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The Volcano Conundrum: Summit or Skiing?
Volcano Season in the PNW is a special time for backcountry skiers. This magical season from April-July is full of opportunity and the prospect of sunshine, summit celebrations, and slaying corn. It's our annual harvest, with each trip promising a rich bounty for...
The Backcountry Tutu Is Dead
No one is saying anything. It's as if this pink, pouffy, tulle-tastic monstrosity is not adorning my waist. Do you not see me? Or are you pretending not to see me so you can avoid saying hello you passive-aggressive, Pacific Northwestern, son-of-a-bitch?!I have been...
Ski Mountaineering Through The Five Stages of Grief
The depth of my anguish as measured by the disappearance of my chin. Photo by Peter Dunau.My shoulders ache, my hip belt is digging in to my fleshy bits, and I think I have a rock in my shoe. It's the middle of the summer and I've once again strapped my skis to my...
When Outlandish Becomes Ordinary
The flashing "new" button draws me in to a never-ending cascade of cached shows waiting impatiently to be watched. I'm completely addicted to The Bachelor, Real Housewives of Orange County, and America's Next Top Model, among others. I don't so much enjoy watching TV...
The Birthday Twofer: Helens + Hood for 34
She was 40 weeks + 10 days pregnant, the size of a house, and mowing the lawn on a sunny Saturday in May to encourage the baby to hurry it the hell up already. Maybe it was the smell of freshly cut grass or the heat of being crammed inside, but the baby began to make...
Introducing the Alpine Gimonade
My hands are burning from the cold. I'm squeezing fistfulls of snow into small ice balls to put in our cups, and I think I've hit the threshold of effective hand-warmth-to-ice-creation-ability ratio. After 11 hours on my feet with a 46lb pack, I have high expectations...
Keep Your Gear In Good Shape With “The Shower Rule”
The smell hits you in the face before you can put your key in the door. An aromatic mixture of wet dog, aggressive sweat, and stale Fritos wafts through the air, stinging your eyes and assaulting your nose. It's so bad, you can taste it.You left your wet, sweaty gear...
The Sexy Allure of Turns All Year
You can feel the sunburn forming inside your nostrils. Despite regular applications of sunscreen, your nose keeps running, wiping away any hope of a blister-free tomorrow. You silently curse yourself for forgetting a critical piece of gear: a buff.It's...
Turns All Year: Month 77
Pink. Fluffy. Attention grabbing. This brings the party wherever it goes. I can think of about a million good reasons to wear one, and exactly zero reasons not to.I’ve skied for the last 78 months in a row, and my trusty companion has been with me through it all. Why...
