What’s in your sandwich? No, really. Turkey and cheese? Hummus and avocado? Some spinach? Mustard and salami? Do you take a sandwich ski touring, or maybe you just lean on a steady stash of gummy bears and cliff bars?
In the latest Totally Deep Podcast, Doug and Randy convene to discuss sandwiches. Actually they mostly talk about avalanches, but they land on sandwiches. How are the two related?
You’ll have to listen to find out. Basically, the 32 avalanche fatalities that have occurred this season left a lot of us in the touring community and industry scratching our heads. Are we all sharing the wrong messages? Is American ski culture too powder obsessed? Is social media to blame (again…)? But most importantly, is there something we need to change to help prevent more avalanche deaths from occurring?
Maybe you’re getting tired of hearing about avalanches. Us too. Maybe if we all get tired enough of hearing about them, people will stop getting swept away? I don’t think it works like that.
So, Doug and Randy talk it out. They dig into their own near misses and early misconceptions, offer a critical look at the evolution of backcountry skiing, and question the powder madness that seems to drive many tourers to dicey mid-winter backcountry pursuits.
Call it a PSA. Call it constructive criticism. Call it a conversation between two friends trying to figure something important out. This episode is all those things.
Have a listen.
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6 comments
Fun listen, thanks Boys! I love your discussion about Strava and the ego driven ski tour. I remember the days when high fives and a beer with your buddies was enough to satisfy. I am happy that it still is with my tribe. Be careful out there.
Good post you guys. Appreciate the cameo, and I’ll third your emphasis on the spring “corn” snowpack season. Though with a caveat: During these extreme facet winters such as Colorado and other western snowpacks, it can be super critical during spring to ski the timing sweet spot in the morning, when the snow is just starting to soften on the surface, but has not lost the structural integrity it gains during the nightly solidification. Figuring this out is not rocket science, as most of snow “science” is, but deserves a lot of attention. Every spring, I see people skiing way too late in the morning. After a good winter, you can get away with it. After this winter, probably not so much. And, a LOCAL ALERT for Roaring Fork Valley folks regarding spring skiing. After last spring, skipping our Party on the Pass after nearly thirty years due to covid and the paranoiac ridiculous closing of Independence Pass (Edit, I don’t mean to imply that we would have partied, though perhaps we would of as a small group. The bummer was we couldn’t ski up there.) I’ll bet we can party again this spring. Watch the covid restrictions/recommendations, and look for community posts on Facebook regarding the informal get-together. It seems to often happen the weekend after Memorial Day, with a weather alternate the next weekend. Lou
I like the timing tip. Good to know for us sloppy PNWers. Thanks
Thanks for this episode. Thoughtfully done. I think you’re right on. I enjoyed some lovely low angle powder this week myself.
The other thing is: can I buy Doug a better microphone? Are you using the computer mic? They’re not that expensive. This is a compliment in that I want to listen to your thoughtful ideas.
Queuing this up for a listen to learn more about this mythical “spring corn.” Powder was what lured me into learning to ski off-piste. It’s easy to get obsessed with it because the indicators of prime conditions are so obvious. Sleuthing out prime snow conditions other than powder is a bit of mystery to me, but one I’m growing more curious about. Perhaps in thinking “beyond powder,” perhaps we need to extend our snow sommelier language beyond the hype of the already trademarked “Champagne.” As in, “Champagne is nice for a celebration, but what I really prefer is a juicy isothermic IPA; it just has such more nuanced character & texture.”
A.K., join us on Indy Pass this spring and you’ll get the full picture!