Spring is in the Air

Winter has been interesting this year in Wyoming. Powder has been plentiful, avalanches abundant, and politics have been ripe. I definitely have had my share of ice cream headaches and pow-face burn (all with smiles), but I am ready for spring to refresh all of the above and a little, no a lot, of sunshine for a change. 

Spring is the time to leave behind so much worry about questionable mid-winter snowpacks, and head for your nearest couloir. Longer days bring helmets, crampons, ice axes, a little ambition for early mornings, and great times with your friends. I know I am ready! I hope you enjoy a couple of our classic Absaroka lines from this pre-spring.

Chockstone Dogleg (looker's left) and the Diagonal Couloir:

Our line for the day, Chockstone Dogleg:

Aesthetic pyroclastic walls rising high above:

View down the couloir:

Matt Lloyd tests the waters in Chockstone Dogleg couloir:

Airing it out in the apron with spring pow and plenty more vert down:

Radio Tower Couloir (upper left)

Brad Douglass and Bryan Gleason near the top pitch:

Would conditions be good or cause variable Havoc?

Brad Douglass teles it up on the down:

Bryan Gleason sets an edge in Radio Tower:

More love in the apron:

Time to start getting out and enjoying those longer and warmer days! I know I am amped!

www.jeramieprinephotography.com

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GSI Outdoor Nesting Bowl Mug Combo

Most of the time when camping or backpacking I eat freeze dried meals like those from Mountain House or Mary Janes so the only needs I have for eating is a titanium spork and my favorite stove of all - the Jetboil.

But lately I've been doing more car camping and backpacking with the family and while the freeze dried foods have remained steady dinner options (along with the time proven tin-foil dinners!) we've gone to the less expensive and easy to make meals like instant oatmeal, soups and hot cocoa as examples. So the need to eat from something other than a freeze dried package came up.



After poking around the Backcountry.com site I picked up a couple of the GSI Outdoor Nesting Bowl Mug Combo sets and despite a non-traditional shape the entire powstash clan is super pleased with them!

They are small enough to not take up too much space but ample enough to eat or drink from. The lid on the mug held well despite one reviewer at Backcountry.com who had the opposite result. The neoprene sleeve helps to insulate the mug.

If you're in the hunt for no frills light weight camping bowls or mugs, check these out.

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Gear review: Patagonia Micropuff jacket

Well, I just finished another trip (report coming soon!) and was yet again reminded that the Patagonia Micropuff Jacket may be the ultimate clothing item. There are a sundry of reasons for this (interspersed with some of my favorite micropuff memories!):

1) Instant comfort . . . there's nothing like stopping for a break and eliminating the chill by throwing on the puffball. It feels so warm and cozy, whether it's rain, snow, or wind that you're trying to get out of!


It also works great for backcountry yoga!

2) I use it all season backcountry skiing . . . hike in a t-shirt/windbreaker and throw the micropuff on for a comfortable rest before skiing, a good descending temperature, and a warm changeover for putting skins back on. It's also great to have a puffball in the pack for an emergency if it arises.

Wearing the micropuff makes skiing amazing lines even more fun!

3) Packability. So easy to stuff in a dry bag or in a corner of the pack. It comes with a stuff sack, but I end up using this for other things usually :-)

Life is definitely more fun wearing powder pink, especially when you and your friends have matching coats!

4) Great pockets! The chest pocket is great for a lighter and knife, and there are nice big interior pockets to hold a warm nalgene, wet skins, or whatever else you can dream up!

The coat is an important part of any ensemble hoping to win an award for color!

5) The hood - need I say more?!!? Hoods are so darn versatile I love them! The only problem is that they may make you look like a hoodlum if you're hitch hiking after your trip or day in the b/c! Having a powder pink micropuff helps with this issue!

Yes, I love this jacket so much that I bought a new one to have as backup for when my primary needes repairs! Total loser, I know, but I can't imagine a trip without this coat!

So, if you're looking for one coat that will make a sundry of situations significantly more pleasant, I recommend the Patagonia Micropuff jacket. Functional, stylish, comfortable, and just all-around great!

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Bike commuting in comfort

I've been flirting with bike commuting for a while, but the relationship never really developed into anything long term. This year gas prices and a rising concern for the environment in which I love to play, have prompted me to commit to driving to work only one day out of every week. This translates to a lot more biking than I've ever done before. I don't live very far from my office (about 5 miles), but the way is mostly uphill, and I usually have a fairly heavy load to slog up there- including my laptop. I herniated a disc in my back a couple of years ago, and though I have an awesome commuting backpack that is quite comfy, all the weight has been starting to tweak me out.

