Month: January 2009

An original, firsthand account of the remarkable first ski crossing of Tioga Pass

Editorā€™s Note: This account, previously never published, was written by Dennis Jones in the late 1950s, and is provided courtesy of Starr Walton Hurley, niece of Dennis Jones, and Norm Sayler, president of the Donner Summit Historical Society. The story below contains some added detail from that was merged into the story from another typed retelling of the adventure that Jones wrote some time later.

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The Truly Great Ski Race

So, Mr. or Ms. Backcountry Skier, you want to be a nordic ski racer, you say? Maybe you watched the last Olympics, and marveled at the athletes and their amazing oxygen uptake and strength. Or perhaps a friend dragged you over to your local cross country ski area, and you ā€“ with your mega-wide boards and heavy tele boots ā€“ kept getting buzzed by a bunch of folks wearing colorful skin-tight lycra, leaving you feeling like you were standing still as they powered up the hill. OK, maybe you can live without the spandex; but still, it looked like fun. Those skinny little skate skis can sure fly over the trails.

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A Slackcountry Attitude

Paul Oelerich slays the Mt. Reba slackcountry during last yearā€™s Bear Valley Tele Fest. A lot of folks are taking issue with the label ā€œslackcountryā€ recently for its derogatory attitude. Get over it. Keep in mind I say that with a full measure of self-deprecation. Thereā€™s no point in lying, itā€™s my favorite kind of tour. Usually. I still love revving the meter full tilt when the tilt is at the edge of reason, but not all the time, and admittedly, not at the same RPM as 20 years ago. You too? Thought so.

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Backcountry Skiers: Make Room on Your Bookshelf

In conversations the past month with avid local Sierra backcountry skiers about Dan Mingori and Nate Greenburgā€™s new guidebook Backcountry Skiing Californiaā€™s Eastern Sierra, 166 Ski and Snowboard Descents in the Range of Light between Tioga Pass and Bishop Creek (Wolverine Publishing 2008) immediate comments from those newly aware of the book fell cleanly into two camps. A majority exclaimed, ā€œReally? Thatā€™s awesome!ā€ While others grumbled, ā€œReally? That sucks!ā€

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Cā€™mon in and Shut the Door!

Whether youā€™re a seasoned winter explorer or a four-season greenhorn, there are few feelings as joyous as skiing to the door of a snowbound backcountry hut. Just as the natural world is at its most inhospitable, wind and snow swirling in the air, here you are at the threshold of a magical landscape with little more than a sleeping bag, playing cards, and flask in hand. At night, you lounge under the coziness of a roof, warmed by a wood stove and shared with good friends. By day, you shred lonely backcountry peaks until exhaustion. Can it get any better?

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FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @ADVENTURESPORTSJOURNAL

Have you picked up Issue #133 yet? Our cover photo of Sustainable Surf ambassador Ashley Lloyd conveys the feeling of summer better than any image weā€™ve seen in a long time. The photo was taken by Bryan ā€œ@WetFeetā€ Garrison and we invite you to soak in the wholesome summer vibes and take them wherever you go.

As you may know we took a brief pause in publishing because we were dealing with some health issues and burnout from the winter. We believe in keeping Adventure Sports Journal free for everyone, because the outdoors should be free for everyone. However, our costs are high, and we rely on our readers and advertisers to stay available in print.

Please consider subscribing to support us by clicking the link in our bio and follow the membership tabs.

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Join @ellasuring and @theory_in_motion as they discuss ultra running and Alyssaā€™s journey as both an athlete and a coach. The full interview is out now on our website. šŸƒšŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø

Check the link in bio to learn more šŸ”—
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Thereā€™s still time for spring skiing at @bvadventure

With over 65 kilometers of groomed paths and a cafe on the trails, itā€™s a great destination for the whole family.

#xcskiing #adventure #california
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