Feb 03

Northeast Skiers on Tour: Brennan Severance

It was nearly ten years ago when we first ran into our good friend Brennan Severance (aka “The Leather Booted Ripper”) while sniffing out a nice powder stash somewhere along Vermont’s Long Trail. Since then, we’ve enjoyed countless ski adventures with Brennan across the northeast U.S., on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula, Alaska’s Kenai and in East Greenland’s Schweizerland Alps. Born and raised skiing in the northeast, Brennan recently wrapped up a 5+ year stint on the Mad River Glen ski patrol, and he’s now chasing his skiing and climbing dreams in the northern Rockies, British Columbia and Alaska for a little while.

This January, we were lucky enough to catch up with Brennan while hut-skiing with him deep in the heart of Idaho’s buy generic viagra cheap canada Sawtooth Mountains… He is an incredibly safe and talented skier with great instincts and a climber’s tolerance for exposure (i.e he’s a great steep skiing partner), and we’ve always cherished the time we’ve spent exploring the mountains with him. In the above image, Brennan is sliding into a beautiful Sawtooth gully that we skied to the valley below, before climbing and skiing a hidden couloir on the mountain at left in the background. And the images below feature Brennan loving life in East Greenland. We miss him back here in Vermont, but we know it won’t be long before we’re skiing with him again. (Click on photos to enlarge)
– Brian


Jan 30

Photo of the Week: Dreaming of Hut Trips

Be it the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, New Hampshire’s AMC huts, Quebec’s Parc de la Gaspesie, northern Maine, Newfy’s Long Range or your buddy’s camp in the Greens…there are countless options for overnight or extended hut-based skiing adventures here in the Northeast. With our snowpack up to mid-winter levels, and snow conditions in prime shape, now is the time to get out there and explore the mountains on skis from the comfort of a cozy cabin somewhere. See you out there! (Hut sketch courtesy of the logbook at Sun Valley’s Trekking’s Bench Hut in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains) – Brian


Jan 23

5th Annual Sugarbush/Mad River Glen Randonee Race

Now in its fifth year, the Mountain Hardwear Ski Mountaineering Race returns to Vermont’s Mad River Valley on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011 to challenge adventurous skiers of all abilities on a beautiful course connecting Mad River Glen and Sugarbush ski areas, via the Long Trail and Slidebrook area. This is a great event for all levels of skiers who enjoy earning their turns and exploring the beautiful Green Mountain backcountry.

There will be both a race and recreation class for both men and women. Registration will take place at the Mad River Glen Basebox from 8-9 AM with the start scheduled for 10 AM. After the “race”, the event organizers bring skiers back together over some great apres-ski and a prize giveaway.


Jan 15

Photo of the Week: Green Mountain Gold

Ian Forgays comes up for a breath, high above Vermont’s Mad River Valley. Need we say more?


Jan 12

Deep Powder and Yellow Birches

Just a week after winter had us more tempted to play pond hockey than to go skiing, we are once again up to our necks in snow. It suddenly seems as though all that “thin cover” skiing we’ve endured so far this season has been worth it after all. Here’s our good buddy Ian Forgays (loving yellow birches!), and Emily Johnson (loving her BD Starlets!) high above Vermont’s Mad River Valley today – Jan 12th. (Click on images to enlarge)