B-county Dangers

by Erik Olsen on

It’s almost winter and that means that folks are going to be straping their skis on their backs and heading into the backcountry. But folks out there who love to go off piste need to know that there are some serious dangers to be aware of. Backcountry is fun, but its got serious hazards. But the backcountry opps here in the states are plentiful to say the least. From Taos to Whistler Blackcomb, these areas have been expanding their off-piste terrain, providing skiers with the right gear with the opportunity to escape lift lines. With a bit of work, that is climbing with skis on, you can head into the backcountry. The right gear mostly means randonnee skis, the centerpiece of which involves a strong, lightweight binding that is hinged at the toe…sort of a high-impact, sturdier cross country ski, where the heel can be secured to the ski for downhilling.

The problem, as I’ve mentioned before, is going back country can escalate the danger of dying. After a fresh snow, the back country can be a serious avalanche danger, and several people have died lately doiing this.

That said, as someone who has done some (but not much) backcountry skiiing, I can say that the experience is unique and thrilling. Perhaps it’s something you’re interested in? Well, then consider a course, perhaps as an outfit like Exum in Grand Teton natioonal Park. That way, you get some of the basics down before you head and and kill yourself on you rown.

Backcountry Blog

by Erik Olsen on

There are a lot of blog sites that I bookmark and then file away, forgetting about their digital addresses in my browser. Then, when I check back on them for some random reason, I am often surprised at how good some of these sites turn out to be. And often, it seems like I check back at exactly the right time, as if some odd force compelled me to click on a long lost link. So it goes with the site backcountryblog, which I know I mentioned many moons ago, but which I really haven’t checked back with for along time.

Too bad, that, because right up top is a wonderful post about saving a small portion of the Wasatch-Cache Forest for non-motorized winter use (don’t even get me started on how the Park Service and Forest Service are trying to turn our public lands into snow-mobile Disneylands), and then below that is a very informative post on climbing Mount Rainier. Now I confess some bias. I’ve long had the goal of climbing Raisiner, so any information about the best route for a rookie like me is bound to please, and that’s exactly what’s offered here. But there’s much more than just these two posts, and as we move into the cold, white season, I’ll be checking back with these guys more often.

Skier Dies in Vail

by Erik Olsen on

Damn, and here I was getting all psyched up for the ski season in Colorado, and already there’s a death in the square state. I don’t see a name yet, but this story says that a friend “desperately tried to revive his buddy” after finding him face down in the snow last week. Summit County Rescue said the guy…a 32-year-old backcountry skier…most likely died in the area of Vail Pass of natural causes. Whatever that means? A heart attack? “Natually” falling down and hitting his head? More details to come.

Winter Activities

by Erik Olsen on

I’ve been trying to convince myself that winter is still aways off. I’ve planned a paddling trip to Baja California for early December, and I’ve yet to pack away my shorts and short sleeved shirts. But as temperatures fall, I guess I should start to deal. And more I should probably start to plan a few trips and activities for the coming cold months.

In this effort, I took a quick look this morning at a nice post over at sister blog That’s Fit, a blog that’s all about keeping in shape…so long as that shape is NOT round. The post links to an article on skiing alternatives in the Canadian Rockies. But of course, the principles provided therewith can most certainly be applied anywhere there is snow. To paraphrase Monty Python, it’s meant to apply to all manufacturers of snowy products. In addition to snow kiting, they also mention skijoring, snowmobiling and backcountry skiing…all rather predictable, except for skijoring, which I only learned a moment ago is about skiing with your dog. Or something like that.

Let It Snow

by Erik Olsen on

We’re moving far too quickly into winter, and it really looks like there’s no holding back mother nature when she makes up her mind to hurl cold weather at you. So I suppose I better steel myself for a freezing season and try to make the best of it by breaking out the skis and snowboard (yes, in the last few years, I’ve become ambidextrous, as it were).

So, I’m trying to keep my head focused on where the snow seems to be falling hard, and I clicked on over to Skireport.com to find out. To my pleasant surprise almost all of my favorite areas in Colorado are already getting some base snow and all are set t open mid-late November. Good news for Vailies and Aspenites to be sure. Another place I like to check for snow fall is Snow-forecast.com, which also provides reliable reports on where the freshie is falling.