Where Will You Ski Today?

We've Moved!

2009-03-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

We’ve been busy keeping Where Will You Ski Today updated with stories and adventures for the past year and a half, and the time came to make some changes. We've relocated the Karhu Blog to our own URL with a new platform, so please update your bookmarks with the new address:

New Karhu Blog Address: www.WhereWillYouSki.com

Rest assured we're still updating as frequently if not more so, but the new platform gives us some cool new toys, and lets us present more content. We’ve also added some new stuff. Keep your stoke engine running with some Karhu wallpapers for your desktop, or click on the Cinema of Snow category and see all posts with video.

Be sure to click over and check out the XCD History Project, where starting in March and running throughout this season, we will bring you interviews, stories, a look at archival gear, photos and video, and much, much more. Join us as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of XCD, and share in our vision of mountain energy.

We’re pretty excited about the new look for Where Will You Ski Today, and we hope you'll update your bookmarks and keep reading over at our new URL: www.wherewillyouski.com.

Be well and ski well,
Graham Gephart

High Pressure Pow

2009-02-23T08:54:00.001-08:00

One week out until a bunch of our office heads up to BC for a week of hut touring and shooting photos. VMT guide and Karhu athlete Evan Stevens sent us this update to start off the week, with more snow starting to fly just in time:

Well, the high and dry has set in up north in British Columbia, which means it has been dumping down south. I don’t mind so much, because it means its time to get back into the alpine and ski the BIG lines in more stable snow. When things set up right, you can really tuck your way up into the mountains inhospitable nooks and crannies, and do some amazing skiing.

Here is a video from last week of me and a bunch of skiers from the Reno area…enjoy!

Powder in the Sierra

2009-02-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

A quick post with a little teaser of the new snow that hit the Sierra Nevada in the past week...

I was lucky enough to join Karhu rep Justin Singer and a group of California and Nevada Karhu retailers for a day of cat skiing with Pacific Crest Snowcats yesterday. After a week-long storm, the skis cleared up, and we enjoyed a full day of fresh turns on cold north-facing slopes. Glad I brought the Team 130s... it was deep! Here's a quick tease, more video to come:

Karhu - Powder day in Tahoe from Graham Gephart was shot with a VholdR helmet cam.

Another Adventure Ski

2009-02-17T10:57:00.001-08:00

Another weekend, another adventure. We finally broke out of the corn cycle in the PNW last week, but not by much. A mid-week storm left 6-10” of new snow across the Cascades, mostly at the upper elevations. Without the dedication to drive a couple hours south to Rainier or north to Baker, we set out to find what we could locally. Saturday backcountry from the resort gave us some beta on aspects and elevations, and on Sunday we headed off to a new zone looking for the goods.

The trailhead started us low, and we knew we’d be in for hiking for a while. The snowshoe trail took us back up a river valley, making good time in spite of slippery hiking and multiple stream crossings. Doubts grew, as we knew that eventually we’d have to bushwhack off the trail up to the ridge above us, an uninviting prospect with firm snow and thick trees. After gaining some ground up a few switchbacks, we finally found a stand of old growth that might allow access to the ridge.

(No new snow down here, Lulu Bael and Chris Barchet start to go up. Photos by Graham Gephart.)

One foot after the other, we set our bootpack. Firm snow slowly softened to a thinner crust with a dusting on top, and the steps became easier. The forest thinned and eventually the sky became visible ahead, as we burst out of the trees just below the ridge. After a long morning and a stop for lunch, we were finally able to put our skis on for skinning.

(Breaking out of the trees, looking back at last week's ski on Granite Peak.)

Wind had hammered up high the night before, leaving a variable pack from a few inches of hard slab to mid-shin drifts. We covered ground up the ridge quickly on skins, getting a read for the new terrain, and trying to evaluate the snow around us. East-facing chutes looked enticing above the bowl, but an initial pit changed our plans to ascending a west-facing line of trees instead. Getting near the top, thick fog beset our skin track, and our minds could only imagine much of our new surroundings.

(Tempting-looking chutes on the east-facing ridge, but too much wind.)

(Lulu and Chris skinning up in the fog and rime.)

The topo placed us on a high shoulder two-hundred feet from the true summit, but with nothing visible directly in front of us, it was clear that our climbing had come to an end. We’d scouted some routes down while climbing, and we’d positioned ourselves well over a diagonal chute that held good snow.

(There's a summit out there somewhere.)

After nearly 6 weeks since the last powder in the Cascades, the first turns felt great. The heavy, wind-blown snow held the perfect consistency down the double-fall line of the diagonal, with thin breaks of trees holding deep drifts.

(Lulu looking down the diagonal.)

Before bottoming out the basin, we traversed back out to the ridge. We hit our ascent track nearly perfectly, and looked back on our line with some pride and amazement. We’d found our way up to someplace new, changed our plans after evaluating the stability, navigated the zone cleanly in tough visibility, and found some great turns along the way.

(Finally, Lulu gets some fresh powder turns.)

There was still more descent to come, a fast dust-on-crust ski through the old growth that returned us to the hiking trail. We tried skiing out the luge run, but too many stream crossings and teeth chattered loose from the tree-littered, frozen hardpack kept us from getting all the way out on skis as we had the week before. Skis back on our packs, we walked the final stretch back to the cars with tired legs and big smiles.

(Fast tracks out the luge run.)

Learning Early

2009-02-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Great photo via email last week from Drew Hardesty of the Utah Avalanche Center, of his son Wyatt “laying the blue on thick.”

I have a lot of fond memories of doing the same on cold mornings out in my dad’s barn in Vermont. Looks like Wyatt knows what he’s doing!

Ski What You Climb

2009-02-10T09:15:00.001-08:00

When the long days of spring hit, eventually the unbalanced tour becomes inevitable. High snowlines force long approaches, and suddenly half the descent moves to foot instead of ski. A reality of spring, yes, but not one that I was mentally prepared for in early February in the PNW.

Nonetheless, on Saturday we found ourselves looking at the likely end of a beautiful-looking line only halfway between the peak and the car. The open corn gullies on Granite Peak towering above us dwindled into an alder-choked abyss with open waterfalls. It looked like we’d be bootpacking 4000’ feet up, and skiing only 2000’ back down. But the weather was nice, and we were desperate for good turns in the midst of the northwest’s dryspell.

(Lulu Bael, Elizabeth Lozner, and Charlie Lozner geared up for the climb. Photos by Graham Gephart.)

We headed out the hiking trail on foot, leaving our skins in the car. The hiking trail alternated between dirt and snow, but off to the sides the snow offered a hint of promise. It was thin, dimpled like a golf ball, covered with a layer of evergreen branches and needles, and threaded with cascading streams, but the ground cover sparked the thought that perhaps it would be linkable all the way out to the car. The challenge was on.

The warming air turned to hot sun as we cleared the gully into the alpine two-thirds of the way up, sweat pouring off down our backs with each step on the bootpack... up and up to the top, the highway fading far into the distance below.

(Charlie and Elizabeth climbing to the sun.)

(Looking south to Rainier, the road far, far below.)

From the summit, the day rang clear blue, with visibility from Mount Baker to the north all the way to Adams in the south, and the Olympics rising above Seattle’s persistent fog to the West. The full month’s consolidation of snow had softened perfectly, that smooth, soft thin surface corn that allows precision hero turns. After several spring jaunts in knee-deep schmoo, February would turn out to offer the best corn skiing I’ve had in Washington yet. Make do with what ya got, I guess.

(The view over to Snoqualmie Pass.)

(Karhu's Charlie Lozner enjoying the corn.)

(Lulu Bael loving life, a long way still to go.)

Descending far down the gully, the smiles never faded even as the brush closed in. The challenge was on, and pulling every adventure skiing move out of the bag – the forearm brush block, quick wheeling pivot turns, exstream skiing, short dirt hops, hooking trees to turn or stop.

(Then, things got thick.)

(Lulu Bael, exstream skier.)

(Graham on an imposing, rocky stream crossing. Photo by Charlie Lozner.)

The descent eventually slowed to a crawl as we crossed the last obstacle, picking our way through a snowy marsh beset with massive deadfall. But one last tree to cross, and we skied out right to the bumper of the car. It may have been a spring approach and skiing in February, but we still managed to keep our skis on for a full descent that matched our climb. All in all, a great day in the mountains.

-Graham Gephart

(Lulu skis it out to the end.)

New England Deep

2009-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Two photos for Monday stoke from WhereWillYouSki.com reader Peter Wadsworth…

The 2008 Christmas Eve melt-out is well forgotten now in New England. It’s been cold, brutally at times, and snowing for several weeks straight. As the creeks and stream beds have firmed up and the Mt Mansfield snow stake has crept up over 70” we’ve been trying to hit some of the backcountry lines that are only open for a short time every year. This particular day was an 8+ hour tour that yielded tons of steep and deep turns, finishing by headlamp well after dark.

(Jessie Willow-Janowski puts in the work. Photo by Peter Wadsworth)

(Jessie Willow-Janowski reaping the rewards. Photo by Peter Wadsworth)

World's Biggest Karhu Skis?

2009-02-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Jeremy in customer service emailed me this photo this morning... quite possibly the world's biggest Karhu skis?

(Photo from Katharine on Picasa)

Looks like they're from 100 Mile House, in British Columbia, between Lillooet and Prince George. They're billed as the world's largest cross-country skis, not just the world's biggest Karhus.

High Pressure, High Routes

2009-02-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Our recent trip to Salt Lake City for Outdoor Retailer gave us a good chance to catch up with many of the Karhu athletes and ambassadors near and far, chatting about upcoming plans, getting out for some skiing, gathering product feedback, brainstorming on new ideas, and much more. We had to split to Vegas for the SIA show immediately after, but a few of the crew hung out in the Wasatch for more skiing. The storms have long passed, but Evan Stevens stayed on and took advantage of the recent high pressure to tackle some Utah classics:

All of you VMT devotees...I am in Utah right now, so some trip reports from down there. The word at VMT though is snow, and more snow. Probably close to a meter in the last week, with Dale telling me that there was close to 30cm of new snow this morning and more on the way.

Some folks in Salt Lake City see the high pressure on the weather map, hold their breath and hang up their skis. Others like Andrew McLean charge 10 in 10 days, or myself, I try and get after some longer higher tours that I haven't done in a while, especially since I live in British Columbia these days! Back home in BC, the storms are rolling in, with lots of weak layers being preserved by the more northerly colder temper regime (I am snow geeking out here!). But part of the beauty of the high desert is the strong high pressures and rapid stabilization of the snowpack in these warmer temperatures.

Blah blah blah. You can log on to the Utah Avalanche Center website, and see for yourself, the decreasing avalanche danger. Not that it is fully greenlight out there right now (is it ever?), but things are pretty good and I am slowly building my confidence in the snowpack here and ramping up some tours in some bigger areas.

Sunday we started off with a tour from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Mill Creek via Reynolds Peak, the Wilson Chutes and Gobbler's Knob. Lots of ridge walking in the sun, and great settled, soft and consistent powder on the north facing shots. With a car stashed in Mill Creek, we got to ski out over 4,000' down the NW side of Gobbler's in amazing snow as well. I'll let the Google Earth image and the photos do the rest of the talking.

Google Earth image with our tour drawn in

Walking along Gobbler's Knob Summit Ridge

Richard drops into the Wilson Chutes

Looking 4,500' down the last run of the day to Porter Fork!

Today (Monday) we decided to tackle the crown jewel of the Wasatch, Mt. Superior, with some skiing in Cardiac Bowl and a long and beautiful ski out Mineral Fork. We went for the long ascent of the East Ridge of Superior for the added ski mountaineering aspect of the day and summit climb. Once again some great north facing settled powder and some billy goating on ridges and entrances so we can sneak into Mineral Basin where hardly anyone had been. Maps and photos will give you the full picture instead of my babbling...

The East Ridge of Superior. Classic.

Hiking up the East Ridge.

Dreamy and creamy turns down from the Summit of Superior.

Poking around to find the entrance into Mineral Fork

Mineral Fork void of tracks

Get out there and enjoy it while you can, I have 4 more days until I head back up to the land of snow (Canada). The weather forecast says at least 2 more days of high pressure here in Salt Lake though... hmmmm.

Skiing With Friends

2009-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Posting a quick note from ski pioneer, longtime friend, and Karhu supporter Chip Chase of Whitegrass, WV:

“Faith is never lost when skiing with friends.”

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday and called for six more weeks of winter, which is a great thing for skiers in the Mid-Atlantic. The forecast for Whitegrass is calling for 4-8” of snow in the higher elevations on top of the current base there. Get out there and ski with Chipper!

Monday Stoke

2009-02-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the radio silence, but after two weeks on the road in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas for the Outdoor Retailer and SIA tradeshows, we’re finally back in the office. There’s a huge backlog of emails, messages, blog entries, and skiing to be done, but here’s a little “good to be home” stoke.

We caught up with Karhu athlete JT Robinson at OR, freshly home in UT from a trip to Japan with Sweetgrass Productions. JT described some incredible powder during his trip, and Sweetgrass just released a little teaser from their January filming with a couple shots of JT in it. Without further ado, your Monday stoke:

Quick Pic from the Road

2009-01-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

We're on the road in Utah this week for the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market tradeshow, and then in Las Vegas all next week for the SIA tradeshow. We had great weather yesterday for the OR Backcountry Basecamp at Snowbasin, UT, with lots of folks psyched on their Karhu ski demos.

Things are pretty busy on the road, but I thought I'd share this photo from the weekend's sunny weather in the Northwest. The snow was pretty poor skiing, but Saturday's views from the Tatoosh Range just south of Mount Rainier National Park could not be beat:

(Chris Barchet, Charlie Lozner, and Elizabeth Lozner looking out at Mount Rainier. Photo by Graham Gephart.)

Alta Stoke

2009-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Photographer Stephen Gelb sent us these three snapshots from Alta recently, of Matthew Tosi from Alta’s Rustler Lodge ripping on Karhu Team 100s just after New Year’s Day. Great images, and great stoke... love how the cold smoke and the clouds hang together against the blue sky background. Thanks Stephen and Matthew!

(All photos by Stephen Gelb.)

Eastern Sierra Avy Center Kick-Off

2009-01-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

From Karhu friend Nate Greenberg at the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, just after the New Year:

It’s been a few weeks since the Season Kickoff event for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, and I finally feel like I have caught my breath. The event itself was a great success, raising over $4,000 for the Center and getting folks psyched for another winter of great skiing in the Sierra.

Putting this event on every year takes a tremendous amount of work, and is a constant learning process for us. It is an extremely rewarding process, though, serving as a reminder about why we do what we do. Giving back to our community of supporters – friends & family of years past, and those new ones that just keep getting added – is really what it’s all about for me, and is where I draw most of my energy from. Support from the Industry at large is amazing as well, and without this, our job would be impossible. Many thanks, again, to Charlie & Graham and the entire Karhu staff for their continued support of the Center… we owe you guys. Mammoth Mountain Ski Patroller John Trusdale is now a proud owner of a brand new pair of Storm BCs – courtesy of you guys. He needed them. Badly.

(John Trusdale with his new rides.)

Like the past two Season Kickoffs have done, this one brought the second major storm of the season that really got things going for us. As with most everywhere in the west, this season has been a bit weird. Most people haven’t been skiing for more than three weeks, yet somehow we have managed to rack up 15 avalanche fatalities already in North America. [Since Nate's email, that number has sadly jumped to 23 fatalities in North America.] Call it what you will – early season anxiousness, funky snow-packs due to slow season start, whatever – but we’re in the double digits and just reached 2009. People continue to make decision making errors and put themselves in situations in the backcountry which threaten their life.

What really scares me though, is the wrath of in-bounds accidents that have occurred so far this year. Outside of the deaths and major incidents that have taken place at a number of west-coast resorts in the past couple weeks, Mammoth (and others) has had several moderate size post-control avalanches hospitalize patrollers and friends for broken ribs and internal injuries. Having family and friends on patrol here and at other resorts, I know how much work they put into control measures and trying to make the area safe for skier & riders. I also know that there is only so much they can do, and given the market pressures to get things open quickly, there is always going to be a certain element of uncertainty out there.

I’ve been skiing with a beacon in-bounds on storm/post-storm days for several years now, and just this year started carrying a small pack with a shovel and probe. As skiers & riders, I believe it’s vitally important to know what’s going on with conditions and take responsibility for our decisions and actions whether in-bounds or out. Practicing smart and safe travel and skiing techniques is all a part of having fun and being safe responsible. The resort should be a good place to keep those skills sharp – not a place to just turn your brain off and go. Obviously, neither is the backcountry.

Happy New Year to all of our extended friends in this amazing community. Let’s all work together to make 2009 winter as safe, fun and amazing as possible, while we rip it up on some new Karhu skis!

Storm Diaries

2009-01-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

The skies opened up last week in a deluge of unimaginable proportions, at one point dropping 7” of rain on Snoqualmie Pass in a 24-hour period. The avalanche danger spiked with the weight of the saturated snow on some weaker layers underneath, and the roads and ski areas all closed. A few Summit locals passed the time stranded at the Pass by documenting the road conditions (“bare & wet”) with summer-like enthusiasm.

Post-storm, the snowpack appears to be much more homogenous, eliminating some lurking layers that threatened large slides throughout the season. However, the changing conditions during the storm unleashed unprecedented destruction in a number of places. The moderately sloped main run of Hyak ski area the Pass, a regular touring site for early season or high avalanche danger, slid to the ground on Wednesday with massive amounts of mud, taking out a couple lift tours and hitting at least two homes at the base.

The rain has now passed here, and we're setting up for warm temps but sunny skis for the near future. Skiing should be nice and soft, but we really need some new snow to fill in the holes and creek beds, and cover all the rain runnels for touring.

Further north and east, Evan Stevens sent us the update from Valhalla Mountain Touring that the lodge seems to have weather the Pineapple Express with all snow. Glad to hear, as we’re heading that way in March, and the snow keeps piling up there:

While the coast has been getting rain of biblical proportions, the interior of British Columbia has been getting pounded by METERS of snow. We have had avalanches run that have not run in anyone's living memory. Up at Valhalla Mountain Touring, we have been braving the weather in the safe tree skiing right out our door, and not stepping any further away. Making ski decisions in times like this in the backcountry is easy, avoid anything even remotely close to avalanche terrain at all costs! The clear weather is here, so now we will get to see what kind of damage mother nature has caused. Here is a bit of a video diary from last week, enjoy!

Walloped in the PNW

2009-01-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a storm for your "stick to the ground shoes", as someone said yesterday in the office. The PNW is getting walloped by a massive Pineapple Express right now, and most of the skiers are taking cover indoors. The snowpack has been spooky through many of the mountains, and hopefully all this moisture helps things settle eventually, or at least gets them to run their course over the next day or two.

If you've been thinking about heading into the mountains, take a look at the excerpts from the NWAC forecast from Tuesday:

...Natural or human triggered slides should become certain Tuesday afternoon.

...Extreme danger does not adequately emphasize the extent of the anticipated avalanche potential for large, destructive slides that involve most of this winters snow cover.

...Slides should run full depth and range up to 6 to 10 feet deep or more, with some running full path distance, expanding or extending current paths and destroying mature timber.

Let's see how things look later in the week, shall we?

(Photo from Route 2 over Stevens Pass last year. Photo by the WSDOT. The same road is currently closed with a slide over all four lanes of the highway.)