I turned to panniers as the solution, and bought a pair of Seattle Sports rain rider panniers based on the review on bikecommuters.com that praised the construction, durability, lightness, and waterproofed-ness of the panniers. I know it doesn't rain very often here in Salt Lake, but with my entire academic career contained in my laptop, I just can't afford to lose it to a surprise September downpour. Sure I back up my hard drive weekly, but not daily, and losing a week's worth of work: not an option (not to mention the cost of replacing my only machine). I've logged a number of miles with my panniers, and though it's been predictably dry during that time, these suckers are amazing. I can carry surprisingly large loads (I brought them along for a recent trip to the library and managed to squeeze numerous reference books in each- I'd guess about 25 lbs or more and they didn't even seem the slightest bit perturbed by the experience... wish I could say the same for my calves on the way back to my office!). Getting all the weight off my back has been a life saver and certainly means that I'm less likely to wimp out and give up on my resolution.

The panniers I got are an updated version from the ones described on bike commuters. The only differences I can see are an additional buckle strap which does come in handy during the rare occurrence of a light load and a waterproof zipper pocket. This is particularly useful for holding wallet, keys, bike lock, or anything else you want to get at quickly and without digging through your stuffed pannier.

Overall, these are an excellent purchase for a bike commuter or someone wanting to go on a long bike trek who requires a light and waterproof pannier. Though they aren't sold on backcountry.com yet.. I'll keep on suggesting it 'till they are!

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Kayaking Kraze

This past weekend I had the chance to check out some boats at our local pond for the Venture Festival here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sit-on-top boats just look super tipsy and only good for beach surfing, which is about a 9 hour drive away, not to mention the kayak rack I would have to purchase. I tried one though and the whole "center of gravity higher than normal" theory is very stable.

If you can tell by my lingo I am no "boater". I also tried a touring kayak with the little rudder thing on the back. By hitting each pedal slightly I was headed in a totally new direction. This may be old news but if your looking to get into a boat and think the rudder is just a $150 upgrade of coolness, it really is good to have. I also get stoked about technology that is new to me, heck last year was my first year on a shaped ski. Whoever came up with the shaped ski is a genius!

I also tried a Carlisle paddle that was fiberglass and very light. Granted I probably did a lap around the little lake and there wasn't 3 foot swells and I only had a digital camera around my neck, nonetheless it was very fun to paddle.

All in all, I am hooked on getting a boat and will probably opt for a Sit-on-top. It may not allow me to re-do any River Wild scenes like Kevin Bacon or get me on the Mississippi Challenge but its going to look super cool in my living room when I am not using it.

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Gear Review: G3 Targa T9 Roxy Telemark Binding

The Women's G3 Targa T9 Roxy Telemark Bindings are both burly and (at 35.6 oz per pair) very light at the same time. I'd been a bit worried at first, as I tend to be pretty rough on my gear (in general), but these bindings have held up extremely well. Despite the poor snow year, I tested the bindings in a variety of conditions up at Snowbird from early January till mid March, on a couple of (brutal for me, but not the bindings) backcountry runs in Little Cottonwood, as well as in 6 inches of fresh untracked powder on a yurt trip in early February.

The cables are really strong (especially in comparison to my previous Riva Z's), and worked nicely with my Scarpa T2's to provide plenty of stability and control. They did start to squeak during one of my shortish backcountry outings (which didn't do much for the calm quiet of the afternoon), but I haven't heard peep from them since.

There is a fairly equivalent Men's version- the All Mountain (35.7 oz per pair), which is minimally heavier than the Roxys, but sized for larger boots. Really aggressive or heavier skiers would likely want to opt for the XRace version which have stronger cables and are no heavier than the All Mountains (35.7 oz per pair).

I found the Roxys to be an absolute breeze to mount with the K2 binding system. So easy, in fact, that I even managed a successful mounting despite my customary refusal to look at any directions whatsoever. Paired with my K2 She's Piste, they did rather well both on groomers and in crud up at Snowbird and in deep untracked powder on our annual yurt trip near Wolfe Creek Pass. Overall, these are a fantastic binding for those of you who want to get after it both at the resorts and in the backcountry.

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