Sorry to hear that Stephen. A good doctor would not have asked- “When was the last time you ate?” He would have asked- "When was the last time you had a beer?" Then offered you one. I think you will return to skiing and telemark skiing at that; but all the pins and needles take some time to do their...

Welcome to NATO! I arrived in Finland on the first day of their membership and wished the cab driver who drove us 1hr to the trailhead a "Happy NATO". There are some interesting dynamics with Finland joining NATO; both tactical- like the ski choice, and how the forces maneuver, plus the general stra...

True, sad people do not prepare for their sport and need nanny care.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority (similar to the USGS) has a great free app (with zero ads) called "Hvor?" which means "Where?" in Norwegian. It can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple Store. You can download all of the official Norwegian 1:50000 topo maps (great quality maps that used to cos...

When I'm out backcountry ski patrolling I carry a patrol provided SPOT-X unit and satellite phone, a cell phone loaded with maps, a patrol Motorola two way radio with about 12 channels, inc. our channels, several different law enforcement agencies, the USFS, MRA channels and local fire channels, pl...

I use an inreach mini if I had to send an email or text (Normally do not) but more for SOS as where I ski very very rarely has cell coverage. For Nav I agree with the above- ALWAYS have a paper (plastic sheet?) map and a compass (no matter what else you have)- and know how to navigate with a map and...

John Dee Wow Mad River! My parents had a house in Warren VT when I was a kid (on the road to Lincoln Gap). We skied S-Bush which was a bit snobby- Glen Ellen 2600ft vertical! (now part of S-Bush) and to bust our balls- Mad River, which had a single-chair back then (like Vogel in Slovenia still does...

I’m having a hell of a time finding shell, noninsulated pants that have full side zips. Goretex or equivalent generic is fine. I have a pair of Marmots I love but they stopped making them. I’ve found some that are insulated (Arctica, Descente) but I want shells. I often skin in my long johns and th...

I have a pair of Mountain Hardwear, Exposure2 full-zip pants. Really nice and light and durable- Gore-tex Pac-lite. I bought them two years ago. I bought them direct from MH, they were on-sale for only $75. My wife got a pair too. I checked their site and only see these pants in a 3/4 zip now. Happy...