SierraDescents | 2012
August 22, 2012
AKU SL Trek GTX
Aku's SL Trek GTX is not the boot I was expecting. At two pounds, 15.5 ounces per pair (US 9.5), the SL Trek is light but certainly not ultralight. In fact, if you're looking for (more)
August 9, 2012
Sony RX100
Yes, Sony's RX100 is a revolutionary digital camera—but is it really the best compact in the world, as many reviewers are now proclaiming? If you're only interested in (more)
August 6, 2012
Nothing Endures But Change (Bodie Edition)
From the glass towers of Chicago to the ghost town of Bodie, California, we go. Bodie, now a state historic park, is thirteen miles off Highway 395, just southeast of Bridgeport. (more)
July 26, 2012
Chicago
Sometime in the 1970's my family packed all their belongings into a used station wagon and drove from Chicago to Flagstaff. One of my earliest and most iconic memories is the (more)
July 11, 2012
North Face Verto S4K
The North Face was tired of seeing their elite athletes in other makers' boots, so they decided to make a boot of their own. The result of that effort is the Verto S4K GTX. The (more)
July 6, 2012
The Contour+
The Contour Plus (or Contour+) is Contour's flagship helmet camcorder, offering a wider 170° angle of view, wireless streaming capability, and a sharper lens. Think of the Plus (more)
July 5, 2012
Marina del Rey Fireworks Return
Budget woes forced the cancellation of Marina Del Rey's annual 4th of July fireworks celebration last year, robbing us of one of Southern California's best free pyrotechnics (more)
July 3, 2012
Mammoth Lakes Declares Bankruptcy
Only days after Mammoth Mountain gave the axe to June Mountain, plunging the town of June Lake into crisis, Mammoth's hometown of Mammoth Lakes has now declared bankruptcy, (more)
June 22, 2012
No June?
It's just kind of hard to believe: Mammoth Mountain has abruptly announced they're closing June Mountain indefinitely for feasibility studies. Reading between the lines, this (more)
June 7, 2012
Thermarest XLite
Thermarest's Neoair XLite replaces the original Neoair pad, offering upgraded warmth (from a spec value of R2.4 to R3.2) at a slightly lower weight—one ounce less overall. The (more)
June 5, 2012
Venus Alert
Yes: Venus! A thoughtful neighbor stopped by with black glasses from Griffith Park Observatory and told us that Venus is currently visible crossing the sun. My son and I jumped (more)
June 1, 2012
Ortovox 3+
I say Ortovox's 3+ is one of the best choices in today's crop of avalanche transceivers. The class of 2012 offers us a lot of innovation, but it also offers a lot of complexity. (more)
May 26, 2012
Black Diamond Mission
The big news with the climbing-oriented Mission 50 pack is that it employs Black Diamond's patent-pending 'reACTIV' suspension system. ReACTIV suspensions, and the more (more)
May 25, 2012
Salomon Speedcross 3
Salomon inarguably makes some of the most popular trail running shoes on the planet, but for my taste their lasts have tended to offer too much rigidity and/or support. Happily, (more)
May 23, 2012
False White
Chances of Memorial Day snow notwithstanding, this is probably going to be the last hurrah this year for my Sierra backcountry season—a ski descent of False White Mountain (more)