Getting Deep at VMT

2009-01-05T12:42:00.001-08:00

Storm season is in full force, and the interior of BC continues to do well. Karhu ambassador Evan Stevens keeps sending us reports to drool over, and we’re getting excited for a trip up there in March. Here’s the latest from Evan:

It might sound like a joke, but lately the snow has been coming in by the foot, not by inches. The storm hose is pointed right on British Columbia, and the cold smoke just keeps piling up at Valhalla Mountain Touring. We are in full swing here, with the 3rd straight week of operations, and this week has a bunch of friends from UT and CO up here to ski the pow. But instead of ranting and raving, and storytelling, I will let the pictures from the last 2 days do the talking.Get up here! We still have some spaces for this winter! All photos by backcountry.com's Tommy Chandler.

(Me checking out the snow as the season starts, keeping it safe.)

(Jasmin testing out the snow on yet another storm day.)

(Lindsay Yaw asks for the snorkel.)

(Me trying to get above the snow, but that is hard to do right now!)

(Jonn Webb taste-testing the snow.)

New Video from JT Robinson

2008-12-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

Great new video today from Karhu athlete JT Robinson. From deep powder to monster front flips and big air, the video showcases some of JT’s best moments from last season, from Utah to Europe. Great stoke to get you pumped up for the New Year and the storms on the way.

J.T. Robinson...Skier from J.T. Robinson on Vimeo.

Loving Old Man Winter

2008-12-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Big snows across the country this week. Seattle has been snowbound for the past week, and skis have been better than cars for getting around town. On the other side of the country, it will be a deep white Christmas in the Northeast this year. Brian Mohr checks in after a winter solstice ski:
He makes us shiver. He makes us sweat. He also brings incredible joy to our lives...

Welcome back Old Man Winter.

We love you.

Brian and Emily
Moretown, VT

(Skiers: Andy Weis, Dylan Crossman, Emily Johnson - Mad River Valley, Vermont - Winter Solstice 2008)

Tree Skiing in VT

2008-12-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Forgetting a few days of rain and ice, the Northeast seems to have gotten off to a great start this year. Surfing around last night, I found this recent helmet cam video from Stowe and the Adirondacks last week. Definitely some skilled combat skiing and technical lines up high at Stowe from these guys…

POV Skiing Stowe/Dacks 12/9/08 from Allen Taylor on Vimeo.

Cold, Cold Smoke

2008-12-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Things keep getting better up in the Valhallas, where Karhu ambassador Evan Stevens is trying to stay warm in BC.

The arctic air mass has taken over British Columbia. I know what you're thinking. It's Canada, you all live in igloos and it is cold all the time. But alas, no, SW BC is actually quite mild in the winter, and that is what makes skiing here so great-it's not frigidly cold! Right now it is so, so, so bitterly cold here that we can't even really ski on shady slopes. The snow is so cold that your wax just doesn't work.

It has made for some interesting plan changes for me this week. Originally I was supposed to be skiing in Roger's Pass. We did two days there, and it was literally some of the coldest outdoor recreation I have ever taken part in. We skinned up to treeline one day, only to be met by 25km/hr winds at -24 degrees Celsius. For you math majors out there, that equals a -40 degree Celsius wind chill (and -40 is where Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same!). This arctic front also brought with it heinously strong winds, jacking all the snow at treeline and in the alpine.

We decided to pull the plug and head a bit south to the family's lodge in the Valhallas. A bit of protection from the wind and slightly warmer temps tempted us and Valhalla Mountain Touring has delivered yet again. We have just spent the last 2 days tracking out the cold powder, first a bit in the trees, and then today in the blazing sun. I gotta tell ya, it might be freezing cold out, but that is the bet time ever to ski the pow in full sun, the snow just stays as cold smoke all day long!

So, a video here to keep you psyched, and some photos from today as well...

(Benny and Jas racing for freshies. Photos by Evan Stevens.)

(Richard heading towards sunny powder on Rugged Peak.)

(My Karhu Storms getting psyched for 2 grand of cold smoke.)

(Richard steals some of Benny's powder.)

First Tour in the PNW

2008-12-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Rain was still falling in the pre-dawn darkness on Saturday morning, but the chill in the air confirmed what we’d seen on the mountain telemetry data. The arctic system that blew in on Friday packed a punch, leaving 18” of snow down to mid-elevations and bringing a much-needed start to winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Crystal opened the lifts to the south, but we gathered the troops and swung north to follow the heaviest part of the storm. With little existing base, we headed to the closed Stevens Pass ski area, with the hopes of a tune-up tour and some powder without too much damage.

(Karhu Brand Director Charlie Lozner checks out the liftline on the backside. Photos by Graham Gephart.)

We certainly weren’t the only ones with the idea, but there was enough snow to go around. Winter suddenly felt very real again, and I realized how much I’d missed the patter of snowflakes falling on my steaming head and shoulders while skinning. From the top, we skied a couple laps, the muscles coming back into the groove more and more each time.

(Bruce Jahnke from the test lab crosses a water hazard.)

(Development engineer Chris Barchet goes exstream skiing.)

The lack of base meant enough hazards – rocks, down logs, open water – to break up any real long flow of turns. But there was enough to link a few together, and we even found one little pillowy section that teased at the goods to come.

(Elizabeth Lozner makes short work of the pillows.)

By the time we climbed up for our third lap, the snow picked up again with urgency. In no time flat, we were all climbing with shoulders covered in a solid inch, and a light puff emerged from under step as the skis slid forward on the skintrack. All in all, a great warm up to start the season, and looking forward to more to come.

(Chris leads back up for more turns.)

(Acculumation on the skintrack up, can't wait for more.)

K2 Tall Mountain – Mixed Emotions

2008-12-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

This morning we have a pretty special post from Dave Watson, who spent his summer climbing and skiing abroad in the high mountains of Pakistan. Dave’s K2 Tall Mountain Expedition was covered on the blog throughout the summer, with weekly and sometimes daily reports on the conditions, their adventures on Broad Peak and K2, and general life on a mountaineering expedition. They faced challenging weather, conditions and watched emergencies unravel firsthand. While Dave’s group was preparing to move from Broad Peak to make an attempt on K2, tragedy struck several climbing parties high up on the K2. The K2 Tall Mountain team assisted where they could, and stayed on an empty mountain afterward, hoping for improving conditions that never arose before making the decision to hike out. Dave sent over this entry a couple weeks back, after his return to the States had allowed some reflection on the ever-changing balance of risk and reward as we pursue adventure.

As I start to gather my ski gear and take inventory of what I need for the upcoming winter in the Himalaya, I think back to last winter in Kashmir and the past summer in Pakistan. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent 6 months of the last year in the Pir Panjal and Karakoram ranges of the Himalaya. And now, 5 weeks away from another 3 month adventure in Kashmir, I can't help but think of how these trips are affecting my life, especially my marriage.

Shane McConkey and Jeremy Jones joke about the Gone Husband Award. They keep track of how many days they are away from their families and my days away equal more than both of theirs combined. Not proud of it, in fact I think it's really lame, leaving my wife to take care of the house, yard, bills, vehicles, food shopping, loneliness, happiness, horniness. She is incredibly supportive and also incredibly busy, working over 100 hours a week. It is so unfair of me to put this on her, to leave yet again. I feel like such a douche. But the mountains, especially the Himalaya, keep calling me back. Is this addiction? The desire to do things in excess, especially when they are potentially harmful to you. The feelings I get in the high mountains are as nourishing as the love of family and friends, feelings so strong they can not be put into words.

(Broad Peak basecamp, K2 in the background. Photo by Dave Watson.)

It used to be that when I got back from a trip I would feel recharged and ready to jump back into the rat race once again. The feelings of renewed motivation and change of perspective have waned over the years and now it is hard to find the motivation to compete even the simple tasks of the western lifestyle. Scrubbing the tub seems so lame as I daydream about skiing breakable crust at 25,000 ft in no-fall terrain or trying to clip into Dynafit bindings while hanging off of an ice screw on a 70 degree slope.

(Dave Watson takes XCD Guides over 20,000 feet on Broad Peak. Photo by Chuck Boyd.)

These expeditions let me experience and explore nature and the human psyche in ways only found in survival situations. As I am not-so-slowly finding out, these incredibly intense situations are becoming the most satisfying moments in my life. I am not a gambler in the traditional sense, and I do have fear, but to be breaking trail at 28,500 ft with the world below gives exhilaration beyond words.

These moments can also have incredible consequences. This past summer on K2, 11 men never went home, and their wives, children, parents and friends must some how come to terms with how a person that they loved had put their own "selfish" desires above the responsibilities and obligations of being an active participant in a life that they themselves had built. Death is a very real possibility when recreating in alpine terrain, it isn't fair that something that gives me so much joy and a feeling of purpose (which is ridiculous) could cause the people I love the most to lay awake at night in fear and worry that I may not come home. If those fears are realized, lives are changed forever.

(Sunrise on K2. Photo by Dave Watson.)

It isn't only those who are left at home who are affected by the loss, witnessing your partners death will have the same outcome. I met an awesome couple this summer, same age as me and my wife, married the day after we were, many common friends and interests. They were climbing K2 together, and he'll never be seen again. I could hardly look her in the eyes, overwhelmed with incredible sadness. I couldn't help but see Audrey's face with same expression of shock and pain, eyes red and rocked to the core. Since then, I've had many nights alone in a tent, thinking about why and how I should change my life, but when I step out of the tent in the morning and look at the South face of K2 in the cold crisp air, I want to ski it even more.

It is almost like a mid-life crisis for my ski mountaineering career. I can see the end closing in on me, babies. Once we have children I've vowed to not attempt extreme lines on 8000 meter peaks. And with children on the horizon I feel this is my only feasible chance to send something this big. I hope the challenges of fatherhood can provide an alternative outlet for my focus and energy, and I'm sure it will. But for now I see the next couple years as my last chance to ski K2. I'll never be younger, stronger and faster than I am now. I just need the opportunity to try it.

(Dave Watson and his Spire BCs in front of K2. Photo by Andy Selters.)

Last summer I went to try it, but because of the weather, I never got a shot at it. In the three months spent on the Godwin-Austen below K2 and Broad Peak there were only about 10 days of good weather. Much of that was spent acclimatizing to the extreme altitudes only found in the Himalaya, the other days were spent making an attempt on the summit of Broad Peak.

(Sunrise in the Karakoram Mountains, Broad Peak summit day. Camp 3 (7000m) is visible in the distance. Photo by Dave Watson.)

I didn't summit Broad due to fatigue. That fatigue made me concerned for my safety. Trying to ski the summit ridge in a tired state would be a mistake, so I decided it wasn't the right time and I turned around for the first time in a really long time. I had 1 more month in the area, more than enough time to make and attempt again on Broad Peak and on K2. The weather never allowed another day of skiing.

So as I gather my gear and tune some skis in anticipation of another awesome winter of powder skiing in the Himalaya, I have mixed emotions. My last run started at over 25,000 ft on the 12th tallest mountain in the world, and was AWESOME! Huffing and puffing while negotiating breakable crust and 2-foot-high sastrugi on 50-60 degrees then onto wet cement "powder" at 30-40 degrees then to frozen corn at 50-70 degrees then to shave-able corn at 50 degrees and then to rock strewn slop and cramponing down another 3000 ft to the bottom. So epic! So enjoyable! A true BIG mountain line.

I also think about Audrey, as I gather my Avie gear. Where I'll ski this winter has incredibly huge and destructive slides that go every storm cycle. The risk is manageable and acceptable. But the thoughts of her working 16 hour days then having to shovel snow, do the food shopping and all else that I can barely muster the motivation to tackle, it doesn't seem fair. I go from the high of reminiscing of high-mountain skiing to the lows and feelings of lameness for putting such a burden on my awesome partner.

I don't know if I'll ever get comfortable with these feelings or situations, I'm sure things will change, they always do. Will I find some other, safer and more responsible way to fulfill the need to be satisfied with my youth? We'll see, but for now I just want to ride powder.

Finally, Winter in BC

2008-12-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

From the office in Seattle, we were greeted by a glimpse of new snow blanketing up high this morning. It looks like the snow line is still too high to make good use of yet, but perhaps the season is getting closer to its start. After a few weeks in Coastal BC, Karhu ambassador Evan Stevens apparently got too antsy and headed inland for snow at Valhalla Mountain Touring. Here’s an entry from him:

Living on the coast of British Columbia has its pluses and its minuses. The rainy fall, when the snow line hasn't lowered down, can be quite tough. I have spent the last two weeks desperately trying to find some winter outdoor recreation: 3 skiing attempts, and 1 ice climbing attempt. Actually, the 2 days of clear and dry weather were some of the best days of bouldering I have had in Squamish!

(First turns at Valhalla Mountain Touring for 2008-2009. Video courtesy of Evan Stevens.)

But quietly in the interior of British Columbia, winter has started, and about a meter to a meter and a half (3 to 5 feet for the yanks) has slowly started to pile up, and just this last storm cycle a good half a meter has just been added. I did all that I could in the face of more rainy weather on the coast and packed up my truck to drive to the interior.

As my friend pointed out today, I luckily married into a backcountry ski lodge in this zone, and guide their full time in the winter. So I took advantage of that with my wife, father-in-law and dog to go test out the ski legs in our own private backcountry ski paradise at Valhalla Mountain Touring. I shot some video of the day, so I will let that speak for itself. Winter is in full swing here, and the powder is dry and fluffy. Besides we have to start training our new puppy for his winter of ski touring - as you can hear from his yelping in the video, he was having fun.

Come join the fun! We still have a few spaces left on trips this winter...

Avalanche Risk Study

2008-12-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Interesting news story on Ski Press this morning on a recent study completed by Albi Sole at the University of Calgary Outdoor Center. From the story:

…Albi Sole, program co-ordinator for Public Avalanche Awareness Programs at the University of Calgary Outdoor Centre, has just completed his masters degree research profiling who’s at the highest risk of being involved in an avalanche incident. According to Sole, the most likely subject is a male backcountry skier, 25-29 years old, with a bachelor’s degree or higher and earning about $10,000 over the provincial Alberta average. Being accompanied by a woman tends to reduce the risk, while having taken avalanche training does not.

“The risk was at least as high among those who had training as those who didn’t,” says Sole. “The message here isn’t that avalanche training is the problem. It’s just that training opens the door to a recreational activity that is very valuable to this group. For these people the risk they take is more than compensated by the rewards they get. It would obviously be far more dangerous to do these sports without proper training.”

Read the full story at Ski Press here.

Danger…

Giving Thanks – 2008

2008-11-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

It’s been an incredibly busy fall, but we at Karhu are finding much to be thankful for as we head into a couple days off with family and friends. We wish all of you out there a happy holiday and great turns in the mountains. Signing off for the long weekend, here are a couple thoughts from Karhu folks on what we’re thankful for:

I am thankful for my amazing wife who has supported my love for mountains and encouraging my career choice in the snow sports industry! Thanks, Denise!
-Ryan Lilly

What an easy thing to do, to be thankful, yet we often take so little time to do it. I have always had a love-hate relationship with holidays, the consumption, the commercialism, the materialism, yet, when I learned to make it what is important to me I realized how great Thanksgiving and Christmas are. We take time from our busy lives to find our friends and family, spend time together, show our love, and enjoy life.

This year I am most thankful for everyone who tries a little bit to be a better person, who inspires me to want to be a better person, to give back more to impact less, to tread lightly, to meet a new culture, to live outside of my comfort zone.

I am thankful for a new era, hope, less violence and a new President.

And lastly I am thankful that it is already snowing in the mountains in Chamonix, France, and winter fun is on its way!

Hugs and happy holidays,
-Zoe Hart

Thanksgiving.... what a wonderful thing to celebrate. Here in the west we have much to be thankful for this year. A new president will soon take the reigns and hopefully guide us towards a more sustainable future, one that will still include the cold snowy days of winter that we as skiers love.

On a personal note, I am thankful that my family - mother, father, sister, and one daughter - will join Lisa and I in our remote corner of the world for the Thanksgiving holiday. There's only a dusting of snow here now but it is cold, sunny, and beautiful....
-Nils Larsen

It’s been an incredible year full of great skiing and trips, and I’m thankful that the New Year brings the opportunity to do pursue more adventures. I am thankful for having friends and family close by this holiday, and as always, for the support of my amazing fiancée, who shares the same deep love of mountains and snow.
-Graham Gephart

(Charlie Lozner, Jeremy Roper, Larry Goldie, Justin Nyberg, Steve Barnett and Nils Larsen, thankful for good turns in the North Cascades. Photo by Graham Gephart.)

North Cascades Pic of the Week

2008-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Snow’s getting a little closer here at our home in the Pacific Northwest. Larry Goldie from Karhu partner North Cascades Mountain Guides sent us his picture of the week:

NCMG Picture of the Week: Paul Butler laying down some tele turns on lightweight gear on Slate Peak 11/22/08. Given that the approach required several miles of skiing on the Harts Pass Road and conditions were kind of thin, XCD gear was the obvious way to go. We skied over 3000 vertical feet and never once put on skins.

For more on Karhu Partner North Cascades Mountain Guides and their skiing programs, visit http://www.ncmountainguides.com/

Deep in VT

2008-11-26T10:17:00.001-08:00

It looks like the Northeast has much to be thankful for this week, after a big storm up high in the Green Mountains left outstanding conditions for skiers at Jay Peak, Stowe, Mad River Glen and Sugarbush. Photo tip from Where Will You Ski Today reader Peter Wadsworth over the weekend:

More photos from Peter here.

More from Whitegrass

2008-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

After last week’s first big storms around Whitegrass, WV, Karhu rep Doug Reilley made the trip over to Chip Chase’s legendary touring center to make some turns. Looks like great fun, and much to be thankful for as we approach the holiday.

Whitegrass Touring Center is open with snow that skiers don't usually see until mid-January! I met up with my friend Dave Barnett and his family (wife Robin and 2 boys; James 12 and Ben 10) for a day of freshies at Chipper's

(Heading up 3 mile towards Cabin Mt.)

We ascended to the top of Round Top where the snow was about 18" off trail, then headed to the top of Baldy.

The snow was pretty incredible with about 6"-8" of fresh powder over top of the base that had been rolled and frozen overnight. We skied through some pretty cool trees and drifts on the way up and over Baldy (about 4300' in elevation) as the snow got better and better!

(West Virginian snow ghosts.)

(Top of Baldy (4300') with Canaan Valley Ski Resort and National Nordic in the background.)

(Drifts on Baldy Boundary trail.)

The snow on the section of Baldy Boundary below Baldy Steeps was a bit thin but very skiable and led down to some premium powder at the right edge of Springer Orchards

Looks thin in places but turned out to be the best snow of the day! Laurie's incredible food at the lodge capped off a great day of WV ski touring in November...a rare treat!

A short video clip from Doug of Springer Orchards, definitely storming!!

Whitegrass is Open!

2008-11-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite ski report in the US brought good news today for Mid-Atlantic skiers. Longtime Karhu friend Whitegrass is open for business with a good cold spell in West Virginia’s Canaan Valley.

(Photo courtesy of Whitegrass and VisitCanaan.com.)

Here’s what the Whitegrass report says:
All trails are open and skiable with some 6-12" on the ground, it will pack down to an inch or two yet it is dumping again this morning! Hard!!! Will start grooming any minute now and plan to be fully operational until mid April! Hot soup is on. Schools are closed. Open this weekend for skiing, likely in powder conditions. Early is soooo good!

We are at least two weeks ahead of any year of our history; the trails, bridges, snowfarm, ability to groom, rental and sales shop...

