder!
    
    The pants are on the heavier side for backcountry-oriented softshells at 690 grams, but they have features normally found in waterproof shells like thigh vents, which allow the heat generated by trail-breaking balls-deep pow to escape. There's a lot of features on these pants which explain the weight: integrated ski gaiters, zippered ankles to let the legs flare out for ski boots, reinforced ankles, nice deep hip and waist pockets out of the way of climbing harnesses and big enough to swallow a VHF radio, and nice tough fabric.
    
    At at 399 grams,t he Ferrosi Hoody is super light and packable. In fact, it packs into a small package into its chest pocket. A minimalist style, it has two deep useful side pockets, a chest pocket and a smallish form-fitting hood that won't quite fit over a helmet. As the jacket's so light, it's not an outer shell for colder temps but is best paired up with another layer for downhills. Perhaps it's best for warmer days (everyone's different, but I'd use it as an outershell if it was around -5C) and useful for skinning up in colder days.
    
    I don't know how well the gear will do in that fugly near-to-freezing temps that we often get, but I doubt it'll be a gloriously comfortable experience. Will report back when I have the displeasure of venturing out in those conditions.
    
    Thanks to Jameson “Barrelled” Florence for the pictures and video.
    
    Thanks also to Sharon “Fully Involved” Bader for pictures.

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• News: Report Shows Climate Imp News: Report Shows Climate Impacts On The US Winter Tourism Economy

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    The following report was published by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Protect Our Winters:
    
    The winter sports industry is deeply dependent upon predictable, heavy snowfall, but climate change is expected to contribute to warmer winters, reduced snowfall, and shorter snow seasons. The estimated $12.2 billion U.S. ski and snowmobile winter sports industry has already felt the direct impact of decreased winter snowpack and rising average winter temperatures.
    
    And climate change will spell more trouble, according to research done for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Protect Our Winters (POW), for all businesses dependent on winter weather from snowmobiling, snowboarding, and ice fishing to snowshoeing and skiing — as well as the other related sectors that depend on winter sports tourists, such as restaurants, lodging, gas stations, grocery stores, and bars.
    
    This study aims to help policy makers understand both the ski and snowmobile industry's current economic scale and the potential economic impacts that climate change may cause. Study details include how historical changes in the winter season have already impacted the ski tourism industry with a focus on the most recent decade's skiing statistics and a review of historical winter climate observations. It also considers what is at risk from the impact of future winter climate projections.
    
    

    We know that across the United States, winter temperatures have already warmed 0.16 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1895 and the rate of warming has more than tripled to 0.55 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1970. The strongest winter warming trends have occurred in the northern half of the United States, where snow plays an important role in their winter season.
    
    

    Without intervention, winter temperatures are projected to warm an additional 4 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, with subsequent decreases in snow cover area, snowfall, and shorter snow season. Snow depths could decline in the west by 25 to 100 percent. The length of the snow season in the northeast will be cut in half.

    All of this translates into less snow and fewer people on the slopes.
    
    

    In an American winter landscape where more than three-quarters of states benefit economically from winter sports and where our study finds that nationwide there are 211,900 jobs either directly or indirectly supported by the ski and snowmobile industry, changing snowfall patterns will have a significant economic effect. In order to protect winter — and the hundreds of thousands whose livelihoods depend upon a snow-filled season — we must act now to support policies that protect our climate, and in turn, our slopes.

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• Check Yourself Before You Bury Check Yourself Before You Bury Yourself

  • From: ermecatino
  • Description:

    Avalanches and the mountains don’t care about your Facebook status, how many followers you have on Twitter, or if you used a filter on that photo from the ridge. They couldn’t care less.
    
    And the avalanche problem isn’t new. Last year's melancholy has forced many within the ski community to confront the issue. Last season 34 people passed away in avalanches within the U.S., just two short of the record. Equipment manufacturers and the industry as a whole are pushing the “backcountry market;" an increasing ammount of ski and snowboard video content and a constant fuel for stoke have spawned the GoPro generation of recreation skiers, and the relentless stream of media have created new social factors that we all face today. As a collective of skiers, we have better equipment, it’s as if we are golfers with new clubs that reach the green in one swing, but when we walk to the green we have to confront lions.
    
    An avalanche in November broke off on Sunset Peak in Utah. Photo by Bruce Tremper of the Utah Avalanche Center.
    
    “A lot of avalanches can be prevented with knowledge,” said Bruce Tremper of the Utah Avalanche Center. “We [avalanche centers] don't have a lot of money, and we can’t keep up with an industry that is pushing people into the backcountry.”
    
    In turn, Bruce and others within the snow-science field are working on ways they can prevent avalanche deaths with a shoestring budget.
    
    The UAC and other avalanche organizations advise skiers to make decisions based on evidence, but Tremper said people don’t, and are rolling the dice, learning their lessons the hard way.
    
    “People need to be humble, especially early in their avalanche career,” Tremper said. “Our perceptions are almost always wrong. … I just cringe when I hear ‘I just trust my gut,’ because they don’t know anything. Avalanches are hard to teach, what we’re doing works, but maybe not as well as we would like it to. … What we really need to do is get a virtual reality experience to see and feel things so when you guess wrong, you get hit with baseball bats or something like that. We don’t have a machine like that right now.”
    
    For skiers, getting educated is key, but that isn’t the final step. As Tremper notes getting your Avalanche Level 1 certification is misleading, as the level one course gives you enough information to start learning.
    
    “I call it your learners permit. It is where your education begins not ends,” Tremper said.
    
    This season whether you are an experienced skier or newbie, staying current is integral to your survival in the backcountry.
    
