All photos courtesy of Brooke Jackson Soggy boots and achy limbs make climbing into the truck a welcomed reprieve. After a full day battling waist-high Devil’s Club, blackberry bushes, and other formidable forest growth, my limbs are pricked pink by thorns and minor lacerations. Despite the discomfort, our team is in good spirits as we turn up the radio and pass around …
How to navigate the ski guide system Somehow, at the ripe young age of 16, I was lucky enough to be exposed to professional mountain guiding. I remember the moment, 500’ below the summit of Mt Lafayette in a whiteout when I resolved that a career in the mountains was to be the path of my life’s work. Fortunately for …
Photo Courtesy of Aidan Goldie-Ahumada We’ve all been there; one minute you’re excitedly pulling your favorite puffy jacket on, ready to run out the door for a day of skiing, the next you’re staring in shock and frustration at the zipper, split wide open as cold air billows through the jacket. Outdoor gear, like everything, has a lifespan and suffers …
Having a good set of climbing skins and knowing how to use them can be the difference between an epic day of riding and a complete suffer-fest. We’ll be running you through their history, installation, maintenance, and everything in-between. Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Climbing Skins. The History of Climbing Skins Climbing skins have been around for a …
Photos Courtesy of Aaron Diamond Like many splitboarders… …I started out in a traditional (soft) snowboard boot. These were the same boots I wore at the resort. They were comfortable, warm, rode well, and required no break-in. By many standards, they were an exceptional boot for touring. A few years splitboarding and a handful of avalanche classes later, my ambitions …
There is no replacement for good group synergy when traveling in and around avalanche terrain. Good synergy within a group can help create an epic day of powder euphoria. The lack of it can also be the difference in returning home safely. Although finding good backcountry partners can be challenging, setting some basic ground rules and strategies before heading out …
Motherhood in the Mountains photos courtesy of Ben Girardi. This winter, I found myself consistently waking up at 4 a.m. Instead of alpine starts answering the call of the mountains, I was responding to the cries of my infant son. As I approached motherhood, part of me worried that I would lose my drive for splitboarding instead of adventures in …
Feature photo from the Inspired Summit Adventures Ski Mountaineering Clinic. Ah springtime! A fabulous time in the mountains when snowpacks have stabilized and trailheads are quieting down as many folks flock to the desert. Spring can be a great time for exploring new zones or getting up close and personal with those lines you’ve been eyeing from afar. We tagged …
Spring touring has arrived! If you’re like us, you’re itching to go for bigger objectives after what felt like a long season of avoiding nasty PWLs. With the change of the seasons comes a change in your backcountry kit. Enter ski crampons and splitboard crampons. What are splitboard & ski crampons: Essentially the same idea as boot crampons, but they …
Lexie Anderson on a spring touring mission in the Tetons on the Voile Spartan Splitboard. Photo courtesy of Arron Diamond. The days are getting longer, temps are getting warmer, and if your anything like me your eyes have been gazing upwards, towards the alpine, all winter waiting for the peaks to become more friendly. The deep snows of winter are …
