GEAR WE WANT

It is officially Christmas and ski season, which means it is time to build wish lists we have no intention of purchasing! If I could borrow Hermione’s magic wand, this is what I’d want to appear. Feel free to use this (at your own risk) as a guide for purchasing gifts for the kick ass skier chick in your life.

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#7 – THIS STRETCHY DOWN JACKET. I have a known jacket addiction, but this one seems amazing. It is stretchy, warm and cozy and looks like it would comfort you after you yard sale. This is new stuff for the outdoor industry and I promise the rest of the brands will be getting on board with stretchy + insulated, but right now Mountain Hardwear basically has it on lockdown. Just get it, ok?

#6 – THESE MITTENS. Mittens save lives, it is a fact, and Arcteryx is the (INSERT  PREMIER LUXARY BRAND HERE) of outdoor apparel. I can only assume these Lithic mittens will make your life 30-40% more awesome. I mean LOOK how easy it is to hold poles. It’s normally kinda hard if I am being honest, and I wear nothing but mittens.

#5 – THIS HELMET. POC is known for protecting lots of important people’s heads. They offer a lot of versions of helmets and come in a generous assortment of colors and flavors.  This one allows you to pair the corresponding neck roll/headphone attachment so you can rock out on days you are killing it at the resort on a Wednesday morning by yourself. I chose the Fornix in Granate Red + communication neck roll.

#4 – HOT DRINKS. It gets cold when you are slaying pow. You need & I both need this Hydroflask coffee mug. It comes in lots of colors. You are welcome.

#3 – THESE POLES. These ultra customizable bamboo poles by Soul Poles! The ones pictured are from the art collection, but you can also choose colors and also personalize them with your name/nickname/whatever the heck you want. So that is amazing. Ive been eyeing these for like….3 or 4 seasons now.

#2 – LOOK AT THESE SKIS! – The UP PRO’s by Sego Ski Co. If they are good enough for Lynsey Dyer they are good enough for me; plus they have a friggin unicorn on them. I. AM. IN. LOVE.

#1 – SNOW. If you could provide endless powder days that would be better than all the above. I’d ski in jeans and a hello kitty shirt if it meant endless powder days.

Have gear you recommend? Let me know!

MOUNTAIN PARTNER STOKE TEST

Rocky Mountain National Park, Photo Natalie Gerding

Good mountain partners are hard to find. They must be physically fit, mountain savvy, and safety conscious (safety third), but all those pieces can be learned; most importantly they must be stoked. I have come up with a series of simple tests you can administer to your potential climbing/mountaineering/skiing partners to predict if they will sink or swim on your next mountain adventure. These tests should be performed at the most inconvenient time possible as to simulate real life situations.

FOOD FLEXIBILITY
In the mountains it is important that people eat and drink on a regular basis. I once took a wilderness leadership course with the famous Rodney Ley, who told me that mushers look for sled dogs who will willingly eat and drink whenever they stop no matter the conditions or how tired they might be. Apparently some dogs don’t like to eat when they are too tired, and sometimes become picky about their food on the trail, not practical. Same goes for climbing/skiing/backpacking partners.

TEST:
1. Wait until an ungodly hour/super inconvenient time (2am in a broken elevator would be perfect, for example).
2. Make your potential partner a cup of gritty, way too strong coffee, add a little sour milk if you have it.
3. See how polite they are about it. See how much of it they drink. No points deducted if they ask for two tablespoons of hot cocoa mix or would also like some instant mashed potatoes.

IDEAL RESPONSE: Chugs coffee concoction with mixed look of pleasure, pain and knowing it needs to happen.
OK RESPONSE: Chokes down half of if, switches to whiskey.
DEAL BREAKER: Refuses coffee and doesn’t ask for whiskey instead.

HUMOR
Weird and uncomfortable stuff happens on mountaineering trips. Your whole team might be suffering of various gastrointestinal ailments from eating delicious street tacos, and you might all have to poop at the same time while you are roped together on the side of a mountain. Its important to laugh about that later over cervezas. Humor is the coping mechanism/glue that keeps all alpine friendships together.