    “What I suggest is after people take a Level 1, every time it snows get out on safe or low consequence terrain and see what is happening — that’s where you really learn,” Tremper said.
    
    Tremper, a professional avalanche forecaster since 1978 and in his 27th season as director of UAC has seen enough mountainsides shatter like a glass.
    
    “People always assume they have better skills than they really do. It takes quite a few years. You really know hardly anything,” Tremper said.
    
    For Tremper, it took about 15 years as a professional before he felt he was skillful at traveling within avalanche terrain.
    
    “I was pretty lucky — luck has a lot to do with it, and we just don’t realize sometimes how close we are,” he said.
    
    Tremper, author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, is one of the most respected avalanche experts within the Utah skiing community.
    
    According to Tremper, this season Utah has started out with a relatively good snowpack — as long it keeps snowing. However, he notes that they missed some close calls.
    
    “The October storm was really faceted on the ground of northern aspects. When we received the November four-foot-storm, we had a lot of activity and there were close calls that could of easily been several deaths. Several people triggered slides, but no one took any serious rides — we were really lucky,” he said.
    
    In addition to the facets, the early season snowpack holds increased risk in avalanche terrain.
    
    “Early season avalanches are more dangerous because a small slide can send you bouncing through stumps and rocks, the incident of trauma is higher,” Tremper said.
    
    There is no denying that equipment upgrades have allowed skiers to get into the backcountry with ease, however, Tremper and other avalanche professionals are noticing an alarming trend.
    
    “People used to be a lot more cautious right after a snowstorm, today people are running to the steepest terrain and jumping right into it, you just can’t do that,” Tremper said.
    
    Shaun Raskin, pro-skier, guide, and avalanche course instructor has noted a similar trend, explaining how media could be influencing people’s personal risk assessment.
    
    “Previously there was no media of other skiers’ endeavors,” Raskin said. “You were stepping into a void.”
    
    This year at the UAC workshop, social media was said to play a role in peoples’ decision-making and plans for the day.
    
    Currently Raskin is seeing her “office” becoming a dangerous place as not everyone is taking the appropriate courses, yet are on avalanche terrain. Just two weeks ago she and her fiancé saw skiers descending upon a group skinning up for turns near the Cardiff backcountry zone, Utah.
    
    For Tremper, “it is total chaos, as no one is practicing any system.”
    
    Tremper is hoping to create better tools for connecting the right terrain (slope steepness) with danger rating.
    
    “We have to have some sort of system to allow us to make better decisions,” he said. “We need better avalanche eye balls, right now everyone is jumping in.”
    
    As the season kicks off across the country, avalanche centers such as the UAC and others across the west and east are holding avalanche courses, free workshops, and lectures, trying their earnest to educate skiers. For skiers and riders knowledge is power. So take a class, see what the mountains have to say, and be safe this winter.
    
    
    Below is a list of avalanche forecast websites for major mountain communities. Always check the avalanche report before heading out to the backcountry.
    
    Utah Avalanche Center
    
    Bridger Teton Avalanche Center
    
    Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
    
    Colorado Avalanche Information Center
    
    Mount Washington, NH Avalanche Center
    
    Sierra Avalanche Center
    
    Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, MT
    
    
    Stay on top of the snowfall in your area with the TGR Snow Lab

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• News: Whistler Mountain Openin News: Whistler Mountain Opening Early - Saturday November 17, 2012

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
    WHISTLER, BC - Thanks to cool temperatures, impressive snowmaking and natural snowfall Whistler Mountain will open five days early on Saturday, November 17. With five lifts running, guests will have the option to upload from either the Whistler Village Gondola or the Creekside Gondola. Blackcomb Mountain will open, as scheduled, on American Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22, 2012.
     
    “In addition to new snow and a great forecast lining up towards the end of this week, our fleet of 220 state-of-the-art snow guns has converted over 70 million gallons of water into snow over the past few weeks. This ensures excellent on-piste coverage for quality skiing and riding on opening day,” says Doug MacFarlane, mountain manager at Whistler Blackcomb. “Despite the amount of snow we have made, we want to remind guests early season conditions will apply, especially off piste. It is important to obey mountain signage, ski and ride on open runs only and stay within the operational area marked by “Temporary Boundary” signage. Guests should be aware there will be rocks and other hazards below the snow surface; we do not recommend skiing and riding outside the temporary boundary in any circumstances.”
     
    First upload on the Whistler Village Gondola and Creekside Gondola will begin at 8:30 a.m. on November 17. Emerald Express, Big Red Express and the Franz Chair lifts will also be running, giving guests access to 1800 vertical feet of skiing and riding terrain. Six ski runs will be open, including Ego Bowl, Upper Whiskey Jack, Upper Franz, Papoose, Orange Peel and Pony Trail. For the most up-to-date information about lift status, visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com/the-mountain/lifts-and-grooming/index.
     
    This year, Whistler Blackcomb has set the bar high for opening day festivities. Along with a surprise musical act for guests waiting in line at the Whistler Village Gondola, the first 1500 people to upload either gondola will receive a gift. Tokens will range from hot chocolates to big ticket items like EDGE Cards, Snow School lessons, retail and rental gifts and surprises from partners including, Scandinave Spa Whistler, The Adventure Group Whistler, Extremely Canadian, Canadian Snowmobile, Coast Mountain Photography, CAN-SKI, Showcase, Powerade and Milk2Go.
     
    Whistler Mountain dining locations will also be open on November 17, including Essentially Blackcomb Cappuccino Bar in the Carleton Lodge, Dusty’s Bar & Grill in Creekside, the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain, and the Garibaldi Lift Co., Whistler’s world-famous location for après.
     