WWA Action Alert: Protecting Winter in Yellowstone

2008-11-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

Over the wires from Karhu backcountry partner Winter Wildlands Alliance, a new Action Alert on public comment for winter use in Yellowstone National Park. WWA recently won a victory in the US District Court that struck down the dramatic increase in the number of snowmobiles allowed each day in the Park. The National Park Service is now working on a temporary plan for winter use, and the public comment period ends on Monday, November 17. Take a few minutes and help WWA in its support for a quiet backcountry in our most pristine settings:

Next Step for Protecting Yellowstone

We are making significant strides in restoring clean air and quiet in Yellowstone National Park and we need your help to make sure these healthier conditions for visitors and wildlife continue.

For nearly eight years, the Bush Administration has refused to follow laws that would best protect our country's first national park. After more than ten years of scientific study, the administration decided last year to propose a plan that actually would have grown back a larger number of noisy, polluting snowmobiles than Yellowstone has seen on average during the past five winters. We took the Administration to court and won. In his ruling, Judge Emmet Sullivan found the Interior Department negligent in its duty to be good stewards by allowing increased air pollution, impacts to wildlife, too much noise, and most importantly, not abiding by its mandate to conserve the park unimpaired for future generations. That plan was ruled illegal.

Now, the Park Service must develop a temporary plan for this winter to make sure the public can visit Yellowstone and it is still proposing more snowmobiles each day than the daily average of the past five winters. You have a chance to comment on it, but the window to do so is short. The deadline for comments is November 17, 2008.

This should be and can be another step towards phasing-out snowmobile use in favor of snowcoaches, which offer a more environmentally-friendly way to access the park for skiing, snowshoeing and other winter adventures. Your voice can make a difference.

Please, take a few minutes right now to urge the Park Service to heed its own science and protect Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Read the full Action Alert here, and below is the procedue to make your comments known to the National Park Service:

Go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/, then select Yellowstone NP in the "Choose a park" menu, then click on "New Temporary Winter Use Plan and EA," then click "Open for Public Comment" from the menu on the left, then click the "2008 Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment" link, and finally click the "comment on document" link. How's that for a streamlined government process?

South America Stoke

2008-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Back in May, Where Will You Ski Today reader Scott Fennell sent us a killer report of a fly-in touring trip into the Neacola Range in Alaska. Fast-forward six months, and Scott dropped another email, this time with a trip report packed full of stoke from about 8,000 miles to the south. Here’s a little taste of Scott’s adventures in Chile and Argentina. Not a bad year for Scott’s well-traveled Jak BCs…

South America, 05OCT-28OCT 2008
It´s time to go skiing. It´s time to go skiing like you mean it. Looking for an appetizer to our main course of skiing adventure in Antarctica, Kellie and I planned a trip to South America…

(Bears in paradise. Photos by Scott Fennell)

…My bears were asked to do a lot of different things on this trip: GS turns when wet slough was chasing me, couloir jump turns when sandstone was squeezing me, and lots (and lots) of uptrack time…

…Three weeks of skiing hard on this continent was an amazing experience. But looming over us the entire time was the prospect of skiing in Antarctica on Doug Stoup´s Ski Cruise 2008. As it turned out, our boat, the Lyubov Orlova, failed it´s inspection with the Argentine port authorities and the expedition had to be cancelled. It´s really sad. But I´m excited to go next year, I´m happy we skied the living heck out of South America. I suppose my life is pretty good if the worst thing that can happen to me is my Antarctica trip getting postponed and me having to go home and ski cold Alaskan powder.

Read on here for the whole report (lots of great photos).

A Dozen More Turns

2008-11-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

It’s especially hard to resist the temptation of a fresh powder slope when you haven’t skied for six months. The anxious excitement from a fall spent ski dreaming has whipped your mind into a frenzy, and the last thing you want to do is turn away from the first untouched line of the winter, the one you’ve waited so long for.

The early season excitement can act like a blinder on your normal backcountry sense. That’s why it’s so important to keep your avalanche knowledge and backcountry protocol in mind at the same time you’re daydreaming about that first run.

If you’re in the Seattle area, kickstart your avy savvy for the season by attending the Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit (NSAS) on Saturday with Karhu and NWAC. If you live in the Rockies, Wasatch, Sierra or elsewhere, check your calendar for an avalanche seminar in your neighborhood, or take a few minutes to watch Amber Seyler’s A Dozen More Turns.

Take 30 minutes to watch the film, and then send it to another backcountry skier you know. Seattle skiers, I hope to see you at NSAS on Saturday to hear Sam Kavanaugh (from A Dozen More Turns) talk about his experience.

Rocktober in the Adirondacks

2008-11-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

After a spate of recent storms, the trip reports are coming in from all over the country. Last week, the Northeast caught an early Arctic blast, and the storm was especially gracious to the skiers of the Adirondacks in New York. Karhu rep Mike Kaz seized the opportunity to run out for early season XCD turns at Whiteface…

Rock-Tober 29th 2008

"After a few days on the road clinicing I received a phone call from my wife. "Did you hear how much snow we are supposed to get? Feet. I've blocked out my schedule in the morning to get the kids to school so you can get an early start up to the mountain." I knew I married the right woman! I raced home from Buffalo Tueday night through snow squalls and wind arriving at 11pm. I was up and out the door by 7am to head to Whiteface Mountain for a solo tour up the Toll Road on the backside and get some early season turns.

An annual tradition for the local ski crew, the Whiteface Toll road ascends a gentle 8-9% grade for 5 miles and takes you within 300 vert of the summit. A quick hike sans skis gets you a 360-degree view of the Adirondack Mountains. Not today though!

At the Toll Road gate there was anywhere from 6-10" of packed and blowing snow, but quickly as I toured up on my XCD Guides, accumulations looked to be more like 12-14" in places and even deeper (thigh high) in wind-drifted corners.

It was VERY windy and cold. It felt more like late January than October. I reached the upper slide of the road-side shots and it almost looked skiable. I packed my skis, threw on my crampons and booted up the shot to give it a look. Bottom half was fine, but we still needed a bit more up top to make it go. I'll give'r another time.

Near the top of the slide, a little bushwacking through to the top of the road, then on to the summit.

Back off the summit, skis on and down I go through a solid base and boot-top powder. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday morning. As I skied down, at least a dozen or more Adirondackers were on their way up for some October stoke. Welcome Ski Season!"

Skiing in Mammoth and the ESAC Fundraiser

2008-11-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

A great entry came in last night from Karhu friend Nate Greenberg down in Mammoth. Nate brings the news of Mammoth’s opening and the start of the season, as well as a big event coming up next month for the Eastside backcountry community. Nate and his wife Ali work incredibly hard with a group of dedicated backcountry users to lead the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC), and it sounds like they’re putting together an incredible celebration and fundraiser for ESAC for Dec 12 & 13. We're proud to support ESAC and their cause at the Season Opener with some killer new skis for raffle, so mark your calendars now, and don’t miss out!

(The storm clears at Mammoth. Photos courtesy of Nate Greenberg)

When I woke up yesterday, the first major winter storm of the season was rolling in and shrouding the upper elevation peaks. By the time I went to bed, it was raining in town…

It’s funny how it always seems to happen this way, regardless of the year, or the exact time of year. Mentally, I am still transitioning out of summer mode, hanging onto the last pools of warmth – chasing sunlit climbing spots, enjoying some fall weather mountain biking, or getting in some last minute hikes before the preferred mode of travel becomes the ski.

At the same time, it seems that most of the rest of the world surrounding me is jonesing for the flakes to fall. There is an immeasurable, but clearly present excitement, buzz, stoke – call it what you will. People start talking about how big a winter they think it will be. The superstitions come out; ‘Last one was a dry one, so this one’s sure to deliver…’, ‘The pine cones are sure big on this year…’, ‘The squirrels sure seem busy…’

People start asking me what I think too; “What are the models saying?”, “La Nina?”, “El Nino?”, “Cold & Wet or Warm & Dry?” I’ve got my own superstitions though – I try not to look at the weather this time of year… at least not until that first storm has landed and dropped some snow in the hills.

Waking up this morning, I realize that the time has come though. While the first cup of coffee is still brewing in the kitchen, I pull open our blinds to a crystal clear morning and about a foot of new snow blanketing the hills surrounding Mammoth. If you had told me two days ago that I’d be skiing November 3rd, I probably would have scoffed at you. Powder turns on Mammoth Mountain this morning, however, made me a believer. Here we go again!

Being on the board of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, this time of year is also particularly funny for me. While everyone else around is getting fired up, waxing up gear, and writing season tick-lists, I’m working with a small group of dedicated souls to get the Center ready for the season. Though we’re coming into our fourth season (third season as an official USFS Avalanche Center), there are still a set of nagging questions and issues out there that face us every year – the largest of which is surely funding.

As I write this, my dedicated wife is making phone calls and trying to flesh out the details for our Season Kickoff Event, scheduled for December 12th & 13th in Mammoth Lakes. Last year (the second year we put the event together), we brought our homegrown adventure photographer friend, Gordon Wiltsie back to the Eastside and drew a crowd of 250 people to Mammoth Mountain on a stormy day in early December. The event raised $5,000 for the avalanche center and got the stoke going throughout the local community.

This year, we hope to up the ante a bit – growing both the event and the Center – by hosting a two-day Kickoff Event. December 11th will be the local premiere of ‘Harmless’, a Telemark ski film by Stephane Riendeau (Tough Guy Productions) featuring the exploits of Karhu athletes Lorenzo Worster and JT Robinson, among others. December 12th is the main event – beginning with on-hill educational activities sponsored by local guides including beacon searching, companion rescue techniques, terrain evaluation and a seminar by our local avalanche dog program, Eastside K-9. That night, we’re bringing in renowned snowboard mountaineer Stephen Koch from Jackson to talk about being the first person to snowboard the Seven Summits, and his experiences along the way.

The Season Kickoff Event is really our way of giving something back to the community. Of course, it is a fundraiser for us. But more than anything, it’s a way to get the people who love the backcountry as much as we do together to celebrate the beginning of another season. It’s a way to remind people to stay safe while getting it done out there and that the Center is there for their support.

Making the Center a reality is invigorating, and keeping a thriving community of backcountry skiers safe is something that is important to all of us at ESAC. Almost as much as getting out there ourselves, and crossing those items off our own tick-lists…

Have a great season!
Nate Greenberg

Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit

2008-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit is back in Seattle, and Karhu is proud to support this year's event and great line-up of guest speakers. If you're a backcountry skier in the Pacific Northwest, NSAS is a great way to support the avalanche forecasting of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC) and to keep the risks in mind and in perspective as we start the backcountry ski season.

Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit
What: A development seminar for outdoor professionals and an education opportunity for backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
When: Saturday, Nov 8th. Registration runs from 8-9am, and NSAS runs from 9am-4pm.
Where: The Epiphany School, 3710 East Howell, Seattle, WA 98122

Details: The Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit is a full day of snow- and avalanche-related topics with speakers such as Lowell Skoog, Martin Volkken, and Sam Kavanaugh of the avalanche awareness video "A Dozen More Turns". Please join us for a unique opportunity to hear some great speakers talk about interesting, relevant, and educational topics. The cost is $25.00, either through online registration ahead of time, or by cash/check at the door. NSAS is limited to the first 250 registered participants only, so please pre-register if you plan to come.

To register go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/44301

NSAS Speakers:
Garth Ferber – NWAC forecasts: Scientific call or crystal ball?
Don Sharaf – Stability tests: An explanation of various stability tests and their strengths and weaknesses in application.
Martin Volkken – The interplay between likelihood and consequence and motivation and risk
PANEL – Decision-making in high risk environments - perspectives from guiding, highways, and ski areas. Speakers include Craig Wilbour, Margaret Wheeler, Sky Sjue.
Tom Murphy – Decision-making in high-risk environments
Lowell Skoog – Safety and success on a Cascade high route
Sam Kavanaugh – A Dozen More Turns, a story of lessons learned. The film is online here: http://revver.com/video/310519/a-dozen-more-turns/, and will give you an idea of Sam’s perspective.

SNOWBASH
After attending NSAS, keep your day snow-centric and move on to the Tractor Tavern in Ballard at 8:00pm for SNOWBASH, The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Fundraiser. With live music, cold beer, and raffle items for participants you will be sure to have a good time supporting a good cause. Must be 21, and donation of $25.00 for NWAC at the door. For information visit avalanchenw.org.

Snow at Baker

2008-11-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

The rain was pouring Seattle this morning, but up in the Cascades it left a good covering at Mt Baker:

Most Recent Update:
Monday Nov. 3rd 11:30 am: 32-degrees and snowing at Heather Meadows, 5.5 inches of snow.

Winter is brewing! The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the mountains with up to 8-10 inches expected by Thursday. Then things turn a little warmer as the edge of a whopper front moves in off the Pacific on Thursday.

It looks like a heavy hit of precip Thursday and Friday with the freezing level dropping to 3800 feet by Saturday. More snow is likely through the coming weekend. WINTER IS WAKING UP... we'll keep you posted as snow flies.

It'll take a few more storms to get Baker open, but keep your eye on their site.

New Snow and a Vivid Imagination

2008-10-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

A few words from Karhu friend and telemark pioneer Dickie Hall this afternoon…

(Casualty of a vivid imagination. Photo courtesy of Dickie Hall.)

GRAHAM,
MY OTHER SKI IS A KARHU.

MAD RIVER 7-10 NEW AND CREAMY ON MOSS, GRASS, ROCKS AND A VIVID IMAGINAGTION.

MY JUNK BOARD TOOK A BREAK. WORKED FINE FOR SKIING DOWN, IT WAS ONLY BROKEN IN ONE DIRECTION.

DICKIE HALL

Ski It While You Can

2008-10-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Peter wasn’t the only one out skiing last week. Brian Mohr at EmberPhoto checks in with his transition from fall to winter mode:

Weeks of surfing beautiful ocean waves on the coast and running/biking through the brilliant colors of fall in the mountains were finally capped this week by our first day of skiing this season.

Rain turned to snow Tuesday night, and shortly after sunrise Wednesday, we were enjoying a fresh 2-3" of October snow on our favorite, rock-free, moss-laden, leaf-strewn, low-angle runs at our local ski hills.

We linked several top to bottom runs together early in the morning, and then stuck to the higher elevations as the day wore on and the lowest elevations started to burn off.

Cold temps overnight made for another fine early-morning of skiing today... Ground warmth had pushed snow line 300-400' up the mountain, and by lunch time, with the sun shining strong, it was all but gone...

Still, it was a real treat be back on the skis again... If the big brown stripes on the wooly catepillars are any indication, we are in for another snowy winter.

Ski it while you can!

Fast Grass and First Snows

2008-10-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday’s first snows in VT brought out a few of the valley’s ambitious skiers with rock skis, junk boards and a lot of enthusiasm. The first tracks report from the Northeast is in, courtesy of Peter Wadsworth:

I saw one other set of tracks while going up. Get to the top, and who’s sitting there? Dickie Hall, of course. Fitting since he’s the guy that got me started on this sickness in the first place. We hung out for a bit before making some survival turns on down.

Hope you’re all psyched.

(Carter breaks trail. Photos by Peter Wadsworth.)

(Last of the fall color holding on in the snow.)

(Fast grass, first tracks.)

(Excited for winter. )

PNW Fun Raiser

2008-10-23T14:02:00.001-07:00

If you’re a Pacific Northwest backcountry skier, you probably rely quite a bit on the weather and avalanche forecasts of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC) or have heard about the education outreach of the Alpine Safety Awareness Program. Well this weekend offers a great chance to come out and show your appreciation for the fine folks at NWAC and ASAP and all the services that they offer, at their Fun Raiser this Saturday in Bellingham, WA.

What: ASAP & NWAC Fun Raiser
Where: Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, Bellingham WA
When: Saturday, October 25 from 5:30 to 10:00pm
How Much: $10/person or $30/family (all-ages event)
Why: All money raised helps cover the insurance for ASAP to offer their youth and adult avalanche and safety awareness programs with NWAC.

The Goods: All-you-can-eat fish tacos, ASAP/NWAC Ale, music by Bentgrass, and lots of backcountry skiing raffle/auction items.

Karhu is proud to support NWAC and ASAP in their fundraising efforts this season. Come on out for a good cause, and you’ll have a chance to win some new Karhu skis. If you can’t make it to Saturday’s event in Bellingham, mark your calendar for the Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit in Seattle on November 8th. More info to follow soon…

(Karhu's Charlie Lozner does some early season powder wallowing last year. Photo by Graham Gephart.)

From Fall into Winter

2008-10-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Surfing around last night, I found a great video of the changing seasons in VT. Filmed around Vermont’s Mount Mansfield, the footage and editing are superb, and it really captures the feeling of fall in Vermont building to the first snows.

Falling into Winter

(Falling into Winter from Nathan S on Vimeo.)

The timing is appropriate, as last night brought snow across the Green Mountains and a flood of emails from friends about the firsts arrival of winter.

Mad River Mountain Work Days

2008-10-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Want to contribute to get some pre-season hiking, earn a free day of skiing, scout out new lines for the winter and contribute to the stellar skiing at a great local mountain? Come out this Saturday, October 25 for the last Mad River Glen Mountain Work Day of the fall.

From Mad River Glen and Treeskier.com
Purpose: The purpose of Mountain Work Days is maintenance of tree skiing. This involves cutting lines as well as setting aside areas for new trees to grow. Everything is done with hand tools. Work days are organized and led by Jay Appleton in consultation with ski area management. Mountain Work Days are a great chance to get out on the mountain, discover sacred ski terrain, and learn about northeastern mountain forests. It is fun and satisfying to see a ski line take shape, and see how trees can grow with some care.Turn Dividends: Each person who works a full day receives a complimentary day pass voucher for each day he or she works. The voucher is good during the upcoming 2008/09 ski season. You can work as long as you like, but plan on working the entire day to get a day pass.

9am, rain or shine at the MRG base area. Bring a hardy work ethic, warm clothes, lunch and some sharp loppers or trimming tools (no power tools, axes or hatchets).

(Riding up the MRG Single Chair in March 2008. Photo by Graham Gephart.)

Lifts are Running in CO

2008-10-15T11:22:00.001-07:00

With cold temps and a flurry of snowmaking activity, the race was on to be first ski area in the US to open. Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Pass ski areas both lifted up one lift and one run this morning, marking the start of the lift season. The cover’s thin, the run’s narrow – sometimes earning the nickname the “White Ribbon of Death” – but there’s no complaining about turns in October.

(A-Basin blowing some coverage. Photo from Ski Press World.)

From Ski Press:
Arapahoe Basin ski area will officially open for the 2008-2009 ski season tomorrow, Wednesday, October 15, 2008. For the past two years the ski area has been the first to open in the nation and this year A-Basin continues that trend.

The Exhibition chairlift will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. Skiers and riders can look forward to an 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run and some features in the High Divide Terrain Park. There will be no beginner skiing at this time.

Webcam footage of the runs here:
A-Basin - http://www.arapahoebasin.com/ABasin/snow-conditions/web-cams.aspx
Loveland - http://www.skiloveland.com/themountain/reports/snowreport.aspx

Elsewhere in snow country, heavy snowfall blanketed the parts of Montana over the weekend. Great report and photos away from the lifts after some early season backcountry over on TelemarkTips

Wildflower Tours

2008-10-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Scattered snow continues to fall across the mountains, and this weekend brought enough in spots for the first couple turns. Tom Carter emailed us over the weekend with a couple photos to jumpstart our imaginations…

First snow, those old Karhu Lookouts come in handy!!

