Backcountry Ski Season Is Coming…Are you Ready?
I don’t think words are required for this one.
Avalanche Skier POV Helmet Cam Burial & Rescue in Haines, Alaska from Chappy on Vimeo.
The Science Behind Avalanches
I’m not sure if this is good or bad news, but regardless, it’s news. The New York Times just ran a story on the science of avalanches. As any backcountry skier knows, understanding how avalanches work is a bit of art and science…and, in my opinion, luck. The story is no doubt in response to [...]
US National Telemark Ski Team Heads To Europe
It’s not backcountry skiing per se, but I have to plug the US Telemark Ski Team as they represent what “backcountry skiing” used to be…well sort…at least the free heel part. My wife, Jeannine, is a member of the ski team, although is admittedly having a more difficult time training this year, being in Seattle [...]
Not What You Want To Hear
I just received the following email from a friend at the Northwest Avalanche Center. The email was originally sent by the owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, Larry Goldie. As an avid backcountry skier, this is not what I want to hear.
Hello Skiers,
There is currently a set of circumstances in the backcountry that we
want to [...]
Ticking Timebomb
This is not the weekend to go backcountry skiing, at least here in the Northwest. Interestingly, the reason for what could be a truly hazadarous weekend for any sort of ski touring, has less to do with the Pacific Northwest and more to do with the Rockies.
“This is the weakest snowpack I have seen in [...]
Read Your Local Avalanche Center Website
The west is experiencing a series of big snow storms. The arctic front that had created havoc here in Seattle is moving across the country dumping all sorts of snow in the mountains. Great for ski areas, bad for backcountry skiers. Just today, the day before Christmas, 2 snowmobilers were caught, buried and killed in [...]
Think Outside the Box: Beautiful & Inspiring Winter Landscape & Skiing Photos For the Holidays!
Time is running out on holiday shopping. Which is kind of scary, because with Christmas only a couple weeks away, there still is barely any snow in them hills! I woke up this morning, as I do every day, looked out the window and the Olympic Mountains are bare bare bare. It will come they [...]
Are You A Hoar?
One of the many benefits to backcountry skiing in the Pacific Northwest (besides tons of snow and huge amounts of terrain) is we don’t have to worry AS MUCH about hoar frost. Which is why, while living in Whitefish, Montana, last winter, I was always a bit nervous ski touring. Although I wouldn’t say Whitefish [...]
Avalanche Videos: Extended Column Test (ECT)
Yesterday I posted the video “A Dozen More Turns“, which was played at Saturdays Northwest Avalanche Summit here in Seattle. The avalanche video, showing the real-life story of a group of friends enjoying some epic hut skiing was, and is, a reminder that no matter how much avalanche experience you have, things can go wrong. [...]
The Real Deal: Backcountry Skiing Avalanche Video
A Dozen More Turns is a reminder that anything can happen to anyone while backcountry skiing.
Will You Survive?
Last night I was browsing the world wide web so I could share some avalanche education with my readers. I stumbled across the Forest Service avalanche center website and uncovered this pretty cool little interactive avalanche game.(Although I suppose calling it a ‘game’ isn’t very appropriate.)
I applaud the forest service for providing such material, even [...]
Backcountry Ski Photos: Fairy Meadows, BC
In the winter of ‘05 a group of us took a chopper deep into the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. For a week we reveled in the backcountry ski terrain that surrounded us and the Fairy Meadows hut, mostly inspired, often intimidated. Temperatures were utterly freezing (at one point hitting -32 degrees!) and while we [...]
Don’t Die In The Backcountry
Next Saturday, Nov 8, is the Northwest Snow & Avalanche Snow Summit here in Seattle. The full-day event is filled with talks and stories about avalanche awareness, ski touring in the Cascades, and such topics as “Decision Making in High-Risk Environments”. Martin Volken from Pro Guiding Service is just one of the speakers, so the [...]
Winter Is Coming…Are You Ready?
Winter is coming. What proof do I have? Very little actually, except that many of us are talking about trying to fit in one last mountain bike ride before the snow starts falling. Which led me to looking back on some photographs I took last fall right about this time. We took a trip over [...]
Supporting Your Local Avalanche Center
As backcountry skiers, we’re pretty lucky here in the Pacific Northwest. Besides incredible terrain and a deep snow pack, we have world-class backcountry ski resources. Among them is the avalanche website and resources provided by The Friends of Northwest Avalanche and Weather Center. Without them and similar organizations (most of which are typically non-profit [...]
Backcountryskiphotos.com is live…sort of.
Backcountryskiphotos.com (will be) officially launching with an inspiring and ever-changing selection of the best damn backcountry ski photos on the planet! Not only that, but expect to see interviews from the best adventure and ski photographers out there.
