Happy T-Day!
Happy Thankgiving everyone! Looks like we’ve finally got our first official winter storm of the season in the Southland Mountains. Mount Baldy says they got 2-6″ of snow. Up north, Mammoth reports a modest 5″ new on an admittedly meager base—but at least they’re open!
Ski Dazzle Los Angeles is Dec 4-7 at the Convention Center. Whether you go to buy gear or just to check out the scene, it’s always worth the price of admission.
That’s it for now. We’re headed north for the holiday. Then off to AZ for an MRI and hopefully some good news. If you’re traveling, travel safe this weekend, and be sure to eat a lot of turkey and pumpkin pie. Take care!
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Backcountry Mag vs. Davenport
Well…not exactly, but if you did happen to catch the cover on the November ’08 Backcountry Magazine, you’ll see the provocative headline, “New Heights or New Hype: Freeski Mountaineer Chris Davenport.” The feature article inside doesn’t exactly stake out a bold position on the subject, but it does ask the intriguing question, is Chris Davenport creating a new skiing genre?
Seeing as we’re currently waiting around for some snow around here (and otherwise bored), I thought I’d offer my own fearless take on the Davenport phenomenon, hopefully controversial enough to spark up a comment or two, but not too controversial, because we’re still worn out from the election. 
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The Great Wheel Turns
I’m in Arizona right now, going through old family photos and contemplating the meaning of life. Saturday I attended my grandmother’s funeral in Phoenix. Thoughts of that upcoming occasion undoubtedly contributed to my feelings of impending doom while hiking and skiing Lone Pine Peak (not that the route needed any assistance in that regard).
We drove out Friday from L.A. to Phoenix, taking the 60. A black car appeared behind us, going extremely fast. They tailgated me for a short while, allowing me to look at the drivers’ and passengers’ faces–they all looked like kids. And then the car shot past us on the right, and accelerated away at a rate uncommon even for L.A. drivers (more…)
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Home Again, Home Again
Ugh…back in city…can’t breathe, can’t think…blood thickening into sludge…concrete…people…signal breaking up…must wallow in self-pity for foreseeable future…
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Road Trip
Time for some R&R over here. We’re going to be hitting the road this week and next for a trip to Arizona and Colorado. I’m looking forward to skiing Telluride and checking out the new terrain that’s open off Palmayra Peak.
Not sure how much of Palmayra is actually open, but I’m been wishing I could ski that summit ever since I first skied Telluride some 20+ years ago. Even getting to cruise the drainage below the peak would be fantastic—I expect the views are magnificent, even by Tell standards. I’ll check in with more info about the terrain when I know more: what’s open, what it looks like.
Until then, be mindful of unsettled weather in the CA backcountry, and have a safe week!
Posted in Musings, Skiing | 1 Comment
Summer Calls…
With Shasta’s conditions looking mediocre at best, I think I’m ready to call it a season and switch to hiking mode. Putting the skis away for a few months gives me a chance to rest the body and do a little work on the site. After a long hiatus, I’ve begun updating my book review section.
Most of the books I cover are favorites of mine. If you’re looking for something interesting to read this summer, give ‘em a look. I’ll also be expanding my listings of hiking and climbing books. If you know of anything essential that I’ve missed, please send an email with the title and author, and I’ll try to track down a copy.
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Mountaineering Terms
Did you know SierraDescents.com has a glossary? Neither did I. Okay, I may have forgotten. I started a glossary in the Basecamp section when I first began working on this site, though my attention soon turned elsewhere.
I mention this because the #1 Google search referral to this site is for “mountaineering terms.”
Not Backcountry Skiing, or Sierra Ski Descents, or Backcountry Gear Reviews…no, Google has decided that this site’s most important content is the glossary.
–sigh–
Well, all you glossary-seekers, hope you enjoy your visit. Don’t forget to bookmark us for all your future glossary needs.
