NY Backcountry Skiing: Adirondacks #1

“Backcountry skiing” means different things to different people. When I started skiing, it meant skiing on state land and making tracks in ungroomed snow. At first, we followed trails marked by the state.

As we became more confident, we’d set off with a destination in mind, a USGS topo map and a compass. Other times we’d look for hunter’s paths to follow, which are seemingly everywhere in the our corner of the Adirondacks.

In the last ten years, I’ve been drawn into lift-served skiing for several reasons. For one thing makes skiing in November possible. Plus, with a young child, it’s just easier. And yea let’s face it, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. All that vert, and in between runs you’re chatting it up with friends and family. It’s easy to like it.

Continue reading

Backcountry 101: Avalanche Basics

Skiing outside resort boundaries holds an increasing appeal to me, and it seems I’m not alone, considering the abundant backcountry gear options available in traditional ski shops and numerous mentions in the mainstream ski press.

For me, it’s a desire to explore new venues for my ski lust and to try new things along the way. Moreover, owning a condo at Solitude, Utah – where there are great lift-assisted backcountry options at the summit and many more at Brighton just up the road – definitely helps stoked my interest in earning turns outside the resorts.

Continue reading

Greg Petrics of Famous Internet Skiers

Greg Petrics of Famous Internet SkiersWe first noticed Greg Petrics and the famousinternetskiers in December of 2009.  A early winter storm had dumped rain on most of the east coast, but at the highest elevations on the Green Mountain spine, skiable snow had accumulated.

The photos and accounts posted by Petrics and FIS on their website captured my imagination.  Who were these guys, who were doing exactly what I wished I was doing, while I was at work?

It wasn’t long before everyone in the ski blogosphere knew of them, and knew they’d raised the bar.  Greg Petrics, a founding member of FIS, agreed to answer a few questions. Our interview follows.

Continue reading