SIA Winter Park: A Great Time
Just wrapping up the second day of SIA’s on-snow demo at Winter Park Resort, and thought I’d give a few quick hits on the skis I tried. Some or all of these will blossom into full reviews, complete with my witty and occasionally risque first-impressions video clips, but for now, this will have to do. Let me say again that it is indeed a great time to be a skier. Technology advances in really the past year or so have completely changed the market. Here’s what struck me as notable: (more…)
Posted in Gear | 3 Comments
Marker Duke, Tour Updates
I’m here in Denver for the annual SIA Snowshow, wandering the convention floor and browsing the battery of ski gear booths to see if I can find anything interesting. Yesterday I got a little information about Marker’s Duke and Tour bindings which may qualify (more…)
Posted in Gear | 0 Comments
Skiing With Kids: Culture
It’s hard to overstate the importance of culture when it comes to raising children, and skiing is no exception. Where you live, and how important skiing is in your community, will have a significant impact on how your kids view snow sports. If you live in a ski town, you benefit (hopefully!) from an active, vibrant, and multifaceted community that exposes your kids to skiing, snowboarding, and climbing on a daily basis (more…)
Posted in kids | 5 Comments
Avalanche Danger is HIGH
In the context of this winter, I suppose we have to call this good news. Locally, I don’t think enough snow has fallen to open up anything other than (maybe) a few shaded north gullies. In any case, if you do go out to take a look around, approach everything with extreme caution. This is not a normal year…
Posted in Current Conditions | 7 Comments
Kids’ Gear From Head to Toe
Probably the first question that’s going to pop to mind when it comes to kids ski gear is whether you should buy or rent.
I strongly believe you should buy your own gear. Where available, you can also rent from shops that let you keep the gear all season (you trade up at the end of the year), though this may not actually be cheaper (more…)
Posted in kids | 1 Comment
Ambrose at GreenStone Lake
One of the few but significant upsides to our snowless 2012 winter has been perhaps-unprecedented access to the interior Sierra in the dead of winter. Sierra photographer Michael Ambrose recently made good use of Tioga Pass Road with a visit to Greenstone Lake, where he captured this shot of ice and lenticular clouds (more…)
Posted in photography | 1 Comment
2-4″ Possible
It’s something, at least…
Posted in Current Conditions | 2 Comments
Skiing With Kids: Introduction
I am trying to get my 2 1/2 year old daughter to the snow. That’s all I want right now: just get her to the snow. We’ve successfully crossed the parking lot, bought lift tickets, and gotten her ski boots on, but we’re bogging down now, because she can’t walk in ski boots. She’s flopping helplessly in a mud puddle, one glove already lost. Behind us, my overloaded wife is already suggesting we abort the mission (more…)
Posted in kids | 4 Comments
TPR Open?
Is Tioga Pass Road really open? Really? I can’t believe it. I can not believe it. January 14, 2012, and SR 120 is showing “NO RESTRICTIONS” through the heart of the central Sierra? As a likely event this is probably right up there with me posting photos of myself skiing down the hill on Federal Avenue alongside my West LA apartment building (as in, Hell freezing over 
) (more…)
Posted in Current Conditions | 2 Comments
Dahlgren Sno Comp
Alpaca is the secret ingredient in Dahlgren’s new sock lineup, including the Sno Comp, a sheer, cushionless ski sock that uses a fairly complicated Merino/Alpaca/Synthetic blend. For the curious, Alpacas are those not-quite Llamas found in South America. Alpaca wool is said to be lanolin-free, less irritating than regular wool, and thus (perhaps) a better choice for people who (more…)
