Steamboat Springs, CO – High-speed GS turns arced down the Vagabond trail as I chased Cathy Wiedemer, Steamboat’s charming Public Relations Manager, as she sped downhill on her telemark gear. Wind whistled past my ears as I swept from one trail edge to the other at the edge of … Continue Reading ››
If you’re new to snowboarding and trying to decide whether to go with traditional strap bindings or a step-in system like the K2-Clicker, Switch, Rossignol or Ride/Device System, what should you consider? Asides from cost, understanding some performance, comfort and ease-of-adjustment issues can help you make your … Continue Reading ››
My introduction to Japanese skiing took place roughly 27 years ago in front of a television set in Warren, Vermont, my hometown in the United States, and also home to Sugarbush Ski Area. My father, a transplanted Austrian who had emigrated to North America to become a ski … Continue Reading ››
Minneapolis, MN – There’s one thing any die-hard skier will notice as he or she gazes out the porthole window of their plane on the final approach into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: it’s damned flat out there. My eyes scanned from one horizon to … Continue Reading ››
Tahoe City, CA – First light, and the chirping alarm did little more than elicit an anguished groan from my daughter Jacquelin, age 14. It was 6:00 AM and less than nine hours since we had last been on the snow, tubing our hearts out at Squaw … Continue Reading ››
From powder, crust and corn to mashed potatoes, corduroy and crud, skiers probably have more descriptive terms for snow than anyone except the tundra-dwelling Inuit of northern Alaska and Canada.nBut when it comes to the morning snow report you hear on the radio or read in the paper, some … Continue Reading ››
Yosemite Valley, CA – Sometimes life is tough and duty calls. In February 2000, as part of my official duties at NASA, I attended the “Yosemite 2000” Conference on Comparative Aeronomy in the Solar System, where both the science and the recreation were excellent. Winter in Yosemite is quiet time. I have been there in September … Continue Reading … Continue reading Badger Pass: Yosemite in Winter