Archive for the ‘skiing’ Category

BlueBird Guides Wraps Up the 2010 Spring Season

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Spring is backcountry skiing season in British Columbia, and Outside Media’s super-awesome client, BlueBird Guides, has been busy taking full advantage.  BBG is just now finishing up a great season taking people on unforgettable trip with plenty of sun and corn snow.

At the end of April, Greg hosted a trip to Fairy Meadows in British Columbia where professional skier Chris Davenport and writers from Skiing and Backcountry Magazines joined him. Though their attempt at a first descent was sidelined by poor conditions, it sounds like the crew had a pretty amazing trip.  You can check out a great slideshow on the Skiing Magazine website here. Here are some of the pics from the slideshow:

photo courtesy Jake Bogoch Skiing Mag

Photo courtesy Jake Bogoch, Skiing Magazine

Photo courtesy Jake Bogoch, Skiing Magazine

Check out what Greg Franson from BlueBird Guides says about his last few trips.

From BlueBird Guides Blog: A few trips back to back has finished the season for us.  We were out in the south coast range mid April and had killer conditions for ski mountaineering. We started out with 60 cms of storm snow and finished with spring like conditions and the best part is that we didn’t have to think about the buried surface hoar that has been plaguing us in interior all winter.

The last week of April we flew into the Great Cairn Hut seeking out a ski descent that we’ve had our eye on. We also brought along two magazine writers to document the trip. Unfortunately, the mountain conditions had deteriorated making any sort of attempt potentially unsafe. It may have been possible to have forced a descent but we decided that would have been in poor style and against my own instincts. Maybe next year. We did however, have a great week of ski descents in the Adamants and traversed over to the Fairy Meadows Hut.

The last trip we just completed was a women’s ski mountaineering workshop held in the Rockies. Five girls, myself and a writer from Backcountry Magazine made the trip on the Wapta. We had about 30-40 cms of storm snow that settled to about 15 cms overlying a solid crust layer.  Ski quality(and stability) was fair to good dependent upon elevation and aspect. Crevasse coverage is pretty good overall but there are a few hidden holes as well. There’s plenty of skiing to be had out there…

It was a great season-ender and thanks to everyone who was involved in trips this year.

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Posted in May 2010, Uncategorized, skiing | No Comments »

The Season Ender

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

A good grimace. March 2010.

It’s been 14-some-odd weeks, and I’m still kind of bobbing in the wake of the “season ender.”

I ended my ski season two months early this year because of the worst injury I’ve ever had.  At least I can check “riding in a ski patrol sled” off my bucket list.  It happened on the backside of The Big Mountain at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Yep, just like that, I tore my abdominal wall.  I was goofing around and popped a wee 180 off a little powder bump, and in the air I felt the left side of my abdomen rip.  When I landed, (no crash, no fall) all muscular hell broke loose and I tore my abdomen from left to right.  I hit the deck and my body froze up and went into shock in the fetal position.  I could feel something super hot and wet on my belly, and I was sure all my guts had spilled out onto the snow.  I had to look to make sure I wasn’t sliced wide open.  The hot, wet feeling was from blood gushing from the muscle tear, but of course it was only inside my core, and didn’t break the skin.  So I couldn’t see any guts.  But I could tell they had kind of come out of place because my belly instantly bulged out like a keg.

The amazing Big Mtn Ski Patrol came and whisked me up the backside and back down the front and into the ambulance.  In the hospital they confirmed a complete abdominal wall tear, and they said they probably could not stitch up the “pulled pork.”  I had an MRI that again confirmed the tear, and doctors put me on 12 weeks of bed rest with another 12 weeks of rehab.

Check out this pic (I have no dignity) of how my belly would fill up with blood and make me look like I was 6-months prego!

not really a bun in the oven...just a gross ski injury

I took a couple of days of bed rest, but strict doctor’s orders are not easy to follow.  Don’t judge–YOU couldn’t ever take 12 weeks of bed rest, I’ll bet.  I put on about 523 pounds since the accident because I haven’t been able to work out normally.  So I’m finally kind of getting back on track, and doing some low-level training with my new Suunto M4. (Launching in the US June 15th.)   Sudden twists or lifting heavy things makes the muscles re-tear, which is nasty, so I’m trying to be careful.

Really, I think it’s kind of good because I won’t really be able to row my fishing boat a lot this summer, so I’ll have to have someone else row me around while I fish.  Any takers?

