Book Reviews

Backcountry Skiing by Martin Volken

Backcountry Skiing by Martin VolkenTo say the popularity of backcountry skiing and alpine touring has grown by leaps and bounds in the past half dozen years would be a gross understatement. One indication of the growing popularity has been the demand and market for a book dedicated to the fundamental skills and knowledge supporting the activity. Mountaineers Books has published this valuable addition to its large series of technical outdoors titles. Whether this book will be an essential addition to your bookshelf will depend upon your level of experience and the type of backcountry skiing outings.

While even experienced backcountry skiers will pick up new tips and tools by reading this title, skiers with even a moderate amount of experience will find much of the information in this book elementary. Many of the basics of backcountry skiing are often learned the hard way after only a few outings. The internet also provides the developing backcountry skier with numerous resources to increase knowledge prior to and after adventuring for the first time. Such topics as equipment, gear, and clothing will be redundant and basic to all but the most uninformed and beginning backcountry skiers.

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Big Jay Coverage

Agreement Reached on Restoration and Access to Big Jay

The following release from the VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has recently circulated the internet via forums. While no official press release has been made on the ANR web site nor the VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation web site, the release looks official. A public meeting will be held at Jay Peak Resort on August 6th at 7 P.M. in the Tram Lodge for concerned persons to provide input on the issue, resolution, and continued work to restore the Big Jay cut.

This proposal is much the same as the backcountry community suggested at the last public meeting at Big Jay. It is unfortunate that the powers that be created a hostile situation rather than taking immediate action on suggestions from backcountry skiers and riders that attended the December meeting and offered win-win proposals such as the one detailed below. Hopefully all parties and persons involved can reconcile and agree that this is the best solution for everyone involved and for the restoration effort.

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News

Total Cost of the 2007-2008 Season

With the 2007-2008 season completed, TheSnowWay.com has compiled a season cost calculator detailing how I spent every penny of my money during the ski season. This calculator includes lift tickets, cost of gas, and season passes. Absent are costs of equipment which are not strictly a one season purchase. Additionally, I have not calculated in food expense.

I would estimate half of my meals were purchased from ski area food services so that is not an insignificant cost compared to brown bagging. However, my obsession with calculating total cost did not entail advanced computation of what the difference is between brown bagging a meal versus paying the ski area. Besides, sometimes you just WANT a tasty burger and cost is not an issue and comparing to brown bag is apples and oranges. Other complications such as having to spend pre-purchased Mad Money at Mad River Glen further complicated the idea which I decided not to implement.

Gas costs were calculated obsessively and with precision. Every ski day would begin by stopping at the local gas station two miles from my house. The gas tank would be filled and the trip odometer set to zero. Upon returning from skiing, I would stop at the same gas station, refill the tank, and record miles driven, gallons used, cost per gallon, and total cost of the fill up. All information except for miles driven was on a receipt for easy record keeping. Actual gas costs were slightly higher than included on the cost calculator as I did not include gas costs for the two miles to and from the gas station and my home.

Recording this information had an effect on my driving habits. For shorter trips, especially those under an hour, I would routinely drive just under the speed limit instead of my usual 70 MPH highway speed in order to maximize MPG. Longer drives, such as to Jay Peak, I would drive normally as extra cost of gas was not worth more time on the road. Very rarely did I miss a gas procedure but I occasionally did forget to set my odometer and estimated based on previous trips or I forgot to fill up once or twice and utilized an average MPG for that destination in question.

The total season cost was just over $1700 for 52 days including lift tickets, season passes, and gas but not including equipment purchases and food.

2007-2008 Season, Because, Earned Turns, July, Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine, Video

Closing Out the Season in Tuckerman Ravine on July 6th

The Author Ending his Season at Tuckerman Ravine on July 6th

Another season comes to a close with the annual suffer fest to Tuckerman Ravine. This year finds the Ravine with more snow than usual with the Sluice patch extending nearly to the ravine floor for almost two hundred vertical feet per run. Snow conditions were a sensational spring corn quality and turns were buttery compared to the usual teeth rattling glacial ice.

En route to the Ravine on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, I came within spitting distance of a large moose. While hiking up the trail, I noticed a group up ahead pull off to the side of the trail and started taking pictures where the Raymond Path splits from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. I assumed I was about to pass some tourists taking pictures of a trail sign. But as I rounded the bend, I came up short and noticed the cow was walking straight down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. I side stepped to the edge of the trail and let her pass.

Met up with Rog and his friend who were already making turns in the bowl. The usual crowd of stunned and surprised hikers gathered along the snow patch to watch us make our July turns. After taking six laps, I called it a day and called it a season.

The Author Skiing the Tuckerman Ravine Snow Patch on July 6th:

Photo Gallery

Big Jay Coverage

John Atkinson Responds to Editorials Regarding Big Jay Cut

John Atkinson has posted a response to editorials written by Ben Rose (Green Mountain Club) and Adam Howard (Backcountry Magazine) regarding the cut on Big Jay. The article, posted on VTsports.com, is a revamped call to action for backcountry skiers to organize and for outdoors organizations such as the Green Mountain Club to support such organizational efforts. Atkinson articulates the crux of the backcountry cutting issue succinctly in his article:

The difference between breaking branches and cutting trees with chainsaws is only a matter of degree. If we don’t have permission, we shouldn’t do it. But this highlights the issue/problem that there are only a few small, mainly private, places where this type of work is currently planned and permitted.

On one hand, backcountry cutters are aware they are violating laws by taking the matter into their own hand. This is clearly an illegal and ethically unsound activity. However, backcountry skiing has not been fostered, developed, or supported by outdoors clubs, state governments, or regional skiing organizations. The number of officially maintained backcountry trails dwindled following the development of lift serviced skiing and no official backcountry glade program has ever been instituted in any New England state aside from a couple privately and co-operatively owned ski areas. Perhaps backcountry skiers should not be taking to the woods with loppers and hand saws to trim lines (despite many doing so in environmentally sound and sustainable ways, unlike the Big Jay cut). However, high demand and short supply has forced many hands into action. A coming together of backcountry skiers and local clubs, organizations, and governmental agency to redirect illegal efforts into sanctioned backcountry skiing runs would be a welcome solution.