This is Saturday at 7:00 AM. I call them my "wildflower tours", dried flowers and stalks still poking out of the snow. Beautiful, and like I've always said, "That's what's been missing - glide!"

Redefining Tree Skiing – Video

2008-10-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

A little humor out of Norway this morning, where some ski pioneers are redefining both tree skiing and ski jumping with their own upstart sport…

Ski Tree Jumping

A successful stick still requires quite the dismount.

Snow Hits the Hills

2008-10-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday brought 4 inches of snow to a drive over Berthoud Pass in Colorado. Today I’m back in Washington, and the snow level is lowering overnight. From the Seattle NOAA forecast…

A COLDER AIR MASS WILL INVADE THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON TUESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL PLUMMET INTO THE 3500 TO 4000 FOOT RANGE BY LATE IN THE DAY. ELEVATIONS ABOVE THE 4000 FOOT LEVEL IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES COULD PICK UP 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW BY THE ENDOF THE DAY TUESDAY. THUS DO NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME SNOW IN STEVENS PASS. ACCUMULATING SNOW APPEARED UNLIKELY IN SNOQUALMIE PASS.

(Charlie and Elizabeth Lozner prepare for last year’s first run, early in the winter before the lifts turned at Hyak. Photo by Graham Gephart.)

Win Storm BCs at Avy Benefit and Tough Guy Film

2008-10-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

Reminder to our Alaskan readers that tonight is the Tough Guy Productions’ opening for Harmless and an after-party at Humpy’s to benefit the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. Come on out for some preseason excitement and a chance to win a pair of 177cm Karhu Storm BCs in the raffle.

2008 Karhu Storm BC (128-96-117)

Here are the details from organizer Ira Edwards:

What: Fundraiser for the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and the UAA Phys. Ed. Majors Club.
Where: UAA Wendy Williamson.
Tickets: www.uaatix.com

After the Party: Humpy's has a lot of donated beer, and a portion of any of these 7 beers sold next Thursday, October 2 will be donated to the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. We will also show the TGP movie there after the UAA Wendy Williamson shows. Spread the Word! Thank the Breweries!

Alaskan Brewing IPA

Alaskan Brewing Amber

Alaskan Brewing Summer

Midnight Sun Brewing Sockeye Red IPA

Midnight Sun Brewing Coffee Porter

Moose's Tooth Brewing Fairweather IPA

Moose's Tooth Brewing Pipeline Stout

Tough Guy Productions’ latest film, Harmless

Northwest Mountaineering Journal

2008-09-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Just saw a post over on OffPisteMag.com that the newest issue of the Northwest Mountaineering Journal is out. If you haven’t seen it, the NWMJ is an incredible collection of reports, articles, history and photos from the mountains of the Northwest, all in a clean online layout. In this issue, Summer 2008, editorial team leader Lowell Skoog writes,

“...This issue of the Northwest Mountaineering Journal offers several perspectives on today’s wilderness. Blake Herrington, who worked in Stehekin during summers in high school and college, describes adventurous new climbs in the heart of the “Wilderness Alps of Stehekin.” Articles by Ed Cooper and about the Firey family capture the flavor of Northwest mountaineering from the 1950s through 1970s. Modern tales by Steph Abegg and Pat Gallagher explore seldom-visited corners of the Olympics and North Cascades. And finally, as road and trail washouts haphazardly make the wilderness more remote, Leor Pantilat shows how, with a pair of running shoes and a fresh attitude, it is possible to bring the mountains almost unbelievably closer.”

There are a number of interesting ski endeavors in the Short Reports section, but the most compelling piece is the review of the 0708 season’s deadly toll of avalanches, which struck the outdoor community particularly hard in the Northwest. Author Garth Ferber presents each accident summary with weather and scene reports, as well as great information on the trends of snowpack, issued avalanche warnings, and awareness of avalanche resources in the Northwest like NWAC. It’s a chilling reminder as the ski dreams start of the risk and consequences of our sport and the importance of continued education.

Monday Stoke

2008-09-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

No better way to kick start the fall work week than a little Monday stoke. Let’s reprise the deepest storm of last winter, with a little clip from Alpental’s Elevator:

It's been six months, but the next day's tour still replays often in my dreams.

Avy Benefit and Movie Time in Anchorage

2008-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Less than a week away, Alaska skiers should mark their calendars for the showing of Tough Guy Productions' Harmless and Powderwhores' The Pact next Thursday and Friday. The movies and the Thursday after-party will help raise money for the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. In support of the cause and the good stoke for the season, we've supplied a pair of 177cm Karhu Storm BCs for the raffle. Here are the details from organizer Ira Edwards:

One week till ski movie time!!! Next Thursday and Friday at the UAA Wendy Williamson. SPREAD THE WORD. This is a Fundraiser for the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and the UAA Phys. Ed. Majors Club.

The info about the Powderwhores movie is HERE, and the TGP movie is HERE,in case you somehow missed them before. They are both great flicks, so come both nights! Here is a list of the donated goodies I have in so far as prizes. Make sure to tell all your friends to buy tix at www.uaatix.com, they should be up by Friday...

The deal at Humpy's on Thursday is this: I have a lot of donated beer, and a portion of any of these 7 beers sold next Thursday, October 2 will be donated to the Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. We will also show the TGP movie there after the UAA Wendy Williamson shows. This benefits us skiers and the Motorheads of the world. Spread the Word! Thank the Breweries!

Alaskan Brewing IPA
Alaskan Brewing Amber
Alaskan Brewing Summer
Midnight Sun Brewing Sockeye Red IPA
Midnight Sun Brewing Coffee Porter
Moose's Tooth Brewing Fairweather IPA
Moose's Tooth Brewing Pipeline Stout

For Prizes at the films here is the list so far, and hopefully a lot more will show up in the next week. Thanks again to everyone who helped out this year:
Alaska Geographic - Tour Books
Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking (AMH) - Undetermined Gear and stuff
Alaskan Brewing Company - a LOT of assorted clothing
Alyeska Resort - 4 pair of lift tickets
The Ascending Path - 2 $250 gift Certs towards guided trips and a bunch of T-shirts
Atomic Skis - "Free Tour" tele/AT ski
Black Diamond - "Zealot" Ski and undetermined other gear...
Garmont - Undetermined ski boots
G3 - 2 avalanche probes - high end ones...
Humpy's - Misc Swag
Karhu - "Storm BC" tele/AT ski
REI - 4 nice BC Ski Backpacks
Rossignol Skis - "Chupacabra" Ski and Roller wheeled ski bag(s)
Salomon - 2 men's and 2 women's Base Layer shirts - Very soft...
Scarpa - Gift Cert for either the Spirit 4 or the Diva AT ski boot
World Cup - Undetermined stuff
MORE TO COME....

The Karhu Storm BCs will be given away on Thursday at the TGP Harmless showing, so don't miss out!! Here are the movies, if you haven't seen the trailers:

Tough Guy Productions’ Harmless

Powderwhores’ The Pact

Fall Fantasies

2008-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

A quick post and some inspiration this morning to share from Brian Mohr of EmberPhoto.

Frost has been coating our neighbor’s fields. The days are noticeably cooler, and shorter. The weather forecasters are finally talking about snow again. Although it’s quite rare that we get any significant snowfall here in September, October is a different story. We’ve enjoyed a good stretch of snowy Octobers back here in northern New England. The farmers are talking about another snowy winter. Whether three feet or three inches of that wonderful white stuff begins to fall… we’ll be ready for it…

Late October a couple of years back, Green Mountains, VT...

The best fall storms produce plenty of snow up high, while sparing the valleys down low...

Time to go surfing...

Happy fall!

Brian and Emily
EmberPhoto.com

Wrapping Up Australia

2008-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

As North America moves toward winter, the Southern Hemisphere brings its season to a close. Tom Gellie sent us a quick email and image from his winter down under:

Well its been one of those awesome seasons with heaps of dry snow. I did plenty of touring and the guided backcountry tours went off with loads of interest and clients stoked on the backcountry in Australia. Its going to be bigger and better next year. Looking forward to getting back to Canada and skiing again already. Hope all is well.

Cheers Tom Gellie

(Tom all smiles. Photos by Sue Watson and Oliver Rousseau)

First Day of Fall

2008-09-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

This morning marks the first day of fall, and the signs are all around. One look at the forecast for the week shows the grey/rainy season starting up again, and the temperatures continue to dip with the waning daylight. The sidewalk this morning was covered with yellow and red leaves dropped in a strong wind last night. It won’t be long until one of these storms lifts to reveal a dusting of snow up high. It’s already happened up north, with the first bulletin of the year from Jeff Adamson at the WSDOT:

The first day of fall brought snow to the North Cascades. While the air temperature at Washington Pass at 1 o'clock this morning was 37 degrees - it was below freezing about a thousand feet higher and the precipitation that started falling came down as snow. By 6 a.m., the freezing level had dropped to 5,000 feet and the temperature at Washington and Rainy was down to 32 degrees - low enough so the 2 inches of snow that had fallen in the previous six hours started sticking on the shoulders. By 10 a.m., it was 41 degrees, but still snowing off and on, according to our maintenance crews. The pavement temperature is still 46 degrees, so nothing has stuck to the driving surface, but there's some slush. The forecast says we can expect an inch or two of snow today, but it will turn to rain on the westside by tonight(none on the east) as the freezing level starts rising for the rest of the week (up to 9,000 feet by Wednesday). Travel conditions are fine, but it's a good reminder that at a mile high in the mountains, winter is on it's way and you need to be prepared. You know the drill - good tires, a full tank, washer fluid, warm clothes in the trunk, a shovel, kitty litter and a flashlight, plus some extra food/water and extra medication or baby care stuff. (A cell phone doesn't do you much good between Diablo and Mazama, but take one anyway). We're still likely more than two months away from the winter closure, but you will want to check the weather very closely if you're planning to do any back country recreating between now and Thanksgiving.

It won’t be long now…

Victory for Quiet Backcountry in Yellowstone!

2008-09-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Big news for quiet backcountry advocates this week, as the US District Court in Washington DC struck down the 2007 changes to Yellowstone National Park’s Winter Use Plan that dramatically increased the allowed number of snowmobiles allowed each day in the park. Karhu partner Winter Wildlands Alliance was a key figure in bringing about the legal challenge, and we’re very proud today of our friends at WWA and their advocacy victory for human-powered backcountry use on US public lands. Thanks for all the hard work on behalf of backcountry skiers!

Here’s the news from WWA:

Federal Court Rules Clean Air, Wildlife, Quiet Must Come First in America’s Oldest National Park

Court ruling will ensure safe, enjoyable experiences for all visitors to Yellowstone

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 15, 2008 – A federal court ruled today that the Bush Administration’s decision authorizing snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park violates the fundamental legal responsibility of the National Park Service to protect the clean air, wildlife, and natural quiet of national parks, including Yellowstone, for the benefit of all visitors. The court found that the Administration authorized snowmobile use despite scientific conclusions by the National Park Service that its decision would result in significant increases in noise and unhealthy exhaust, which disrupt the experiences of visitors, and traffic that harms Yellowstone’s wildlife, including bison.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today invalidated the Bush decision and directed that the National Park Service’s substitute plan ensures all visitors can safely experience the park, and uphold laws that require stronger protection of Yellowstone’s air quality, wildlife, and natural sounds. In a 63-page ruling, Judge Emmett Sullivan stated:

“The Organic Act clearly states…that the fundamental purpose of the national park system is to conserve park resources and values.” Page 18

“NPS fails to explain how increasing snowmobile usage over current conditions, where adaptive management thresholds are already being exceeded, complies with the conservation mandate of the Organic Act.” Page 61-62

“...the Court finds that NPS has failed to articulate why a plan that will admittedly worsen air quality complies with the conservation mandate.” Page 60

“...the Plan clearly elevates use over conservation of park resources and values and fails to articulate why the Plan’s ‘major adverse impacts’ are ‘necessary and appropriate to fulfill the purposes of the park.’” Page 61

“According to NPS’s own data, the WUP [Winter Use Plan] will increase air pollution, exceed the use levels recommended by NPS biologists to protect wildlife, and cause major adverse impacts to the natural soundscapes in Yellowstone.” Page 62

The full ruling is available at http://www.winterwildlands.org/news/archive/Federal-Court-Ruling-on-Yellowstone-Winter-Use-Plan.pdf.

“Protecting the natural sights and sounds of Yellowstone’s magical winter season has been a keystone issue for Winter Wildlands Alliance and our members since our inception nine years ago,” said WWA Executive Director Mark Menlove. “It’s extremely gratifying to see the Federal Court validate our ongoing work to protect this winter treasure and to set a standard for safe, quiet and tranquil winter recreation in all of our national parks.”

Added Tom Murphy of Livingston, Montana, a Yellowstone guide and photographer since 1979 and author of three books about the Park, “I’m thrilled that this ruling will restore Yellowstone’s profound winter quiet. Yellowstone’s values have been diminished by snowmobiles. There’s no excuse for it when visitors are increasingly choosing modern snowcoaches that are less expensive and much less disruptive of the park and other visitors’ enjoyment.”

“This is an important victory for Yellowstone and all of America’s national parks,” said Sean Helle, attorney with Earthjustice. “Yellowstone is an embodiment of one of America’s great ideas – that our cherished lands must be conserved and protected. The Court’s opinion reaffirms this principle.”

“Beyond Yellowstone, the court’s ruling reaffirms that a cornerstone purpose of our national parks is to provide opportunities to enjoy nature and these opportunities must not be compromised, particularly when protective alternatives are readily available,” said Bob Rosenbaum, attorney with Arnold & Porter.

Because it has already studied a range of options for providing broad public access to Yellowstone during winter, the National Park Service is in a position to develop a plan promptly that enables visitors to continue enjoying the park this winter in compliance with the court’s order. To ensure visitor experiences remain safe and enjoyable, and the local economy strong, the Park Service should ensure that the number of snowmobiles accessing the park remains this year at the daily average of the past five seasons— approximately 260 snowmobiles per day. Following that, the Park Service should work with local gateway communities and businesses to begin phasing down the number of snowmobiles in the winter of 2009-2010 while promoting expanded visitor access on modern snowcoaches.

The public is increasingly demanding the opportunity to enjoy Yellowstone via snowcoach. Snowcoach use has grown 89 percent since 2002 due to increasing visitor demand for comfortable and educational park tours. Businesses have responded with significant investments in modern coaches that feature guides knowledgeable about Yellowstone's geology, wildlife and history.

The court’s ruling is consistent with research conducted by the National Park Service that indicated the need for greater protection for the park’s wildlife, natural quiet, and clean air:

-Even with an average of 263 snowmobiles per day during the past five winters, snowmobile impacts have exceeded Yellowstone’s noise thresholds;
-Biologists studying traffic-related impacts to wildlife during these years recommended capping or further reducing vehicle numbers in order to protect bison, elk and other animals often weakened by Yellowstone’s harsh winters;
-The number of snowmobiles authorized by the Administration—540 per day—would represent a doubling of current snowmobile use that has already been problematic and result in: a tripling of the area in Yellowstone where visitors would hearmotorized noise for half or more of the visiting day (63 square miles instead of 21 square miles currently); degradation of Yellowstone’s air quality with increases in snowmobile exhaust (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulates, benzene and formaldehyde) of between 18 and 100 percent; and more animals being pushed from preferred habitat, impacting their health and increasing mortality.

“This ruling reaffirms the idea at the heart of our National Park System—that the duty of
Yellowstone’s managers is to preserve the Park for the sake of all visitors, and to place the highest value on protection of Yellowstone’s unique natural treasures,” said Tim Stevens, senior Yellowstone Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association.

“This ruling will ensure that visitors are not disappointed by air and noise pollution when they make the one winter trip to Yellowstone of their lives,” said Amy McNamara, National Parks Program Director for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “We take our hats off to the tour businesses that didn’t wait for this ruling. Their increasing investments in modern snowcoaches are already making it possible for winter visitors to access and enjoy Yellowstone while protecting it.”

During the past ten years, over half a million Americans sent comments to the National Park Service concerning Yellowstone’s winter management, making it the most publicly commented-on issue in the history of the national parks. A consistent 4-to-1 majority has favored accessing the park by snowcoach instead of snowmobile.

Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society collectively represent over two million members and challenged the Bush Administration’s failure to protect Yellowstone’s resources and values. The organizations were represented by Earthjustice, a public interest environmental law firm in Bozeman, Montana, and the firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington D.C.

More Film Stoke

2008-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

We’re hard at work getting the new product up on KarhuSkiCo.com and a host of new content for WhereWillYouSki.com, but in the meantime, Stephane Riendeau of Tough Guy Productions sent over his new trailer, Harmless. If that doesn’t get you thinking about winter, I don’t know what will…

The Fine Line – Avy Film

2008-09-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Surfing around the other day, I came across an announcement of a new avalanche education film, The Fine Line. Produced by the Rocky Mountain Sherpas with the Canadian Avalanche Foundation, it mixes a feature film with four training films, all with outstanding cinematography, compelling stories, and solid instruction. Coming off of a killer early season that took far too many lives, it The Fine Line couldn’t come at a better time.

For more info, check out the interview with Rocky Mountain Sherpas’ Malcolm Sangster here.

Getting Ready for Uphill

2008-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

“Nothing gets you ready for uphill like uphill,” says my friend Pete. He’s right. The crisp air of late summer and early fall is ideal for working off all the lazy summer bbqs and beer, but it starts the mental tune-up too.

In this moment, a steep pitch of pavement – the first of many to come – inches by under the wheel of my road bike, but in my head it becomes the skintrack. The sweat beads on my forehead, and my heart rises into an accelerated but still comfortable rhythm. If I close my eyes, the one-foot-after-the-other mechanics meld the long climb up Brandon Gap into memories of snowy climbs up the Long Trail.

(Graham Gephart turns the cranks over on Brandon Gap, Rt 73, Vermont. Photo by Lulu Bael)

Getting higher up the hill, my muscles and lungs start to protest a little more. It’s a good reminder that I need to hit the uphill a little more, and that the reward isn’t that far around the corner.

-Graham Gephart

Green Pastures

2008-08-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

It’s probably the last update from Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates until they’re back stateside, but here’s one more as the trip winds down.

Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
Picture them soaking their feet in a stream and surrounded by grass and flowers. They have hiked 20-25 miles, gone over a 18,368-foot pass to the next valley, and descended a thousand meters to Khuispan near the base of Laila peak. They are enjoying the view of a 55-60 degree snow slope on the peak and a horse grazing in the camp…

…They left Ali camp at about 3am to go over the pass and descended to Khuispan, which is at an altitude of 15,472 feet, the lowest they have been in months. The trail over the pass was in good shape and they had no difficulties…

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

The Final Attempt

2008-08-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation brought a little radio silence on our end last week, but we’re back with last updates from Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates. They’ve committed a ton of time, energy and resources into the trip, but it’s coming to a close. The summits have been tantalizingly close and frequently unreachable, but few understand better than Dave that the experience comes from the entire journey and not just the attainability of the top.

Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
Chuck and Dave left base camp today after a final reconnaissance of the Abruzzi Ridge from Advanced Base Camp and getting another weather forecast. The weather conditions have been severe, and they decided that the potential weather window of three days with another storm coming in on the fourth day would not be safe or sufficient for one last attempt at the summit. They would need a minimum of three clear days with a couple medium days on either side to consider climbing higher.

