Adam Broderick manages the web content at Tahoe Mountain Sports. When he is not in the office, he tries his best to be in the field doing something awesome.
As the concluding event of our 2014 Backcountry Experience Series in partnership with Dynafit and Diamond Peak Ski Area, we bring you Nachtspektakel! Hire a sitter if you have to - you don’t want to miss this fun night of good food, drinks and skiing with comrades. Start your evening with a skin up to Snowflake Lodge at Diamond Peak, where you will partake in a delicious catered meal with both new and familiar faces. The Snowflake Lodge is one of the best places to watch a Tahoe sunset, with an incredible view of the lake and surrounding mountains. Conclude this wonderful evening with a ski back down under the stars!
When: Friday, February 28 from 2 to 9 p.m. Where: Diamond Peak Ski Area Tickets: $45 – Click Here To Sign Up What you get: Two hours of lift served skiing, a guided skin up the mountain, dinner and drinks, and a private, nighttime ski down on fresh corduroy that Diamond Peak will groom especially for us!
Bring a headlamp and dress warmly. Comfortable shoes or sandals are recommended for dinner indoors. One beer, wine or will drink is included – the bar will be open if you care for more.
I Don’t Think The Cracks Will Swallow You: A Tale of an African Expedition in Search of Disappearing Glaciers and 16,000’ Summits
Weaving together her love of the outdoors and passion for women’s empowerment, Tahoe/Truckee local Jen Gurecki will share what it’s like to work hard and play hard in Kenya. Her latest adventure—Summit For Our Sisters—took her up Mt. Kenya, an ancient, extinct volcano that boasts the second highest peak on the continent of Africa, towering more than 16,000 feet.
With 12 glaciers that are expected to disappear within the next 30 years, Gurecki seized the opportunity to summit and make turns down the Lewis Glacier, while also raising more than $12,000 to help women start small businesses in Kenya through the non-profit she founded, Zawadisha. During Ladies’ Night, Gurecki will share her recent expedition via an inspirational slideshow presentation before raffling off all sorts of great gear in an effort to raise money to grant a scholarship for participants of future S.A.F.E. A.S. clinics!
You don’t want to miss this event. Tahoe Mountain Sports will be raffling off women’s outdoor gear for winter sports, including a Coalition snowboard or pair of skis! (Must be present to win.) All proceeds from the Ladies’ Night raffle and a portion of gear and clothing sales will benefit Tahoe’s local S.A.F.E. A.S. clinics, a women’s introductory avalanche safety series.Started by Elyse Saugstad, Jackie Paaso, Lel Tone, Michelle Parker, Ingrid Backstrom and Sherry McConkey, the goals of the S.A.F.E. A.S. clinics is to heighten community snow safety and avalanche awareness among women.
What: Ladies’ Night Adventure Slideshow and Raffle Benefit When: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. Where: Tahoe Mountain Sports, 8331 North Lake Blvd, Kings Beach
Thank you to the sponsor of the evening, Coalition Snow.
We recently made the TMS annual pilgrimage to Salt Lake City to check out the hot new trends and unique innovations coming down the pipes for the outdoor industry next season. We did the classic meet and greet. There were thousands of brands, purchasers and spectators to speak with. We did some research, taking lots of notes and pictures. We probably took too many of each, and now have to sift through it all. We went skiing and snowboarding at both Snowbird and Solitude. After all, sometimes a product run-down with a sales rep doesn’t cut it and you have to actually put equipment to use before deciding whether it’s appropriate for your customers.
We picked up countless product catalogs whenever a .pdf wasn’t available – What a waste of paper! We asked for promos and SWAG (Stuff We All Get). We heard “sorry” and “I can’t…” quite a bit. We also heard “yes” occasionally, and that always makes us smile. But most important, and the part you can most enjoy, is the information we gathered about the gear we plan to carry (or have since changed our minds about carrying) for fall 2014/winter 2015.
We skied day and night prior to the show. Here, TMS-Owner Pam (left) starts the day with top-to-bottom skiing at Snowbird; The North Face athlete and photographer Kris Erickson (right) descends Snowbird with a flare in-hand during an apres-apres night-ski.
TMS employee Adam was rejected at the gates of Alta Ski Area. “Excuse me, sir? You can’t snowboard at Alta.”
