Just returned from an excellent uphill/downhill race at Aspen Highlands. Pretty brutal (3,000+ vert up to 11,000 feet elevation) but son and I kept our pace (slow), got a good workout, and enjoyed seeing friends and socializing. It was interesting having a fast transition from skins to glide. Time to fumble — in the cold wind and snow no less! Too bad most of the downhill was a catwalk where the guys on nordic skis could rule — oh well –the few the proud the brave on rando gear…

most backcountry skiing and snowboarding entry-level avalanche education is based on the concept that self-rescue is what’s going to save you. Courses teach a smidgeon of decision making, but it’s rarely (if ever) conservative enough — and all to often based on snow pit voodoo. We might need a whole new paradigm of avalanche education. Stay tuned.

On a more positive note, my extensive historical collection of Randonnée bindings has reached a mature stage of completion. Count is at 28 bindings and growing.

Speaking of the ol’ star studded mining town. Ski writer Jay Cowan is an old high school friend of mine. I always enjoy finding another one of his gems on the web. This time, in Ski Magazine he talks about Aspen Highlands ski resort and the front-country backcountry of Highland Bowl

Denver Post reporter Jason Blevins interviewed me a few weeks ago for and article he’s writing about the popularity of backcountry skiing. It was refreshing to speak with someone who didn’t worship telemark turns, and was willing to acknowledge the…

It’s becoming all too obvious that the key with snow avalanches is simply not to get caught in them, as the likelihood of death or grievous injury is all too high if you take a ride.

Happy New Year 2008 everyone. We spent our New Year holiday in the backcountry paradise of Moab, we missed skiing but it was fun.