Nov 02

Backcountry Magazine Barn Bash

Don’t miss the upcoming Barn Bash, a great party, film showing, raffle and dance party – brought to you by our friends at Backcountry Magazine, on Friday, Nov. 5 from 6-10pm in Cambridge, VT.

Nov 01

103 Years of Skiing in the Northeast

It was a Nobel Prize winning, GE chemist named Irving Langmuir who was likely the first individual in North America to climb mountains with the intention of sliding from their summit. And he did this right here in the northeast, deep in the heart of the Adirondack and Appalachian mountains. Whether he knew it or not, in 1907, Langmuir had given birth to a pastime so many of us enjoy today. Before long, northeastern skiers were leaving their tracks on the hard wooded mountainsides of Vermont’s Green Mountains, up and over the snow-plastered summits of New York’s Adirondacks and down the steepest ravines of New Hampshire’s White Mountains – establishing a rich skiing culture that characterizes our region today.

Here’s a great little film by Mike Whelan, featuring some classic footage of Langmuir (captured later in his life) and the mountain in the Catskills on which it all began (Slide Mountain). This film also features a modern-day Adirondack skiing legend, our friend Ron Konowitz, who is the only skier to have skied from the top of all forty six of the Adirondacks’ High Peaks. He’s captured here enjoying some modern-day powder hounding on the mountain where it all began. Langmuir would be proud.

– Brian Mohr

Oct 30

Photo of the Week: Snow Ghosts?

Snow goblins and ghosts – We see them often in the mountains. This one seems to be a rather friendly one… Is it Ullr- the Norse God of Snow in disguise? Could it be smiling because it was snowing again in the mountains of the northeast this weekend?

Happy Halloween!

Oct 28

Adventure Skiing Slideshows: Bike-Powered Skiing and More!

Our annual Wild People, Wild Places Slideshow Series kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 4 at The Mountain Goat in Hanover, NH (home of Dartmouth College), with our latest show: 2 Wheels, 2 Planks: Pedal-Powered Skiing in Arctic Norway. . The show features our adventures in Arctic Norway this past spring, 2010, which were reported on through a series of posts on AdventureSkier, here.

The schedule for the season is coming together now, and will feature at least 10 shows throughout the northeast. Once again, we’ve got some great raffle prizes this year, including 2 pairs of BD skis, a TripleMajor Ski Pass (Mad River Glen, Bolton, Jay Peak), apparel from OR, gear from Garmont and Life Link, and much more… See poster below, and more info/press release below that… Pass it on. And feel free to contact us if you’d like to host a show in your area. Thanks! – Brian and Emily

Wild People, Wild Places 2010-11
SHOW# 1: 2 WHEELS, 2 PLANKS – Pedal Powered Skiing in Arctic Norway
A multi-media show by Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson
WHEN: Thursday, Nov 4, 2010 @ 7pm
WHERE: The Mountain Goat (outdoor store) – Main St in Hanover, NH
COST: $5 Admission (On sale now at the Mountain Goat) Includes RAFFLE Ticket
INFO: info(at)emberphoto.com

Hanover, NH – On Thurs,Nov. 4 at 7pm, Vermont-based photographers and adventurers Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson will bring their latest show, “Two Wheels, Two Planks – Pedal Powered Skiing in Arctic Norway” to The Mountain Goat on Main St. in Hanover, NH. The show features the couple’s recent bike-powered skiing exploration of Norway’s Arctic Alps, and will benefit Girls Move Mountains. It is part of the duo’s ongoing Wild People, Wild Place Slideshow Series, which features ten shows throughout the upcoming winter season.

“We dreamt of a bike-powered skiing adventure for many years, “ says Johnson, who along with her husband, Mohr, and two close friends, headed to Norway this past spring on assignment for WEND and Adventure Cyclist magazines. “And it was a dream come true. The combination of cycling, camping and backcountry skiing gave us great freedom to explore.”

