I just got this note from Shelley Hakanson at WyEast Nordic. She just announced the summer tele camp schedule. Join us for the 27th anniversary of the Summer Tele-Ski Camp! This year there will be a documentary film night plus unique historic footage of previous tele camp participants and skiing styles. Here is what Shelley has to say...
Join us for high glacier skiing, spectacular scenery and professional instruction at the Summer Tele-Ski Camp.
Hello everyone! With this wonderful new extension of the winter season covering our high country, it's time to think about the 27th Annual Summer Tele-Ski Camp. Don't put away your skis yet- take a few more runs with some of the northwest's best tele instructors, see some old friends and ski on some incredible summer snow! Timberline has base of about 150" right now and with the good grooming up on Palmer, the snow should be quite good this year!
Please check out the website- www.wyeastnordic.com for more info. This year we will be welcoming back Karen Reader , Dave Waag and of course Mr. Larsen. Seattle's famous Shannon Marie and few surprise guests will be also on the list.
Itching to get your tele groove on? Pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate the telemark community with fellow enthusiasts at Stevens Pass!
The Sven:
Join in the 3rd Annual Sven's Telemark Classic Race! Pay tribute to a longtime Stevens Pass local who loved racing and diligently supported telemark skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Event consists of two runs and combines elements of Nordic and Cross Country Downhill in a wilderness setting; includes: downhill gates, Reipelykkje (360 degree banked turn), skate sections, whoops and a jump. Two cracks at the course for best combined time. Great fun for spectators and participants alike. BBQ following race!
Date: March 20, 2010 (Saturday)*
Location: Tye Bowl off Tye Mill Chair
Time: Race @ 10:30 am, w/pre-race meeting & group course inspection @ 10 am. (Registration 8:00-9:30 am @Pacific Crest Lodge)
The Glenn:
Strap on your tele skis and join in this 27th Annual Memorial Race! In the 80's, Glenn Willcutt first introduced telemark ski racing to Stevens Pass where it continues to thrive today. Event consists of a downhill race with two timed giant slalom runs. Award and prizes for best costume! Can you one-up two-time winner Capt'n BadAss/Wild Thing Monster to clinch the Golden Tele Trophy?
Date: March 21, 2010 (Sunday) *
Location: Showcase off Kehr’s Chair (old Big Chief lift)
Time: Race @ 10:30 am, w/pre-race meeting & group course inspection @ 10 am. (Registration 8:00-9:30 am @ Pacific Crest Lodge)
COSTUME DIVISION: Best Retro Costume!
Volunteers are needed for both days! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387). Earn lift tickets!
Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival - backcountry skiing around Whitewater
Nils Larsen is back from the Altai (more on his trip soon) and is busy helping to get the annual Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival rolling. Here is the latest on the ski event from Nils . . .
I know the Olympics might make the skiing in BC look pretty grim right now, but it's all about where you go. This season's warm weather in the northwest may be becausing lower elevation ski areas to suffer, but not Whitewater. The last time it rained at Whitewater was early...
The Friends of Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center have announced their spring fundraising event: Snowball 2010. This is a great time to catch up with the backcountry ski community and support the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. The event includes an auction that is packed with great ski-centric items. All proceeds benefit the avalanche center...
Second Annual Snowball Dinner & Auction - April 16, 2010, 6-10pm.
This spring's end-of-the-season celebration and fundraiser for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, will be at St. Demetrios Hall in the Montlake neighborhood of Seattle. Join your friends and familiar faces at this evening of live and silent auctions, as well as a delicious dinner, all for a great cause!
Vertfest is the Northwest's mid-winter celebration of backcountry culture and a chance to test your stamina in a fun uphill /downhill ski race. The beer will be flowing after racers cross the finish line, so come join in the festivities and catch up with your friends even if you don’t tape on a bib number. There will also be a rescue companion clinicto build your snow-safety know-how. While there is only one Vertfest this year, mark your calendars! It’s going to be a good one!