They headed out with a plan to hike over the Gondogoro La to Hushe, which translates to hiking over a high alpine pass to the next valley and the village of Hushe. This is a different hike out than the way they went in. Hushe is the village where most of their local support team and many of the porters live, and they have been invited to visit with them in their homes…

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Summer Dreams

2008-08-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

Word from Vermont is that it’s been a stormy summer, with a seemingly endless stream of thunderstorms saturating the ground and overflowing the riverbanks. Among the skiers, it’s hard not to think about the rainfall amounts and daydream about that kind of accumulation in winter. Photographer Brian Mohr dropped us a line yesterday about his recent dreams:

I don't know if it's because we haven't skied in nearly two months, or if it's because the leaves are just beginning to show the earliest signs of fall color, but for some reason, we've been dreaming. Dreaming of going back to East Greenland, climbing away from our seashore camp, skiing from summit to sea, and catching fresh fish for dinner...

(Sea to ski in Greenland. All photos courtesy of Emberphoto.com)

(Fresh catch for dinner)

Combining Resources

2008-08-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

K2 seems to be a quiet place these days, as everyone winds down from the tragic accident a few weeks ago. Once again, Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates are waiting for a weather window to go higher up and assess the conditions and necessary repair work. They called into KSL’s Utah Outdoors radio show again over the weekend, and the podcast is up online here: http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/utahoutdoors.rss

Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
The team is waiting impatiently for a weather window, again. K2 Base Camp is deserted with only this team, Sunny Mountain Chogori Expedition (George Dijmarescu and his two sherpas) and Mike Farris, one of the leaders of the Altitude Experience team, remaining. There is a snowstorm underway today, but the team is hoping to get a couple of clear days to go up to Camp 2 or 3 before the weather forecasts predict more unsettle weather. They plan to bring down some of the trash that was left on the mountain. They are looking for a minimum of three days of good weather to make a summit attempt…

…The team will need to take about 500m of rope up the mountain to fix the ropes that were taken out by the ice fall. They are still planning to take their own oxygen up the mountain to ensure they have an adequate supply, although it is rumored that oxygen tanks were left on the mountain. There was a lot of equipment left on the mountain as many teams left in a hurry after the incident. There have also been high winds for the last few days, so it’s hard to guess at what may or may not be left on the mountain and what the condition and stability of the snowpack is higher up.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Continuing Rescue Operations on K2

2008-08-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates have made their way over to the K2 base camp and spent much of the week assisting with ongoing rescue operations for climbers stranded in the accident over the weekend. We’re awaiting word on how this and conditions on the mountain will affect continued climbing, but the loss of so many climbers was certainly weighing heavily on their minds:

Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
The Tall Mountain team is at K2 base camp helping out however they can. Chuck led the effort to prepare the landing zone for the two helicopters that have taken climbers to Islamabad hospitals. A third helicopter was planned for the injured Italian climber on the mountain, but it was cancelled due to bad weather in the helicopter departure zone…

The recent accidents on K2 echo the tragic 1986 season when 27 climbers summitted the peak, but 13 mountaineers lost their lives on the mountain. It appears that weather, objective hazards, snow conditions and human judgments all played a part, and the incident will no doubt be super-analyzed in the months and years to come. Meanwhile, everyone is doing what they can to help those in distress.

Chuck reports that he is feeling good again and seems to be over the virus he had. It slowed him down, but he still managed to help shovel gravel to prepare the helicopter landing zone and help out around base camp. He just didn’t feel well enough to go to a higher altitude. Andy and Dave have been helping out where needed at base camp and talking to lots of different people and getting multiple angles on what has happened on the mountain. They also managed to set up a shower tent and get their first shower in over a week. Chuck said that by the time he got to shower, the sun was going down, it was getting cold, the water was lukewarm and he was standing on a block of ice – but it still felt great! It’s all relative…

Overall, K2 base camp is not a cheery place right now. Many teams are trying to get porters arranged so the expeditions can leave and head for home. The weather forecast is for changing weather, so the future plans are back in Mother Nature’s hands. The team is planning to get some rest while the weather is unsettled and then move on to the mountain when the opportunity presents itself.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Ok and Onward to K2

2008-08-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update this afternoon to let everyone know that Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates are okay after the accident on K2 this weekend. The first reports were unsubstantiated, and it appears that it will take a few days to sort out the toll of a serac fall that took out fixed ropes high on the mountain, stranding climbers (>info here). Our condolences go out to the teammates, friends, and families of the climbers lost on K2 over the weekend, and we’re wishing safe passage for those still on and around the mountain.

During the accident, the K2 Tall Mountain Team was still in the Broad Peak area, getting ready to move over to K2. They didn’t get the summit, but the K2 Tall Mountain Team has deemed their time on Broad Peak a success. As they sort through the situation on K2, they will assess further plans. Here’s what they had to say on the blog yesterday:

Excerpt from K2 Tall Mountain:
The team is finished with the Broad Peak ‘warm up’ climb. Overall, the team is having a good experience all around. Andy reached a new personal high altitude record, and Dave had some good skiing from an altitude of 7500 meters. The team is a bit disappointed that they didn’t get the summit, but they are comfortable that they made the right decisions to turn around when they did. They have worked out the details of what they need to do as a team of three and are a cohesive team ready for the challenge of K2…

There is more snow on K2 and there are routes on the mountain with fixed ropes. The team will assess the route options more closely once they are in base camp and can get information from other expeditions. Dave would like to climb the route that he is planning to ski so he can get a preview of the terrain and conditions. We will provide more information about the tragedy that occurred on K2 this weekend when the facts can be substantiated.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Waiting It Out at Broad Peak Base

2008-08-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Another dispatch from the K2 Tall Mountain trip with Karhu ambassador Dave Watson, getting ready for a summit attempt on 7/31...

It has been just about two weeks of bad weather here on the glacier. We have been stuck in base camp (BC), going for walks either up to K2 BC to hang out, or down towards Concordia to visit some of the other teams camped lower than us.

We have established camp three on Broad Peak at 7,100m and are ready for the summit push. We called Jim for a weather report, and were told that the weather would start to clear today, the 28th, but there would still be strong winds. Starting on the 29th, a large high- pressure system would move in with good weather for at least five days!

Some teams have left already, but we can see that they are battling rough conditions. We will head up tomorrow, as well as several other teams, for Camp 2. If all goes well, we expect to summit on 7/31. All the cameras are charged, and our packs are ready. Good rest today, then the work beings.

Hope all is well with everyone back home.

–Chuck

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Trek to K2 Base Camp

2008-07-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Another dispatch from the K2 Tall Mountain trip with Karhu ambassador Dave Watson...

The “Rest Day” today was a trek to K2 base camp to visit some friends. The team hiked about an hour and one half across the glacier to get to K2 base camp. They had heard from the porters that an American was trekking in to base camp. It turned out to be fellow Everest summitter and former teammate, George Dijmarescu who had arrived at K2 base camp. When Dave called into the weekly radio show, they were hanging out and drinking coffee with George and two sherpas he had with him – all part of the team that summitted Mt. Everest with Chuck and Dave in 2004.

The radio show call-in was excellent today. The podcasts are usually available about a week after the show – go to the sponsor link, radio, Utah outdoors and pick the date you want to download. http://www.ksl.com/.

Dan McCann was in the studio to tell the story of his fall. When asked what happened, Dan said that he was climbing amidst substantial rock fall and because of some moral issues, he was not attached to the fixed ropes. He is re-thinking those issues. Apparently there was a Korean team ahead of them and they were adding to the natural rock fall on the route. He moved off the fixed rope route thinking that it would be safer to be out of the “shooting gallery”. The route he moved onto was mostly hard ice, and he lost his footing.

Dan briefly described how he thought the injuries were more severe than they turned out to be and how the adrenaline of the situation clouded his perspective at that moment. He thought he had a broken arm, multiple breaks in the ankle, some broken ribs. The arm was not broken, but he has a torn ligament which is scheduled to be surgically fixed next week. In addition he had lost a lot of skin from his arm and experienced some blood loss from his face at the time. It was warm and he was climbing in a short sleeved shirt, so his arms were exposed and thus he lost a lot of skin. They asked him about getting out of the mountains and back to the USA including the hospital in Islamabad. He described how he got a Pakistani army helicopter ride back to Skardu, then a commercial flight to Islamabad and the hospital where he was checked out initially, before returning home to the USA.

Dave talked about the good skiing from Camp 2 and the on-air hosts relayed that Dan was really bummed to hear about that.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Waiting for the Weather

2008-07-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Another dispatch from the K2 Tall Mountain trip with Karhu ambassador Dave Watson...

The team is still in base camp waiting for the weather to clear. The satellite phone connection was short and the info brief. The high-altitude porter has been dismissed as he needs to leave base camp to seek a remedy for some health ailments. He has been unable to climb or carry loads, so Andy, Dave, and Chuck have been carrying their own loads up the mountain to establish Camp 2.

Chuck described the river crossing that they need to do every time they go from base camp to the mountain or vise versa. When it’s frozen in the morning, they can walk across it, but later in the day, it’s a raging river - Class 5 whitewater conditions. The Austrian/Slovenian team has rigged up a Tyrolean traverse to enable the return crossing, but they are not going to be there for much longer, so the team doesn’t’t know what will happen when they leave. A Tyrolean Traverse is a mountaineering technique originally used to access isolated rock spires, that is also used to cross rivers. A rope or cable is fixed under tension high enough above the water to stay safe and dry, and the expedition members attach themselves to a pulley and a back-up carabiner and either pull themselves and their equipment across, or they can be pulled across by their team mates with a second rope, once the first climber has made it to the other side.

The team has been unable to get their laptop battery charged with the solar chargers so far. They’ve enlisted help from some electrical-savvy guys from other expeditions, but haven’t been able to store enough energy to fuel the computers. They have been able to recharge their iPods and small devices, though.

The plan is to hang out and rest for a day or two until the weather clears again. Then they will continue the acclimatization process.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

The Boys at Base Camp

2008-07-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Continuing the K2 Tall Mountain updates from Karhu ambassador Dave Watson this week...

The team returned to base camp today after spending two days acclimatizing at altitudes over 20,000 feet. They ferried loads of equipment to establish Camp 2. They slept in the Slovenian tent the first night and then, per a previous agreement with the Slovenians, they took down one of the Slovenian tents and put up their tent on a platform for the second night. They weather didn’t look good in the morning, so they decided it was time to descend, make the weekly radio call, and take a couple days off.

The weather is really warm and the snow pack is a lot less than normal this year. What goes along with that is that they are encountering a lot of rock fall. The highest risk is when they are moving up with other people ahead of them. Every step they take can potentially dislodge a rock that falls and potentially dislodges other rocks. The risk is greater on the ascent since there are other people ahead of them, but on the descent, they can choose to be last and carefully follow other teams down.

The plan is to rest for a day or two, and if the weather is right, head back up on the mountain. They will head for Camp 2 with a plan to establish Camp 3. They want to spend a night at Camp 3 before the summit attempt. Without high-altitude porters, the team is carrying the gear and it’s taking a couple of trips for each stage. Their high-altitude porter has been under the weather.

The team is happy to be back in base camp with their cook preparing good and appetizing meals. Ishmael has cooked in high-end restaurants before and is very clean and creative (he’s even been carving vegetables into decorative shapes for them!). They had a meal centered around yak today. The cooks for the various expeditions have pooled resources to buy and share some fresh protein sources for the teams. They will be eating yak for a while, but there are plans for fresh lamb in the future!

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.

Dan's a Lucky Man

2008-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Good news this morning on Dan McCann’s status since his return to the States:

Dan’s mom reports that Dan is back home and has been checked out for his injuries. The news is much better than expected! His ankle is sprained, not broken. He has damaged tendons and/or ligaments in his thumb, but the arm is not broken. He does have a couple cracked ribs. His left arm took the brunt of it, and is very swollen and abraded. He has a lot of healing to do, so all your best wishes and prayers are needed and appreciated.
Click for all dispatches from the trip:
http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com/search/label/K2%20Tall%20Mountain

For more info, please visit: K2 Tall Mountain

Back In Base Camp

2008-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

Continuing the K2 Tall Mountain updates from Karhu ambassador Dave Watson this week...

The team is back in base camp after a couple days on the mountain (Broad Peak). They climbed to Camp 2 and then back to Camp 1 to spend the night. Their tent at Camp 1 is on the ‘Perch’ which is on top of a pinnacle and gives them a bird’s eye view of their surroundings. Chuck said it has the feel of a big wall bivy and is just awesome. Tent sites at Camp 2 are in short supply, so they have teamed up with a Slovenian expedition to share their tent and/or site. Their climbing schedules are such that they should be able to alternate which team is at the site.

Everyone is feeling well, except their high-altitude porter, who is feeling a bit sick. Interestingly, the high-altitude porter is the son-in-law of Karim, who was the sirdar (or sardar – the native leader of the porters) on Chuck and Andy’s expedition to Shipton’s Spire.

The weather has been good so far. It’s really warm during the days and the glacier is melting in base camp. When the sun goes down, they quickly get into the down gear. They need to move a few of the tents to accommodate the changing surroundings. The Marmot Lair (an 8-person tent) has a list due to the melting, but it is a great base camp shelter. So far, it has been a staging area for gear, a storage area for gear, a place to hang out, and a makeshift hospital.

So what’s next? They will take a rest day at base camp then head back up the mountain for two days at altitude. Dave is getting his skis ready to take up on the mountain. They will try to stay two days at Camp 2 with a carry of some gear to Camp 3 (7,300 meters). Then back to base camp. They all want to spend a night at Camp 3 before making a summit attempt.

Broad Peak from base camp:

Click for all dispatches from Dave's trip:
http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com/search/label/K2%20Tall%20Mountain

Rescue on Broad Peak

2008-07-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

A bunch of new dispatches coming this week from Dave Watson and the K2 Tall Mountain Expedition in Pakistan. The wires have been quiet for a little while following a scary fall and injury to Dan McCann, one of the skiers on the trip. Dan is safe and healing following a rescue pretty high on the mountain by the rest of his teammates. We’re wishing safe travel in the mountains for all of them. Here’s the July 6th post from Dave on K2TallMountain.com:

On July 3, Linda received a call from Chuck about 11 am EST. “How’s it going?” she asked. “Not good,” he responded.

They were at base camp and in the middle of a rescue scenario. Dan McCann took a fall on Broad Peak and sustained serious injuries. He fell about 500 m (1,500 ft.) and stopped on one of the few patches of soft snow on the mountain – 50 m (150 ft.) from a 3000 ft. drop off the side of the mountain. Chuck, Dave and Andy managed a high altitude rescue of Dan, lowering him some 3000 ft off the mountain, no small feat, when every snow anchor has to safely sustain a working rescue load. The accident happened around noontime, and they were back in base camp by about 7pm.

There, they were met by a doctor from the Iranian expedition who helped to take care of his injuries. It appears that he has injuries to his arm and ankle and possibly some ribs, lacerations on the face and arms, but no life-threatening injuries. A helicopter airlift was scheduled for the next morning to evacuate Dan to Skardu.

The team was up again after a few hours sleep to prepare the Landing Zone for the helicopter and share some time together while they waited for the helicopter to arrive.

The logistics for the evacuation couldn’t have gone any better. He was off the mountain and on his way to more medical help in less than 24 hrs. The Global Rescue Service, with help from Karakorum Magic Mountains, managed to get him on one of the two flights each week (weather permitting) out of Skardu and then the same (or next) day on to Islamabad, where he received more medical assistance at a hospital. The last news was that flights were being arranged back to the states for the following day.

After a day of packing Dan’s personal belongings to send out with porters for shipment back to the USA, the team was formulating plans for their next steps. Another day of rest was needed by all, so the plan was to go back up Broad Peak the day after that, weather permitting. They have established an advanced base camp at Camp 1 with the help of the high altitude porter. They will climb toward Camp 2 (6,200 meters) and then return to Camp 1 to spend the night to acclimatize and start to work their way up the mountain. If the mountain doesn’t feel right, they will retreat to base camp and move on to K2. If everyone feels strong and the weather cooperates, they will continue the climb on Broad Peak.

At Chuck’s request, Linda contacted Brian Block, the fifth team member planning to join up for the K2 portion of the expedition, to inform him of the situation. He expressed his concern for Dan and also confirmed that he will not be joining the team due to exciting work opportunities. At his point, he would have to fly on the 5th of July and return by August 4th for a work commitment, leaving only12-14 days on K2, which… would be nice for trekking but not realistic for climbing the peak.

Click on the K2 Tall Mountain label to see all the dispatches from Dave's trip:
http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com/search/label/K2%20Tall%20Mountain

Escaping the Village

2008-07-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

It might be 70 and sunny out today, but in the Southern Hemisphere winter is quickly getting underway. Telemark instructor and guide Tom Gellie sent us this trip report from a recent tour in Australia to enjoy…

Charlotte Pass Village is a small alpine resort located in the heart of the Snowy Mountains, Australia. The village is completely snowbound during winter and only accessible by oversnow transport. It is surrounded by gnarly looking snowguns and at its peak can accommodate 600 guests. It’s the perfect place to work if you like that real community feel, and it’s my home during the Australian winter – only a stones throw away from what I believe is the best backcountry terrain in Australia.

(Tom Gellie heads out on the first tour of the year. Photos courtesy of Tom Gellie.)

I teach telemark and alpine skiing here and wash dishes to help with the airfare back to Canada each year. Last weekend my good friend Olivier and I managed to escape the village and head out for our first tour of the season. It has been a slow start for snow down here and earlier in the week we finally got 50cm so were keen to get out there. The weather on Saturday was bluebird with only a few clouds rolling in. We rolled out of bed, put the skins on and were off to ski Mt Clarke and Mt Northcote.

Mt Clarke has some nice steep, granite flanked chutes that are always great to get the adrenaline going. The snow looked very firm and wind packed from the storm but was surprisingly fantastic... almost spring-like. We both dropped in and enjoyed our first decent turns for the winter. One of the biggest differences with touring in Oz as opposed to most other countries is the low avalanche danger. We have a very stable snow pack due to the common above-zero daytime temps and below-zero night temps. This doesn’t come without a cost though as the snow conditions often become very icy.

(Snow starting to fill in the terrain.)

With the first run under our belts it was time to enjoy a ham and cheese sandwich and fresh fruit in the warmth of the Australian sun. From Clarke we skinned up the ridge and through Moraine Pass to Mt Northcote. There were some difficult spots along the way where we experienced some very icy sections. I’m sure we must have looked more like Bambi learning to walk rather than competent skiers.

(Oliver dropping in.)

On top of Northcote you get a great view back to the southern state of Victoria, still green with no snow cover, and the rest of the Main Range all white and treeless. We both smiled and agreed it was well worth the hike and nice to have escaped the village. The Northcote bowl is wide, open and asks to be skied fast. Leaving nothing but a couple of ski tracks, we made our way back to Charlotte Pass to enjoy ourselves a cold Aussie beer. It was great to be back skiing the Main Range of Australia, the place it all started for me, and I can’t wait for next weekend. I hear there’s a half-meter forecasted!

(Tom threads it through the granite.)

Dog Days

2008-07-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

There’s still some summer corn to be harvested here in the PNW, but the dog days of summer are on us, with backpacking trips on the coast and summer biking tempting even the most intrepid skiers. Firing up a little stoke for a Tuesday morning is Dog Days 08, a mid-winter edit from Karhu skier JT Robinson and friends at Vertical Integration.

