This video by the uber-fabulous Lynsey Dyer is absolutely hilarious, and so true. While I've never taken a "beacon to the tit", I do occasionally complain about my cramps in the skin track! And who knew that all ladies make the same high-pitched squeaky sounds when slaying the pow?!? Bonus points for the Dynafit bindings making an appearance toward the end.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Kaya the Ski Dog
There are certain qualities I look for in a ski buddy: stoke, availability, and pockets full of awesome snacks. Kaya delivers on all three, and more!
Kaya's ample fluff was our first indication that she would make a great ski dog. We've had lots of speculation about her heritage -- Chow/Samoyed/Golden? Miniature Great Pyrenees? Giant Pomeranian? -- but whatever is in there, her love of burly winter weather obviously runs deep.
Kaya is pretty short, and as a result we have to be thoughtful about when and where she skis. She loves the deep stuff, but has a hard time keeping up unless the slope angle tops 45 degrees (she's skied over 50... and loved it!). Otherwise, she wallows in our tracks, and we have to wait for her at the bottom.
The best snow surface for her is nice, creamy, sun-softened corn snow. The good news for all of us is that there is tons of it, all summer long, in our central Oregon Cascades.
Her stoke is always high, both on the up and the down.
She has also been known to warm us up after skiing in tents and camper vans, and who wouldn't love that?
And about those pockets full of snacks: there's usually something tasty and easy to grab in her dog pack!
So Kaya, thanks for being an awesome ski buddy, and cheers to many more years of shredding together!
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| Headed up a local ski area during an early season dump! |
Kaya's ample fluff was our first indication that she would make a great ski dog. We've had lots of speculation about her heritage -- Chow/Samoyed/Golden? Miniature Great Pyrenees? Giant Pomeranian? -- but whatever is in there, her love of burly winter weather obviously runs deep.
 |
| Is she a Chinese Crusty? |
Kaya is pretty short, and as a result we have to be thoughtful about when and where she skis. She loves the deep stuff, but has a hard time keeping up unless the slope angle tops 45 degrees (she's skied over 50... and loved it!). Otherwise, she wallows in our tracks, and we have to wait for her at the bottom.
 |
| In my tracks and keeping up just fine! |
The best snow surface for her is nice, creamy, sun-softened corn snow. The good news for all of us is that there is tons of it, all summer long, in our central Oregon Cascades.
 | |
| Mmmmmm... creamed corn! |
Her stoke is always high, both on the up and the down.
 |
| Kaya tends to stay right on my tail... |
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| Even when we're skiing! Check out her epic face shot... |
She has also been known to warm us up after skiing in tents and camper vans, and who wouldn't love that?
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| Fluffy foot warmer... my favorite! |
And about those pockets full of snacks: there's usually something tasty and easy to grab in her dog pack!
 |
| Cheese, nuts, or beef jerky? |
So Kaya, thanks for being an awesome ski buddy, and cheers to many more years of shredding together!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Enduring Ullr's Torment on Broken Top
December 17th, 2011
Skiers: Lindsey Clark, Erik Schmidt and Liam Myers
The 2011/2012 ski season has taken its sweet time getting started. After a handful of bottomless powder days, we have been suffering through an epic, extended high pressure system that has filled TGR forums and facebook walls with complaints, prayers, requests for snow dances, and even death threats to Ullr. The blindingly sunny days just keep coming. Ugh.
Rather than continue to wait for the snow to arrive, Erik and I decided to commit to skiing the little snow we've got now. We talked our friend Liam into coming along. Broken Top seemed like a great option, with a huge variety of terrain and aspects to ski. There had to be something holding snow!
Getting out to Broken Top on our snowmobiles was quick and painless. There were a few inches of snow on a firm base, which made for easy and no-nonsense travel out to the wilderness boundary. From there, we skinned out to the middle of the meadow where we ran into Schralper, who had just skied the 1:00 area in the bowl. It looked GNARLY -- his white tracks were probably visible for miles away, etched into the brown snow.
Schralper confirmed what we were already thinking: the bowl was still not really ready to ski, with rocks showing everywhere. So we climbed up the West ridge to ski one regular favorite, and one new spot we'd never skied.
The regular favorite, Lunch Bowl, is a leeward slope and probably never sees the sun this time of year. Therefore, even this short line was a great time with no sketchy rocks and plenty of soft snow. Then a short skin back up to the top put us at the top of what I deemed "Mellow Daddy Pyramid", a 800' slope that would appeal to the most discriminating meadow skipper... or Mellow Daddy.
Mellow Daddy turned out to be super fun! A couple ledges at the top, plus rocks and trees to avoid, and creamy corn snow made for a mighty fine ski. We were all wearing huge grins at the bottom. What's everyone complaining about? It's springtime in the Cascades!
We arrived back at the wilderness boundary at 4:20, just as the sun dropped below the horizon. A quick ride back to the sno-park in the dark got us back by 5. Another super fun day out on Broken Top, and a great start to our backcountry ski season!
Skiers: Lindsey Clark, Erik Schmidt and Liam Myers
 |
| Liam channeling his inner "Mellow Daddy" |
The 2011/2012 ski season has taken its sweet time getting started. After a handful of bottomless powder days, we have been suffering through an epic, extended high pressure system that has filled TGR forums and facebook walls with complaints, prayers, requests for snow dances, and even death threats to Ullr. The blindingly sunny days just keep coming. Ugh.
Rather than continue to wait for the snow to arrive, Erik and I decided to commit to skiing the little snow we've got now. We talked our friend Liam into coming along. Broken Top seemed like a great option, with a huge variety of terrain and aspects to ski. There had to be something holding snow!
Getting out to Broken Top on our snowmobiles was quick and painless. There were a few inches of snow on a firm base, which made for easy and no-nonsense travel out to the wilderness boundary. From there, we skinned out to the middle of the meadow where we ran into Schralper, who had just skied the 1:00 area in the bowl. It looked GNARLY -- his white tracks were probably visible for miles away, etched into the brown snow.
 |
| Broken Top: not quite open for business... |
Schralper confirmed what we were already thinking: the bowl was still not really ready to ski, with rocks showing everywhere. So we climbed up the West ridge to ski one regular favorite, and one new spot we'd never skied.
The regular favorite, Lunch Bowl, is a leeward slope and probably never sees the sun this time of year. Therefore, even this short line was a great time with no sketchy rocks and plenty of soft snow. Then a short skin back up to the top put us at the top of what I deemed "Mellow Daddy Pyramid", a 800' slope that would appeal to the most discriminating meadow skipper... or Mellow Daddy.
 |
| Rippin' skins for round two! |
Mellow Daddy turned out to be super fun! A couple ledges at the top, plus rocks and trees to avoid, and creamy corn snow made for a mighty fine ski. We were all wearing huge grins at the bottom. What's everyone complaining about? It's springtime in the Cascades!
 |
| Erik getting mellow... |
 |
| We skied the slope in the sun. Because that's what mellow people do! |
We arrived back at the wilderness boundary at 4:20, just as the sun dropped below the horizon. A quick ride back to the sno-park in the dark got us back by 5. Another super fun day out on Broken Top, and a great start to our backcountry ski season!
 |
| Perfect time, perfect place! |
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