The Balance.

We are always trying to achieve the balance of work and play....lately the balance has been restored as skiing time is permitted, conditions are great and the stoke is high..

Garibaldi Park Sunset.

Patagonia DS rep, Joel Oberly setting the slope on fire, Pauls Ridge, Garibaldi. Joel was visiting from Reno and despite doing more walking then skiing, he was a pretty happy camper.

Ryan, making it all look easy.

Joel sporting the latest in patagonia's colour palette - Aquamarine.

Ryan.

On one uncertain weather day, we traveled the Duffey lake road as you do, looking at the peaks and trying to make a decision, the forecast showed springlike snow squalls and a low ceiling/visibility..We debated but inspired by the then beautiful skies, shot up into the Alpine and ended up on Cayoosh Mtn's summit in perfect weather, finishing with a ski of its 1200m armchair glacier.

Jamie and Simon were visiting from Canmore and it was great to see these guys and get a couple of memorable days in.

Joel and Ryan - Cayoosh Summit.

Simon, Cayoosh.

Cayoosh.

Joffre Group.

Ottoman/Burned Trees Run, Cayoosh Creek.

The Ski Tourer's Repair Kit

For a multi day trip or even a very large day, a repair kit is sometimes considered a valuable addition to the pack. Often one will decide to go disaster style, foregoing the R.K and just hope for the best, most of the time that will work but when you truly need a proper fix, some basic pieces are needed. Depending on the nature of the trip, you can add or take away ingredients like a witches brew, ie: Thermarest Repair, extra dynafit toe pieces, stove repair, etc.

Described is the 'backbone' of my kit...(there are many variations!)

A small stuff bag serves as a holder for the kit, I can add and take away pieces and it all fits into this bag, either way.

The backbone: sandpaper, Thermarest repair (hotbond and patches) - This stuff works awesome and very fast!

Thin metal sheet w/ pipe clamps - For ski pole and tent pole splinting

Bailing wire - Super strong thin wire has many uses (making a skin tip, fixing bindings, etc)

Sewing kit - Amazing how often you need a sewing kit

Zip ties, duct tape, safety pins (take a bunch!)

Stove repair kit, mini leatherman, #3 Phillips for binding screws (leatherman has a flathead, file, etc, etc), spare pack buckle 1.5''. spare skin clips, 10m of 3mm cord.

Things that are sometimes in the RK1000 - Spare ski pole basket, whole front piece of a dynafit binding including coils to reset the thing into the ski, epoxy. A whole backup stove pump for long trips.

For day trips I'll remove the stove and thermarest stuff but honestly I almost never bring it on day trips unless its a very very big one in the spring in some remote corner of some zone.

And last but certainly not least, the super amazing 2' voile ski strap. This little thing has saved the day so many times. Like in the above photo, being used on a boot that for a season or two, would eject buckles like cloves from a holiday ham, wrap this guy around the instep and keep skiing all day! If anyone in the group is on a certain type of binding I will always bring one as I have seen the heel pieces have a tendency to explode, never to be seen again - the things get some serious air time! Strap around the bar and over the boot and you can still limp out.


There are a lot of other things you could consider for your trip RK. Depending on type of bindings used, skins used, stove used, etc, etc. I know some people that bring a hand drill for full binding replacement capability. A tube of seam seal is nice if you foresee tent repair, its endless really. Take a good hard look at your team, the gear used, the duration of your trip and trim as much fat as possible.

Happy RK making to everyone!

R

Whats in the pack - Ski Touring.

I have been working towards having the least amount of equipment for a SAFE (prepared) day in the backcountry for a quite a while...

Having run into a few 'snags' over the years (bone breaks, injured skier evacuations and the need to clear timber for a helipad) there are a few things I will never leave at home and a few items I will throw in if the trip is a little more committing, described here is the minimum set up for a day of skiing without glacier travel.

Clockwise:

1) Patagonia Winter Sun Hoody: A warm up jacket is key, even for short trips - The ability to stay warm at tea or sandwich stops, pad or warm up an injured skier or throw on for the descent,  powder trying to find its way into every orifice; I won't leave home without it! Gore Windstopper being used very well in this piece for added weather resistance...

2) FA Kit with SPOT, Radio...more on this on another post..(SPOT has saved the day for my group on one occasion..)

3) Shades - Something polarized is a nice luxury but the wayfarer type with the neon arms are really cool in whistler right now.....your call.

4) Goggles - Key, I like a low light lens...If its bright I ski down with shades, just like Bernie Schiesser.

5) Thermos and bottle w/Insulated sleeve - Hydrate MAN!

6) G3 Alpinist skins - Apologies to my 2 friends that work for other skin manufacturers (that I haven't tried) but I do love these skins, now that the tip doesn't whip off when you do the anti-terrorist skin removal (while standing, very advanced) they are even better! The glide man, its all about the glide, if your slipping back with any skin its TOO steep ;-)

7) GPS, Transciever, Sunscreen, Headlamp - On every trip!

