Merry Fishmass!

Merry Fishmass everyone! That’s right, fishing season is officially underway in the Eastern Sierra. Hope you took advantage of the open roads this past weekend and got out there to have some fun. Tahoe Mountain Sports owner Dave Polivy and I went up Tioga Pass Road to the Conness area to try our luck, and look at what we caught: The Y-Couloir!

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Smartwool PhD Ski Ultra Light

Believe it or not, I was a dedicated cotton socks hiker for a long time. I liked the extra texture of cotton, which kept my foot from slipping and sliding inside my shoes. Of course, I also loved the next-to-skin comfort of cotton. Then I got a pair of Smartwool socks as a gift. By that time in my life I was a bona-fide wool skeptic, convinced the stuff would always be hot, itchy, and uncomfortable (more…)

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Sierra Snowpack Update

I sort of hesitate to say what exactly is normal these days, but I think we can safely call the Sierra snowpack well below average. Here’s a shot of Birch Mountain taken April 20, 2012, showing just how bleak things are. Are we at the point where we can call the Southern Sierra a total writeoff? Yes, I think we are. Maybe a few opportunistic riders hit the timing just right south of Mammoth this year. Or Maybe not (more…)

Posted in Current Conditions | 6 Comments

‘The Couloir to Nowhere’ on TV

I am so delighted to make this announcement: my documentary, The Couloir to Nowhere, is now available on television via The Ski Channel. That’s right, you can now watch my adventure filmmaking masterpiece in the comfort and privacy of your own home, on your very own big-screen TV. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll pay nothing, because it’s 100 percent free (more…)

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April Snow

I wish I had a comparison photo. Last Sunday looked to be the bitter end at Snow Valley. They’d done a fine job with the snow cats to get a few lines into passable shape (at least until the sun cooked everything), but the mountain was bare dirt everywhere but for a handful of thinly-covered runs. Today: they could have opened every lift on the mountain. Everything was covered, top to bottom (more…)

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Finding Appropriate Terrain

I would like to relate a little story about ski terrain and my hometown mountain, the Arizona Snowbowl. I was skiing there with my son, who had recently progressed to skiing off a leash, making turns and stopping all on his own, and he wanted to ski a run called Ridge to celebrate his new-found freedom. Most of the Snowbowl’s runs are intermediate, and easy intermediate at that (more…)

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