    The latest version of Whistler Blackcomb’s Live Pass, Powered by TELUS app will be available for download for iPhone and Android from the Apple store and Google Play at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13. The app allows skiers and riders to track their runs using GPS, share their speed and vertical as well as take and share photos with friends via Twitter and Facebook. More information can be found at whistlerblackcomb.com/app.
     
    Beginning November 16, Whistler Blackcomb’s Snow Report will be updated daily throughout the season and can be accessed online or by calling 604-932-4211 in Whistler, 604-687-7507 in Vancouver, or toll-free at 1-800-766-0449.
     
    For Canadian and Washington State residents, Whistler Blackcomb offers the EDGE Card, allowing guests to ski/ride from $65 (CDN) a day. EDGE Cards are valid for use all season long, and are available at early bird pricing until November 19 at whistlerblackcomb.com/save.
     
    Guests interested in planning a trip to Whistler can take advantage of the Early Season Winter Deal which includes two nights lodging and a two day lift ticket deal from $109 per person, per night. To book a trip to the No. 1 rated mountain resort in North America can visit whistlerblackcomb.com/lodgingdeals or call 1-888-403-4727.
    
    About Whistler Blackcomb
    
    Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,192 centimetres (469 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
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• News: Skype Call With Glen Pla News: Skype Call With Glen Plake After Tragic Manaslu Avalanche

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    On September 23rd, a massive avalanche killed 11 people on 8156-meter Manaslu, the world's eighth highest mountain. Legendary freeskier Glen Plake survived but his partners, Rémy Lécluse and Greg Costa did not. In his first interview since the tragedy, Glen Plake tells his story of this terrible tragedy.

    Watch Another Video Here

    Read Glen's First Report Here

    Plake was on CNN last night, watch two videos below:

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
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• News: K2 Sports Welcomes Back News: K2 Sports Welcomes Back Tim Petrick As Global Sales And Marketing President

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    

    Seattle, Wash. – Celebrating their 50th anniversary as a leading global manufacturer of outdoor sports gear, K2 Sports isn’t backing into the monumental occasion passively. The Seattle, Wash.-based company is driving into its next era with full steam.
    
    K2 Sports is currently in the middle of a multi-year investment plan comprising a substantial capital infusion supporting key category product launches and global sales support efforts. A landmark leadership announcement reinforces this initiative, with the appointment of industry veteran Tim Petrick as President of K2 Sports Global Sales and Marketing, effective immediately. Petrick will report to Anthony De Rocco, President and CEO of K2 Sports, in the newly-created role.
    
    “We are very proud to welcome Tim back to the family of K2 Sports,” said De Rocco. “Tim has worked side-by-side with our global teams and our retail partners for almost 20 years. He knows our DNA intimately and the market climate very well and our retail partners know and trust him. Tim will be a strong leader to further the momentum to our next era of growth and success during K2 Sports’ most pivotal time of opportunity on the domestic and global level.”
    
    The strategic move brings Petrick full circle with K2 Sports, a company with which he’s invested nearly two decades of his career. Petrick first worked with K2 Sports as VP and General Manager of the ski division from 1989-1997 before going to Booth Creek Ski Holdings as Executive VP of Product Development. He returned to K2 Sports in 2000 as VP of Global Sales and remained there until 2009. During his three-year hiatus from K2 Sports before now returning, Petrick has remained a strong voice and leading figure in the snowsports and outdoor recreation industries.

    “Returning to K2 Sports is an incredible opportunity,” said Petrick. “The company has market leading iconic brands across many outdoor active lifestyle categories. These leading brands give K2 Sports the unparalleled opportunity to build on the company’s reputation for product innovation, retail sales results, and ultimately, satisfied consumers in the years ahead.“
    
    The scope of K2 Sports’ investment venture will see resources allocated toward global sales expansion, manufacturing and technology platform enhancements, new category launches including ski boots, and accelerated brand growth. Petrick will help orchestrate product line decisions, trade policies, distribution solutions, and marketing communications across the K2 Sports portfolio of brands.
    
    “We have exciting growth opportunities with product line launches in winter sports, our Zoot brand of triathlon gear, and our new Spring '13 collection - which is leading to great counter seasonal growth,” said Petrick. “Couple these with our targeted growth initiatives developed with our parent-company Jarden, and these are truly exciting times at K2 Sports.”
    
    For more about K2 Sports, please visit: http://www.k2sports.com.

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
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• News: Nearly 7% of Americans S News: Nearly 7% of Americans Ski, Snowboard or Snowshoe

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    

     

    McLean, Virginia – The trade group SnowSports Industries America (SIA) recently released its 2012 SIA Snow Sports Participation Report, detailing skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing participation trends, demographic profiles, and major differences between core and casual participants, showing that 6.9% of the total U.S. population over six-years-old participates in at least one snow sport discipline. 

    The report covers alpine, telemark, park and pipe (freestyle), snowboarder, cross-country skiing, and snowshoe enthusiasts. SIA worked with their partners at the Physical Activity Council to survey more than 38,500 American households regarding their sports and leisure activities.

    This past winter season, a lack of snow inhibited participation in all categories besides snowshoeing and telemark skiing. Participation suffered with a reduced number of participants, as well as the number of days participating. Overall, snow sports participation fell from 21 million to 19.8 million last winter. An additional 8.8 million people said they considered themselves skiers or snowboarders, but have not participated in the last two seasons, most often due to time constraints. Alpine ski participation fell 11% to 10.2 million, snowboarding participation declined 8% to 7.6 million and cross-country skiing participation fell 5% to 4.3 million participants. In all, participants spent about 29,000 hours participating in one or more of the snow sports disciplines last winter.

