SierraDescents.com - Climb Up and Ski Down

Leavitt Peak Groove

Andy — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:12:51 +0000

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…)

Smith Parallel

Andy — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:02:10 +0000

Smith’s Parallel replaces the discontinued Factor as their go-to performance multisport sunglasses. Smith says the Parallel’s styling is a little more contemporary, which is true. But more importantly, the Parallel is a better-performing sunglass, nicely addressing the Factor’s so-so wind protection without resorting to excessive lens coverage (more…)

Merry Fishmass!

Andy — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:29:23 +0000

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!

Smartwool PhD Ski Ultra Light

Andy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:12:01 +0000

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…)

Sierra Snowpack Update

Andy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:56:36 +0000

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…)

‘The Couloir to Nowhere’ on TV

Andy — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:02:39 +0000

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…)

April Snow

Andy — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:42:01 +0000

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…)

Skiing With Kids: Finding Appropriate Terrain

Andy — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:25:49 +0000

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…)

My YouTube Channel

Andy — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:53:06 +0000

What have I been up to lately? Backcountry skiing not so much. Instead, I’ve been putting imposed downtime to good use by re-editing my videos and uploading them to my YouTube channel. In most cases, changes to my videos are minor, including tighter, shorter lengths and a bit better sound and music, but I do encourage you to browse my channel to see if you’ve missed anything (more…)

Voile XLM Updated

Andy — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:23:30 +0000

Voile has updated its smallest shovel, the XLM. The original XLM was arguably the lightest functional aluminum avalanche shovel on the market. The new XLM is…arguably the lightest functional aluminum avalanche shovel on the market. What’s changed? Voile says the new XLM is lighter, which conflicts a bit with my 2007 notes (I think the first-run XLM shovels were lighter still, but subsequent (more…)