first aid

Start stripping your backcountry skiing climbing skin from tip or tail, doesn’t matter. When you’ve removed the skin about half way along the ski, fold it sticky-to-sticky, then finish stripping and fold again. I’ve done this in 80 mph. wind with no problem whatsoever. If you’re removing the skins from the ski tail first (as most do), stick your ski tails in the snow after you’ve got the skin half stripped. Do this in one motion as you pull the skin off from the tail. With the ski tail planted, you can then fold the skin without a moving ski to deal with.

Ten tips for safe and fun ski mountaineering in the backcountry, including map reading.

Fire starting tips for backcountry survival.

(Preamble: I’m skipping around the “10 Things” list as resources become available, so today is #3.) “If your friend’s out of shape you’re dead.” That’s the take at Backcountry Access (BCA) about avalanche rescue shoveling (makers of Tracker avy beacons…

Ten things every backcountry skier should know for safety and fun, and to survive mishaps.

I’m glad the two rescued climbers are okay, but have to ask the question: Someone can get scared on a wilderness mountainside and call a helicopter via 911, but we can’t watch Davenport’s fourteener movie because it violates some wilderness regulations?