Archive for the ‘March 2010’ Category

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 »

KT Tape: It’s What’s In For Hipsters This Spring!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Guest Blogger: Brady Lange, a fashion designer from Portland, Oregon is a self-admitted hipster who leads an active life and finds knee pain relief by (finally!) listening to his big sister’s advice. A bum knee can really cramp your style, after all.

Brady Lange

Brady Lange

From Brady:

Too hip to quit

Styled KT Tape

A little home stencil job makes rad tape even radder

People tend to think that hipsters are lazy schmucks who sit around all day drinking PBR, go to parties, and sleep in until 2pm.  Well, that’s partially true for some, (stereotypes have to start somewhere right?) but the truth of the matter is that a huge number of hipsters lead in impressively active lifestyle.  It’s not easy getting up, going to work at some menial job, coming home, being creative in some fashion or another be it music, art, etc. until about 8 or 9, having a drink or two at a bar (see and be seen) attending a show, going to the after party, rolling into bed at 3 am and doing it all over again the next day.  It sounds like all fun and games but the reality is it is all about making connections, networking and becoming known in your respected creative industry.  It takes stamina, dedication and above all you have to be in decent shape.  Any given night you will have walked up to five miles, biked ten, and probably climbed a tree or two somehow.  I should know, I’m one of those hipsters.

There is a reason I’m able to wear my skinny jeans and still be able to drink frat boys under the table without the slightest bit of a beer gut. It’s because I’m physically fit and work hard at it.  I run regularly, ride my bike everywhere and don’t sit in front of the TV for hours at a time.  I’m active.  At the same time however, I’m also one of the most clumsy people I know, and as a result injury riddled.  My knee is screwed up and it’s painful to run on most of the time.  It could be a result of falling down the stairs back stage at a fashion event, or possibly getting shoved in to the front of the stage at a concert, or maybe from the time the van door shut on it while helping my roommate’s band during load-in; whatever the cause my knee hurts.  I refuse to stop leading an active life, however, and have tried to remedy the pain.

I tried using a knee brace but that didn’t work at all.  It was restricting, sweaty, and when I took it off it smelled like death.  Creams and gels were a joke; they just left me greasy and smelling like a hospital.  I had all but gotten to a point of acceptance that I would never have a pain free run again when while on the phone with Hilary griping about my knee she asked if I had tried KT Tape.  Like an idiot I slapped my head in one of those “duh” moments and remembered she had showed me some the last time I was back in Montana.  So I hopped on my single-gear bike and hauled off to Sports Authority.  I chose the pink because it went with my neon yellow sunglasses (yes, sometimes it is sunny in Portland.)  I’ll admit I was a slightly skeptical that this small piece of stretchy tape would offer any kind of relief but I trust my sister knows her stuff so I followed the handy online application directions and set out for a run.  Five miles of pavement pounding later, I was pretty damn surprised.  My knee hadn’t felt that good after a run in ages.  Any doubt I previously had was totally gone. I am a die-hard believer now! This brightly colored stretchy two-by-ten strip of wonder has definitely made all the difference.  As a designer, I read a ton of fashion blogs and read about what the new “it” items are. And going to all these parties I always see the cool new hip stuff people are wearing, but KT Tape is definitely my “must have” item for spring.

Big Holler to KT Tape and the Outside Media gang for introducing me to this rad product. Party hard! I will be.

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Posted in KT Tape, March 2010 | No Comments »

“Thank you for not forgetting…” –Guest Holler from Dr. Eric Meyer

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Editor’s Note: Meet our good friend, Dr. Eric Meyer.  He’s a lead product developer with Talus Outdoor Tech and the team doctor with Yogaslackers.  In addition to being an accomplished mountain climber, yogi and adventure racer, Dr. Meyer is also a global humanitarian, traveling the world offering medial aid to folks who need it most.  He recently got back from Haiti and sent us an account of his relief efforts there. What he saw there is tough to comprehend.  We’re so impressed by him and the others who used their skills and talents in the most important way. –Hilary

Dr. Eric Meyer in Haiti

From Eric Meyer, M.D.–It’s taken a few weeks to process the experience I had of helping out with medical relief over in Haiti to be able to write about it. I recall thinking to myself after learning of the earthquake…”What can I do, and when?” Fortunately I was able to break away from my work as a freelance anesthesiologist, and with the logistical support of the organization Wyoming Haiti Relief, I found myself on a corporately-donated flight from Atlanta to Port au Prince with a Wyoming EMT named Curt Orde.

Our mission was to scout out a location in an area called Gressier, about an hour and a half west of Port au Prince, which had had no medical assistance in the two weeks following the quake. This site was within a few miles of the epicenter; obvious in the utter destruction of almost every building, collapsed hillsides, and large clefts in the one paved road running west of Port au Prince. We joined with a group of 4 other physicians(two American, a Brazilian, and a Cuban), along with half a dozen nurses and support staff to set up a medical triage clinic, where, for several days, we were seeing up to 200 patients a day. These were very shell-shocked, stressed people. There were a variety of ailments presenting in the population, ranging in age from a few months to 80 years. These were mostly infected wounds, respiratory and eye disorders associated with the contaminated conditions, and a variety of untreated chronic illnesses (high blood pressure, diabetes, stomach ulcers, skin  diseases). As you might expect, it was necessary to improvise a lot with equipment and medicine. The gratitude of the Haitian people was amazing. Many brought what little food they had to share with us. Through interpreters, they would say over and over again in their native Creole, “Thank you for not forgetting about the people of this country.”

Haiti has had the unfortunate combination of circumstances whereby its natural resources have been depleted by a succession of corrupt dictators, along with the fact that most of those with any education or skilled labor have left or been forced to flee the country. The poorest country in the western hemisphere, they were ill-equipped to deal with what has turned out to be likely the worst natural catastrophe in history: more than 230,000 dead, a quarter million injured, and 1.2 million left homeless…

While in Haiti, we learned of a critical shortage of help at a field surgical hospital being run at the site of an orphanage called Love a Child at Fond Parisien, about an hour east of Port au Prince. We made our way there through the chaos of Port au Prince. This was a rural setting where many had fled to from the ruins of the city, as well as a site to transfer patients needing longer term care from the UNS Comfort hospital ship just off the coast. The census hovered around 300 patients, along with several thousand displaced persons nearby in similar tent compounds. There were two operating tents, in which we did mostly wound debridement and skin grafts, extremity fracture repairs, and amputation stump revisions. Out in the tent ward, I did the best I could to make sure patients had adequate pain relief, either with oral/intravenous medicine, or local anesthetic nerve blocks to recently operated limbs. Conditions were basic, but it was impressive to witness what was possible under these conditions with a highly motivated and capable volunteer staff from all over the world.

I truly felt blessed to be part of this project with such an amazing bunch of folks!  –Eric

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Posted in March 2010 | No 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 »