Utah’s own Black Diamond Equipment has gone and innovated again. It’s no secret that the company has been working on a new, game-changing avalanche airbag system, and so it was that the JetForce pack was on display at the Outdoor Retailer 2014 Winter Market. And for proof that the pack is the mac daddy of…
Outdoor Retailer All Mountain Demo 2014
The Outdoor Retailer 2014 Winter Market returned to Salt Lake City, and as usual, it all began at the All Mountain Demo at Solitude Mountain Resort. While we didn’t have an opportunity to test out new skis and boots this time around, we did get to check out some new products on hand, and narrowed…
Videos: Ski-BASE Hellgate and BASE Jump Squaw Peak
Clayton Hoyt Butler and Amber Bellows are two Utahns that clearly were born to fly, and not just because that’s the tagline of their blog. This couple travels all over Utah looking for cliffs to jump from, slopes to Ski-Fly, scenery to enjoy and wildlife to admire. But it’s new videos of this gravity-fueled duo…
New Backcountry Enthusiast Magazine Announced
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding has exploded in popularity in recent years, both in user numbers and sales of backcountry-specific gear. In response, a new backcountry skiing and splitboarding-centric magazine will hit newsstands later this year. Ascent – Backcountry Snow Journal will be distributed all across the west, for free, starting fall of 2014. Our good…
Register now for RAGNAR Trail Zion
It’s time to start training for RAGNAR Relays! If you’re like me, then you’ve run the RAGNAR Wasatch Back a few times already and are looking for something new. Well, how about a trail-running RAGNAR at Zion National Park? The RAGNAR Trail Zion returns this April for a world-class, trail running epic adventure. A trail…
First Look: 2015 Atomic Bent Chetler
Atomic athlete Chris Benchetler’s pro model ski, the Bent Chetler has become a favorite among powder skiers of the last five years. I got to ski the 2014 model this season at Alta (you can read my thoughts here) and enjoyed these big, burly sticks as they busted through crud and broken-up powder pillows with ease….
Out of Boundary: Backcountry Yurt Skiing in the Uinta Mountains
The smell of gasoline fills my nostrils, a high-pitched whine fills my ears, and a bumpy vibration fills the space between my legs. I’m riding on the back of a snowmobile down the Mirror Lake Highway toward the Ridge Yurt in the Uinta Mountains, thanking God that we don’t have to haul our gear and…
Video: Leo Ahrens, January Ninth
Videos about skiing at Alta are beautiful, mostly because it’s hard to shoot anything ugly at the place… there’s beauty all around! But if you add in a ripping skier, shredding on a powder day to soulful, grey music, accompanied by the artistic musings of white-boy-afro-painter Bob Ross talking about how to create mountains, and…
Alta trip report: snow finally returns to Utah
Boy has it been a slow start to the ski season. What began as a promising winter in October with a few big storms quickly led to a high-and-dry December where what little snowpack we had rotted away under immovable high-pressure systems. Well, that all changed in the first week of January as a series…
SheJumps and UAC offer Women’s Backcountry 101
Backcountry skiing is at an all-time high right now, as more and more people buy AT gear and skin into the mountains. But things like avalanches can be intimidating or even a deal-breaker, so education is key. The Utah Avalanche Center, along with SheJumps, are teaming up to offer the Women’s Backcountry 101 course. If…