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Posted in May 2010, Uncategorized, skiing | 4 Comments »

Update From Erik Fisher

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Editor’s note – Klymit Athlete and US Alpine Ski Team Member Erik “the Flying Fish” Fisher has had a very busy winter.  Between his Olympic experience and jumping from ski race to ski race, Erik took some time to let us know what he’s been up to.

From Klymit pro skier Erik Fisher:  Erik Fisher here, from the US Alpine Ski Team.  Pretty pumped about this little bit of snow love we’ve gotten in Utah.  For the last few weeks, I’ve just been nursing my busted hand.  I broke it right before the Olympics at a World Cup Race.  A word to the wise — don’t crash going 90 mph.

Anyway, the last few weeks have been fun.  I’ve made a few trips up to Idaho to go kite boarding with my friend Riley.  We were boosting 50-ft cliffs all day.  I’ll post a video for you guys to see soon.  Been doing a little business here and there. Traveling a lot.  Working out a lot. Drinking my Mona Vie and staying warm.

I’ve really been enjoying my new Klymit Kinetic Vest. I wore it for a few months this season.  I’ve taken it with me just about every time I go up the mountain now.  It keeps my core warmer than anything I’ve tried. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of this new shipment they are getting in.  I’m telling my friends to snag one before they sell out.  There’s a few more weeks of snow to enjoy, so you might as well do it warm.

I’m headed back to Idaho for a few days for Mom’s cooking and Dad’s jokes. Anyway, hope all is well.

–Fish

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Posted in April 2010, skiing | 2 Comments »

BlueBird Guides Picked by Pros to Lead New Lines

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Local ski hills may have closed shop for the season, but Greg Franson, owner of backcountry ski guiding company, BlueBird Guides, is just ramping up. BlueBird Guides is based out of Whitefish, MT with an office in Golden, B.C. as well.  Greg primarily operates his guided ski trips out of the Selkirk Mountain Range and Purcell Mountains in B.C. Greg runs a small operation with three very experienced ski guides (including himself) and his wife, Shell, who helps with logistics.

Greg has an exciting few weeks ahead. At the end of the month he is guiding pro skier, Chris Davenport, on a first descent of a significant line in the Selkirks. (Can’t give details until it’s bagged.)  It’s set to be part of Dav’s followup to his popular book and ski project, Ski the 14ers.  Also along on the trip will be Jake Bogach, editor of Skiing Magazine and Jason Layh, journalist for Backcountry Magazine.

Chris Davenport

Chris Davenport

Greg’s background in backcountry skiing in Canada spans the past decade. He and his crew are members of  the Canadian Avalanche Association and are certified by the The Canadian Association of Mountain Guides. So, Greg’s resume backs his ability. When Greg started his own backcountry ski outfit only two years ago, it didn’t take long for folks to start paying attention.

Into his second season, he has been busy filling trips all across B.C. out of Sorcerer’s Lodge, Rodgers Pass, Mount Columbia Fairy Meadows and the Wapta Traverse to name a few of the more popular trips. His trips are small and catered to each groups specific needs and wants. His new BlueBird Mountain Sessions are on-snow classes providing clients with avalanche safety lessons, ski mountaineering skills, and education on terrain and equipment.  The guests come away with an experience they don’t get with other backcountry skills courses–they really get out there and learn by doing.  They get to ski the lines they want and come away with invaluable knowledge and experience.   And BlueBird Guides’ rates are pretty incredible.  Where else can you get a Rogers’ Pass weekend for under $300?

Stay tuned!

Holler for humble Rock Stars!

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Posted in April 2010, skiing | 3 Comments »

Weekend Warriors Hit the East Side

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

By OutsideSammi

This past weekend, my husband, sister, friends and I embarked on an “East Side” adventure. I am originally from the east side of the Rocky Mountains and now that I reside on the “West Side” it is important to explain the differences between the two. To the west of the Mountains you will typically find more mellow weather patterns and more trees.   The east side has more severe weather patterns, and the notorious WIND defines the landscape with stunted trees and wide open spaces. There are tiny towns dotting the map.  One of those towns, White Sulphur Springs, is my hometown.  White Sulphur Springs has a population of fewer than 1000 and is a pure ranching community in the South Central portion of Montana. It’s a good five-hour drive from where I live in Columbia Falls in the NW corner of the state.

This chair ride is 13 minutes long.

