Alpine skis have undergone a lot of revolutionary designs in the past 20 years. From shaped skis, powder, twin tips, rocker, and reverse camber, it seems every year a new design changes the skiing world. Just when you think nothing else can be done to the shape of skis, Ogden-based Salomon comes along and challenges…
Author: Jared Hargrave
Old ski maps revive Utah’s skiing past
When I was a kid, I always loved to spread ski maps out on my bedroom floor and pour over them. I would trace my fingers down the runs, imagining myself skiing through those trees, or maybe someday dropping that cliff band, just like Glen Plake. So when Eric Wagnon, the Skiing Examiner, brought SkiMap.org…
Backcountry skiing Flagstaff Mountain
Flagstaff Mountain (also called Flagstaff Peak) is right across the road from Alta, is very visible to everyone skiing there, and is accessed by a skintrack that begins right in town. All of this makes Flagstaff arguably one of the most crowded backcountry ski areas in the country. But that’s okay, because the terrain you…
Mountain Khakis Alpine Utility Pant and Webbing Belt review
Outdoor pants need to be burly. If you have a favorite pair of pants, you take them everywhere. You wedge them in cracks while rock climbing, bushwhack with them through mountain foliage, subject them to errant sparks around a campfire, and expose them to spilled beer in smoke-filled pubs. To withstand such abuse, your favorite pants need…
Bid on Black Diamond Drift Skis and help the Utah Avalanche Center
Looking for new backcountry touring skis this season? Well, you can buy some new sticks and help out the Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) at the same time. A shiny new pair of Black Diamond Drift skis with custom Utah Avalanche Center graphics are on auction at Ebay. These skis are brand new, still in the plastic, are…
Get real time Utah Avalanche Center info on your phone
Imagine you’re skinning up for some backcountry skiing in Days Fork near Alta. You checked the avalanche report in the morning and feel good to go as the day is forecast to be a moderate, level 2 rating. Just as you enter avalanche terrain in a high elevation area, your phone chirps with a new…
“Snowvember” allows more Utah ski resorts to open early
After yet another epic storm pounded Utah, ski conditions are unbelievably good for this early in the season. The latest round of storms dropped over two feet in some Wasatch Mountain locations, allowing a few resorts to open weeks earlier than anticipated. And in the case of Deer Valley, it’s no soft opening. On Saturday,…
Patagonia R3 Hi-Loft Jacket review
Fleece is so 1990’s. At least that’s been the case for the past few years as the micropuff jacket has dominated with superior warmth and compressability. But 2010 may mark the comeback of the classic fleece if the Patagonia R3® Hi-Loft Jacket is any indication of the future. The R3® Hi-Loft Jacket is a step back to…
Utah Outside holiday gear wish list 2010
The holiday season is upon us and there’s bound to be an outdoorsman/woman in your life who only wants expensive outdoor gear for Christmas. I don’t blame them. In fact, I’m with them. Over the past year there has been a lot of awesome new gear released, and each of them would make your loved…
Wasatch Touring/Alta Ski Resort Telemark and AT Demo
Buying new skis is a big decision. Like any expensive item, you want to know if a ski is right for you before pulling the trigger. However, the only way to know for sure is to try a new pair of skis out for yourself. But in order to demo skis, shops usually charge $40…