    The report further shows that alpine skiers (44%) and snowboarders (31%) make up three-fourths of all snow sports participants. Fifty-six percent (56%) of the alpine skiers are concentrated in the following ten states: California, Texas, New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington and Massachusetts. By contrast, 60% of snowboarders are concentrated in the following ten states: California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin and Virginia.

    High-income earners account for large segments of participants with 50% of alpine skiers and 37% of snowboarders, respectively, having annual incomes of $100,000 or more. Snow sports are becoming more diverse, as minority ethnic groups now make up over twenty-five percent (25%) of all participants.

    When you’re out on the slopes, don’t be afraid to grab a greasy burger and wash it down with a beer, for one of several interesting findings the Participation Report revealed was that during the 2011-2012 winter season the 19.8 million ski, snowboard and snowshoe participants burned a total of 332,386,750 calories sliding on snow — enough activity to burn off about 475,000 cheeseburgers, 2.2 million beers, 45,211 servings of french fries or 1.1 million slices of pepperoni pizza.

    by First Tracks

    photo via bvadesign.com

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
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• Shredding New Zealand’s South Shredding New Zealand’s South Island Part 3

  • From: brennanlagasse
  • Description:

    Lake Wanaka on New Zealand's south island is an essential stop on any shred mission to the region.
    
    Words and photos by Brennan Lagasse
    
    With some of New Zealand’s best mountain biking, what’s regarded as the country’s premier ski resort, and a solid mix of locals and visitors set among a backdrop of an idyllic resort town, Wanaka is a destination in and of itself. Situated around beautiful Lake Wanaka, the town boasts as many outdoor activities as you could possibly want to get into.
    
    One of the top draws for adventure-seeking enthusiasts travelling New Zealand’s south island, even in the country’s winter season, is Wanaka’s local mountain biking. From a mellow cruise along the water’s edge of Lake Wanaka, to a moderate tour of the local wine vineyards, there’s no shortage of worthy bike rides to get into. If you’re into mountain biking, whether you’re a beginner or a full-on pro, a ride in the Sticky Forest will be a mission you’ll be raving about to all your gear junky friends back home for years to come.

    
    Riding into the Sticky Forest.
    
    Most adventurers aren’t going to travel to New Zealand with their mountain bikes, which makes a lot of sense, especially in that renting a good bike in town and gaining all the beta you need to get after it is pretty easy. Once you’re locked and loaded, all it takes is a five minute ride from town before you can get your stoke on in the Sticky Forest.
    
    This mountain bike park is littered with exceptional rides for all abilities — from rolling cruisers, to trails with huge man-made features, and all the singletrack you could ask for. The views gained from the tops of many of the uphills encompass breathtaking views, and while you can go as short or long as you want, you’ll never get tired of exploring the numerous trails strewn about the park. The best thing is when you’re gassed, it’s just a quick ride down to the lake and back to town for an awesome meal. If you’re in the zone and want to head out with a local guide to show you the way I’ve been told these guys are a good outfit to check out: www.freeridenz.com
    
    Although Wanaka has an incredible diversity of activities and adventure sports options, it’s probably best known for being the home of the Treble Cone ski resort. Other local ski options include nearby Cardrona — a more family friendly beginner style resort, and Skipark — an area that’s literally all park for the jibbers out there-but it’s Treble Cone that’s commonly regarded as the best lift-accessed terrain in the country. There’s even a contingent of locals that honorably refer to themselves as “Coneheads”.
    
    Powder skiing at Treble Cone.
    
    Storms originating from the northwest hammer New Zealand’s south island, and Treble Cone is in a perfect location to receive the brunt of these storms. They commonly report much better snowfall totals than other ski areas when these storms hit the region, and it’s a large part of why so many Kiwi skiers and riders love riding Treble Cone so much.
    
    Slay everything.
    
    When I showed up with my lady, Jillian, it had just snowed and we were treated to a full-on New Zealand pow day right from lap one. It’s always a cool experience to score a memorable pow day when you’re traveling since we all know, it’s much easier to get skunked. If you’re used to riding the bigger North American ski resort terrain found in places like Jackson Hole, Squaw Valley or Snowbird, the inbounds terrain might not impress you all that much. In fact, the whole setup at Treble Cone, while totally worthy, isn’t what you’d expect coming from other developed ski centers around the globe.
    
    Keep it in first.
    
    The access road, just like the club fields, is ridiculous. Definitely one of the most puckering rides our “Backpacker” made during our whole trip — we stayed in first gear the whole ride up and almost didn’t make it to the base area! In addition, there are only two lifts. Yup, the most sought after inbounds terrain in the country has just two chairlifts. However, like a lot of rad ski resorts the magic comes with the sidecountry and backcountry access that these lifts provide — especially the quad that accesses Saddle Basin. This is where you’ll find yourself lapping super fun terrain with hordes of powderhounds from all over the world tearing it up, traversing out gates, and bootpacking up to steep fields of endless powder. It may not be what you’re used to, but in New Zealand it’s a necessary stop on your travels if you’re hoping to experience an authentic taste of Kiwi powder culture.
    
    Classic crack.
    
    On the way back to Wanaka from Treble Cone you might want to pull off at the series of crags you passed on your way to the resort. Most of the rock climbing done in the Wanaka region happens in the Matukituki Valley, which is about 15 km from downtown.  Past Glendu Bay is Hospital Flat where there’s heaps of climbing opportunities. This is the first spot you’ll hit when you leave the town limits of Wanaka. Most of the climbing in this zone is on schist rock and there’s a good mix of bouldering, sport, trad, multi-pitch and aid routes depending on what you want to get into. There are beautiful camp spots to post up at if you’re not looking to be in the downtown Wanaka scene, and a little rock session thrown in after a powder day at Treble Cone is a great way to wind down after another exceptional day traveling through New Zealand.
    