Jim Thornton (USFS) and Roland Emetaz (NWAC) will be presenting an Avalanche Awareness Program on February 11 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Dog River Coffee Shop, 411 Oak Street in Hood River.
The avalanche awareness session will cover how terrain, snow cover, weather, and human factors all contribute to avalanche danger. Clues which indicate probabilities of avalanches, characteristics of relatively safe winter travel routes, and essential gear needed on winter outings are just some of the topics discussed. Information on what to do if caught in an avalanche will also be presented.
The program is free and open to the general public. For more information, please contact the Barlow Ranger District at 541-467-2291 or the Hood River Ranger District at 541-352-6002.
This weekend, January 9-10, is the seventh annual Tele-Fest at Hoodoo, Oregon. Jarl from Berg's Ski Shop organizes this event and it has proven to be one of the best attended Telemark festival on the west coast.
This year Jarl has even added a Rando-Fest subheading as a nod to the growing randonee market, but the heart and soul of the Hoodoo fest is freeheel skiing.
There are demos available from everyone in the industry as well as lessons and races all weekend. The best part is that the event entry is simply the price of a lift ticket at the Hoodoo ski area ($42).
Join in the festivities, demo some fine gear, and free your heel. Contact Jarl Berg at Berg's Ski Shop (541) 683-1300 or Cell (541) 968-8678, jarl at bergsskishop dot com.
Swift. Silent. Deep. premiers in Oregon on Saturday, December 19 at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River.
Swift. Silent. Deep. is a multi-dimensional look at skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the story of the Jackson Hole Air Force, a notorious group of hardcore ski bums who skirted authority as they explored the out-of-bounds terrain of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. It is not an epic line, deep powder film meant to fuel your inner stoke, but rather a documentary style...
Snow is a flyin' in the Northwest. You can get a taste of winter through the eyes of Sweetgrass Production's new flick Signatures in Hood River and Portland this week. Signatures is not your average ski porn.
Nick Waggoner, director of Sweetgrass Productions, spent last year in Hokkaido, Japan. Signatures captures his year in Hokkaido through the lives of local skiers, riders and artists. The film blends backcountry ski footage with the voices of local skiers and riders as the winter season unfolds in Hokkaido. In addition to local island talent, the film features footage of numerous other skiers including Hood River’s own Charlie Canon.
Hood RIver Show:
November 9 - Monday - Columbia Center for the ArtsDoors open at 7 p.m for the, show starts at 7:30 p.m. Double Mountain will be on tap. Tickets are $10 and available at Waucoma Books or at the door.
Portland Show:
November 11 - Wednesday - Kennedy School 8pm. tickets ar e$9
Avy center fund-raisers are getting underway around the west as everyone gets fired up for the upcoming season. Here is the scoop for the Bozeman, MT based crew from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.
Powder Blast
The Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center and Jeff King of Edward Jones are sponsoring the 11th annual Powder Blast on Friday, October 23rd.
Once again, it’ll be held at the Emerson Cultural Center from 6:30-10:30 p.m. A $30 admission gets you one of the valley’s best silent auctions with thousands of dollars of outdoor gear and other goodies. It also includes two drink coupons, a great meal from Bountiful Table, a raffle and music and videos by DJAJ. Tickets will certainly sell out, so get yours early. They go on sale Thursday, October 1 at Barrel Mountaineering, Northern Lights Trading Company, Team Bozeman and Timber Trails.
NSAS is a professional development seminar for avalanche workers and a continuing education opportunity for recreationalists. Presentations topics include wet snow characteristics, avalanche terrain exposure scale, and deep slab instabilities. The event is being held at the REI flagship store in Seattle. NSAS has sold old the past two years so sign up now! Details and registration
Just got a note from Stuart Craig up in Seattle about his annual Wingnut Telemark Free-For-All - WTF. Join the fun at Crystal Mountain on April 11.