The show will feature a mix of photos and video, run approximately one hour and be followed by big raffle of outdoor gear – proceeds from which will benefit the VT-based organization, Girls Move Mountains, which nurtures girls’ innate capacity for confidence, courage, and leadership through adventure-based experiential education.. Admission is $5 and includes one raffle ticket. Mohr and Johnson co-own Ember Photography (www.EmberPhoto.com) and are regular contributors to Backcountry Magazine, Patagonia, Vermont Life and many others. Much of their work focuses on the enjoyment and protection of wild lands in the northeast, the Arctic and in the southern Andes

ABOUT: The Wild People, Wild Places project is an ongoing series of exhibits and slideshows designed to inspire the public to enjoy and protect the very places featured. Through their shows, Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson share stories and images from their backcountry skiing, paddling, backpacking and adventure cycling throughout the Northeast, the Arctic, the southern Andes, Europe and North America. Mohr and Johnson photograph for a wide variety of editorial, fine art, wedding and commercial clients. Their work is widely published. For more information, please contact the photographers by phone or email, or visit their websites: www.emberphoto.com and www.adventureskier.com
###

Oct 26

2010-11 Skis for your Skiing Adventures

October 2010
By Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson

With their ever-widening dimensions, rockered (or early rise) tips and tails, and reduced sidecuts, the latest downhill-oriented ski designs are making it more fun than ever to ski the softer snows of the northeast’s resorts, sidecountry zones and backcountry. An emerging trend this year is the availability of these design features across a wider variety of skis, including many mid-fat and lighter-weight skis. Thus, you don’t need to be lugging around big boots and big skis to enjoy the benefits of the latest and greatest ski technology. The latest skis are also more compatible than ever with both AT (alpine touring/randonee) and telemark bindings (gone are the days of a dedicated telemark or AT ski), with their reinforced binding mount areas, options for inserts and more. In general, there is also a greater variety of ski designs on the market today, than ever. Here’s a short list of the skis we feel are especially well suited to the backcountry-oriented northeastern skier.

All Purpose
This category features skis that are versatile enough to be your one and only, go anywhere ski. They excel in a wide variety of snow conditions and terrain.

G3 – Jam – $540 – 125/95/114mm – genuineguidegear.com
G3’s new Jam is an excellent choice for emerging backcountry skiers (male or female) interested in exploring the great variety of northeastern snow conditions and terrain. It’s light and nimble enough to be driven comfortably with mid-weight, 2-3 buckle, telemark or AT boots, and its slightly rockered tip makes it especially easy to turn and maneuver in powder and softer snow conditions. The Gem is also priced affordably enough to be attractive to skiers not used to paying big money for high quality ski equipment.

Icelantic Scout – $540 – 160/110/130mm – icelanticboards.com
Yes, the Colorado-made Scouts are short – available in only one length, 143cm – but these skis have the ability to transform your skiing like few, if any, skis on the market. A quick turning, all-snow capable and uniquely dimensioned ski, this ski offers light- to moderate-weight skiers unprecedented control in northeastern snow conditions. As one Vermont skier puts it, “I suddenly found myself way ahead of skiers that I’ve always been behind.” Although the Scout can handle speed remarkably well in most snow conditions, it performs best when skiing with precision and control in the steep, narrow and technical confines of the northeastern backcountry. The Scout is likely one of the most maneuverable skis on the market. It’s shorter length and relatively light weight also make this ski a joy to tour and explore with.

K2 Coomback/ K2 Gotback – $825 – 135/102/121mm – k2skis.com
While the Coomback was designed with more aggressive, primarily male skiers in mind, and the Gotback for less aggressive, primarily female skiers, both skis share virtually the same dimensions, rockered-tip design, wood-core construction and snow-shedding, hydrophobic top sheet material. Light and nimble enough to tour on with mid-weight boots, but capable of handling all manners of snow, terrain and speed with grace, these are truly versatile skis for the northeast and beyond. The Gotbacks are also available in shorter lengths, down to 143cm in length.

Volkl – Nanuq – $825 – 130/94/113mm – volkl.com
The Nanuq is true to Volkl’s reputation for its well-constructed, stable and high-performing skis. This mid-fat ski, now in its second year, is a touch on the heavy side for its dimensions, but you’ll appreciate its stability and control in tricky snow conditions. This is a great choice for backcountry-inspired skiers who spend most of their ski time riding lifts and are looking for a one-ski quiver.