    By now you’ve covered a good chuck of the major highlights while traveling on the south island. While there are still innumerable opportunities for adventure, after a trip to Wanaka, it’s time to check out New Zealand’s “adventure capital” in Queenstown, and hit up the one place that many international travelers come to New Zealand to experience — World Heritage site Milford Sound. 

    On the road again.
    
    Stay Tuned For The Fourth And Final Part Next Week.
    
    Click Here To Read Part 2
    Click Here To Read Part 1

  • Blog post
  • 11 months ago
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• Skiing And Surfing New Zealand Skiing And Surfing New Zealand’s South Island Part 1

  • From: brennanlagasse
  • Description:

    Go to New Zealand. You can surf, ski, mountain bike and climb in the same trip.
    
    Words and photos by Brennan Lagasse.
    
    The plan was simple. Why not rent a camper van, roll with the weather, loaded with gear to get into whatever, whenever, and see what happens? New Zealand’s South Island is home to world-class rock climbing, surfing, and mountain biking. It’s also home to some of the best skiing in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a trip best done as a couple, or with a couple of friends, but it’s way more accessible than you might think. It’s really a must-do trip for any adventure traveler out there, especially if you’re down to tap into a slice of winter during the always too long North American summer.
    
    Start by searching around for plane tickets and find the best fare you can that’ll get you into the largest city on the South Island — Christchurch. You can make rental car reservations in advance, or you can just wing it, show up, and make a call when you arrive. One thing to take note of — the New Zealand Agricultural Inspectors don’t take too kindly to certain foreign foods and other items brought into their country. What about the Wild Salmon Jerky you brought? Yeah, better let’em know about it, or you could start your trip with a completely unnecessary fine like I once did.
    
    New Zealand caters to tourists, but adventure tourists are its specialty. While there are several options for wheels if you chose to rent a ride for your journey, I recommend a camper van like the “Backpacker”, which is essentially like a VW Westfalia that’s brand new and on steroids. They’re easy to drive, easy to live out of, and will house most any toys you choose to bring along for your travels.
    
    Van life.
    
    Christchurch is a cool city. Rich in history and Kiwi culture, “the garden city” is also home to fabulous gardens strewn about the city limits that make for great leisurely down days of sight seeing. However, if the multi-sport opportunities are what’s calling, check in with the local snow conditions up in the Arthur’s Pass area, a relatively short drive from Christchurch, and hope that conditions are favorable enough that you can click right in and experience the distinctly Kiwi ski scene known as the “club fields.”
    
    From mountains to the ocean, New Zealand's south island has it in spades.
    
    That was my and my lady’s plan when we arrived, only the report we received was not that sweet. Rain at the high elevations and no end in sight for a couple of days meant Arthur’s Pass would have to wait a few days. If we were just here to ski this may have presented a bigger problem, but with that report also came that a clean swell was lighting up the east coast and apparently one of the better breaks in the country, Kaikoura, should be delivering as a result.
    
    The no-vibe vibe is a good vibe.
    
    Stoked to get our surf on and armed with local advice, we pointed ourselves north. After a gorgeous rural drive along the rugged coast, passing winery after winery, and sheep after sheep, we arrived to a spot straight out of the Lord of the Rings. Huge white-capped mountains hung high overhead, and out in the water was a point-break peeling so perfectly I mistook it for a total clone of California’s Malibu. The difference? Absolutely no one was out. It was actually a tad eerie. We wondered why no one would be here when the waves looked so good, so much so that I actually started to question if we were at the wrong spot. We weren’t. After some time in the water we were finally joined by a few others. The group collectively reveled in our good fortune, and all agreed that this is what travel is all about. Adapting to the weather, situations beyond your control, and surrendering to the flow. Surfing a break like Kaikoura, albeit with a wetsuit, is what adapting to adventure in New Zealand can bring the open traveler. Perfect waves, no crowd, and no vibe.
    
    Perfect waves peeling in.
    
    But just like the skiers we are — sticking around became limiting. There’s so much to see and do on New Zealand’s South Island that after a couple of days camping for free, right on the ocean, we still had to venture out and get to some snow. So we took off with our map and looped back toward Arthur’s Pass in hopes to score.

    Of course there's tons of sheep.
    
    Arthur’s Pass is gem. The mountain scenery is matched with pristine forests and innumerable kilometers of hiking trails, known as “tramping” to the Kiwi’s. Our plan was to visit the Broken River Ski Club and possibly Craigieburn, but there was a spot along the way that had to be checked first. Castle Hill is a rock climber’s paradise. Limestone boulders and crags dot a surreal landscape as the snowy Southern Alps fill the skyline. Although there’s many roped climbing opportunities in the area it’s the bouldering that’s world-class. Grassy landings and hundreds if not thousands of problems await the eager climber. The thing is, unless you’re a total badass don’t get bummed when you can’t pull down on a grade you’re used to killing back home in the states. This place is an ego killer, but at the same time provides another incredible spot worth checking out whether it’s to go for a tramp, do some yoga, or find a nemesis problem that’ll haunt you for years and years until you finally come back and send it. 
    
    Are you beginning to understand how sick it is in New Zealand?
    