We might be in the thick of summer, but each day gets us back closer to powder again.

Still Skiing in the North Cascades

2008-07-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Despite the high summer heat wave that fell over the weekend, there’s still skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Karhu engineer Eben Sargent shared a couple photos from XCD skiing last week on the Forbidden Tour.

(There's still clean snow up high on the glaciers. Photos by Eben Sargent)

Long summer days, golden light, smooth corn (a couple suncups), and green valleys below… what could be better?

More photos from Eben here.

WWA Action Alert: Tumalo Backcountry Recreation

2008-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Over the wire from Karhu backcountry partner Winter Wildlands Alliance:

Help Create the Tumalo Backcountry Recreation Zone in the Deschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest is currently reviewing winter recreation opportunities in the Century Drive Corridor west of Bend, Oregon. An expansion of groomed cross-country and skate ski trails has recently been approved, and a new Snopark to accommodate additional snowmobile recreation is in the final planning stage. Additionally, the development of dog-friendly ski trails is being evaluated.

In conjunction with these projects, a recent proposal to establish the Tumalo Backcountry Recreation Zone is also being considered. The proposal asks the Deschutes National Forest to recognize, and provide for, accessible opportunities for those that seek the naturalness, solitude, challenge and inspiration that is an integral part of the unaltered and non-motorized landscape. This could be the first Backcountry Recreation Zone to be established by the United States Forest Service. Your support for it will help to bring it to fruition.

Winter Wildlands’ grassroots member group Central Oregon Backcountry Skiers asks you to encourage others to visit this site and sign-on, as public support for the Tumalo BRZ is critically important.

To learn more and join the effort to protect this quality human-powered winter recreation area click here.

Links:
Full Tumalo Backcountry Recreation Zone Proposal: http://www.winterwildlands.org/grassroots/tumalo_proposal.pdf
Map of the proposed Tumalo Backcountry Recreation Zone: http://www.winterwildlands.org/grassroots/tumalo_map.pdf
Tumalo Petition: http://www.winterwildlands.org/grassroots/tumalopetition.php
WWA Action Alerts: http://www.winterwildlands.org/action/actionalert.php

More from Pakistan

2008-06-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Another quick update this morning from Dave Watson on his way to Broad Peak and K2…

The team is now in Skardu, a remote city of 200,000 people. It took about 30 hours of driving along the Karakoram Highway to get here from Islamabad. We were lucky to get here when we did as the road washed out behind us. We noticed some very light rain, but it must have been pouring up high because there were landslides that blocked the road in a few places. We have just finished sorting out the gear, creating 50lb loads for the porters to carry in. We estimate that we'll need about 70 porters to handle all of the gear and food.

Another issue we are sorting out is the laptop/sat phone connection. Ideally we should have sorted this in the States but we bought another computer the day before we left and the phones were 1000 miles away with one of the other team members. We have got things pretty well dialed, but are making small tweaks to improve data transfer rates and reliability.

Tomorrow we leave for Askole (8-hr drive). From there we start on foot, trekking along the Baltoro Glacier until we reach Broad Peak basecamp. We'll start our acclimatization on Broad Peak as we believe it is slightly safer and easier than K2. However the guys are all super stoked for K2, so it will be interesting to see how patient we can be.

Having fun in lovely Pakistan,
Dave

Click on the K2 Tall Mountain label to see all the dispatches from Dave's trip:
http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com/search/label/K2%20Tall%20Mountain

On the Road to Islamabad

2008-06-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Dave Watson is on the ground in Pakistan. Arriving in Islamabad, Dave and the other guys from the K2 Tall Mountain Expedition tracked down their delayed luggage, met with the Ministry of Tourism about guidelines and regulations around their permit, and got more of the logistics organized with the travel agency (things like the number of porters – 70!). Hitting the road on Saturday from Islamabad on the way to Skardu and the Karakoram Mountains, Dave called in to Utah radio station KSL’s Utah Outdoors Show. KSL has the podcast of Saturday’s show online for listening here (about ¼ of the way through the podcast):

http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/2008_06_14_utahoutdoors2.mp3

We’ll keep posting updates here, and you can catch Dave calling in to KSL’s Utah Outdoors via satellite phone every Saturday morning between 6-8am (MST).

Expedition goal: climb and ski Broad Peak and K2 via the Cesen Route. More here:
http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com/2008/06/k2-tall-mountain-expedition-preparation.html

June Powder Day

2008-06-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

We thought the powder days were over. The first hot days of deep slush had passed too, and a nice corn cycle had finally set up across the Cascades. So with a round of product testing scheduled for this week at Mount Hood, we had been looking forward to warm summer turns on the Palmer Snowfield, firm snow softening to corn, and debriefing on the prototypes in the sunshine on the deck of the Mount Hood Brewing Co.

Needless to say, we were a little surprised to pull into Government Camp on Monday night with snow driving sideways in front of the car. It wasn’t just the odd squall, and by Tuesday morning there was three inches on the ground in town and eight inches new reported up on the hill. High winds, snowfall and temperatures around 30 degrees had us feeling a lot more like January than June.

(June 10, 2008 - Kasha Rigby, Charlie Lozner, Graham Gephart and Alison Gannett gear up for testing with 8" of new snow on Mount Hood. Photo by Nils Larsen.)

We only had one lift to work with, but it was a blast to get out and ski mid-winter varied snow over the day. The lifts rose above the clouds on Wednesday, but the warm sun was offset by howling winds that kept us bundled up even as the snow corned up through the day. We had a great test crew in town, with Alison Gannett, Kasha Rigby, Shelley Hakanson and Nils Larsen accompanying Charlie Lozner, Eben Sargent and me.

(A little cold for June, but all smiles from Kasha and Alison in the powder.)

We heard a couple people referring to the crazy mix of weather “June-uary,” and I guess it’s enough to keep me from proclaiming (again) that I’ve had my last powder day for the year.

-Graham Gephart

K2 Tall Mountain Expedition - Preparation

2008-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

There’s a Karhu banner in our office that reads “Dave Watson, 8848m, 5/20/04, 6:55am,” and it’s a constant reminder that it takes a cool mind to stay safe at high altitude. Karhu Ambassador Dave Watson brought it to the summit of Everest on a successful bid in 2004. Two years later, Dave returned with skis and after summiting again, he made turns down the North Ridge from 7200m. It takes something more than a cool mind to click in and ski at that kind of elevation, dealing with technical skiing, difficult snow, steep angles and such thin air.

After a couple years of planning, Dave is headed back to the Himalaya, with a new goal in mind – a ski descent of Broad Peak and K2 via the South-South-East Spur (Cesen Route). Dave departs next week with a pair of next year’s Spire BCs for turns and the superlight waxless XCD Guide as his summit set-up. We’re bringing you insight into the preparation and how the trip came together, and we’ll continue providing updates through the trip from Dave and crew right here on WhereWillYouSki.com.

(K2 and the Cesen Route. Photo courtesy of Dave Watson.)

Here’s wishing Dave and the rest of the team and safe, sound and successful trip to the top of the world and back.

The time has come, two years in the making. We're leaving to go climb and ski K2. It even sounds ridiculous to me, but I'm still going to do it. I feel like all of my time in the mountains and studying the mountains has led me to this project.

It all started in 2004, climbing Everest with Chuck Boyd. We had a great time hanging out, climbing, skiing. We wanted to do another big trip together, but Chuck’s mountain guiding service (Vertical Realms) doesn’t let him get away as easily as I can. When I returned from another Everest trip in 2006, Chuck and I decided K2 was the next objective. Back then the planning was mostly talk, these days it is pure action – put the money where your mouth is.

Funding, logistics, equipment, food, training… the preparation is a full time job, in addition to other forms of employment and preparing the home team (wife) for a three-month absence. But it's a small sacrifice to make for the opportunity to climb and ski in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains for a full summer.

The guys are all super stoked and spirits are as high as can be. In addition to Chuck and me, we have Dan McCann and Andy Selters. Dan is a rad guy from Park City, who’s certainly been around – skied Cho Oyu, soloed the Grand Teton, firsts in the Himalaya, classic testpieces in the Alps. I'm psyched to have him as my main ski partner.

Andy is another guy who we are really lucky to have with us. He's been cruising around amongst the greatest mountains and walls on the planet for decades. He has authored books about the history of North American mountaineering, glacier travel and crevasse rescue as well as a guidebook for Mt. Shasta. Andy has guided major expeditions all over the world, and in 1992 he made a serious attempt on the then-virgin summit of Shipton Spire in Pakistan. He climbed with Chuck, and the guys were stormed off within feet of the summit before Chuck went back in ’96 and sent it. Andy has also climbed a first ascent on Trango Tower. With a team like this who wouldn't be stoked.

Our main objective is to safely climb and ski K2 via the South-South-East Spur. This route is a variation of the classic Abruzzi Ridge and is also known as the Cesen Route or Basque Route. The route was chosen for its skiable nature and the possibility that we may be the only team on this line. We also have permission to climb and ski Broad Peak, the 12th-tallest mountain on earth. We plan to do so by the classic West Ridge.

Time is ticking away and next week (June 11) we'll be flying to Islamabad to start the amazing adventure. More to come soon!

For more info visit the expedition site at K2TallMountain.com or stay tuned here on WhereWillYouSki.com

Bagging Shuksan

2008-06-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

Mid-week, and with Pacific Northwest June gloom in full effect, it’s hard not to drift back to memories of the clear skies and open corn over the weekend. Ski season continues here in the Cascades, and the bigger peaks are first-served when the weather cooperates. Here’s a dispatch from brand director Charlie Lozner and engineer Eben Sargent on their assault on Cascade-classic Mt Shuksan.

(Warm snow, blue skies, and massive snowy expanses. Photos by Linden Klein.)

What defines the perfect tour? In late-May I choose to define the perfect tour as including long days, glaciers, mixed climbing, and lots of vertical in pursuit of the sublime alpine summits of the Pacific Northwest. This Saturday, I was able to get up to the North Cascades with Eben Sargent and his roommates. Our goal was to ski to the summit pyramid on Shuksan, climb the summit gullies, and Shuk some corn back to the car… all in one long day.

(The endless climb, always longer than it looks.)

On Friday night, we camped under the stars at an impassible section of blow down on the Forest Service road up to Shannon Creek. At 4am we rose to clear skies and cool temps and by 5am were moving quickly up the road, climbing over downed trees and plodding through patches of old pine-covered snow. We approached Shuksan from the south and got our first good look at the summit pyramid as we finally crested onto the Sulphide Glacier. The alpine glacier environment always gives you a warped sense of time and space. What looked so close was actually still very far away. We hit the base of the summit pyramid in time for an early lunch and soon set out to climb the final 600 feet of snow-filled gullies to the summit. The climbing was not technically difficult, but the exposure was enough to give you pause.

(Gearing up for the glacier, and getting a good look at the ascent of the summit pyramid.)

As one can expect in a 7000 feet descent, the snow conditions ran the gamut. Perfect corn under the pyramid degenerated to mushy shmoo by the middle. The bottom through towering pines was actually nice and consolidated, though covered with needles and branches. Twelve and a half hours later, we were back at the cars.

(Summer skiing in the Cascades hits its prime.)

In case you thought the winter was over, it is cold and rainy in Seattle, which means snowing in the mountains. We’ll see what mixed bag this weekend brings.

-Charlie

Lost Ski Areas Exhibit

2008-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

The lost ski areas of New England are a natural destination for any backcountry skier. Dotted across the mountains of the Northeast, nearly 600 ski areas sit dormant but not forgotten. Their trails cut long ago still make faint tracks down the mountainside, but hold plenty of space for powder turns. Documented over the years by the New England Lost Ski Areas Project (NELSAP) for history buffs and adventurous backcountry skiers, these resorts are now getting attention from the New England Ski Museum. Ski Press Magazine reports on a new exhibit on the lost ski areas:

Franconia, NH – The story of the ‘lost’ ski areas of New England mirrors earlier boom and bust cycles of land use in the region, and has left physical traces on the face of the land, as well as nostalgic memories in the minds of many skiers who knew the lost resorts. A fascination with the derelict areas akin to interest in ghost towns of the West became evident with the popularity of a website, www.nelsap.org, that tracks the phenomenon, and now a new exhibit at the New England Ski Museum features the history of a selection of the hundreds of small areas that closed.

Read on at Ski Press, and visit NELSAP to find lost areas near you.

WWA Action Alert: National Parks

2008-05-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

We’ve added a section of Action Alerts from our partnership with the Winter Wildlands Alliance for our Where Will You Ski readers. Karhu is proud to support the Boise, ID-based Winter Wildlands Alliance, a national nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting and preserving winter wildlands and a quality human-powered snowsports experience on public lands.

Taking The Best Idea to the Next Century…

Our National Park System has been called America's best idea. It seems like an overstatement until you snowshoe into Glacier Gorge in Rocky Mountain National Park, or ski tour amongst bison in Yellowstone or ski the steeps in the Tetons or Cascades. The National Park Service manages many of the most spectacular high mountain backcountry ski terrain in the country. In addition, the National Park Service Rivers and Trails program provides assistance to communities across the country on recreational trails, and the agency provides leadership in the federal government on resource conservation and interpretation.

(Nils Larsen and Charlie Lozner enjoy lunch on a ski tour just east of the North Cascades National Park, WA. Photo by Graham Gephart)

The park system will turn 100 years in 2016 and Congress and the President are poised to take major steps to make the parks ready for their next century with legislation that will get rangers out in the field interacting with park visitors, reduce the park system's environmental footprint, and protect cultural and natural resources. Of particular importance to winter enthusiasts, the initiative will protect and enhance high quality human-powered recreation including backcountry skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing and many other sports our community enjoys like climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and paddling.

The House of Representatives is leading the way with the National Park Centennial Fund Act, HR 3094. The bill has strong support from both Democrats and Republicans and it looks ready for a full House floor vote in the near future.Help make the floor vote happen by taking one or both of the following actions:

1) Send an email to your member of Congress. Ask him or her to get this important bill to the House floor for a full vote, and to vote "YES."

2) Send an email Letter to the Editor to your local paper so they can help spread the news.

You can help bring the "best" idea into its next century with all the care and foresight that it deserves!

Thanks Much,
Steve Ryder
Grassroots Program Director

Click to Take Action
For more information about the bill, click here.

Fly-in Touring in the Neacolas

2008-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Reader Scott Fennell of Anchorage, AK sent us a link to his spring trip flying into Alaska’s Neacola Range. Dropped off by plane for a week of touring anything within reach, they chose a beautiful setting with the vast glaciers and rugged summits of the Neacolas. Better than any setting or skiing though, is that they brought a member’s son along with them.

This is exactly how I got my first exposure to serious backcountry skiing, as a 15-year-old headed to the Selkirks for a week of hut touring with my dad and his friends. It was a special feeling to experience such wilderness and adventure with the group of guys that had taught me the mechanics of the climb and the turn, and all of a sudden it all clicked, turning an interest into a deep-seated passion that’s stuck with me ever since.

Below is an excerpt from Scott’s report, and a link to more of their words and photos. Kudos to you guys from Karhu, for sharing your adventures and helping set a backcountry appreciation and passion in another young skier.

(“Don’t tell your mother.” The group awaiting pickup at the end of the week. Photos courtesy of Scott Fennell.)

Leo Americus and his son Ben were looking for some ski partners for a fly-in to the Neacolas. Cody, Thomas, and I jumped at the opportunity. The Neacolas are about 100 miles west of Anchorage and they don't get skied nearly as often as they should. In fact, we were wondering if some of our lines were first descents. If they were, it's more of a testament to the vastness of Alaska and the forgiving conditions that prevailed during our trip. But still, we started naming stuff.

We flew via Beaver into Chakachamna Lake and then shuttled onto the glacier via Supercub. My jaw hit the glacier floor when I realized that the entire area was covered in bottomless powder. We sank to our knees in cold smoke when we hopped off the plane. And the terrain was SO legit. After setting up camp, Cody and I grabbed a few turns in the nearby Backyard Couloir. After my first turn, I knew we were in for an amazing trip.

Read on here...

(Cody arcing into Roller South.)

AMGA Exam – Zoe’s Perspective

2008-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Big congratulations today to Karhu Ambassador Zoe Hart, who just recently passed her Ski Mountaineering Guide’s exam. With that, she becomes the fourth American woman to earn guiding’s highest credential – IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) status. Achieving the status is a very long process of course-taking, passing guide certification exams in Rock, Alpine and Ski Mountaineering, with guiding days between each. It’s a huge accomplishment, and all of us at Karhu would like to say congrats!

Last week AMGA Guide Evan Stevens brought us several posts on the process of instructing the Ski Mountaineering exam in Valdez, AK. Today it seems appropriate to bring you Zoe’s perspective as one of the aspirant guides taking it:

I stared out the window across the Chugach as we floated into the air. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I slouched deeper into my chair to hide my face from my Examiners who where sitting a few rows ahead of me. I hadn’t cried on this exam and I wanted to keep it that way, at least in their minds. The feeling of completion settled in. The process of courses began 5 years ago the exams 7 and now I was finished. I felt light and heavy all at once. Memories of staring out an airplane window 11 years ago flooded through my heart. It was the first time I would go home to see my family without my father. I remembered crying the whole flight home. Nothing made sense. He was a healthy 42-year-old man, fit, and strong and he had died of a heart attack in the middle of his daily run. I was sad that I couldn’t share this pin with my father, but maybe I already had. It was May 7th, I was pinned on May 6th – his birthday. His death sent me searching, and I found the answers I was looking for in the mountains.

********

One by one the candidates trickled into Anna’s B&B. The common lodging choice for the AMGA exam participants due to Anna’s cooking and motherly nature! Geoff Unger and Mike Bromberg arrived first. Mike was the local guru this year as he had spent the winter heli ski guiding in Valdez and had a great handle on conditions and snowpack. Geoff had unfortunately just torn a knee ligament when I arrived and was on the injured reserves. A few other candidates joined the anxious crew, and we all headed into the horrible weather to train. Whiteouts, GPS, map, compass, breakable crust. UGHH, I could only hope that the weather would open up before the exam.

(Zoe prepping skis for the exam. Photos courtesy of Zoe Hart.)

Each night at dinner was a back and forth of SWAG (the American Avalanche standards) information, sled rescue ideas, short roping techniques, crevasse rescue. My head was spinning by the time I went to bed. We broke into small groups each day exploring different potential objectives, gathering information, and sharing it over dinner and breakfast.
Each night I dipped into the guilty pleasure of wireless internet, and old episodes of Desperate Housewives and Lost. I don’t have television in France, and it was all I could think of to clear my busy mind.

In the mornings I woke with a gasp and the remnants of exam stress dreams, examiners hovering over my shoulder, getting lost in a whitout, losing a ski, falling into a crevasse.

Four days before the exam I received an email from a good friend and mentor Steve House

"I recommend that you rest. Decompress. Maybe get outta guide-world for a bit if that is possible. That kind of thing helped me more than stressing about prepping. You'll be more impressive doing a 90% perfect job totally on-sight than 100% perfect job having done the tour before."

