Falling snow and balmy temperatures helped kick off the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Retailers and exhibitors headed to Snowbasin Ski Resort, west of Ogden, to test out new products. The All Mountain Demo at OR, presented by Mountain Hardwear and Clif Bar, attracted about 1000 manufacturers, retailers, and media for this one day event….
Tag: Skiing
Sundancing to the extreme
This month thousands of people will to flock to Sundance while thousands of people will flock Sundance. Not a typo, but a reality! And it can only happen during January in Utah. While formally adorned moviegoers residents call ‘black coats’ try to mesh with local skiers and snowboarders in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival,…
Photo essay: Creamy turns in Cardiff Fork
When it hasn’t snowed in weeks, many skiers (myself included) avoid resorts like the plague. When in-bounds skiing consists of scraping down styrofoam ramps and bruising the knees on icy moguls, the backcountry holds the only soft snow that can be found. Sheltered north-facing slopes were promising, but all other aspects were covered in sun…
Organic nutrition: Iced Sports Drinks review
Backcountry skiing, mostly because of the need to skin uphill to the top of a mountain, is a great cardio workout. But you never see nutritional drink products geared specifically toward backcountry skiers. Image a Gatorade-style commercial of free-heelers ripping up the slopes, then hiking back up for another lap as they sweat neon green….
Two days in Mill D: A ski tour photo blog
Skiers like to say, “even when the skiing’s bad, it’s good.” In the case of backcountry skiing in Utah during a low snow year, a little creativity and knowing where to go can yield nice results; such as soft snow weeks after the last major storm. Even if there isn’t a face-shot in sight, being…
A contrast of conditions in Grizzly Gulch
After backcountry skiing in Grizzly Gulch twice in the last week, the difference in snow conditions was stark. The lack of snow, coupled with both sunny and cloudy days, wreaked havoc on the quality of the snowpack. The first day was bluebird with fine, recrystalized powder that was days old. There were a few sun-crusted…
‘Swift. Silent. Deep.’ film review
“Swift. Silent. Deep,” a movie that chronicles the history of the legendary Jackson Hole Air Force, is touted by the filmmakers as “the first true historical documentation of hardcore ski culture in the United States.” After watching the movie on DVD, I decided that statement is as true as the sun rises in the east….
Snowbird offers $20 discount on “red air” days
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort has come up with a novel way to get people on the slopes and above the unhealthy air in the Salt Lake Valley. This “Red Air” discount of $20 off tram and chairs lift tickets on any day issued as a red air quality alert in Salt Lake County means…
Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket review
The search for the perfect backcountry ski shell that breathes on the up but protects from the elements on the down can be a frustrating one. It’s a difficult task to find the balance between breathability and water resistance, so when a soft shell like the Patagonia Ascensionist Jacket comes along that does both and…
Backcountry skiing the East Couloir of Kessler Peak
For moderate backcountry travelers, skiing the East Couloir of Kessler Peak can be a character building experience. First there is the steep 3,000 foot climb up a massive avalanche path called Argenta that leads to the top of Kessler. Then the couloir awaits. The East Couloir is something one may not ski normally due to avalanche danger….