My Most-Hated Video

I don’t get much feedback on my videos, positive or negative, and I certainly don’t get much in the way of ‘likes’ or ‘dislikes’, but there is one huge exception: my video review of Volkl’s RTM-84 ski. Something about this video has sure aroused the passions of my otherwise-disengaged YouTube audience. That crazy RTM84 video gets a ton of views, and a ton of dislikes (more…)

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Grand Canyon: Rim to Rim in 7 Gigs

Is Grand Canyon but a dream, or is it instead where I am most truly awake? I shot a massive 7 gigs of raw video on this hike, starting at Yaki Point on the south rim and finishing at Bright Angel Point on the north some ten hours later. Looking back over these incredible images, I find myself transported back to this magical October day. I hope it takes you there also.

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Wilson Mtn Panorama

Nice views, to be sure—but the behind-the-scenes on this one is worth sharing. This was a training/test day for an upcoming Canyon hike with my brother. Problems began with water: I was using a borrowed water bottle, and badly misjudged how much water it held, so I wasn’t carrying nearly enough. It was in the 90′s at the trailhead, so I ran out of water pretty quickly. But I figured I’d be okay (more…)

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Today’s Slice of Zen

Here’s a quick sample of video from my Sony RX100 compact. Truth be told I’m using the RX100 a lot in my day-to-day photography, and I’m liking it a lot, so I’ve made some changes to my review to better reflect my evolving impressions. These dancing jellyfish aren’t ideal for judging sharpness, but this is hand-held, straight out of the camera footage, and overall picture quality is quite good (more…)

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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 shows. Happily, the fireworks returned last night. Though the show seemed lighter overall than in years past, it was still a fine return, concluding with a spirited Grand Finale that admirably resumed Marina Del Rey’s tradition of excellence. Happy (late) 4th of July!

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West Coaster: Hero2 vs. Contour+

Contour lent me their flagship Contour+ helmet cam this past month, so I’ve been trying to think of good off-season ways to compare it to my GoPro Hero2. Here’s something interesting: a side-by-side comparison shot taken from Pacific Park’s West Coaster roller coaster at Santa Monica Pier. What makes this a good test shot? Heavy vibration and lots of abrupt motion (more…)

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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 via the southeast face. With Tioga Pass open, False White is certainly within the day trip realm, though it did take a little longer than expected to get back there. Coverage on the face is getting a little thin, but if you don’t mind a few sun cups (more…)

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Leavitt Peak Groove

I had so much fun a week ago Skiing Conness’ Y-Couloir I decided Y not do another? And so Trevor Benedict and I headed all the way north to Sonora Pass to ski Leavitt Peak’s Y-Couloir. I have to say, the Sonora Pass area completely exceeded my expectations. The skiable terrain in the area is diverse, abundant, and outstanding—and ridiculously easy to access now that Highway 108 is open (more…)

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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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Skiing San Diego

It is a strange, strange thing to get in your car in L.A. and head south to go skiing. Stuck in traffic on the 405, I began to wonder what sort of fool’s quest I was embarking upon, but the trip to San Diego ended up being one of my most memorable Southern California mountaineering adventures, offering incredibly beautiful views and unexpectedly good skiing. Yes: skiing (more…)

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