– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Life is Goode

by Lisa Dawson April 8, 2007
written by Lisa Dawson April 8, 2007

The boys flew the coop on Friday morning taking advantage of a rare school holiday and a chance to ski 14ers with Ted Mahon, Christy Sauer and Jordan White (editor’s note, more on that later). I must admit I felt quite sorry for myself as I sat in my office and worked through my bottomless in-basket. I pitied myself even more when I arrived home to find a fourteener sized pile of laundry waiting to be done.

It is now the weekend. I have a new pair of Goode skis burning a hole in my quiver and a mound of dirty clothes. Hmmmm…

Our friend, Scott Newman, invited me to ski Aspen Highlands. But Louie’s recent post about his corn snow jaunt had me yearning for the backcountry. Scott has always wanted to ski Marble Peak so it was an easy sell. At 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning we were on the road, heading for the trailhead.

Thirty six degrees, frozen corn, a super-solid snow pack, and my feather light Goodes led to a quick climb up the peak. Without Lou to follow, my route lacked finesse and I went straight up the side of the face. The wide Goodes with wall-to-wall BD Glidelite skins gripped so well that I barely thought about making switchbacks. And yes, mounted with Dynafits they’re ridiculously light in weight.

Approaching dark clouds caught us as we neared the summit. The wind picked up and snow started falling. We quickly switched modes and descended on carveable hardpack with a little skiff on top.

We skied to the car, drove down the road, and noticed it was only 9:00 o’clock. Scott was bemoaning the fact that Highlands ski area was closing this weekend and I was thinking about the heinous heap next to my Maytag. With little deliberation, we turned on the highway and headed up towards Aspen. A quick lap on Highland Bowl made this day complete.

Neal Beidleman and his son Reed.
Neal Beidleman and his son Reed on top of Highland Peak, Reed was all grins to be out with dad and doing his first bowl hike — something he’s no doubt heard about his whole young life!

On top of the bowl, we saw friends, talked about skis and applauded six year old Reed Beidleman’s first ascent of 12,382 foot Highland Peak. We geared up and took off, testing the Goodes on the mountain’s steep, variable spring snow.

The Goodes are different than my Black Diamond Miras. They are wide, have no camber and the carbon fiber construction makes them stiff. They ski well but are not as forgiving as the Miras. Scott, an excellent ski instructor, quickly noticed my bad habits and gave me a few pointers for keeping my weight forward. His suggestions registered and soon I was skiing down the fall line, making turns more effortlessly than ever before. The Goodes chattered less on the hardpack, they were responsive through the bumps and the wide base floated me through the slush on the bottom of the mountain.

Perhaps it’s the dreamy weight of my new planks or the fact that they force me to hone my technique, but the run was one of my best. Yes, I know, every day on skis is great, but this one was tops. A good day on snow and the laundry pile remains.

Skiing Highland Bowl
Neal and Reed take the plunge. Neal, the author of an Aspen skiing guidebook as well as a noted mountaineer, has this to say about the bowl: “Growing up here, I recall that until just a few years ago when it was opened, Highland Bowl was a place of renegades, dark epics and tales of conflict with law enforcement. Now, with proper controlling, monitoring and the vision of the Aspen Ski Co, both of my kids have hiked, skied and enjoyed the beast at six years old. Amazing.”

Previous Goode skis post

Goode skis website

7 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Corn Report – Marble Peak – Colorado
next post
Ski Descent and Climb – Fourteeners Oxford & Belford – Colorado

7 comments

Mike Connolly April 9, 2007 - 12:20 pm

What were Scott’s pointers for keeping your weight forward? I find myself in the backseat a lot.

Scott Newman April 9, 2007 - 3:39 pm

Look where you’re going … not at what’s under your feet. By the time the trouble is under you, your brain has already processed it. Secondly, initiate your turns with the shovel of your ski and use the entire edge. Something to think about here is initiating your outside edge by pressuring your pinky toe, and the ski’s inside edge with your big toe. Neither of these tips are original. Aspen Ski Pro Tele Ned Ryerson is having wonderful successes with his clients. More info can be found at Telened.com.

Thomas B January 19, 2010 - 1:27 pm

Any update on the Goodes?
……or did the binding rip out………

Blaine August 17, 2010 - 5:29 pm

Is this the Scott Newman from NJ that went to Tulane Grad??

Scott Newman October 26, 2015 - 2:27 pm

The same.

Lisa Dawson October 26, 2015 - 2:51 pm

Scott, nice to hear from you. I still think of your pointers whenever I go skiing. They’ve become part of backcountry mantra.

Scott Newman October 26, 2015 - 3:15 pm

Lisa, Will you PM me with your phone number. The one that I have for you has been disconnected.

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • andrew on Plum R170: A First Look
  • Greg on Plum R170: A First Look
  • Jake on Springtime Primer: Securing Skis/Splitboard to a Bike Frame
  • Skis_the_trees on Springtime Primer: Securing Skis/Splitboard to a Bike Frame
  • Alex on Springtime Primer: Securing Skis/Splitboard to a Bike Frame

Gear Reviews

  • The Ski Trab Deep Look: Ski Trab Magico.2 Skis, Titan Vario.2 Binding, and Branded Mohair Skins

    May 13, 2022
  • BCA’s FLOAT E2 25: The Alpride E2 Side of the Equation

    April 29, 2022
  • BCA’s FLOAT E2 25: The Pack Side of the Equation

    April 27, 2022

Trip Reports

  • Techniques and considerations for ski mountaineering on glaciers

    February 16, 2022
  • Making the Most out of the Alaska Range

    February 14, 2022
  • Emergency Layers for Backcountry Travel

    February 7, 2022

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Totally Deep Podcast 99: Big Geography with Roman Dial and Alex Lee

    April 20, 2022
  • TOTALLY DEEP PODCAST 98: Live at the EMGT with Cam Smith

    April 12, 2022
  • TOTALLY DEEP PODCAST 97: Talk of Gear for Next Year

    March 23, 2022

Tips & Tricks

  • Fueling For Ski Touring

    May 3, 2022
  • The “New Math” for Sheltering from the Storm

    May 2, 2022
  • A Simple Ski Crampon Mod

    April 21, 2022

Ski Touring Stories

  • Backscratchers in My Brain

    April 6, 2022
  • Blessing of the Freeheelers & Bon Voyage Grand Traversers

    April 2, 2022
  • Mentorship On My Mind

    March 31, 2022

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

The Ski Trab Deep Look: Ski...

May 13, 2022

Photo Story: Gear Explosion Event Horizon

May 12, 2022

In Minimalist Attire, A new FKT...

April 28, 2022