    The funny thing about the way our trip lined in the beginning was of course we were in New Zealand to experience all it had to offer, but we were also fired up to ski. A few days into our multi-week trip we hadn’t even touched snow yet, but were so overwhelmed by the gracious people, intense mountain and ocean scenery, and the sublime climbing at Castle Hill that we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything. That is, until we finally made it to Broken River and experienced the distinctly cultural skiing experience only found in the Kiwi club fields.
    
    New Zealand's southern alps.
    
    Stay tuned for part 2 next week.

  • Blog post
  • 11 months ago
  • Views: 330
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• Hiking into the lower sections Hiking into the lower sections of the mountain

  • From: boredsoboard
  • Description:

    This is my first post/trip report, so bear with me. Enjoy...
    
    This past February, chasing my goal to snowboard on all 7 continents, I made my way to Oukaimeden, Morocco, Africa.
    
    Inspired by a Roxy video I found on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLN59EtFEng), the trip was impulsively booked on Christmas Eve with very little research on, well, anything. In the following days I made my first contact with Moroccan locals in Marrakech who advised me, "there is typically no snow on the dates you arrive...you should reconsider bringing your equipment...but...we have exciting camel trips to the Sahara." FML and a very merry Christmas to me!
    
    Hearing this my photographer buddy promptly bailed. I couldn't really blame him, but this did leave me solo and contemplating what I had got myself into.
    
    Despite weeks of research leading up to the February trip, I boarded my flight and was left wondering if I would actually find snow in Morocco. I knew there was a chairlift, I knew there were mountains and I knew I didn't speak Arabic or French. No one had been able to confirm any snow pack or if I had a place to stay when I arrived.
    
    It turned out to be the most epic snowboard trip of my life.
    
    I had arrived in Marrakesh and found myself a riad/guest house, Mama Marrakech, right in the middle of 'old town'. Stay here if you ever go. I pulled my board bag through the old wooden doorway only to find stacks of surfboards, not snowboards, and awkward glances from the other tourists. Most thought I was crazy and reminded me of the record snowfall Europe and North America was receiving.
    
    After a restless night sleeping on single mattress on the floor, I woke early to negotiate a 3 hour cab ride from Marrakech to the the Atlas Mountains and my final destination of Oukaimeden - a steal at only $35. The roads were dotted with stone huts, goats and camels. They became windy as we passed through various peaks climbing up 3000m towards the snowline. Finally, at shortly after 9am we had arrived.
    
    Oukaimeden was like no resort I had ever been to. The muddy street was bustling with delivery trucks, shuttle busses and of course goats and donkeys. There were several run down chalets painted in tones of pink and yellow, but not an obvious hotel in sight. My driver was happy to take me to one called Hotel Ju Ju. They promptly offered me a room for $80 or $120 if I wanted a view. This was ten times more than I had paid the night previously in Marrakech. My driver seemed to be insulted at this offer and pulled me to the next chalet. After a little negotiating they agreed to open a dorm situated over the boiler room. It had 2 bunks and would only cost me $23 a night including meals. Done!
    
    I payed and tipped my driver and gave him some ski shop stickers for his kids. The hotel allowed me to change in a janitors closet so I could hit the slopes ASAP. I rushed out the door and headed for the chairlift in the distance. A wave of heat consumed me, as did a heard of donkey shuttlers, each one offering me a ride to the chairlift for one or two dollars. Of course I took them up on this. Who wouldn't?
    
    The ride was 15 minutes to the base of a steep 1000m vertical chairlift. We passed the beginner tow ropes, more donkeys, ancient stone villages, make-shift ski rentals hocking 30 year old gear that was sitting in mud puddles and of course lots of local stares.
    
    More stone huts awaited me at the base, one of which was a ticket booth. I paid $10 for my day pass and went to board the lift. I hadn't even noticed it wasn't running. I found a local who spoke some english who explained that the lift would not open unless 4 people bought day passes. I thought to myself, "For $40 I could get this lift going?" As I pondered this the chairlift hummed into motion.
    
    It was bizarre to board a ski lift decked out in all the latest gear while surrounded by locals in burkas, not to mention I was the only snowboarder. A young Moroccan scurried through the line to ride next to me. He introduced himself on the lift explaining that he was "professional skier from Cassablanca...first class all way. He be me guide." Sure, why not.
    
    He proceed to take me right to the top - 4200m according to the signs. We unstrapped and hiked for 10 minutes. I dropped into one of the most terrifyingly epic runs of my life. Think about riding Whistler's Spanky's Ladder on an icy early season day except the cliffs surrounding you are 300-400m drops. I raced behind my per-teen guide at mach speed dodging exposed wires, safety-netting and boulders. Coming out of the thick of it he caught an edge and slid down 200m of icy slope before he was caught by a safety net. I edged down to make sure he was ok only to find a 300m cliff on the opposing side of the net. He was smiling ear to ear telling me that some people lose skies over that edge. Really? That should be the least of his worries.
    
    After a few more harrowing runs the locals were eager to see what snowboarding was all about. We built a little lip onto a rock ledge behind the base of the of the lift. I sessioned it for about an hour drawing crowds from time to time, even giving my autograph out to a group of teens. This must be what pros feel like. Lucky bastards!
    
    The evenings were relatively quiet, but myself and four other European and Canadian travellers did manage to find beer. As it turned out, it was school holidays in Casablanca and the chalet I thought I was staying in was actually a ski school for children. The school kids would kindly pester us and I rewarded them with shop stickers from home. Even my 'guide' would show up from time to time to introduce me to his friends.
    
    After three more days steep icy riding I was ready to head off. Prior to leaving for Morocco Gnu came through hooked me up with a snowboard to donate to the local shredders. My initial plan was to donate the board to a kid like my guide, but realizing I was staying in a ski school I thought they might get the best use of it. The kids were stoked! I can't even explain it. Each one thanked me as I left. A ski school became a ski AND snowboard school. We snapped a quick photo and I was off. By the next day I would be riding camels in the Sahara.
    