8) Sun hat (I'm a bald man, a very bald man)

9)  Gloves x 3 (warm, medium and leather work glove)

10) BCA Stash 30 pack, Awesome. It came with a bunch of extra straps and gizmos which I cut off...(3 ways to hold skis, helmet holder, etc)

11) Probe, Shovel (You can judge a persons character by their shovel, serious)

12) Volie Ski strap, the LONG one. Always leave the house with one of these babies, I've seen the Fritschi binding explode too many times not to, these will fix that (by strapping the boot to the rail), a broken boot buckle, pack buckle and many other backcountry ailments.

13) Bone Saw - This thing has saved my bacon a few times now so I bring it everywhere, getting the mail included...It can rip a 8" tree apart in 30 seconds and it does wonders for your fore arm training in the off season.

Next up...First Aid and Repair Kits!!

 Happy Skiing!
R

Deep December Days - Duffey Lake.

Made a quick edit of a few video clips from a recent Duffey Lake trip with friends, skiing powder in the heart of winter. I hope you enjoy!

Duffey Lake Pow!

All the best! -R

Duffey/Duffey/Whistler.

In Squamish there is polarization in the winter. In Dec I'll sometimes wake up, make a coffee and head out the door, dog in tow, for a cruise around the local tributary. Wearing a light sweater, loamy forest beneath waterproof shoes, the coffee is still warm in its ceramic cup when I get home. Drive 30 min North from Squamish and things change, big mountains start to appear and the snow line, ever lowering has occasionally dotted the roadside in white humps that look like they belong there. A bit further yet and Whistler is reached, further still and you will come rubber neckingly into the Duffey Lake area. Glaciation is at work here and so are huge amounts of snow fall. Ski tourers flock to an area with so much terrain accessible from the road, like a coastal version of Rogers Pass - except,well...bigger!

I had a chance to join a veteran group of locals in that great zone skiing powder, looking for views and enjoying the wonderful winter mountains. Thanks to Linda, Ellie, John, Ryan, Francis and Chris for letting me join in and for the great company.

Linda and John.

Uptrack through sub-alpine on the Vantage Ridge Spur.

Chris, with snow beard of happiness.

Chris.

Duffey Lake.

Lunch. This group makes the best alpine sandwiches I've ever seen.

Marriott Basin.

Chris.

Ryan entering the white room.

Alpine glory.

Also had a nice day with friends in the Spearhead range lately. We toured up from the top of the Glacier Chair on Blackcomb, up and over to Spearhead Peak, down the Spearhead Glacier and up and down the "Stairmaster" couloir. We then popped up into Corona bowl and as fast as we could, got to the Dublin Gate for some tasty apres ski malty beverages. Nice to get out despite the low visibility.

Feeling our way down the Spearhead glacier trying not to fall into the Shrund.

Ross Berg, International man of mystery and the most likeable guy on Instagram.

Great buttery turns down the Stairmaster.

Thanks to Ross, Cori and Scotty for a great day.

Little Diamondhead

A great time with friends new and old was had yesterday in the Diamondhead zone logging about 1540m over 18km. A great second day of the season and a very good way to stoke the engine for future missions.

One of my favorite views of my home, Squamish. from the approach.

After 7 laps we didn't leave much left for the next group ;-)

Coastal Things.

Well its been a few months since Erin and I loaded up everything we own into a 25' U Haul and headed west.

Arriving in Squamish, BC not a day later - our new home.

We were treated by an amazing fall weather pattern, we were able to climb, bike and really settle in with this excellent coastal welcoming.

Squamish sees hundreds of mm of rain a winter, sometimes it will rain for 60 days in a row. When the rains come its time for projects. Like a table for Linus as his old man neck is getting sore, now its easier for him to eat and drink off of this little table. Did I mention we have a garage ! ;-)

This ravioli session was spectacular.

The family came from Edmonton and we all piled into a rented house on the Sunshine Coast, was a really great time.

Of course the climbing is spectacular in Squmish, long free routes, short pitches and amazing bouldering is our mainstay and one of the reasons we chose Squamish over anywhere else in BC - The quality is superb.

Just became a card carrying member of the local bouldering co-op. This honest little gym is great, where people come to train. Very little space for sitting and not a place for birthday parties or after school care offerings - just good ol training.


Squamish is treating us very well!

Skiing brain already?

Without fail, as soon as the first 'cold' night/day/hour/second arrives in the Autumn, friends and winter lovers start to talk..well, murmer about the upcoming ski season. Being only Sept, this thought pattern has an air of craziness about it and seeing that the summer season is still long in the tooth and the promise of many sunny good days with chalk covered hands or on a bike are ahead of us, the donning of the 'ski brain' is doubly considered odd by some.

A few years ago I would be looking for skiing in Sept or Oct, tracking strong SW flows through the US, keeping an eye on temperatures at different elevations and guesstimating snow falls in the high country while rain falls in the valleys. A few good days were had with rock skis and an open mind on glaciers and high meadows.

Lately though, as a love for late season skiing (April on) has grown - I can sit comfortably sipping a glass of scotch or a favorite micro brew, knowing that if I can wait till at lease mid November, the gas will be there for the 10th 3 am start in a row come May to tap into the amazing bounty while most have switched to summer mode.

For now, storm skiing is on the mind. With the recent move to the coast, I am excited about the potential of new zones and new ski partners. This should be a good season and I am waiting a couple more months before dragging the planks out.