Author: Jason Albert

Patagonia’s Airshed Pro: A Four Season Backcountry Piece

Patagonia’s Airshed Pro: A Four Season Backcountry Piece

Written by | Aug 31, 2023

It’s a bird, it’s a plane. Nope. Just some cat charging along in the versatile, functional, and made to be taken along Patagonia Airshed Pro. Patagonia’s Airshed Pro Pullover is hard to categorize but easy to judge: it’s become an essential piece of the warmish-day ski kit. Call the Airshed Pro a utility piece when you experience mild winds, engage in high-output activities, and the temps range from a bit below freezing to the 50s.

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Things to Consider: Binding Delta

Things to Consider: Binding Delta

Written by | Aug 31, 2023

Keep it simple. Binding delta, the difference in height  between the heel and  toe (with the heel higher than the toe) impacts how we ski. From a centered stance to desiring more forward lean, we dissect bindings deltas.

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Revisiting Snow Fall

Revisiting Snow Fall

Written by | Aug 31, 2023

Every few years, I revisit a journalistic and interactive multimedia masterpiece, Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, by John Branch. Branch, a sports writer for the NYT, has come to trade access to relatively high-profile outdoor athletes for what is a boon for readers; great prose and great insight. Published in 2012, more than a decade on, the piece resonates on many levels.

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The Bearable Lightness of Skiing 

The Bearable Lightness of Skiing 

Written by | Aug 31, 2023

The mantra of light and fast has a chicken and egg problem of sorts. To be fast, light gear helps the cause. Sometimes, though, it’s ok to sacrifice speed (meaning you might be less fast) if you’re concerned with sweet turns. Heavier and slower may make you smile more.

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The Spoor of the Perfect “Ski Runner”

The Spoor of the Perfect “Ski Runner”

Written by | Aug 31, 2023

There are some universal truisms to human powdered snow sliding culture. There’s a thirst for uphilling. There’s a timeless giddiness while descending. And after the descent, as if the DNA codes for it, we glance back and eye the turns. 

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