    Snowboarded in Africa? Check.

  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 115
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• Rentals Rentals

  • From: boredsoboard
  • Description:

    This is my first post/trip report, so bear with me. Enjoy...
    
    This past February, chasing my goal to snowboard on all 7 continents, I made my way to Oukaimeden, Morocco, Africa.
    
    Inspired by a Roxy video I found on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLN59EtFEng), the trip was impulsively booked on Christmas Eve with very little research on, well, anything. In the following days I made my first contact with Moroccan locals in Marrakech who advised me, "there is typically no snow on the dates you arrive...you should reconsider bringing your equipment...but...we have exciting camel trips to the Sahara." FML and a very merry Christmas to me!
    
    Hearing this my photographer buddy promptly bailed. I couldn't really blame him, but this did leave me solo and contemplating what I had got myself into.
    
    Despite weeks of research leading up to the February trip, I boarded my flight and was left wondering if I would actually find snow in Morocco. I knew there was a chairlift, I knew there were mountains and I knew I didn't speak Arabic or French. No one had been able to confirm any snow pack or if I had a place to stay when I arrived.
    
    It turned out to be the most epic snowboard trip of my life.
    
    I had arrived in Marrakesh and found myself a riad/guest house, Mama Marrakech, right in the middle of 'old town'. Stay here if you ever go. I pulled my board bag through the old wooden doorway only to find stacks of surfboards, not snowboards, and awkward glances from the other tourists. Most thought I was crazy and reminded me of the record snowfall Europe and North America was receiving.
    
    After a restless night sleeping on single mattress on the floor, I woke early to negotiate a 3 hour cab ride from Marrakech to the the Atlas Mountains and my final destination of Oukaimeden - a steal at only $35. The roads were dotted with stone huts, goats and camels. They became windy as we passed through various peaks climbing up 3000m towards the snowline. Finally, at shortly after 9am we had arrived.
    
    Oukaimeden was like no resort I had ever been to. The muddy street was bustling with delivery trucks, shuttle busses and of course goats and donkeys. There were several run down chalets painted in tones of pink and yellow, but not an obvious hotel in sight. My driver was happy to take me to one called Hotel Ju Ju. They promptly offered me a room for $80 or $120 if I wanted a view. This was ten times more than I had paid the night previously in Marrakech. My driver seemed to be insulted at this offer and pulled me to the next chalet. After a little negotiating they agreed to open a dorm situated over the boiler room. It had 2 bunks and would only cost me $23 a night including meals. Done!
    
    I payed and tipped my driver and gave him some ski shop stickers for his kids. The hotel allowed me to change in a janitors closet so I could hit the slopes ASAP. I rushed out the door and headed for the chairlift in the distance. A wave of heat consumed me, as did a heard of donkey shuttlers, each one offering me a ride to the chairlift for one or two dollars. Of course I took them up on this. Who wouldn't?
    
    The ride was 15 minutes to the base of a steep 1000m vertical chairlift. We passed the beginner tow ropes, more donkeys, ancient stone villages, make-shift ski rentals hocking 30 year old gear that was sitting in mud puddles and of course lots of local stares.
    
    More stone huts awaited me at the base, one of which was a ticket booth. I paid $10 for my day pass and went to board the lift. I hadn't even noticed it wasn't running. I found a local who spoke some english who explained that the lift would not open unless 4 people bought day passes. I thought to myself, "For $40 I could get this lift going?" As I pondered this the chairlift hummed into motion.
    
    It was bizarre to board a ski lift decked out in all the latest gear while surrounded by locals in burkas, not to mention I was the only snowboarder. A young Moroccan scurried through the line to ride next to me. He introduced himself on the lift explaining that he was "professional skier from Cassablanca...first class all way. He be me guide." Sure, why not.
    
    He proceed to take me right to the top - 4200m according to the signs. We unstrapped and hiked for 10 minutes. I dropped into one of the most terrifyingly epic runs of my life. Think about riding Whistler's Spanky's Ladder on an icy early season day except the cliffs surrounding you are 300-400m drops. I raced behind my per-teen guide at mach speed dodging exposed wires, safety-netting and boulders. Coming out of the thick of it he caught an edge and slid down 200m of icy slope before he was caught by a safety net. I edged down to make sure he was ok only to find a 300m cliff on the opposing side of the net. He was smiling ear to ear telling me that some people lose skies over that edge. Really? That should be the least of his worries.
    
    After a few more harrowing runs the locals were eager to see what snowboarding was all about. We built a little lip onto a rock ledge behind the base of the of the lift. I sessioned it for about an hour drawing crowds from time to time, even giving my autograph out to a group of teens. This must be what pros feel like. Lucky bastards!
    
    The evenings were relatively quiet, but myself and four other European and Canadian travellers did manage to find beer. As it turned out, it was school holidays in Casablanca and the chalet I thought I was staying in was actually a ski school for children. The school kids would kindly pester us and I rewarded them with shop stickers from home. Even my 'guide' would show up from time to time to introduce me to his friends.
    
    After three more days steep icy riding I was ready to head off. Prior to leaving for Morocco Gnu came through hooked me up with a snowboard to donate to the local shredders. My initial plan was to donate the board to a kid like my guide, but realizing I was staying in a ski school I thought they might get the best use of it. The kids were stoked! I can't even explain it. Each one thanked me as I left. A ski school became a ski AND snowboard school. We snapped a quick photo and I was off. By the next day I would be riding camels in the Sahara.
    