TEST:
1. Suggest you two go on a hike! Fun!
2. Explain it could turn into an easy scramble, so we should bring a rope and a few pieces of gear just to be safe.
3. While partner is not looking add as much weight as possible to their pack.
4. Run up easy hike/scramble in which you had absolutely no intention of pulling out rope. Tease them for being so tired.
5. Wait for them to notice the 3 extra ropes. Tell them it was great training!

IDEAL RESPONSE: Find 3 extra ropes also in your bag at end of hike, and for every hike for all of eternity there after.
OK RESPONSE: Laughs, plots your future demise.
DEAL BREAKER: Any other response. Above two are the only acceptable responses.

WTS (willingness to suffer) 
This may be one of the more important tests. While a good dose of common sense is absolutely necessary in the mountains, a certain amount of insanity is also required. You are hoping to strike a balance between that person who refused to let you tape your hands your first time crack climbing in Indian Creek and the one person who insists you stay at the super nice $15 per night hostel instead of the pretty nice $8 per night one. If taping your hands is against your moral code then I suggest you come up with your own guidelines because we are clearly not on the same page.

TEST:
1. Suggest you and proposed potential partner go for a “really easy hike” after  several craft beers.
2. Quickly turn said easy hike into hard trail run with promise of amazing view
3. Run as fast as possible for as long as possible.
4. Wait for one of you to throw up (either of you is fine).

IDEAL RESPONSE: Pukes, suggests you both continue since you/they should feel better now that you/they have gotten it out of their system.
OK RESPONSE: Wants to go down, but calls you the next day to try again.
DEAL BREAKER: Never speaks to you again.

INGENUITY
Life in the mountains is all about creativity! Don’t have enough gear? Sling something and sit on that cam that keeps creeping out of the crack. Don’t have a tow strap clamp? Quick, give me that old carabiner and keep your head down! You need someone by your side that is not afraid to duct tape their boots back together, or to make a salami & chili mac quesadilla in a bind.

TEST:
1. Invite on overnight camping trip.
2. Insist on bringing the coffee and your french press.
3. Bring whole bean coffee and no french press.
4. Ask them to make coffee in morning.

IDEAL RESPONSE: Puts beans in extra plastic bag, crushes beans with rocks, filters it out with paper towel and hands you cup of coffee. He/she has done this before.
OK RESPONSE: Heckles you, but creates makeshift coffee maker Nalgene.
DEAL BREAKER: Insists you go in to town for coffee.

Realistically you probably are #blessed to get someone with a reliable vehicle and 2 consecutive days off. But if you are lucky enough to find someone who aces this (or your own personalized) stoke test, cherish them for forever.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you would add to the Mountain Partner Stoke Test!

Make Everyone Jealous of Your Lunch (Winter Edition)

Let me start out with that I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to backcountry lunches. Lets face it, everyone has been there, shivering on a rock on top of a ridge trying to choke down a frozen turkey sandwich, guzzling ice cold water, generally hating yourself for the food choices you made from your warm, cozy kitchen this morning. We can’t let that happen again. Here are five things to think about to make sure your lunch makes your partners jealous.

Precursor: Breakfast is important. If you have a delicious breakfast you won’t need as many snacks, your pack will be a little lighter, and you won’t need to stop as much. So do it, eat your breakfast burrito in your car at 6am, even if you don’t feel like it.

1. Arm yourself with pockets full of snacks: Think goldfish, chips, candy bars, cookies, pepperonis and ideally unfreezable things. Cheese is a good option, the Babybel cheeses are the best because they come individually wrapped in wax. If you do choose to bring something super freezable make sure you keep that sucker in an interior pocket where it will be warmed by body heat until you put it in your face-hole. I have found its a good idea to bring salty and sweet snacks, both of which people tend to crave in the mountains. Try to minimize the trash you bring with you, and always have a place to put that granola bar wrapper before it blows away in the wind.

2. Hot drinks are your friend: Do you like hot cocoa? Of course you do, but something magical happens to people once they have spent a few hours above tree line, suddenly everyone LOVES hot cocoa. Yes, it will add weight, and yes it will be totally worth it. You can of course bring a thermos full of tea, coffee, or whatever your hot drink of choice is. This has the added benefit of helping you stay hydrated, especially when just thinking about that half frozen water bottle gives you the shivers.