A major part of the weekend was getting to ski at Showdown, a small family-orientated resort. My mom works at the rental shop (going on her 22nd year) and so going back to Showdown is going home. While growing up, I spent every weekend at Showdown.  Memories of Cup O’ Noodles, painfully long chair rides and snow forts under the deck came flooding back as we walked into the historic lodge.  Little has changed in the 70+ years Showdown as been around. It is the oldest ski area in the state and in my humble opinion, the best.

Hunting Range at the bottom of Triple Chair. Totally Normal.

Where else do the lift operators set up geese decoys at the loading ramp and make goose calls as you load? I’m pretty sure nowhere. It also happened to by “Tacky Attire Day” on Saturday.  There were some great getups out there.  The thing is, we also skied on Sunday, and folks pretty much looked the same on both days.

With an summit elevation of more than 8,000 feet, Showdown resides in the Little Belt Mountains and is one of the tallest ski areas in the state. With consistently cold temps and lots of snowfall, it is usually guaranteed to be a good time. And we weren’t disappointed.  A full day of spring skiing on Saturday reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones and showing our West Side friends around the tiny ski area was really fun!

The next day, we ventured off-area down the famed O’Brien Creek trail. This cross-country ski takes you from the summit of Showdown down eight miles to the town of Neihart, MT. Neihart, a beyond-tiny town was once-booming mining town with 5000+ residents at the turn of the century. Now,Neihart sits among remnants of mine days gone by and has a population of fewer than 100. It’s a quaint Montana town full of character.

O’Brien Creek is a mostly level, slightly downhill trek through the mountains to Neihart. Yet, wearing long skinny skis sans edges makes the few very steep descents very exciting!

Looking across the Little Belt Mountains

Crash #1

Crash #342

Ice luge. Part 1.

Nothing like spending a few hours on a ice luge course to humble you right to square one. The epic “slide for life” provided us with a hilarious afternoon.   We ended up safe and sound in Neihart with our egos left behind. Afterword, we picked up a soda at the local “Inconvenience Store” and hit the road home.

O'Brien Creek Snowbridge

Thanks Montana for being so diverse and unique.

Holler for new adventures and hometowns!

Sammi

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Posted in March 2010, skiing | 2 Comments »

30 Resorts in 30 Days

Friday, March 26th, 2010

By OutsideAmy

Ever since I turned 30, I’ve been trying to redefine that number for myself… — Seth Warner

I hear your 30th birthday can be a tough one. But of course I wouldn’t know anything about that since I’m a few (not so few) years away. People who are 30 are not quite “grown-ups.” But they definitely do not fall under the “kid” category. I’m preparing myself now, so than when the big day shows up on the calendar, I’ll be ready to greet it with grace and dignity. At a crossroads of that proportion, you need to get creative in your coping tactics. So, maybe I’ll take a que from pro skier Seth Warner, who recently took to the road to explore 30 resorts in 30 days. On his blog, aptly named “30Resorts30Days,” Seth is documenting each day on the road, in parking lots and on snow.

From Seth Warner’s blog, 30Resorts30days: “Ever since I turned 30, I’ve been trying to redefine that number for myself.  My life has always revolved around skiing since I can remember. It has ultimately determined where I have lived, what jobs I have taken and who my true friends are today. I’ve traveled all over the world to pursue my passion. Planning my next adventure, whether it’s just to our local hill for the day or a 10 day Euro trip filled with dragging bags on trains and stuffing skis in to mini cars, it is what has kept me going.

My latest endeavor, however, has been to figure out what I would do if I had exactly one month off of work.  Without having a ton of money to work with and an emphasis on connecting with old ski town friends, I’ve decided to ski 30 resorts in 30 days.

To add an entire new element to this personal quest, I got wind of news that Salomon was developing a new ski unlike anything that has come before. Being the gear junky that I am, I had to find out more.  It turns out Salomon is on a mission to have this ski tested in any and all conditions, which is exactly what it is constructed for. The success of this prototype will be putting it to the ultimate test and gathering extensive feedback along the way. Cue the light bulb above my head!”–Seth Warner

Maybe the boss-man will let me have a month off of work when my time comes for an experience like this. In the meantime, I suppose I’ll  have to be content checking out the amazing photos and stories from Seth’s epic journey each day.  Join me.

