Category: Skiing
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Evaluating backpack capacity in the real world
…aka the most exciting topic ever. It’s important to get the right size pack. For evidence, I refer to the above photos. Having to strap stuff outside is occasionally necessary, but it’s almost always bad style, and often somewhat hazardous (lost water bottles, paddle blades, etc). Evaluating how big a pack will actually be once…
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The Blackfoot-Clearwater Question
The Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Project, an organization founded to steer the future of public lands long the southwestern edge of the Bob Marshall Complex, has reached its goal. Senator Tester introduced the Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Act the other week, and for fans of the area or folks just interested in what public lands advocacy and law might…
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How my favorite gear will die
In the last six months I seem to be reaching a point where a bunch of my favorite gear, the stuff I love to use and have recommended without reservation, is wearing out. Given that this process is for most (myself included*) quite rare and usually gradual and therefore apt to avoid direct attention, it…
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Three trends from 2017 Winter OR
Sasha photobombs Luke’s beer. When I first attended OR last year I expected to hate it, as consumerism and massive groups of strangers are two thing with which I have little patience. I didn’t, in fact I enjoyed it, and while the first day of the winter show today was less novel and captivating due…
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2016; 10 photos
The first thing I can remember about 2016 was not sleeping, at least not for more than 90 minutes at a stretch, in early January during Little Bear’s rather spectacular six month sleep regression, which coincidentally or not happened on a trip to Iowa. That has been the first story of the year, the extent…
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Seek Outside BT2 v. Silvertip
I do not think I could overstate how enjoyable, educational, and flattering the past month at my new job has been. Enjoyable because the crew at Seek Outside operates with both integrity and joy in equal measure. Educational because, whatever I may or may not know about using gear outside, there are many things about…
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Training for the 2017 Bob Open
The Bob Open is less than six months away. If you’re thinking about making the trip this is less time than you think, and I’d recommend starting a training plan now if you have not already. (I started this post in the wee hours, after waking up to the sudden realization that I hadn’t reserved…
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The best things about Montana
In vague order of preference, because in two months we’ll at long last be back on the edge of the Colorado Plateau, living in western Colorado. When we moved to Montana eight years it was for me to attend graduate school, the University of Montana was the best place to offer me admission, and Montana…
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Cowboy Coffee redux
Two years ago I detailed my preferred method of making cowboy coffee in the field, and advocated for it as the all around best method. Plenty of articles about backcountry coffee have come out since, but there is still no new news here. Via is convenient (especially as it is quite palatable cold), but expensive…
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Treated v. hybrid down; don’t believe the hype
For the problem with down jackets and sleeping bags has never been with external moisture (precip, or otherwise). Modern shell fabrics are good enough, and sticking things in drybags on under raingear or mitigating shelter condensation simple enough, that getting my insulation actually wet this way hardly ever happens. The only memorable instances involve me…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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