3. Take what you need: I once watched a teammate carry an entire bag of gummy bears (1lb) to the summit of mountain, and then back down. Consider that you might not need a full “lunch” depending on how long you’ll be out, if you will have time to stop for lunch, and if you feel like you can actually pull off something delicious. Sometimes the best option for half days is lots of awesome snacks, and a stop at the nacho and margarita place a few hours after you get back.

I am making assumptions here, but I am going to go out on a limb and say you already know you need water. Know how much you need, and make time to drink up throughout the day. I have started out too many days carrying around 3 liters of water only to find 2.5 liters (5lbs) of this left at the end of the day. Its important to stay hydrated, and it is also important to not carry around an extra 5lbs of water unless you are training and want to do it on purpose. Everyone is different, so make sure you know what you need to be comfortable.

4. Real food is where its at: Energy bars and goo packets may last a long time in your cupboard, but there is a reason you don’t eat that stuff for lunch at your house.  Thermoses full of hot soupy stuff is magic in the mountains, plus it also helps you stay hydrated. Chicken soup (with coconut milk, lime juice and shredded veggies is my current favorite), then there are the classics like mac n cheese, chili, beef stew. Make sure you bring a spoon unless you plan to drink it.

A new friend of mine told me a story about how he put a soup-like thing into a small mouth thermos once, but that soup had rice in it, and the rice swelled so much he couldn’t get any of the soup out. Having similar experiences myself, I would advise you to invest in a wide mouth thermos for food if possible.

If you’re not into the hot thermos thing we can’t be friends. Just kidding, but make sure you do have something that works for you. Chopped onions, warm tang, or whatever you weirdos that don’t like delicious steamy goodness eat, I guess.

5. Stock up on car snacks: These are the cherry on top of your perfect day. Bring chips, salsa, strawberries, soda, all the things you don’t want to carry, and never forget the all important apres ski parking lot beer. Sometimes we make ramen on our Jetboil in the parking lot, or quesadillas, or both. Sometimes we hate ourselves for overlooking this simple luxury.

Dinner is important too. Even with all those amazing before, after and during snacks, by the time you get home you’re going to be starving (again). Try to have something easy to eat and super satisfying ready to go – leftover pulled pork, chili cheese fries, fried rice, whatever you crave after burning through your calories for the day.

There are a lot of ways to mess up your lunch, and energy is essential when you’re burning ~500 calories per hour doing something like backcountry skiing. The most important thing I’ve learned is to bring real food that I really like to eat, and to plan little luxuries like hot drinks for myself along the way and for afterwards. So go ahead and fill up your pockets, stock your car, and eat well, and often.

Cold hot dogs never hit the spot. Photo: Christine Sednek

No one needs a whole loaf of squished bread. Photo: Ben Gerding

Baby food is a bad choice. Photo: Ben Gerding

Yes! Parking lot beers.

Mmm! Hot, brothy goodness.

Again, parking lot beers and car snacks. Photo: Sam Ley

**Let me know your tips for the best backcountry lunches, I will be forever interested in, and learning about this topic.**

Back to the Backcountry

Ben Gerding, Berthoud Pass CO

Ben Gerding, Berthoud Pass CO

Ben Gerding, Berthoud Pass CO

Don’t Stop Believing; Summer Skiing is a Thing!

As the days get longer, and the powder forecast dwindles, the majority of the population is rejoicing poolside, and throwing BBQs. You will be invited to some of those BBQs. You have to put on a bright, smiley, SPF 35ed face and talk about how happy you are to be wearing shorts, even though you are longing for the Gortex hanging in your closet. While you can pretend for a little while that you’d rather be tossing a frisbee than sinking your ice tools into frozen waterfalls, the truth can only be hidden for so long, and soon you may find yourself in a manic depressive state when you realize winter is over.

Before you book a flight to Chile and realize you can’t afford to eat for the rest of the year, I am here to bring you good news. In Colorado, and many other peak endowed locations in North America, very late spring is just the beginning of the best season of your life. Yes, there may be less chest deep, face shot, effortlessly floating through a never ending tunnel of amazingness, and the waterfalls may again be liquid, but there is a silver lining.