He was right. I needed to step back but the energy in the group was buzzing. Twelve of us, accomplished athletes, pig-headed guides, and 11 of them MEN. I was having FOMO (fear of missing out) the days I chose to rest, but I needed to. I wondered what if I get the objective that the other guys are out doing, and I didn’t do it? What if it’s a whiteout? The answer was, it’s my job to prove that I can handle all those skills without having done the tour already. So, really if I was ready, none of those things would be a problem for me. We met at the Totem Inn in Valdez. We were introduced to the examiners, the itinerary and the groups. We picked out of a hat and would stay with our groups of four each day and rotate examiners.
The first day we did group skills examinations, crevasse rescue, beacon searches, sled lowers. It was pretty mellow; as long as you had your technical systems dialed and had practiced, you should be fine, should be a gimme.

Day two my group drew Rob Hess first. I knew I had to perform. I had attempted the exam last year and hadn’t passed (a normal phenomenon in the exam process), and I wanted to show him how much I had improved. I knew I’d be battling a male dynamic all week, 11 male candidates, three male examiners and ME, and I wanted to step up first to show my confidence and leadership.

I led out towards the Berlin Wall and Goodwills, our first objective. As we got higher and higher, the winds picked up and the skies closed in. I pulled out my GPS, compass and map and fought anxiety. Taking a deep breath I kept the constant pace and landed us directly below the col we were heading for. Time to swap. My hot seat was done for the day, and I had succeeded. Throughout the day you are examined constantly on movement skills, assessments and notations, whether you are in the front or not, but you rotate through the hot seat.

Due to weather and avalanche hazard we chose not to ski the steep North Facing Couloirs on the Berlin Wall and continue with our traverse.

The rest of the day went without a hitch, and the rest of the candidates rotated through with the same confidence and success.

Each night we joined the examiners to talk about the day, where we were given a debrief to evaluate our performance, both by the examiners and ourselves. There are a plethora of things talked about, from technique to style, application and standards. Having been on other exams before I knew by Rob’s feedback we had all done well, but the day was mostly straight forward.

Day three, our objective was Python and the Cherry Couloir, a 50+ degree couloir on the east face. We couldn’t boot up the couloir, and stability was variable. One of the other groups had found a buried weak layer on a NE aspect that was reactive and potentially dangerous. The winds had been high enough to transport snow, and we had already found wind slabs on the Berlin Wall. Once you got into the Cherry, you were going down it. If you fell in the Cherry or were avalanched, you were most likely coming out the bottom. I knew it would be a challenging day.

Nat Patridge, another candidate, drew the start of the day. Each night we chatted as a group about stability, route plans and hazards. We decided it would be best to ski a less committing, subsidiary couloir on the arm of Python first to see what the conditions were like before we committed ourselves to the Cherry. Nat took us up and down the first mini-golf couloir. The conditions were good, but a little challenging. There was a firm sun crust from the warm spell that we had had the week before, before the bad weather and new cold snow settled in. We encountered sluff management and firm skiing skills, but overall the stability was good.
Off to the Cherry. We all knew Rob would swap the lead soon. Mike had lead a descent the other day, and Nat just did one, leaving Mark Allen or myself for the descent. Rob set us up for success and gave ample notice of the change.

“Ok Nat, you will lead us up part of the couloir to the col and then Zoe will take over.”

Urghhh, my heart raced. I knew it would be a challenging descent and part of me didn’t want it. I thought of the other groups skiing more mellow objectives, I wondered why Mark Allen couldn’t lead it. A few minutes of steaming, and I changed my mind. I’m gonna slay it. I can do this. Each step up the couloir, I thought of all the possible options, challenges, hazards, conditions and guiding techniques.

We arrived at the col, and the wind picked up. Each of us added layers, I prepped the rope just in case I needed it, looked up the steep scoured ridge and directed each candidate to put on their crampons and take out their axes. One of the challenges of ski guiding is higher ratios. Terrain that you might be able to short rope on with only 2 clients in alpine, you can’t with 4 in ski boots, and skis on your back. I started out of the col found good snow. My steps were deep, and they became our security, along with our axes and crampons, as the slope got steeper and steeper.

As we climbed, we began to foray into small pocket slabs, and I wondered whether we would make it to the ridge. I knew Rob wanted to ski it, if it was safe enough to do so. I knew that he hated when guides and candidates tried to find excuses not to have to deal with a technical situation and found reasons to go down rather than ways to manage hazards. Bit-by-bit I kicked steps up the steep face, stopping to do quick hand shears to see the quality of the slabs. They were small pockets and not consistent, so I felt it was safe to continue.

At the top we arrived upon a small ridge and a little rocky section. I stationed the rest of the group on the summit and took a walk alone to see what the conditions were like. Walking back I decided that everyone could downclimb the little steps in my bootprints, as long as I spotted them from falling into the couloir.

In the mouth of the couloir, I probed around with my shovel, happily finding no slabs – basically the same snowpack as the other mini golf pitch we had skied. One at a time, we sidestepped into the couloir around barely buried rocks. Finally all in, the energy was again buzzing, and we were all amped to ski.

Out front I could see from our entrance that the new snow above the suncrust would sluff as we skied, and I needed to manage it. Zig-zag-zig-zag, I zipped across the slope ski-cutting and pushing the excess snow down the couloir, looking for a little rocky nook protected from the next skier’s sluff to station myself. One at a time the candidates and Rob followed. The skiing wasn’t stellar, but the ambiance in the couloir was fun!

Two-thirds of the way down the couloir, Rob tapped me out, and Mark was up. Relieved and psyched, I felt that I had proven myself, and we soon made it out the bottom safe and sound with big smiles.

Night was again a frenzy of debriefs, dinners, drying gear, planning routes, printing maps and plotting points on GPS and topo programs. Sleep was secondary. We woke more and more exhausted, and there came a point of asking myself, “With four days left, how bad do I really want this?”

Day by day we faced challenges as they arriveds and learned bits of new information from our peers and examiners. Finally the last day came, with us all skiing down the Worthington with our three-day overnight packs. Whether we passed or failed was already written in the sand by then, and we were all relived.

******

May 6th, I sat waiting amongst the crew for my turn. I felt like vomiting. I felt confident that I had done very well, but wondered if I could truly be done with this examination process. I walked in the door to see Rob, Colin and Bela seated there, all straight-faced. “How did it go for you?”

I reached deep to come up with some poignant comments but really just wanted to know. Finally, Rob’s face lit up ear-to-ear.

“Ok, enough waiting, we’ll give you this first,” and with that he handed over his pin.
I had gone through a little bit of the process with each one of them. Colin Zacharias was my first examiner on my Alpine Exam; Bela Vadesz had taught me on my first ski course; and Rob Hess had taught me on my ski mountaineering Aspirant Course, watched me be unsuccessful on one exam, and seen me work and strive to the standard on the next.

Finally it had all come together. AND it was my dad’s birthday!!

Bike-to-Work Day

2008-05-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

May is National Bike-to-Work Month. Barring being on the road some last week, we’ve had great turnout at work for bike commuters, and office-wide we have 6 teams competing in the Cascade Bicycle Club/Group Health Commute Challenge. There are some pretty dedicated riders in the office… Karhu brand director Charlie Lozner already has 52 days bike commuting on the year, and snowboard binding engineer Frank Devlin rode in on the first day of Bike-to-Work Month with his kayak gear for an after-hours paddle.

Today is the official League of American Bicyclists Bike-to-Work Day, and it couldn’t have been a nicer one in Seattle, with blue skies and a forecast in the 80s. A lot of bikers were on the road this morning, and sponsors set up tents all around the city.

With the nice weather and a day dedicated to promoting bicycle travel, Charlie and I took a few snapshots from the commute this morning.

Charlie's commute:

Over the West Seattle Bridge, with views of downtown.

Looking south from the bridge.

Past the cement plant... heavy industrial roads through here.

Typical companion traffic.

The bike room starting to fill up this morning.

Graham's Commute:

Over the Fremont Bridge, about to climb around Queen Anne.

Quiet streets approaching downtown.

Dodging buses on the busiest part of the morning route.

Out of downtown, heading through industrial SoDo.

7 miles later, pulling into the office.

For me, it's a little more exercise on a moderately hilly route, and since it goes through the heart of the city, it doesn’t really take me much longer than it would in a car. Which is motivation enough for me.

-Graham Gephart

Fast Grass and Dirty Corn

2008-05-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Brian and Emily at EmberPhoto keep eking out the turns in Vermont. It’s not exactly advised skiing for your skins or your bases, but well, sometimes you just have to bridge to the next patch of snow…

Thank goodness for smooth grass on a ski resort slope.

What it Takes to be a Ski Guide, Part IV

2008-05-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

The fourth and final installment from Karhu ambassador Evan Stevens, wrapping up the AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide Exam in Valdez, AK.

Today was the last day of the course/exam, and things are all wrapped up. I made a flight back to Anchorage, and have a few hours to kill before my 1am red eye back to the lower 48, allowing me to decompress and chill out for the first time in 10 days. Can you feel the weight lifting off of my shoulders?This is not an easy process - either for the aspiring guide or the instructor/examiner. The long days, lack of sleep and continuing challenges of touring and guiding day after day had taken their toll on everyone with a touch of fatigue setting in... but that can tell you a lot about a guide, as they process these issues, and still manage to guide and have some energy in the reserves for the anticipation of whatever issues may come out of the blue. Granted these courses tend to push people a little hard at times, as the candidates aren't used to juggling so many things day after day, but anything can happen in the mountains, and we need to know that these candidates can handle and manage all of these things before we can allow them to pass the examination component of this course. As a result, a 50% failure rate in guide programs throughout the world is not uncommon. Most aspiring guides usually fail at least one exam in their path to full certification as a rock, ski and alpine guide. This is for sure one of the toughest parts of the examining job, as you have 'journeyed' with these candidates through the last 10 days, helping them to achieve their goals and they don't always make it. But so it goes... if everyone passed just for signing and showing up, then being a certified guide wouldn't mean a thing.

At least for the last 3 days we got to hammer out a few more quality ski lines, possibly some of my last few turns of the season, as I will be diving head first into climbing season this week. In fact my last few turns were on one of my favorite runs on the planet, the Cherry Couloir on Python Peak. This dog leg chute drops right off the small summit down about 1,500' vertical, lined by cliffs holding an angle in the mid 40's. After that, another 3 grand of cruiser turns take you back to the car - you gotta love the big vertical of Alaska!

I already have a potential trip guiding in Valdez for next April, and I can't wait to come back! This place continues to blow my mind, and my last turns (possibly?!!?) of the season will carry me through to next fall...

(Marc leads Julia up the Python for some practice guiding. Photos courtesy of Evan Stevens.)

(Rapping down into the top of the Cherry Couloir right off of Python's Summit.)

(Julia Niles rips down the gut of the Cherry.)

(Joey Vallone showing us how its down on the lower part of the Cherry.)

(Yours truly getting in some amazing final turns of the season.)

For more on Evan’s experience during the AMGA Ski Guide exam in Valdez, see Part I, Part II and Part III.

What it Takes to be a Ski Guide, Part III

2008-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Part III from Karhu Ambassador and AMGA Ski Guide Evan Stevens:

Well, we are down to the final stretch, only three more days left of the ski guide course. For the last three days we were on a point to point traverse, that started off quite spectacularly with a heli-drop. Our friends at Alaska Rendezvous Heli Guides lined us up with a drop on top of the 7,000-foot peak known as Ice Palace. This run was only guided once this season, and has some pretty interesting positions to say the least. Crevasses and ice falls border almost every turn on the top of the run, and everyone's adrenaline was high, when we were left by the bird perched on top of the line with packs full of 3 days worth of gear. Joey and I led the group down to demo some guiding techniques, and 3,200' later we were all stoked with the unbelievable amount of boot top powder we just skied in the first week of May.

(Ice Palace. Photos courtesy of Evan Stevens.)

So we then traveled up and over a glaciated col, skied down another huge shot to the massive Tonsina glacier. We skied about 8km up that glacier to go over another col, and dropped down to the Tsina glacier and camped amidst the never ending peaks and glaciers.

(Small skiers head down to the massive Tonsina Glacier.)

This was a big day, and we have been driving the candidates pretty hard. 12 hours out on the snow has been pretty standard, and none of us have averaged more than 5 hours sleep for the last week. Every certified guide I know has been put through the wringer, and it is important to know that your guide can keep going no matter what. Call it a rite of passage, or what ever you like, it is a hard process and you have to be able to keep up for days on end.So of course we kept going the next day. We woke up at our beautiful camp, and trekked up another 2500' feet to another col that led us to the Hoodoo glacier, winding our way through more ice falls and crevasses.

(Mark finds a clear path up to the Hoodoo Col.)

As instructors, we were almost hoping for some bad weather, so we could see how the candidates navigate up the big white glaciers in fog and whiteout conditions, we got a little bit of fowl weather, but it cleared out in time for our descent onto the Hoodoo.

(Whiteout clears for us at the col.)

We dropped onto the Hoodoo, made camp and busted up Girls Mountain for a sweet 3,000' of later afternoon skiing.

(The Hoodoo Glacier and Girls Mountain.)

Time to camp again, and we actually got 6 hours of sleep, and took it easy on the candidates the next day, with only one short 3,000' climb and ski out the backside of Girls Mountain down to the Worthington Glacier and the cars.

(Backcountry.com Athlete Julia Niles takes us down 4,200 feet to the cars.)

Sound like a lot? Well it has been, and like I said, we still have three more days of skiing left!On another note, it is always interesting to see what gear all of the guides are hammering on... especially when there are a few items that are in almost every single guides pack. First of course are Dynafit bindings. Light and bomber, there is no other choice for ski guides. The other items would be for camping. Jetboil stoves are universal as well; light, small and super efficient. The Black Diamond Firstlight (and other BD hyperlight tents) are the ONLY tents I see people with for winter camping - not amazing in the rain, but perfect in the cold and snow. Finally would be a plug for a new piece of gear I am using, the Outdoor Research Exped sleeping mats. I can't believe how well I slept on the Downmat 7 DLX, best night of sleep in the backcountry ever for me. Period. Okay, enough of a post for now... hope this inspires you to check out some new places, and if you hire a guide, to consider hiring an AMGA certified guide. We still have a few more days left, so check back to see what else we come up with for these aspiring certified guides!

For more on Evan’s experience during the AMGA Ski Guide exam in Valdez, see Part I and Part II.

What it Takes to be a Ski Guide, Part II

2008-05-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

More in the series from Karhu Ambassador and AMGA Ski Guide Evan Stevens:

Day 2 and 3 of the AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Course just wrapped up. We spent day 2 finishing off our technical skills, by teaching the candidates glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques on the Worthington Glacier right off of Thompson Pass. You have to love this place... 20 minutes of skinning from the car and we are on a glacier, skiing towards a crevasse to huck ourselves into and get dragged out of.

(Candidates hanging out in the crevasse. Photos courtesy of Evan Stevens.)

As you can imagine, it is essential to know how to be able to haul someone who falls into a slot out of it. It isn't exactly a walk in the park, as you have to arrest the person's fall into the slot, then build a ski anchor as you hold the person's weight on the rope so that you can escape their weight and build a hauling set up to get mechanical advantage so you can pull the person out of the slot.

(Ben fighting the pull of gravity as he arrests a crevasse fall.)

The plan for Day 3 didn't include any more rescue and technical skills assessment and practice, so obviously it means that it included some ski touring. We were all excited to get out and cover some ground and ski some of the big terrain that the Chugach are famous for. The weather here has been a bit less than ideal. Joey Vallone, one of the instructors I am working with, keeps running into tons of skiing rock stars he used to ski with, who are here to film. However, they have been sitting on their butts for weeks, as clouds and unsettled weather have kept the helis grounded. Lucky for us, we are traveling under our own power and can get around in the mountains as we please, and capitalize on the small windows of good weather.

(Working our way up a run called RFS - Really F-ing Steep!)

Luck for us, this actually meant some good views and visibility in the afternoon, and the added bonus treat of 10-15cm of fresh pow - not bad for May 1st!

(Instructor Howie Schwartz helps candidate Mark Hanselman pick and choose his way down the glacier.)

We got some good runs in, and got to look around and drool in anticipation of the next week of refining guiding skills.

(Julia Niles works with Howie on figuring out where we will go for the next 3 days.)

Finally we sat down with some maps to plan a 3 day ski traverse off of Thompson Pass. If the weather agrees we might get dropped off further away from the road by a heli, and ski back to the cars - if not, good old lungs and legs will get us far far away! I'll let you know how it goes in 3 days!

(Joey Vallone getting ready for some AK Heli Time!)

For more, see Evan's previous post here

What it Takes to be a Ski Guide, Part I

2008-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

The guiding season is not over for Karhu Ambassador Evan Stevens, who is busying himself up in Alaska right now teaching the AMGA’s Ski Mountaineering Guides Course. Certified in the field last year and helping pass on the knowledge to other prospective ski guides, Evan offers us a great perspective on what it takes.

I finally made it to Valdez, Alaska for the American Mountain Guides Association Ski Mountaineering Guides Course. For those of you who don't know, the AMGA trains and certifies guides in the Alpine, Rock and Ski disciplines, and when a candidate is certified in all three disciplines, they are considered an IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) Mountain Guide. It takes most people in the US 3 to 6 years to complete all of the trainings and certifications to become a full Mountain Guide, and right now there are fewer than 60 who have completed this process (in the US). Last year I finished this task, sort of your PHD of mountain travel, and have now been asked to start to teach and train the next round of guides. This crop includes guides from Alaska, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho (to name a few) and also includes fellow backcountry.com athlete Julia Niles, who is on her way to becoming one of the few fully certified female mountain guides.

This course is 10 days long, and I thought it might be interesting (and entertaining) to give everyone a picture of what it actually means to be a trained and certified guide. Most developed countries in the world REQUIRE guides to be certified in order to work. This seems to make sense to me, you wouldn't want to trust your life to a doctor that wasn't board certified, so why trust your life to a guide that isn't certified? The land of the free, aka the U.S., has developed a guiding culture that did not require or put an emphasis in this certification process, but that perspective is starting to shift. More and more clients, guiding services and land managers are starting to see the importance of guide certification and the standards of practice and safety it brings to the table.

So here you go: I will bring you into the world of guide training and certification, and you can see what it takes to be a ski guide!

First things first, being a mountain guide means having a TON of gear (luckily I get to work with backcountry.com). Still, I had to put away the bike and the cams, and load up the skis, ice axes, crampons, rescue sleds, shovels, etc... for one more stint of skiing this year.

I met up with my fellow instructors, Howie Schwartz and Joe Vallone, for some planning and prep for where and when we were going to take the candidates. Pouring over maps, past itineraries, recent snow pack data, and weather reports, we came up with a plan for the course.

Day 1 was today (Tuesday) and it entailed testing the candidates on their technical rescue skills. In our minds it is essential to know that the people I will be out in the mountains with on a course like this have my back.

The First of 4 drills was the construction of a rescue toboggan, loading a patient into it, lowering the patient 300 feet down a 45 degree slope (through 2 anchor stations that they construct out of skis) and finally dragging the sled 300 feet across a slope. This all has to be done in 70 minutes.

The second drill was finding 3 buried avalanche beacons in a 300 by 300 foot area in 7 minutes or less. Usually 2 of these beacons are buried about 10 feet apart and are at least 3 feet deep in the snow, with the third beacon being at least 5 feet deep in the snow.

The third drill was the construction of an emergency shelter with a tarp, shovel, and 3 pairs of skis and poles in 30 minutes.

Finally, we had the candidates dig some snow profiles (snow pits) so that we know their assessments of the snowpack are up to snuff.

