Yosemite’s Tioga Pass to Open by May 11
Sounds like the great gateway to Eastern Sierra goodness will open relatively early this year.
McConkey Movie Debuts at Tribeca Film Festival
A thrill-stuffed sports doc whose daredevil subject will quickly endear himself even to viewers who’ve never heard his name.
Yosemite’s Tioga Pass to Open by May 11
Sounds like the great gateway to Eastern Sierra goodness will open relatively early this year. Time for my favorite springtime objective, the Dana Couloir! Also – time to sort through the climbing gear. Climbing Mt. Dana with Tioga Road in the background. Via the LA Times: Officials at Yosemite National Park say snow plows will begin clearing Tioga Road next week and hope to reopen the highway... [Read more]
McConkey Movie Debuts at Tribeca Film Festival
The upcoming documentary about Shane McConkey deputed at the Tribeca Film Festival this past week. McConkey was a Tahoe local whose list of accomplishments in skiing and extreme sports is too long to list, and whose presence still looms large across the ski industry and the Tahoe area in particular. Shane McConkey. He was a freeskiing champion, pioneered some of the first designs in the fat powder... [Read more]
5 Dead in Loveland Pass, CO Avalanche
Colorado’s recent snow and sketchy snowpack caught a group of six backcountry riders in a massive avalanche at Loveland Pass in CO this past weekend. The slide killed five, while one was able to extricate himself. The slide had an 8-foot crown, was 200 meters wide, and ran for 350 meters. That’s huge. Courtesy Denver Post – DEADLY AVALANCHE KILLS 5 SNOWBOARDERS ON LOVELAND... [Read more]
How Tall can the Tallest Mountain Be?
This is an awesome little video to spend a couple of minutes on. Theoretically, how tall could the tallest mountain be on earth? I know all you climbers and skiers out there are closet geologists… Read More →
K2 Acquires Backcounty Access (BCA)
BCA, the beloved independent company that builds gear for backcountry skiing, has been purchased by skiing industry behemoth, K2. This is further proof that backcountry skiing, once a niche activity for the truly snow-obsessed, is becoming mainstream. K2 has dabbled in backcountry gear for some time now, making dedicated skis and skins for the out-of-bounds crowd. Now they’ll have their hands... [Read more]
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Continue Backcountry Pilot Program
Originally announced last year, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are continuing the backcountry access pilot program (in partnership with the USFS), that links the two resorts via a backcountry gate behind the KT-22 Lift. This is welcome news to those of us that like to duck the ropes! The backcountry access terrain between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. Via Squaw Valley: Alpine Meadows and Squaw... [Read more]
Video: Avalanche Burial and Recovery on Echo Peak
Thanks to the folks at Sierra Avalanche Center for this report and video. A skier was caught in an avalanche on Echo Peak, south of Lake Tahoe. The group was wearing POV cameras, a practice that has become nearly ubiquitous in the last couple of years. They shot some great footage that everyone can learn from. Via the SAC: A party of 5 skiers was descending Echo Peak one at a time. One skier with... [Read more]
Video: Sender Films Profiled by CBS
This is a great little piece by CBS This Morning, profiling Sender Films and the amazing work they do capturing extreme sports on video. We’re all adventure film junkies around here, I suspect, but we tend to forget that everything that the athletes are doing, the cameramen are doing but with a camera in tow. They are the unsung heros of the adventure film industry. Read More →
Video: Avalanche Transceiver Check Procedure
Winter is upon us folks! The Sierra Avalanche Center is reporting daily. Here’s a down and dirty review of your avalanche transceiver check procedure. You should do this every time you head into the backcountry! Identify a leader and make sure everyone is dialed. Thanks to AIARE for the video. Avalanche Transceiver Check from AIARE Avalanche Education on Vimeo. Read More →
Video: Sh*t People Say to Rock Climbers
The “shit people say” genre has pretty much jumped the shark. But this is one of the better ones I’ve seen. I’ve personally heard just about everything in this video. My favorite: “Yeah I climbed half dome one time…” Read More →
