Member nwkayaker

If there is decent snow at Paradise consider the Tatoosh Range, instead of heading up higher on the mountain. Park at Narada Falls and hike toward Castle Mountain (SE?). The Tatoosh often holds some really choice snow with a short approach.

@schwalbster, I have an Amplid Lab Carbon 62 myself.

How are you liking the Kohla skins? We are having an icy low-tide winter around Anchorage and the Kohla skins seem to have a little less bite than others common skins in our current conditions, without gaining any glide. It was really nice to get them pre-cut however and they are definitely…[Read more]

There are a lot of classic Voile/G3/Black Diamond strap uses missing here:

1. Lightweight hut shoes (insole from boots strapped over the arch of socked foot with Voile Strap).
2. Emergency group shelter using two pairs of ski poles or sticks and light weight tarp (strap poles together with straps below grips over tarp to make “A”s pull tarp…[Read more]

Saign,

If you are targeting an Alaskan spring trip where you are going to be mainly skinning I would encourage you to consider targeting Anchorage instead of Haines. Check out: stockalpine.com, dongshow-productions.com, http://www.frqncy.com/news/2013/11/22/roadside-runs-in-alaska-with-the-provo-bros. The Turnagain Pass/Girdwood area offers an…[Read more]

Late to the party on this one. Amplid already has such a perfect pow-all mountain board with The Creamer, why not just make an optimized split-board version. The only changes I would make would be a light construction (doesn’t have to be big $ carbon) that has a similar flex pattern to a solid Creamer but with an all white or mostly white snow…[Read more]

@splittilps wrote:

Thanks for the input guys! b PLease keep it coming. I’ll look into that Haines outfit and Points North has already been floated by one of our group as a possibility. Some more background;

There’s 4 of us. All pretty solid riders and I’m probably the biggest puss of the group – but still comfy on difficult terrain when the snow…

[Read more]

If you can choose only one destination in AK, go to Haines in late February or early March. I would recommend flying with Alaska Heli-Skiing (http://www.alaskaheliskiing.com). Alaska Heli-Skiing delivers the best bang for the buck in Alaska.

If you have to go Valdez, H20 Heli Guides (alaskahelicopterskiing.com) has the most terrain but they charge a…[Read more]

I have owned and ridden both a Solution (164) and AMFs (162 & 165 custom W/slimmed waist to 25.2) splitboards (here in Alaska). The AMF is an exceptional freeride board when set-up tapered (back 2-3 cm) and is in a lot of ways more versatile and lively than a Solution. The AMF’s combination of side cut and rocker work together to provide you…[Read more]

Great trip report, I hope SW Montana gets more snow soon.

No idea what the winter road situation is in Hyalite Canyon during the winter anymore but there is also great skiing in the back south end bowl of The Flanders Creek Drainage (rarely visited drainage between Emerald Lake Trail/EF Hyalite Creek & Hylalite PK/Creek Trail, see topo). When I…[Read more]

Love the Fraser Lake Basin pic focused on Red Chute…

I got the same information about cutting the vinyl tubing off the risers from Voile when I called them for replacement parts.

I found another QC issue in the plate that holds the risers. The hole for the back screw is too narrow for the screw by at least 1mm. The two pairs of heel lifts that failed on me, cracked right through that undersized…[Read more]

I got the same information about cutting the vinyl tubing off the risers from Voile when I called them for replacement parts.

I found another QC issue in the plate that holds the risers. The hole for the back screw is too narrow for the screw by at least 1mm. The two pairs of heel lifts that failed on me, cracked right through that undersized…[Read more]

*** Trip report was from March 30, 2010 –> Last Spring.

Todd’s Run with the current snowpack/avalanche danger in Turnagain Pass isn’t a run I would pick this week.

BTW great photos!

Another consideration with The Trackers are closely buried transceivers in a multi-burial situation. During a Level II Avalanche Class many users of Trackers had issues undoing the mute/masking function correctly (equivalent of flagging on the Ortovox) in close proximity multiple burial scenarios (several had to restart their transceivers). This…[Read more]

Strongly consider the Prior AMF Split in addition to the Khyber and Spearhead.

Both the Khyber and the Spearhead run wide if you are have feet under size 10 you will probably be happier with the AMF which is closer to 25 cm wide (both up/down).

The Spearhead is incredible in softer conditions but gives up a lot on firm snow. Khyber is a better…[Read more]