Sound like a lot so far? It only took us 10 hours to get all of this stuff done...and tomorrow we still need to assess the students at crevasse rescue! After that we will start to get to skiing the big lines and covering some ground in the amazing Chugach Mountains...

Stay tuned here and on my blog for the next 10 days as I keep you posted on the daily trials and tribulations of what it takes to be a ski guide!

Whistler World Backcountry Freeride Jam

2008-05-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

The TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival draws thousands of snow sliders to Whistler for 10 days and 10 nights. Events range from slopestyle contests to concerts, but the special events of the World Backcountry Freeride Jam are particularly special. With its Backcountry Village to Randonnee Tours, the Race Series, Safety Clinics and Telemark Lessons, the Backcountry Freeride Jam provides great exposure for all things backcountry. Telemark instructor Tom Gellie sent us an trip report from the event…

(Wandering through the Backcountry Village. Photos courtesy of Tom Gellie)

I didn't expect there to be great skiing at Whistler during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival but that wasn’t the reason for going. Festivals are all about meeting up with old friends, making new ones, getting amongst some of the events on offer and generally celebrating the fact we love to ski. As part of the huge Ski and Snowboard festival there is the World Backcountry Freeride Jam. The organisers of this had done a great job in organising many clinics, demos and parties as a part of this get together. People could take part in Telemark clinics, backcountry tours with qualified guides, demo the latest equipment and all of this for FREE!

(Tom goes chuting on Blackcomb.)

The first day of the Jam was exciting because I had a new pair of Karhu Spires to try. Unfortunately though the mountain had gone from being above freezing temps to -7 C overnight. A dusting of a few centimetres made it a little more enjoyable. Some friends and I managed to find some pretty fun and challenging skiing given the conditions and many a time that day did I ask myself why I telemarked?? Hitting big ugly ice cookies hidden under a skiff of powder can suck while trying to negotiate some of Blackcomb's couloirs. I also wondered why I’d ordered that last drink at the bar last night? That day we skiied past the guys setting the courses for the three randonee style races held over the weekend. These ranged from 10km jaunts inbounds to the serious Spearhead Pasage. For those looking to blast the lungs a straight uphill race (4000ft) from the Village to the Roundhouse Gondola could be done on the Saturday.

(The telemark clinic crew.)

The second day I had organised to meet up with some ripping tele gals and let them show me some of Whistler Mountain. It was really awesome to have a big crew of tele skiers. It rarely happens I find except for at festivals. Even more rare is it that they all rip!! The energy was great and we managed to find some sweet pockets of new snow. I knew exactly why I chose to telemark that particular day. The girls demoed some new equipment and talked of how to tactfully approach their other halves on why they need new boots and skis.

(Whistler rip-session.)

That evening we all headed to one of the parties where they had a fundraiser for repairs to a popular backcountry hut in the area. Lots of great prizes where given away and a good time had by all.

(What a cap to the northern session!)

The Whistler World Backcountry Freeride Jam is a great event with lots on offer. Most of it free too. It is also held at the time of year when you are winding down your ski season so is a great way to finish off. I’m now on my way south preparing for skiing again back in Australia so it was definitely a nice way for myself to tie off a great Northern Hemisphere winter.

Ski you later,
TeleTom

100K of Skinning

2008-04-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

Vermonter Peter Wadsworth sent us an email the other day with a link to a great video slideshow of his season. Peter set a goal of skiing 100,000 vertical feet in the backcountry to push himself this season, and came away from it with a lot of adventures and an awesome record of them. Congrats on hitting your goal, Peter, and thanks for inspiring the rest of us.

(Video courtesy of Peter Wadsworth)

Thinking back on this season I realize that making this seemingly superficial goal got me much more than an arbitrary number. I skied in a way, in places, and at times that I may not have otherwise, and because of this the experience was neither superficial nor arbitrary. Nearly half of the days that I headed out I went to a place I had never been before, as opposed to lapping the same old hill under the lifts. More than half of the days weren’t “days” at all, but were dawn or dusk patrols that accompanied a full day at the office – some including skiing in the dark to earn my vert. Because of the inherent risks with this I also sought out ski partners that I might otherwise have gone without, and developed friendships with some great skiers that I learned a lot from. Now the question is: what is my goal for next season?

-Peter

Altai Skis at Powder Creek, BC

2008-04-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

(Nils and his touring quiver at Powder Creek, BC. Photos courtesy of Nils Larsen)

Inspired by his trips to the Altai Mountains of China, Nils Larsen began building his own Altai skis over the winter, chronicling his progress here on the blog.

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

With the skis completed, Nils brought them up to Powder Creek Lodge, BC to test out on his recent hut trip. Continued from Monday…

I finally got out on the big boards late in the day Thursday and on Friday for some test runs near the cabin. The light was trending to milk bottle but the snow was cold and fairly deep. I had a bit of trouble adjusting the bindings (stiff rawhide is hard to tie) but soon got the hang of them. The skis worked great in my test runs and I quickly got up enough speed to generate several spectacular wipeouts.

Saturday, our last full day there, the weather finally warmed up. All tired from a week of touring, we headed out early for a short tour to the north before the snow warmed up. I strapped on the Altai skis and tagged along, wondering what I was getting myself into. The snow on the north side of the Back Door pass was still cold dense powder. My first run was low angle and I found the snow fast and eminently skiable. My next run was quite steep and I quickly exceeded my comfort level on these skis. I was able to make some modest turns and as the day progressed I got more comfortable with speed and balance.

The snow thickened and warmed though and after lunch we headed back to the lodge. We stopped at the top of the pass and some of the group tried the Altai skis off the north side. Slides were starting to rumble in the warming sun as we skied back to the lodge and the cold beers we had waiting.

Success!

Powder Creek Trip Report

2008-04-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

The US/Canadian dollar may be nearly equal, but a hut trip to British Columbia is still the best deal going for ski trips. Karhu’s Minister of Ski Culture, Nils Larsen, is freshly back from one of his favorites:

Powder Creek Lodge is in British Columbia’s Purcell Range – north of Nelson on the east side of Kootenay Lake. We flew in on Sunday, April 6 for a week of touring here in this wild range in central BC. We were blessed with cold weather and occasional snow most of the week, typical of spring in this area. If you have never hut skied, you have to try it. When it comes to backcountry skiing, staying in a comfortable lodge and day touring in spectacular terrain and powder snow is at the very top of the skiing food chain, and Powder Creek ranks high in world of BC lodges.

(Powder Creek Lodge and the view south. Photos by Nils Larsen.)

I had brought my newly finished pair of Altai skis in to try out. But with the skiing as great as it was, they would have to wait for us to tour the goods first. What fantastic skiing and a week with good friends!

(Ridge touring on a snowy day.)

(Bill Love, skiing home.)

(Forrest skis the trees. )

To be continued with a report on skiing the Altai skis on Tuesday…

Winding Down in the Adirondacks

2008-04-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Keeping it on the theme of spring in the East, Karhu rep Mike “Kaz” Kazmierczak sends us trip report from some XCD skiing in New York’s Adirondack region. Sunny skies, warm weather, good company, soft snow, what’s not to like?

Winter is fading quickly in the Adirondacks, but we still have some skiing opportunities up high. The approaches are muddy and the streams are running, but the temptation of corn snow keeps us trekking into the High Peaks each weekend.

(Jen Kazmierczak hiking across one of many stream crossings on the approach. Photos by Mike Kaz)

The classic Wright Peak ski trail was the destination for this trip. With its northern exposure and sheltered canopy, we knew it would have easy skiing and hiking up, and by the time the temps rose (almost 75 degrees this trip), the corn was perfect to schuss out on. The summit weather couldn’t have been better. Typically windy, Wright Peak offered us completely calm skies to scout our trips on neighboring peaks for the following week.

(Kaz on the summit of Wright, looking toward Mt Colden and Mt Marcy.)

XCDs are the skis of choice for a bunch of our objectives around here, but especially in the spring when "variable" conditions persist. And really, nothing jump turns on rock quite like the 10th Mountains! Still a couple more weeks left of skiing for us... after a truly stellar winter.

(At snowline, just below Wright Peak's summit, prepping to ski down. 10th Mountains all around.)

(Classic Adirondack Trail skiing on the Wright Peak Ski Trail.)

(Not wanting winter to end, our friend Rob Dross.)

White Mountain Wandering

2008-04-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

With longer sunlight and warm temps, the East Coast corn season is fully in session. Brian Mohr checks in from the White Mountains.

Ahhh spring! Barely fifty miles east of Vermont’s Green Mountains lie the snowcapped ranges and mountain clusters that characterize New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

(Dave Bouchard looking out across the options. Photos by EmberPhoto)

The Whites are significantly higher than the Greens, with the region's highest summit, the infamous Mount Washington, topping out at 6288' – nearly 2000' higher than Vermont's highest. Top to bottom descents of over 4000' vertical lure many skiers to the Whites, while an abundance of challenging alpine terrain, open slide paths and snow-filled cirques (e.g. Tuckerman's Ravine) offers a nice change of scenery for the forest-dwelling Northeastern skier. Mid-winter, the best ski terrain in the highest elevations of the Whites is often plagued by high winds and dangerous – if not totally unskiable – snow conditions. That is not to say that you can't score an incredible day of skiing here in mid-January. However, come early April, when the warmer days of spring begin to consolidate the snowpack, the Whites come into their element.

Although there were still 100" of settled snowpack at treeline in Vermont earlier this month, a stretch of warm, clear days and cool, clear nights made it impossible for many to resist the lure of Whites. Personally, I kicked off the spring with a fun, solo traverse of a good stretch of the region's Presidential Range (from Castle Ravine to Franklin Brook), scoring several runs of beautiful, untracked corn along the way. In the days that followed, with bluebird weather prevailing, I connected with various friends. We shared some truly adventurous turns in some seldom visited places, as well as some great descents right off the popular summit flanks of Mount Washington.

Then, just a few days ago, I finally got to connect with Karhu skier Dave Bouchard, of Hinesburg, Vermont. Always a joy to ski with, Dave recently scored first place in the men's telemark division of Mad River Glen's annual Triple Crown. Busy all week as a school teacher and busy at home with two growing kids, Dave was psyched to have a whole day to go ski. So we made the most of it, with a 5am start here in Vermont and a tour that included some of our favorite White Mountain gems.

By 9am, we were up high on the White Mountain divide, dropping into our first of many fine lines we planned to ski. A thin coat of fresh snow that had plastered itself to the springtime base was still skiing dry and nearly powder-like in the shadier aspects, while corn was already taking shape in wind-scoured zones and gullies catching the direct morning rays. By noontime, the fresh snow in the direct sun was getting sticky and best avoided, while anything else in the sun was delectable.

After another great day in the mountains, we spotted this beautiful little fox back at the trailhead.

Back home in Vermont, most of the ski areas are now shut down for the season, but an impressive snowpack leaves us with another 1-2 weeks of top to bottom skiing. We'll likely be hopping on the bikes a bit, too – but with the skis in tow – to access some of this skiing, so stay tuned...

Brian
Moretown, VT
EmberPhoto

Guiding Alaska

2008-04-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

With the Jackson Hole season wrapped up, Karhu skier Eric Henderson is once again up in Alaska, guiding with Valdez Heli Ski Guides. With good snow and blue skis last week, he sent along a dispatch from several days of guiding and shooting with Tough Guy Productions.

One of the highlights of my job in Alaska is working with professional athletes and delivering the goods to them. Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to work once again with the Tough Guy Production crew and their selected team of athletes.

(All-star line-up in Valdez, AK. Photos courtesy of Eric Henderson)

The weather for the first few weeks of April was milky to say the least. Continued cloud cover, mixed precip and high winds had shut down almost every operator on Thompson Pass. The Tsaina parking lot scene was a well-blended mix of frisbee, early beers, lots of cheese quesadillas and half-crazed heli skiers waiting to see the sun pop. Without fail the first question out of every skier’s mouth was “What’s the forecast?” with the standard refrain of “More of the same.” We have a saying in Valdez, if you want clear skies, then Drink it Blue.

Sure enough the night we decided to close down the Pipeline Bar, the skies cleared and we were flying by 10AM. Load One was Stephane, Kevin and David, with me to guide. Second load was Max, Tyler, JT and Lorenzo. I received both groups on top of Imax, a classic run in the Promise Land with the cameras start rolling. We proceeded to get three more days of flying and skiing, allowing the cameras to capture all of the athletes experiencing some of the Chugach’s magic. This year, unlike others, we combined the one-drop heli touring program with scattered pick-ups throughout the day, allowing us to ski some unlandable peaks and couloirs, then travel a few drainages over and do it again.

(Lorenzo Worster drops in with speed.)

One-drop skiers are groups of four that launch early in the morning before the public skiers, and end up skiing most of the day on their own human power. We land on top of a heli run to start and then proceed to hike and skin for the goods through out the day. The usual day ends up with over 12,000-vertical skied and some tired legs. All groups end by skiing down to the highway for a van pick up. It’s hard to beat a cold beer and a friendly van drive after teeing off in the Chugach for the day.

Working with a crew like this year’s Tough Guy athletes makes my job harder yet extremely satisfying. Having some of the best freeheel skiers in the country as your clients keeps it exciting at all times. I am either opening large slopes for them to ski, setting up for rescue, or standing by as they launch huge air. Not to mention watching some of the most impressive telemark turns on some the country’s biggest freeride lines.

As I have said before, the modern age of freeheel skiing now has a place in the Valdez/Chugach ski culture and should be here till the end.

For more info: http://www.valdezheliskiguide.com/

Spring Roller Coaster

2008-04-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Well into April and its roller coaster of weather and temperatures, but winter still won’t quite release its grasp here in the Cascades. Steady snow showers last week piled up a foot-plus of new powder at Alpental for their Thursday morning reopening. A couple of us in the office headed up for a morning session .

(Fog lifts from Alpental early on Thursday morning. Photos by Graham Gephart)

(Karhu engineer Eben Sargent dropping down Adrenaline.)

(Finding good powder under International)

Since then, temperatures climbing well into the 50s and 60s in the mountains, and are again cooling back down and leaving snow this week. It’s all setting up for an epic spring of touring, especially as the lifts wind down. The resort is now opening only on weekends through May 5th for a Cinco de Mayo closing celebration. While the resort is closing, with any luck we’ll be holding a special opening celebration of our own on the 5th, up in the North Cascades once again. Fingers are crossed for the road opening, but the progress report from WSDOT looks good for a month or two of good skiing from the passes:

From WSDOT's Jeff Adamson:

Here's what's up there right now, east and west: 4 Kodiak snow blowers, 3 Caterpillars (1 D-8, 2-D-6), 2 snow cats, an excavator, front end loader, and grader.

Weather has been clear or overcast, but temperatures have remained about 40 which kept the avalanche chutes that still have the 10-inches of snow they got a week ago, stable. Becker says they're hoping the warm temperatures forecast for the next several days will either melt it in place or cause the snow to slide by Monday. "We're bringing all our equipment to a site below Cutthroat Ridge so nothing we'll need Monday morning will stranded on the wrong side of a big slide." Don also sent me some new photos which we're posting to the Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157604271503716/

Hide & Seek in the Adirondacks

2008-04-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

One more trip report from Nils Larsen’s swing through the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains in early March…

The Adirondack Backcountry Festival continued on Sunday with another 4-6 inches of low-density snow overnight. Conditions looked stellar and Ron Konowitz - a near legendary local skier who has skied in the ‘Dacks since the late 70s - agreed to take me touring. Ron is also famous for his secrecy about where he skis, something I had heard about from other locals. Maybe it was because I was from across the country, maybe it was because we were both old-time (some might say over the hill) tele/XCD skiers, but Ron led me off to some choice private stashes.

Ron and Nils near an unnamed woods slash. Numerous Adirondack slides in the distance. Photos courtesy of Nils Larsen.

The snow was cold and light, knee-deep in places.

Ron, bringing up the rear and covering tracks.

Our second ski of the day clued me in to the extent of the previously mentioned secrecy. We parked along a main road (I must be ambiguous here as I am sworn to secrecy), quickly grabbed our ski gear and dodged into the bushes. We put our skis on and took a roundabout route up to a well-used snowshoe trail, carefully disguising our tracks entering the trail. We climbed for an hour or so, passing lots of snowshoers but no skiers (the dumbing down of winter sports is a sad thing). Ron was careful - very careful. The trail was narrow and studded with roots and rocks, but we let all questioners know that this was our planned route down. I won some points here for diving into the role, telling people in my folksiest voice that ‘we may be foolish but, hey, what do we know?’ People looked at us strangely and, Ron thought, sometimes suspiciously. He recognized a few folks which made him all the more careful.

Finally, near the top and in what I thought to be an impenetrable thicket of spruce, we stopped. There was no one in sight and Ron and I quickly took off our skis. "Throw your skis as far into the thicket as you can," Ron whispered. There was a sense of urgency as we crawled into the thicket after our skis. While we may have been able to throw the casual snowshoer off our true intentions as we skinned up the trail, throwing our skis into the woods and dog-crawling in after them would be hard to explain. Ron continued to whisper directions. I had just found my skis when he told me, "Throw them again, we're not far enough yet." I hucked them again, and we crawled on. Ron, bringing up the rear was filling in our tracks as we went – erasing tracks in snow is impossible but when you throw snow in them, they could be anything. If anything, they would likely be considered dog tracks... people don't normally crawl into thickets.

Finally we stopped and put our skis on. Ron did a few final loops through the brush and trees to throw off any possible trackers – something I considered highly unlikely at this point. The snow was excellent, deep and light, and we were now scouting for skiable lines. As we dropped a bit things started to open up. This is a relative term, and I use it here measuring with an Eastern yardstick. It seemed unskiable to me, but Ron knew my limitations in Eastern forests and he led onward.

Ron, scoping for good lines.

We finally hit some narrow but skiable slots in the trees, once again in Yellow Birch. These trees were quickly endearing themselves to me.

True to his word, Ron delivered excellent skiing. We did a few laps in here, our private forest. We did see another ski track, though Ron thought he knew who it was. Our ski out was thickety in places, but I had the extended forearm position wired, and combined with the good snow, I almost felt proficient in these Eastern forests.

We circled wide to get back on the trail, again disguising our tracks as we hit the track.

It was a great day of skiing, made all the more interesting by our need for secrecy. The ‘Dacks are a big range, but there is not a lot of good skiable terrain close in. Secrecy is certainly common with backcountry skiers, especially in well-used areas. Out West the landscape is far more open, so it becomes problematic to try and hide your tracks. In the East though, the finding and protecting of secret stashes has been developed into a fine art. Who knows what gems lurk just out of my range of view as I drive through the mountains back insto VT.

One by the Numbers

2008-04-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Yup, it’s been a great year…

Northwest
Alpental, WA – 545”
Mount Bachelor, OR – 523”
Timberline, OR – 723”
Alyeska, AK – 815”
Whistler, BC – 382”

Rockies
Jackson Hole, WY – 605”
Steamboat, CO – 489”
Wolf Creek, CO – 492”
Loveland, CO – 363”
Alta, UT – 641”
Snowbasin, UT – 422”
Bridger Bowl, MT – 394”

Northeast
Stowe, VT – 371”
Jay Peak, VT – 399”
Sugarloaf, ME – 216”

Sierra
Squaw Valley, CA – 416”
Sugar Bowl, CA – 462”
Mammoth, CA – 339”

…and in the backcountry, it’s just getting started.

(End of April a couple seasons back in Santa Fe, NM, Peter Kray watches his head at the patrol shack entrance. Photo by Graham Gephart).