We’re gearing up for another Trooper Traverse this spring, only this time we’re taking more days and doing more ski descents along the way. More, we’re experimenting with ultra-light gear for backcountry ski traversing.
Pack without food or group gear weighs about 16 pounds, would like to get it down to 15 pounds. To do so we’ll have to trim a bit off nearly everything, along with finding lighter weight shell pants and a few other low mass items. So far we’ve realized our greatest weight savings by using the Granite Gear Ozone backpack, as well as a down sleeping bag and a down puff jacket. Down is problematic because it works so poorly when damp, but we’re only doing the trip if the weather report is good, and we’re also carrying adequate synthetic clothing, so we could be uncomfortable but not dangerous. We’ll also be using the lightest ski gear we can come up with, mostly Dynafit, with shorter/lighter skis and skins.
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| Trooper Traverse gear organized for the weigh-in. |
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
