http://straightchuter.com Backcountry Skiing & Beyond by Andrew McLean Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:51:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Absolutely KILLER weekend of skiing in the Wasatch!  Photos and details on the ECT Pit test coming later today. Andrew [caption id="attachment_1819" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Dylan Freed hiking to the Obelisk - Sunday, 4 Jan 2008"][/caption] http://straightchuter.com/2009/01/monday-posting-delay-due-to-great-skiing/ Part of the challenge of correctly identifying slope angles by eye is that they often look much steeper when viewed straight-on than they do from the side.  (This is also a good photography trick - shooting straight-on, like from a helicopter or across a valley makes the slopes look lots steeper).  A ... http://straightchuter.com/2009/01/developing-an-eye-for-angles-part-2/ An experienced car mechanic can look at a nut or bolt from ten feet away and instantly tell you what size it is down to the 64th of an inch.  It is not magic, but more a case of repetitive familiarity within a certain range.  Cars tend to use bolts ... http://straightchuter.com/2009/01/developing-an-eye-for-angles-part-1/ Unfortunately mankind cannot live on steep chutes alone and low angle powder skiing through the trees is a fact of life during periods of high avalanche danger.  One way to spice it up is to chase after someone while filming with a handheld camera.  Eighteen seconds into the little video below, I blow ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/bush-whacked-skiing-video/ Now that the edges have been trimmed back and the nose has been set, I like to tweak my tails a bit (the tails of the skins that is). Although I designed the BD ClipFix and used that system for years, I've now gravitated towards the STS system (shown below).  I ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/skin-set-up-part-two/ I'm the first to admit that I'm anal-retentive when it comes to setting up my skins.  Why? Because spending an hour or so in the beginning getting your skins just right means you never have to fool with them again and that they seldom fall off or fail in the field.  ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/skin-set-up-part-one/ Crevasses are no fun.  If you are in an area with lots of big, obvious cracks, then it is easy to justify roping up, but there are many times where you won't see a crack for days and the hassle of traveling roped up (and it is a hassle) don't ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/little-man-big-hole/ I got a good laugh out of this, although you may not... Everyone knows that Dynafit bindings are the lightest, sexiest, most bad-ass clampers on earth, although only the Euros know how to express this in simple terms.  I'll burn in hell for this, but click here for an adult version ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/merry-xx-mas/ The idea of an "avalanche rose" has been around for a while, but has been making its way into avalanche forecasts where it is one of my favorite quick-hit summaries of the current avalanche stability.  The "rose" part come from the concept of a compass rose (north, south, east & ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/deciphering-the-avalanche-rose/ Ninety-nine percent of enjoying backcountry skiing has to do with knowing where to find good, safe snow. It only takes a few times of hiking all day only to ski endless windjack to send skiers scurrying back to the resorts.  The current Wasatch conditions are especially tough as the snow ... http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/meadow-skipping-from-the-top-with-feeling/