Yes, the Wingnut Telemark Free-for-All – or, put a more inclusive way, the Wingnut Tool-Independent Free-for-All – is back, Saturday, April 11, at Crystal, for its 3rd year!
I certainly hope your season has been full of the wonder that only skiing can bring, and that you are unwilling – in mangled homage to Dylan Thomas – to go gently into that (not so) good summer! Which, of course, if what the WTF is all about!
We’ll gather in the main lodge at Crystal at 830 (that’s a.m. in the morning – as opposed to evening – in case you were wondering) on the 11th (and we’ll plan for lunch at Campbell Basin about 1130 in case you’d like a less early start). The program: to ski lots and hang with like-minded snow people! There are no “levels,” this is decidedly just for fun – a bunch of folks, on any kind of snow sliding gear, ripping around the hill. Yes, that’s right: this is a Tool-Independent event, so come on Alpine skis, Tele skis, snowboards, etc., but come and slide with us!
We’ve been very successful over the years and keeping a pretty large group of diverse characters together, no matter where we ski, and we’ll go for the same this year. We’re out for fun, nothing else!
At the end of the day, we’ll gather in the Bull Wheel for some, uh, Bull .... Wait: I mean some beverages!
So come play with us on the 11th! If you have any questions, drop me an email or give me a call.
Ski hard, play fair...Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!
Friends of Flagstaff is holding a meeting tonight at REI in Salt Lake City about the potential for a chairlift on Flagstaff Mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon accross from the Alta Ski Resort. The impact of this on popular backcountry terrain would be huge.
Over the past several years Alta Ski Lifts (ASL) has been planning to expand north of SR-210 (LCC Highway).ASL, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and the Town of Alta are in the planning phases of examining alternative avalanche control methods on the slopes above the Town of Alta.The current method of shooting explosives over occupied structures is attempting to be minimized.Pressure from the federal government as well limited munitions seem to be motivating factors. However, ski area expansion is a likely incentive as well.
A mechanized lift on Flagstaff Mountain is being planned to aid snow safety personnel access to Emma Ridge to deliver hand charges and thereby turn Flagstaff Mountain and Emma Ridge into a pay-to-play ski area.This would aid controlling avalanches via “skier compaction”.
Time to show our appreciation for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC). The inaugural Snowball Dinner and Auction to support NWAC is less than two weeks away...Friday, April 10! Please join us at the Ballard Elks Club on Shilshole Bay in Seattle and show your support for a service we all rely on to plan trips and stay safe in the mountains.
NWAC's budget is extremely threatened next year with a projected shortfall of over $100,000 right now. Your support is more important than ever. And besides, what better way to spend a Fri evening than sharing stories with 200+ other skiers and riders, enjoying dinner and drinks with friends, and going home with a selection of over 100 great auction items.
Tables are filling up...we have less than 50 tickets left, so buy yours before it's too late. We have to plan dinners, so we won't be selling tickets at the door!
Come pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate with fellow supporters of the telemark community at Stevens Pass, WA!
The Sven:
Pay tribute to a longtime Stevens Pass local who loved racing and diligently supported telemark skiing in the Pacific Northwest.BBQ following race!
Volunteers are needed! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387).
Date: March 13, 2009 (Friday)
Location:Tye Bowl off Tye Mill Chair
Time:Race @ 10 am (Registration 8:00-9:30 am at Granite Peaks Lodge)
The Glenn:
26th annual memorial race.Event consists of a downhill race with two timed giant slalom runs.
Volunteers are needed! Please contact Stevens Pass Ski School and leave a message for Kati (206.812.7387).
Date: March 15, 2009 (Sunday)
Location:Blue Trail run off Hogsback Chair
Time:Race @ 10 am (Registration 8:00-9:30 am at Granite Peaks Lodge) COSTUME DIVISION:Best Retro Costume!
Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle
What comes down must first go up! Watch as teams of two competitors scramble upslope before heading back down.There will be checkpoints laid out throughout the mountain, designated lifts, runs and hikes that you must complete to finish the course.All competitors will be tracked in real time by Flaik GPS. The hike will be boot pack, telemarkers, alpiners & snowboarders are welcome and this is not a randonee.
Date: March 14, 2009 (Saturday)Time: Athletes can register online or at the event. Each event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with registration opening at 8am. 10 am (Arrive early for check-in, GPS instruction, etc.)
For those wanting to be within stumbling distance of the festivities, RV camping is available at the ski area.Options for electrical hookups ($30/night) in the main lot or no charge for the overflow lot (no hook-ups).Looking forward to seeing you out at Stevens next weekend!
Nils Larsen and I will be in Portland, OR tonight showing Nils' movie about the timeless skiers of the Altai. The show is at Solstice Outdoor in North Portland (map) and is being organized by the Snowrider PDX foundation
Show starts at 7pm. Come on down for a fun evening exploring the history of skiing in Central Asia.
What: Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and juniors under 16. The film will start at 7pm, is 46 minutes long and will be followed by a Q&A session with Nils.
Why: To learn about the origins of skiing in the Altai Mountains of western China and to raise funds for the Portland chapter of the Surfrider Foundation’s Snowrider Project.
There is so much going on this time of year on the ski festival front that it can be hard to decide where to focus your time. Here's a new one to add to the "to do list", the Big LePowski.
The event is a a weekend of clinics, films, and parties based out of Big Cottonwood Canyon's Brighton Ski Resort.
Folks like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Chris Davenport, and Andrew McLean will be on hand to offer tips on throwing 360's and accessing steep lines.
In addition, the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival rolls Thursday evening, and money raised from the weekend's events will go towards the Billy Poole Fund, established in the memory of freeskier Billy Poole who died while skiing in the Wasatch last year. Full details
I just got a short note worthy of passing on for Portland area skiers. Snowrider PDX project is participating in the Madrone Wall preservation benefit in Portland on Thursday Feb 5.
The piece of interest to backcountry skiers is that Tom Spangler (Meadows GM) will be there to speak in a Q&A format about
the ski area's howitzer use and how it is impacting access. This is a perfect opportunity to speak directly with the descision makers at Meadows about their new no uphill traffic access policies.
Also in the Gorge, the Telluride Mountain Film Festival returns to Hood River on Sunday, February 1 at Andrews Skylight Theater. The film festival is a fundraiser for the Mosier Community School. Tickets are available in advance at Waucoma books or at the door. Shows are 3pm 5:30pm, and 8pm.
If you are a little further south, check out the Bear Valley Tele Festival Feb 6-8. These guys put on a great show. It has been a few years since I have been to the event, but it is one of the bigger tele events in the west. Loads of clinics and demos come together into one big party on Saturday night.
If Montana is more your style, the Whitefish Winter Carnival is celebrationg its 50th year Feb 6-8. It is sure to be a big event and a good family event. The website offers the following tale
Once upon a time, there lived a god named Ullr who reigned over winter activities in the Nordic regions. Aiding him were his Prime Minister and Queen, who were skilled in creating the beauties of winter. full legend
Don't forget Kootenay Cold Smoke at Whiewater, BC Feb 20-23. Quality, clinics, killer terrain, and legendary evening fun make Coldsmoke a great event. The event is great excuse to pack the rig and head for Nelson, BC. The combination of personalities, snow, and terrain is hard to beat. Get on board!
Finally, if you are in the East check out the Magic Mountain Rando Race Series in southern Vermont Feb 16 and March 14. Races include several divisions and are open just about any touring gear you might have. There will be backcountry related clinics and demos following the races.
This is just a reminder to pack yourself up after dinner this Friday, Dec. 12 and come on down to the Cashmere Riverside Center for some dessert, conversation, and entertaining films about snow.
Where: CASHMERE RIVERSIDE CENTER
When: Friday, December 12, 2008
Time: ...