    Snowboarded in Africa? Check.

  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 77
  • Not yet rated

• Welcome to Oukaimeden Welcome to Oukaimeden

  • From: boredsoboard
  • Description:

    This is my first post/trip report, so bear with me. Enjoy...
    
    This past February, chasing my goal to snowboard on all 7 continents, I made my way to Oukaimeden, Morocco, Africa.
    
    Inspired by a Roxy video I found on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLN59EtFEng), the trip was impulsively booked on Christmas Eve with very little research on, well, anything. In the following days I made my first contact with Moroccan locals in Marrakech who advised me, "there is typically no snow on the dates you arrive...you should reconsider bringing your equipment...but...we have exciting camel trips to the Sahara." FML and a very merry Christmas to me!
    
    Hearing this my photographer buddy promptly bailed. I couldn't really blame him, but this did leave me solo and contemplating what I had got myself into.
    
    Despite weeks of research leading up to the February trip, I boarded my flight and was left wondering if I would actually find snow in Morocco. I knew there was a chairlift, I knew there were mountains and I knew I didn't speak Arabic or French. No one had been able to confirm any snow pack or if I had a place to stay when I arrived.
    
    It turned out to be the most epic snowboard trip of my life.
    
    I had arrived in Marrakesh and found myself a riad/guest house, Mama Marrakech, right in the middle of 'old town'. Stay here if you ever go. I pulled my board bag through the old wooden doorway only to find stacks of surfboards, not snowboards, and awkward glances from the other tourists. Most thought I was crazy and reminded me of the record snowfall Europe and North America was receiving.
    
    After a restless night sleeping on single mattress on the floor, I woke early to negotiate a 3 hour cab ride from Marrakech to the the Atlas Mountains and my final destination of Oukaimeden - a steal at only $35. The roads were dotted with stone huts, goats and camels. They became windy as we passed through various peaks climbing up 3000m towards the snowline. Finally, at shortly after 9am we had arrived.
    
    Oukaimeden was like no resort I had ever been to. The muddy street was bustling with delivery trucks, shuttle busses and of course goats and donkeys. There were several run down chalets painted in tones of pink and yellow, but not an obvious hotel in sight. My driver was happy to take me to one called Hotel Ju Ju. They promptly offered me a room for $80 or $120 if I wanted a view. This was ten times more than I had paid the night previously in Marrakech. My driver seemed to be insulted at this offer and pulled me to the next chalet. After a little negotiating they agreed to open a dorm situated over the boiler room. It had 2 bunks and would only cost me $23 a night including meals. Done!
    
    I payed and tipped my driver and gave him some ski shop stickers for his kids. The hotel allowed me to change in a janitors closet so I could hit the slopes ASAP. I rushed out the door and headed for the chairlift in the distance. A wave of heat consumed me, as did a heard of donkey shuttlers, each one offering me a ride to the chairlift for one or two dollars. Of course I took them up on this. Who wouldn't?
    
    The ride was 15 minutes to the base of a steep 1000m vertical chairlift. We passed the beginner tow ropes, more donkeys, ancient stone villages, make-shift ski rentals hocking 30 year old gear that was sitting in mud puddles and of course lots of local stares.
    
    More stone huts awaited me at the base, one of which was a ticket booth. I paid $10 for my day pass and went to board the lift. I hadn't even noticed it wasn't running. I found a local who spoke some english who explained that the lift would not open unless 4 people bought day passes. I thought to myself, "For $40 I could get this lift going?" As I pondered this the chairlift hummed into motion.
    
    It was bizarre to board a ski lift decked out in all the latest gear while surrounded by locals in burkas, not to mention I was the only snowboarder. A young Moroccan scurried through the line to ride next to me. He introduced himself on the lift explaining that he was "professional skier from Cassablanca...first class all way. He be me guide." Sure, why not.
    
    He proceed to take me right to the top - 4200m according to the signs. We unstrapped and hiked for 10 minutes. I dropped into one of the most terrifyingly epic runs of my life. Think about riding Whistler's Spanky's Ladder on an icy early season day except the cliffs surrounding you are 300-400m drops. I raced behind my per-teen guide at mach speed dodging exposed wires, safety-netting and boulders. Coming out of the thick of it he caught an edge and slid down 200m of icy slope before he was caught by a safety net. I edged down to make sure he was ok only to find a 300m cliff on the opposing side of the net. He was smiling ear to ear telling me that some people lose skies over that edge. Really? That should be the least of his worries.
    
    After a few more harrowing runs the locals were eager to see what snowboarding was all about. We built a little lip onto a rock ledge behind the base of the of the lift. I sessioned it for about an hour drawing crowds from time to time, even giving my autograph out to a group of teens. This must be what pros feel like. Lucky bastards!
    
    The evenings were relatively quiet, but myself and four other European and Canadian travellers did manage to find beer. As it turned out, it was school holidays in Casablanca and the chalet I thought I was staying in was actually a ski school for children. The school kids would kindly pester us and I rewarded them with shop stickers from home. Even my 'guide' would show up from time to time to introduce me to his friends.
    
    After three more days steep icy riding I was ready to head off. Prior to leaving for Morocco Gnu came through hooked me up with a snowboard to donate to the local shredders. My initial plan was to donate the board to a kid like my guide, but realizing I was staying in a ski school I thought they might get the best use of it. The kids were stoked! I can't even explain it. Each one thanked me as I left. A ski school became a ski AND snowboard school. We snapped a quick photo and I was off. By the next day I would be riding camels in the Sahara.
    
    Snowboarded in Africa? Check.

  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 84
  • Not yet rated