Backcountry Touring/Ski Mountaineering
These are skis for skiers who place a higher priority on touring performance than downhill performance, or for skiers with more technical pursuits in mind, including ski mountaineering and randonee racing.

BD Drift (BD Starlet) – $700 – 136/100/122mm (134/100/121mm) – bdel.com
Designed for smooth skiers dedicated to backcountry touring and ski mountaineering, Black Diamond’s new Drift and Starlet are geared respectively to more aggressive, primarily male and lighter weight, primarily female skiers in mind. Featuring plenty of sidecut for tackling firm-snow conditions with ease, as well as a slightly rockered tip for extra control in soft snow conditions, these relatively lightweight, carbon-wrapped, paulownia wood-cored skis are a great dedicated-backcountry ski for skiers of all abilities. A reinforced core in the binding mount area also make these skis especially well suited to the extra torque generated by telemark bindings.

Madshus Annum – $340 – 109/78/95mm – madshus.com
Just a couple of years after K2 Sports acquired Karhu USA from its former Vermont owner, the brand has been laid to rest. However, the popular Karhu XCD line, including the XCD Guide, has been given new life under the Norwegian-based Madshus brand – also owned by K2 Sports. The Annum is virtually identical to the former Karhu XCD Guide, with its waxless base, full-length edges, moderate sidecut and powder-friendly dimensions, and it’s still available right here in Vermont. This is essentially the same ski used by New Englander Dave Watson when he skied from the heights of Pakistan’s K2 in the summer of 2009, and it’s a ski that’s as fun to ski on springtime corn in the big mountains as it is out the back door after dinner.

Movement Logic X – $1040 – 127/88/115mm – movementskis.com
Swiss-based Movement has revealed with its Logic-X one of the lightest-weight, high-performance backcountry skis on the market. It’s especially nimble and quick-turning in hard-packed conditions common to alpine environments. And when driven by more advanced skiers, it holds an edge very nicely through medium-radius turns in mixed snow conditions. With a relatively narrow, 88mm waist, it will leave some skiers wanting more in deep or thick snow conditions, but if going light, fast (touring) and high is a big priority, then this is your ski.

Big Powder/Big Snow
Skis in this category excel in soft and deep snow conditions. To tap into their full potential, these skis like to be driven with bigger boots by skiers with solid downhill skiing experience. At the same time, however, the wider dimensions of these skis make them an excellent quiver ski for dedicated backcountry skiers who prefer a mid-weight boot, but would like more floatation in low to medium angle terrain.

Dynafit Stoke – $800 – 125/105/119mm – dynafit.com
Dynafit has broken into the backcountry-oriented powder skiing market with the release of its new Stoke. Relatively lightweight for its dimensions – thanks to a pauwlonia wood core – and featuring a rockered tip, solid skin attachment points and inserts for Dynafit bindings, this is dream ski for all but the hardest-charging and heavier-weighted backcountry powder skiers.

Fat-ypus E-Motion – $750 – 144/112/130mm – fat-ypus.com
Billed as a women’s specific big-mountain ski, this beautifully constructed ski – handmade in Colorado, USA – is no less than a high-performance, powder-hungry ski designed with light- to mid-weight skiers in mind. Much happier in more open terrain and soft snow conditions than in narrow and crusty eastern tree lines, this is a more traditionally cambered ski that excels in everything but eastern hardpack snow conditions.

Voile Charger – $595 – 137/112/126 – voileusa.com
Affordable and made in the USA, Voile has followed up on last year’s release of its much-loved and powder-loving Drifter with the release of a slimmed-down Charger. Featuring the same lightweight, aspen-wood core construction and rockered tip design as the Drifter, the Charger comes with about 10% less surface area all around, and a more skin track friendly waist. The Charger offers unprecedented control in untracked powder and soft snow conditions, and for stronger skiers, can cope sufficiently in any snow condition. In the shorter lengths, this ski is an excellent choice for exploratory ski touring in the backwoods of the northeast.

##