Ah, the snow is beginning to arrive around the country. Even the East saw a good storm in late October. As the weather gods bring us the goods, there are a wide variety of events happening this weekend to help fuel the ski season fire.
Beginning with a local event, Sweetgrass Productions is showing their film Hand Cut here in Hood River on Thursday Nov. 6 at Dog River Coffee at 7pm and they are in PDX tonight at the Kennedy School - Full tour details are here. The film is great and is worth checking out if you are can manage a night out after the big election last night. We've got the trailer on the blog here if you peruse the movie category.
Finally, looking toward mid-winter is the Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival up in Nelson BC February 20-23, 2009. This event is worth planning ahead to attend. It is in its third season and every year has been great so far. There are numerous press releases associated with the event and you can find them here or visit www.coldsmokepowderfest.com.
Here is a plug for some local evening fun. The Elliot Glacier Public House in Parkdale, OR (base of Mt Hood) is hosting a weekly Ski Film night starting this Friday , Oct . 24 @ 7:30pm
The series will last four weeks and starts with retro '70's films and gets a step closer to modern times with each week. In addition, local skier, Paul Klein will present pieces of his South American Ski Guide. Check it out. Click the poster for a bigger version.
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The clouds lifted yesterday to reveal a solid layer of snow on the mountains in the Northwest. Local photographer, Darryl Lloyd, took this shot of Mt Adams from downtown Hood River.
This week brings the Powder Whore crew and their latest movie, the Pact to the Northwest. They will be in Bend on the 8th, Eugene on the 9th, Portland on the 10th, and Hood River on the 11th. From Oregon, they head to Washinton, Montana, California, and Colorado. The full tour...
There are several events comming up in March this year. First there are a couple of interest to Mt Hood area tele skiers.
March 4th - Tele Tuesday at Mt Hood Ski Bowl - www.mountainshop.net
March 15th - Mt Hood Meadows Classic Tele Race. Full details here
March 15th - Black Diamond Powder Keg - Full Details here
Telepalooza is gearing up to be a big event this year. The event is hosted by Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaksa March 28-30. This three day celebration brings together friends, families and members of the telemark community for a weekend of telemark
clinics, races, demonstrations, live music and lots of fun
Grand prize for the raffle this year: a trip to Valkyr Adventures Lodge in B.C.! www.valkyradventures.com . Second prize: a backcountry heli drop for two from...
Last year, Arcteryx, Mountain Gear, and Whitewater Ski Resort hosted an event called the Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival. The event is back for round two this winter; the 2nd annual Kootenay Coldsmoke Festival will be February 22-25, 2008 in Nelson, BC and Whitewater Ski Resort.
The Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Fest is a gathering of backcountry skiers in celebration of backsountry ski culture. Last year the festival attracted a wide variety of skiers and was truely a blast. Clinics...
Following two weeks of sunny fall weather, winter is trying to make a comeback here in the Northwest. Hood is till thin on snow but the forecast looks good for more. Word is that Whistler is sporting 40+ inches and may be spinning the lifts sooner than expected. Mt Baker was not as fortunate on the last storm cycle but their base is growing and the forecast looks promising there too.
It is ski swap season and if you are in Portland, Oregon, the Portland chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club is hosting its annual gear swap on December 4th. Details are here
The first annual Northwest Snow and Avalanche Summit is November 17th in Seattle. The event will be followed up by Snowbash, the annual fundraiser party for the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center (NWAC). Snowbash is an evening of music (Tallboys!) and dancing to benefit the NW Weather and Avalanche Center. There will be a live auction, raffle and silent auction with all of the proceeds benefiting the Friends of the NW Weather and Avalanche Center. Tickets are $20 in advance via Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com) or $25 at the door.
Come pay homage to local pinheads of lore & celebrate with fellow supporters of the telemark community at 
There is so much going on this time of year on the ski festival front that it can be hard to decide where to focus your time. Here's a new one to add to the "to do list", .jpg)
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The event will be followed up by 
