On Sunday, March 29, several avalanches occurred throughout New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, notably four human-triggered slides on Mt. Washington and Mt. Monroe. According to a report from the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, one of these avalanches resulted in injuries.
Vermont BC Alliance’s Ethics, Crested Butte Basecamp, Guide Killed in B.C. Avalanche, TransWorld Partnership, Record Snowfall
Vermont Backcountry Alliance Publishes Backcountry Ethics In partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Green Mountain Club, Green Mountain National Forest and Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Vermont Backcountry Alliance (VTBC) has published a new set of Leave No Trace guidelines for Vermont backcountry skiers and riders. The seven principles, adapted from […]
Jackson Basecamp: Day 2 Dispatch
Jackson is a wrap. That’s right, the first tour stop of the GORE-TEX Backcountry Basecamp is all done, and we’re heading to Crested Butte, Colo. Day 2 of the event was a sunny Sunday even warmer than the previous day, and visitors passed through the village, joined Jackson Hole Guide Robb Hess for OB tours, listened to safety talks from AIARE instructor Nancy Bockino and demoed gear from a handful of brands. Here are some highlights from the day.
Jackson Basecamp: Day 1 Dispatch
Day 1 of the GORE-TEX Backcountry Basecamp broke under sunny skies as temps around Jackson Hole Mountain Resort rose into the 40s. All day, people streamed throughout the Basecamp village beside the Bridger Center, headed out on OB tours with Jackson Hole Guide Tommy Moe, tuned in to avalanche and safety clinics and checked out […]
Running Interference: How Candy Affects Your Beacon
At October’s International Snow Safety Workshop in Banff, Alberta, Ilari Dammert, Mammut’s electronics product manager, and Edwin Meister, a project manager with the Swiss electronics manufacturer CCS Adaxys, presented startling findings on beacon interference. Backcountry users have long known that electronics, particularly cell phones, can interfere with a transceiver’s function, but the level of interference and range of culprit gadgets hasn’t been known until now.
Basecamp: Four Centuries of Safety Gear
Backcountry safety gear has come a long way in the last two decades, never mind since the 1600s. Even so, gear is still no substitute for education, yet it’s always worth looking at how far the sport has come. Here’s a look at some relics that have shaped the last few centuries of backcountry safety.
Salomon and Atomic to Launch Safety-Focused “Mountain Academy”
At last month’s Outdoor Retailer trade show, Salomon and Atomic announced plans to launch an online, backcountry education platform dubbed Mountain Academy. The program, set to debut at the end of this summer, will feature online courses and videos focusing on backcountry and avalanche safety and created in conjunction with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), Avalanche Canada and U.S.-based avalanche centers.
Scarpa Issues Voluntary F1 Evo Recall
Today, Italian AT and telemark boot manufacturer SCARPA issued a voluntary recall for their new F1 Evo ski boot. The AT boot features SCARPA’s patented “Tronic System,” which automatically switches from walk to ski mode when engaged in a pin-tech binding. According to SCARPA, under certain conditions, the mechanism can unexpectedly switch from ski to walk mode while locked into a binding. For the full details on the recall, here’s the official word from SCARPA.
Gear Preview: 2015 Outdoor Retailer Highlights (Part 2)
The trade-show floor of Salt Lake City, Utah’s Salt Palace is a proverbial candy store, a seemingly endless display of shiny, bright and new ski and snowboard gear to come. And there’s good news for backcountry skiers and riders at the candy store, with continued focus on lighter gear designed to keep up, increased bc-designed offerings by big brands and a whole host of nuanced accessories that might make earning turns easier.
Gear Preview: 2015 Outdoor Retailer Highlights (Part 1)
The trade-show floor of Salt Lake City, Utah’s Salt Palace is a proverbial candy store, a seemingly endless display of shiny, bright and new ski and snowboard gear to come. And there’s good news for backcountry skiers and riders at the candy store, with continued focus on lighter gear designed to keep up, increased bc-designed offerings by big brands and a whole host of nuanced accessories that might make earning turns easier.
