Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information & opinion website. Lou's passion for the past 50 years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about
ski touring 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 ski touring news and information here.
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Backcountry skiing is dangerous. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of ski mountaineering, skimo randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information and news on this website is intended only as general information. Due to human error and passing time, the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date.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 templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow owners and contributors of liability for use of said items for ski touring or any other use.
Love the Dr. Henderson insert…
Good info. But ending with “knowing is half the battle.” I mean, really? Reminds me of something…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pele5vptVgc
LOL. The guide says slide your skins up, don’t step up. Everyone in the video is lifting their skis completely off the snow most of the time. Great for those super fit, but for us old ones, lifting the heel only enough for the ski to glide forward easily means tons less lifting in a day 🙂 And at the end, the skier places the glue sides of the two skins together rather than using a skin saver as Dynafit suggests to prolong skin life in their instructions included with the skins. Anyway, nice to see instructional videos. another LOL–what do people wear on feet in side ski boots? I answered liners doh
Lookin good, Hende!
miss you Eric in the tetons,, and we almost didnt recognize you with your hair combed…
NICE. They’ve cleverly avoided any powder conditions. All the more for we who like to ski IN the snowpack, not ON it. The spring conditions do show off the Dynafit boots though.
A guide named Eric who’s heel once was free,
Ripped turns with the most evident of glee,
Now he’s the father of two,
And he’s traded his shoe,
Regretably, for one thats AT
When he’d drop his knee in the pow,
The crowd on the tram would say “wow,”
But he did cut the cord,
From everything nord,
And his bindings are Dynafit now
He never skied like a poodle,
Nor on boards that were soft as a noodle,
But he gave up his stance,
And his favorite snow-dance,
And granola for warm apple strudel
Nice!
Zip, by the way, the modern equivalent of switching to AT from tele is switching from big-mountain gear to Euro lightweight stuff. It’s been pretty amusing to watch some of the famed big-mountain boys get out there on tiny boots and skis, with tiny bindings. Lou
I would be interested to know what the WildSnow “hive mind” thinks about kick turns. When I was learning we had to do lots of them, and I’m of the opinion that they aren’t bad once you learn the technique.
@AndyC – I’m with you on the slide vs. lift. That’s one of the most tiring things you can do on the skin track (especially with bigger skis), and probably the single best piece of advice for novices.
Regarding the skin savers or cheat sheets or whatever you call them, I don’t have time to deal with those things other than maybe over the summer; just stick them to themselves. A pro-tip there is to hold the ends, put the middle of the skin around your knee, and then pinch them together. it’s fast, easy, and effective.
Nice tutorial. Sometimes DIY doesn’t cut it for everyone.