–Amy

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Posted in March 2010, Salomon, Uncategorized, skiing | 2 Comments »

Uphill Traffic at Whitefish Mtn. Resort

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

The Big Mountain (Whitefish Mountain Resort)  is Outside Media’s home hill.  It’s our “Cheers”–a place where people know each other.  We love the snow, the fog, the sun, the Bierstube Rings and the Hellroaring Nachos.   There are a lot of unique aspects to this locals’ mountain that include short lift lines, friendly staff, small town feel and an unrestricted uphill ski policy.  So it’s no wonder the new uphill traffic rules are causing some panties to bunch up.

Whitefish Mountain Resort recently revisited its uphill traffic policy. Skinning or snowshoeing up the ski runs before the mountain was open, during operating hours, after operating hours and post season and has been a wildly popular pastime  for many locals for many years.  We love it.  But it’s been a growing point of contention. Here is a little background on what has been happening at The Big.

Statement from the first press release from Whitefish Mountain Resort outlining some guidelines:

“The policy developed by resort management and the US Forest Service will restrict uphill traffic within the resort’s Special Use Permit boundary to a single route on the mountain, as well as limiting the hours when the activity is allowed.”

Obviously, a lot of locals felt very strongly about this, and mounted a campaign. A Facebook page called Protect The Right to Responsible Uphill Traffic at Whitefish Mountain Resort was created and quickly garnered more than 600 fans with passionate rally cries.  Folks wanted the Mountain and the US Forest Service to listen to their side of the story and compromise. Many people felt that the restrictive guidelines shouldn’t be made without a public comment period.

The safety issue has been  mounting for awhile, as groomers reported concern over how dangerously close skiers were coming to the grooming equipment.   Our groomer friends say they would see 30-40 hikers a night.  With an already stressful job of maneuvering expensive, heavy groomer cats all over the mountain in the middle of the night, they tell us having to watch out for after-hours skiers just increases the stress and risk of the job.

One of our groomer friends explained to us how dangerous it was to have skiers around the cats, especially when a winch-cat operation is underway. A winch-cat operation consists of two groomers; using one  groomer-cat as the anchor and winching the other down a steep run using a heavy cable. This technique is used when a run is too steep to groom without the support of a winch. When the cat is lowered, the heavy cable gets buried in the snow and goes out of sight under immense pressure. Then, when the lowered cat then gets pulled back uphill– at the crest of the hill–the buried cable comes free from the all the pressure and erupts out of the snow.   Our friend said on one occasion in the five minutes it took to lower and re-lift the cat, there were ski tracks over the buried winch-cat cable. If that particular skier had been on or near that cable when it shot up out of the snow, he would have been seriously injured or killed.

So, it became apparent that a few bad apples ruined it for everyone, and a policy was drafted and set to be implemented on March 1st. With a huge public outcry, Whitefish Mountain Resort and the US Forest Service re-evaluated the policy and issued a NEW press release allowing for a comment period until April 4th-the last day of operation for the season.

Some statements from the second press release:

After announcing the policy last week, the resort received a high volume of feedback from members of the public, as did the US Forest Service.  Much of the input received has centered around finding a way to allow safe uphill traffic in the early evening hours, as well as ways to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the new policy.

“We’re not completely satisfied with this policy, and neither are our users.” said Donnie Clapp, Whitefish Mountain Resort Public Relations Manager. “We had to put something in place quickly, because there was some very dangerous activity going on that needs to stop, but we’re very open to improving it.”

Well put, Donnie! And power to the people for speaking up.

Stay tuned for the latest guidelines coming up this spring.

Holler for responsible uphill traffic, for public involvement and a mountain that listens to locals while trying to keep them safe!

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Posted in March 2010, skiing | 3 Comments »

Glacier Outdoor Center Hosts The Race at Glacier

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Young skiers are set to gather in West Glacier to compete in Nordic events for the 2010 Western States Youth Ski Festival
Sun Valley Day 2 111
For the first time ever, Glacier Outdoor Center and Glacier Nordic Ski Club are teaming up to host “The Race at Glacier” for the 2010 Western States Youth Ski Festival. The race, which was previously held in Sun Valley, Idaho,  will bring more than 150 Nordic racers, ages 6-15, from all across the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Region to compete in this two-day event.

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 27th  9:30am-2:30pm Sunday, Feb. 28th 9:30am-12:00pm
  • Where: Glacier Outdoor Center, 12400 Hwy 2 East, West Glacier, MT 59936
  • Who: 150+ Youth Nordic Racers from Montana, Idaho, Utah, Washington and Canada
  • What: Skate, Classic, Obstacle and Downhill Nordic race events

The registration deadline is Monday, February 22nd.  Forms are available by emailing Linda Grady at skiranch@centurytel.net.  The entry fee for youth racers is $50 for all four events and includes the Saturday banquet, Sunday lunch and an event hat. Adults also have the opportunity to compete in the 7K Masters’ Race held on Saturday after the junior competitions.  The entry fee is $15 and registration will take place on-site.

