Category Archives: Uncategorized

Bella Donna and BCA on stage in Cham: Be Careful Assholes!

BCA’s provocative Bella Donna “popped up” last week in the skiing epicenter of Chamonix, France. Deployed on stage at the Micro Brasserie de Chamonix (“MBC”) at a gig by Gary Bigham and the Crevasseholes, the unsuspecting victim was 11-year-old Kiwi shredder Manu Barnard.
Young Manu got an education on female anatomy last week at the MBC.
BCA
Bigham is a legend and needs to be called out here. He’s a former ’70′s freestyle competitor and long-time ski industry photographer, including copious Patagonia catalog images and Greg Stump’s “The Blizzard of Aaahh’s”. He and wife Anna run a bed-and-breakfast (and yummy dinner) operation, Vitamin Ski Holidays, in nearby Argentiere. If you’re… Read more

Utanahoming road trip

It happens every year, that itch for skiing new places that can only be scratched by a nice, long roadtrip. Last year it was satisfied by our trip to Washington, and for this year we opted for Montana, a frontier full of new lines. So Daan, Alex and I loaded into the Forrester and hit the road: first stop, Solitude Utah. There we met up with buddies Zach and Jonny, and proceeded to drink heavily and ski tour to relieve the consequent pain.

We hit up Silver Fork and US Basin over the weekend, then booked it up north to arrive in Bozeman by Monday morning, ready for more of… Read more

Avalanche Airbag Survey

Attention Avalanche Airbag owners living in the United States- we’re currently running a survey to collect data that will eventually be made into a presentation for the 2012 International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) this fall. While there have been studies made already on airbag use in several parts of Europe and Canada, there is currently little information in states.

If you can, please take a minute to fill out our survey by clicking here.… Read more

Microburst in RMNP

Rocky Mountain National Park had been getting some decent snowfall for a change, so I planned to check it out with a fellow Avy Level 1 classmate, Julie Harris. We pulled into the Glacier Gorge trailhead on an early Sunday morning of March 3rd to find a very desolate parking lot and wicked wind. It wasn’t hard to figure out what was keeping away the crowds.
The plan was for a 10 mile round trip tour that would hit Green Lake. The map showed good skiing in the area, but we were aware of the high avy danger reported from CAIC. The area had received 8-16” of new snow in… Read more

Gathering Observations to Manage Hazards & Ride Powder

Matt Wade, of Peak Mountain Guides, wrote up this nice piece after teaching a recent avalanche course. To learn more about Peak Mountain Guides, visit here

Tap, tap, tap. . . . Matt’s pencil rapped against the table and his brow furrowed. “Wait, wait, say that again – surface hoar forms when the relative humidity is high at the snow surface?” It was the beginning of a Level 2 Avalanche Course with Peak Mountain Guides and we were beginning a quest to become good observers of all things avalanche: weather, snow, and avalanche activity. It would be brain bending at times, but most importantly it would help us ride good… Read more

Snow Study Tool Rundown – Part Two

In our second installment of the rundown, Donny takes us through how to use the Digital Thermometer, Crystal Card and the Magnifier Loupe.… Read more

Snow Study Tool Rundown – Part One

We’re back with another video from Donny Roth shot down in Bariloche, Argentina where he takes us through a few of the items found in our Snow Study Kit. Stay tuned for Part Two.… Read more

Kootenay Pass TR

Following the hectic tradeshow season, I decided it was time to get out and do some skiing. With the state of the Colorado snowpack being in shambles though, I opted to head north. My buddy Derek, who is in Spokane studying the law, had been sending me photos of the immense snowpack just north from there, so I opted to fly up there to check it out. We headed past the border and set up camp in a small cabin near Kootenay Pass and spent the next three days lapping excellent, stable powder; it was awesome.… Read more

Rutschblock Test with Donny Roth

Donny Roth takes us through the steps to conduct a proper Rutschblock Test. When not traveling in search of skiing, climbing and cycling destinations, Donny can be found at home in Boulder, CO. He has been entertaining himself in the backcountry for 18 years and is now a guide and runs the website Independent Descents.… Read more

The Austin Report

Good dude and all around shredder, Austin Gibney, sent over this nice piece of split board action. Austin is based out of Crested Butte, and rides bigger lines than you. Last week Austin hopped a flight to Japan to get his own piece of their powder pie. After spending a month with Austin in Krygyzstan, I’m betting his luggage is packed full of Starburst and Hershey bars to keep him powered up.… Read more