SierraDescents.com

SierraDescents | 2011

Sony NEX-5

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Sony's interchangeable-lens NEX-5 is both an oddly compelling and an oddly vexing digital camera. Despite its flaws, however, once you start using an NEX-5 it's hard to stop. I (more)

Thor Peak

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Every time I visit the Whitney Portal area, I always look up at Thor Peak and wonder about skiing it—but I never do. Erratic coverage in the Eastern Sierra had us (more)

395 Report (South)

395 Report (South)

Scouted Highway 395 between Olancha and Independence this past weekend. As has been the case the past few years, snow coverage varies greatly depending (I assume) on wind effect (more)

Black Diamond Quadrant

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Some relationships define themselves immediately. Others refuse easy explanation. That's about where I find myself with Black Diamond's stubbornly-ambiguous Quadrant A/T ski boot. (more)

Marker Tour F12

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Visions of an Alpine Touring binding from a heavyweight Alpine manufacturer like Marker have been dancing in the dreams of A/T skiers for many years now—mine included. Those (more)

Salomon Shogun

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Salomon's Shogun moves away (slightly) from the powder specialization of big-brother Czar toward a more classic all-mountain design, modernized with just a touch of rocker. (more)

Nikon P300

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Nikon's 12-megapixel P300 compact is the latest addition to my quiver of field cameras. I've learned to carry compacts in addition to or even instead of larger DSLRs and (more)

Rossignol S7 Freeride

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Effortless powder skiing is the goal of Rossignol's unusually-shaped S7 Freeride, a ski that departs radically from traditional design standards, camber and sidecut included. (more)

The Girly Man

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Yes, it's Southern California's infamous steep-skiing classic, the Girly Man Chute, seen here in far from ideal conditions on an alternately foggy and sunny warm April day. Girly (more)

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About SierraDescents

When there is snow, SierraDescents is Andy Lewicky's California backcountry skiing and mountaineering website. Without snow, sierradescents becomes an ill-tempered hiking and climbing blog.

Pray for snow.