PSIA CERT 002

Concessions and luxury cabin accommodations are available at Glacier Outdoor Center and spectators are welcome. Volunteers are needed for timing, course maintenance and food concession.  Cameron Blake is the volunteer coordinator and can be reached at blakegray@centurytel.net.

Glacier Nordic Ski Club is a Montana community ski club, whose mission is to instill a lifelong love of cross-country skiing. www.glaciernordicclub.com
Glacier Raft Company is a Whitewater Outfitter at the west entrance to Glacier National Park. Established in 1976, Glacier Raft Company is Montana’s most experienced raft company and has provided quality river trips to more than 300,000 people.  GRC also offers guided fishing trips, extended wilderness whitewater adventures and guided snowshoeing and cross country skiing inside Glacier Park.  Glacier Outdoor Center is the company’s multi-activity headquarters, offering a full-service fly shop, gear shop, cabin rentals, XC-ski rentals, snowshoe rentals and groomed Nordic ski trails.  www.glacierraftco.com  www.twitter.com/glacierraftco  Glacier Raft Co on Facebook

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Posted in February 2010, skiing | No Comments »

Givin’ Props to Pops

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Note from the editor: So, yeah, we’ve been really busy lately, and the Holler blog has been quiet.  So the next few posts will be all about catching up.  We’re going to post some pics and stories about our favorite moments and best adventures from the winter.  And Sammi goes first!  Here’s a recollection of the day she taught her dad to tele! –Hilary

Holler from Sammi:

I thought I’d share my favorite holiday moment of 09′. My sister, Marti, and I both live up in the NW corner of Montana and usually during the holidays we pile into one car with dogs, husband, boyfriend, and gear and drive around the state to visit our parents.  With typical questionable road conditions, it always makes for a harrowing, long drive. So we were thrilled when my dad, Keith and his lovely wife, Mary decided to come and stay with us for the holidays, rather than us having to go see them.

We are fortunate to have a very sporty Dad, making it easy to plan stuff to do. Almost 60, he is the guy with more bike shorts than neckties, fly rods from the last 5 decades, and various skis, bikes and camping equipment spilling out of the gear room (yes, there is a whole room dedicated to fun things.) Dad, being a life-long alpine skier recently bought himself a second-hand telemark set-up. I, being the token tele- skier in the family, was about to become the teacher.

Pops learning to Tele-skiAnyone who has made the switch from alpine to tele can share in the frustration. It is ridiculously hard because mentally you think, I can alpine ski just fine, why am I flailing around like an idiot on tele-skis? I can attest, learning to tele five years ago was hands-down most humbling thing I have ever done. I’m talking huge wrecks, green runs and poles being thrown in fits of rage. So, teaching other people how to tele ski can sometimes bring out true colors–like stormy blacks and greys. I am thankful my husband made it through that learning phase of mine. So, I was a bit nervous to teach my Dad this maddening/amazing sport.

It is really impressive my Dad is still learning new things and challenging himself. As we rode up Chair 1, I reflected a bit and remembered ALL of the things that my dad has taught me in my lifetime. Pretty  important things like walking, talking, shooting a free-throw, hitting a baseball, long division, riding a horse, driving a stick-shift (that was almost a deal-breaker) and being critical of boys to name a few.  Role reversal with ME teaching HIM was a big deal and definitely something new.

Glacier Park

It was a beautiful day at Whitefish Mountain Resort and were treated to some much needed Vitamin D.  The day went great. He was making tele-turns, not beautiful ones,  but definitely making turns. Sometimes he would fall, get right back up and keep going.  With his legs getting tired in the afternoon it was time to go and he was all smiles. One of the best lessons for tele-sking is knowing when enough is enough; when legs are wasted it’s time to go. Trust me, it doesn’t get any prettier after those quads are quivering.

It turned out to be a very successful day considering his poles were intact, his calm attitude was something to aspire to and his true colors were beaming in beautiful shades.  Lessons were learned all around.  Thanks Dad for the inspiration and for becoming a great new tele-buddy.

Holler!

Sammi

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Posted in January 2010, skiing | 1 Comment »