1. New Terrain: I often save my most prized lines and new exploration for the spring and summer. While avalanche danger always exists, a big slab avalanche is a lot less likely once the snow has stabilized and turned into that perfect firm but soft spring consistency.
2. New Traditions: Every 4th of July my husband & I go with a few great friends to ski our favorite couloir. We even bring hot dogs and sparklers to the top for effect and a few cold beers afterward to celebrate our great nation.
3. New Tan Lines: Goggle tans are cool, but you know what is cooler? Goggle + Boot line tans. Its hot in the summer, and your skiing wardrobe will need to be revamped. While I still recommend the usual waterproof pants & jacket as well as an extra warm layer for the “oh shit” factor, you can also plan on including shorts, t-shirts, and sports bras in your normal skiing attire during the spring and summer months.
4. No Other Lines: Yes, you’ll need to hike yourself up a lot of vertical feet to make your day super fun, but you know who else will be doing that? Probably no one. I have seen very few (if any) people out late spring and summer skiing. My theory? People get so sucked into doing summer things (don’t ask me what those are) that they forget those snow capped mountains they are staring at are still very ski-able.

Really, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to benefits. Think of all the money you’ll save on gym memberships, water parks, frozen yoghurt, weddings and other things you do because you’re bored and can’t go skiing. I could go on, but I think I have made my point. So grab a friend, your sunblock, skis, jerky and (at the risk of sounding like your mother) your helmet, and discover the bliss that is summer skiing.

DISCLAIMER: You should have some backcountry experience and avalanche education under your belt before attempting any kind of backcountry skiing. Please use your own judgement, and know your limits. Otherwise, hope to see you out there.

The Three F’s of Backcountry Skiing

It is official: The backcountry is the cool place to be. I do not feel threatened; there are plenty of mountains out there for everyone. And while many like the idea of earning their turns, it is not for everyone, and few hours on a skin track in some shiny new AT boots has the potential to kill even the most zealous resort-bred folks. What does scare me is there is a hoard of people heading up to the mountains with questionable amounts of respect for it.

The backcountry is intriguing, and inherently draws people. I of all people cannot criticize this behavior. When asked what I do over the weekend during the winter (Oct-August in Colorado) I usually tell the truth; that I try to get myself up the most aesthetically pleasing part of a mountain I feel comfortable with (thanks to some high end equipment) and slide back down as gracefully as I can manage. The next question is almost always “How many runs did you get?” This is a harmless question, people are just curious, but it always seems a bit condescending. For me the answer is usually 1-5, which by ski resort standards is not very impressive.

What I used to try to explain to people was that backcountry is a completely different experience. You see few people. You have access to amazing terrain. You have the decision-making power regarding what you ski, how you ski it, what you deem “safe” and what you should definitely avoid. You are counting on your partners to help you should you make a mistake, and in that way it reminds me very much of climbing. The trust you must have with your partners is paramount to your experience. You have to be honest with yourself; there is no red tape (literally or figuratively) to stop you from hucking yourself off something you shouldn’t. There is only you and your partner(s) knowing your limits, and it is this kind of experience that harbors a deep respect for the mountains.

Early mornings, roadside beers, sore feet, frozen hair, and endless powder in gladed trees with no one but the friends you came with. That is (mostly) fun. Really fun; Fun enough to make me want to drive 1.5 hrs to the mountains, and spend 6 hours skinning to each 2 I get to ski down. The other side is not fun or glamorous. It is monitoring conditions constantly every time you are out. Getting some type of avalanche training. Paying attention to aspects, wind loading, terrain traps, weather patterns, intuition. It is knowing that X amount of people have died this year in accidents, and balancing the sobering facts with have a blast. I am no expert on avalanches, but I want to learn as much as I can, and I try really hard to make good decisions. My hope is that those who have very recently discovered how amazing the backcountry is, go with others who are knowledgeable, humble and trying to make good decisions, too.

The mountains are an unpredictable place, and I try to remember that even when everything seems perfect. And usually, when I am in a place with enough snow to turn on my beacon and am surrounded with people I trust, things are pretty damn close to heaven for me. So for now, remember to do your snow dance, to buy a seasonal winter ale to hide in someone’s backpack, and don’t forget the three F’s of backcountry skiing; have fun with your friends, and don’t f up.

Rainier

Melissa Oberg, Mt Rainier WA