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 Backcountry Skiing News Roundup

By Lou

Matchstick Productions is teasing the world with a new trailer. “In Deep” is said to feature an epic Shane McConkey tribute segment. I’d imagine that will deliver, but be truly sad at the same time. Like watching the slideshow or vid at a memorial service. More and good, it looks like they’re going to continue mixing it up on this one, with talking athletes and other such ingredients. I got stoked watching the trailer, but also kept thinking I’d seen some of the footage somewhere before. Whatever, come September it is certain I’ll be cheering and shouting along with the rest of the audience. After all, like the guy says in the trailer, “skiing is fun.” And so is watching ski movies.
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Posted by Lou on July 2, 2009 | Filed Under Avalanche Beacon Reviews, Movie Reviews, News Backcountry | 1 Comment 

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 My Sweet Pack of Doom!

By Dave

Mystery Ranch Sweet Pea Review

Mystery Ranch Sweet Pea Review

Last summer I visited Mystery Ranch HQ in Bozeman, MT (read report here) and picked up a Sweet Pea Backpack to review. After a fall, winter and spring of use and abuse, here are my thoughts.

Despite a good first impression, I didn’t expect the Sweet Pea to become my go-to backcountry skiing pack last winter. Initially, it seemed lacking in certain features I wanted. Like small, organizational pockets – this pack had none. I’ve always had a separate shovel pocket, this was also missing. Plus, the Sweet Pea is heavy for the amount of volume.
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Posted by Dave on July 1, 2009 | Filed Under Dave Downing, Misc Gear Reviews | 11 Comments 

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 Tooltime At WildSnow Hq — Every Good Sawzall Has Its Day

By Lou

WildSnow runs a full workshop with enough tooling to remodel a house or rebuild a 4×4 from the frame up. What’s our one most important piece of equipment? Our workbench with a huge vise might be number one on the list, or perhaps the other bench with a ski vise? But a powerful and quick reciprocating saw comes soon after.
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Posted by Lou on June 30, 2009 | Filed Under Backcountry Skiing | 7 Comments 

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 Louie’s New Zealand Getready

By Lou

Getready. Yeah, that’s a word we coined around here years ago, for that epic few hours (or days) it takes for trip preparation. As in, when we’re doing the “getready,” we’d better start early so we can leave on the trip before dark. I guess it’s a noun?

At any rate, I’ve been amused by Louie’s pile of backcountry skiing gear in the middle of the living room. A photo for all you who like to pick apart such mountainous terrain.

New Zealand getready!

New Zealand getready!

Advantage of skiing down under? You can raid your dad’s ski quiver since he’s put them up for the summer.

Louie says he’ll get on the Coombacks and as soon as he’s down there, and once online will file a report. He’s also been in the Garmont Radiums for some time now, so I’ll try to extract some opinion from him about those as well.

The backcountry skiing world traveler is heading out with an Acer Aspire One netbook, like the one I used in Europe for the Silvretta Traverse. When packed in a semi hardcase with a bit of extra padding, the Acer seems to hold up fine to the rigors. Cracking the LCD is a concern, so we add a layer of stiff plastic inside the carrying case, and pack the netbook so the LCD rides against the stiffener. That way if it gets accidentally sat on or dropped, the LCD panel is protected from flexing. Too bad they don’t just make the Acer with a flexible LCD like the one used for my hardened notebook, but that adds cost.

Posted by Lou on June 29, 2009 | Filed Under Backcountry Skiing | 15 Comments 

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 Mount Raoul — 2nd Time is the Charm

By Guest
Mount Raoul backcountry skiing.

Mount Raoul

John Doyle

When our friend and loved one Raoul Wille died at 45 years old in 1998, of altitude sickness in Nepal, the mountain community lost one of its champions. This was the guy who, in the Aspen area, was a winning nordic ski racer, ripping downhill skier, and the man who “was the gutsiest guy in town — if there was any physical challenge, Raoul was involved in it.” And now, Mount Raoul… but first:
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Posted by Guest on June 25, 2009 | Filed Under Eulogies, Trip Reports | 29 Comments 

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 Late 1960s Antique Ski Binding – Geze Touring Adapter

By Lou
Backcountry skiing history.

Backcountry skiing history.

One of the best things about our backcountry ski binding museum is when someone contacts us out of the blue and donates a rig we’ve never seen before. Just a few months ago, Wyoming WildSnower Bill Kuestner sent an email saying he was trying to recycle some interesting Geze bindings, and do we want ‘em? Heck yeah. Little did I know the grabber would arrive mounted on a pair of 220cm Head 360s, then known as one of the most damp and supple skis out there, but flexing out by modern standards as a steel I-beam! Oh, how things do change. Read more

Posted by Lou on June 24, 2009 | Filed Under Binding Reviews, History | 15 Comments 

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 The Ski Journal 3-2 — Review

By Louie

Alpinist Magazine

The Ski Journal

I went out to the mailbox on my first day back in Colorado from school in the great PNW, and guess what I found? Stoke. The summer issue of The Ski Journal. In all its glory.
 

First, the usual set of amazing photos. This is one of the things I love about The Ski Journal. No flipping through ads, letters, mastheads, and other stuff to get to the pictures. They give it right away, full blast. As always, the images were amazing. Mostly big mountain shots too, which is what I like best. Read more

Posted by Louie on June 23, 2009 | Filed Under Book Reviews, Louie Dawson, Your Guest Blogs | 12 Comments 

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and back country skiing -- and all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark backcountry skiing info.

All material on this website is copyrighted. Permission is required for reproduction, electronic or otherwise. That includes publication and display on other websites by whatever means. For more about this, PLEASE SEE OUR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION.

Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.