And now, on to the gear. This is just a teaser…there is SO MUCH MORE coming in and only so much we can tell you now.
Volkl released their V-Werks Katana skis last year, a super lightweight all-mountain model ideal for both on and off-piste skiing. The V-Werks Katana uses vertical sidewalls and carbon fiber to reduce the weight of their original Katana by 15%. The upgraded version slays powder and holds an amazing edge on hardpack and rides stable at high speeds. The ski was so popular last year that Volkl is bringing it back with color options, in addition to improving their BMT skis, now 15% lighter and included in their line of V-Werks backcountry focused skis for 14-15.
The new Dynafit Denali skis, along with the 2.0 versions of the Radical FT 12 and Radical ST 10 bindings. Like the name entails, the Dynafit Denali was designed for Denali. It was tested by mountain guides on the Kahiltna Glacier in May of 2012. “The combination of weight, construction and materials makes this ski the perfect companion for long ascents and descents,” says Dynafit. “The dimensions and light weight are balanced optimally for performance on both the ascent and descent.” This ski is stiff and skis smoothly, carving very well in advanced terrain and performing excellently on steep, icy slopes.
As for the bindings, we all know the Radical reputation. Ski mountaineers and freeriders love and trust the light weight and top-tier performance of Dynafit Radical bindings.
Venture Snowboards gave their line of solid boards and splitboards a makeover.
Red = Red Mountain (SW CO)
Green = Pine Trees
Yellow = Aspen Leaves
Blue = Bluebird Days
We’re stoked on Venture splitboards and looking forward to carrying them next year! Venture covers all the bases with a full line of splitboards for everything from mellow pow and pillow lines to steep and slick no-fall-zones.
The new lineup from Voile splitboards is looking good with a fresh paint of coat instead of last year’s wood-core look. Here’s their swallowtail (not sold at TMS), the Voile Artisan men’s and Artisan women’s boards, and the new Revelator and Revelator BC (with Scales). We’re stoked to see splitboarding gaining popularity so rapidly!
The Voile Lightrail Binding is now offered in women’s colors (top left). Voile Universal Hardware (top right) is still the most common splitboarding hardware seen in the field, even with the latest pin-less technologies from Spark R&D. Using Canted Pucks that are tilted slightly inward (bottom left) increases your board’s response-time and decreases muscle fatigue. Starting Fall 2014, Voile will include their own Voile tail straps with splitboard climbing skins. Now you don’t have to order separately through another brand and pay double shipping!
The Voile Revelator BC splitboard comes with scales so you can skin up and ride down without splitboard climbing skins. It’s an interesting concept, and a pretty niche design, but would be ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time touring. The scales are well-suited for long approaches, traverses and rolling hills when repeatedly adding and removing skins can become a hassle. I wouldn’t recommend them on slopes greater than 30-degrees, but they’re great on mellow terrain.
Black Diamond is releasing a battery-powered avalanche airbag backpack and the hype is building quickly. The Black Diamond Jetforce Pack holds a charge for up to two weeks and is ideal for hut trips and other multi-day tours when you may be required to deploy the airbags more than once. Caught in a small sluff slide but unsure if it will become dangerous? No worries! Go ahead and pull the trigger…you’ve got many more on reserve.The BD Jetforce airbags inflate within three seconds and maintain their volume (200 liters) for three minutes. The second two-thirds of this time is spent automatically refilling the pack in case of an accidental puncture. The weight of the system rides close to the back, and isn’t actually that heavy (28 L pack w/ system = 7.5 lbs). Stay tuned…we’ll have more beta about this Black Diamond avalanche airbag pack in the near future. Models to watch for include the Pilot 11 Jetforce, Saga 40 Jetforce and Halo 28 Jetforce packs.
Arva Snow Safety Equipment makes packs that fit women better and boast serious fashion-sense (see right), backcountry shovels that dig more efficiently and weigh less, lightweight avalanche probes that are most compact and durable, and they offer all the features you’d expect from a top-notch safety equipment brand. Did you know the word “Arva” is synonymous with “beacon” in Europe?
The Arva Freerider 25 pack gets a face-lift for 2014-2015 with a separate storage bag for snow safety gear. Now you can keep your avy gear organized and easily accessible through the bottom of your backpack. Here’s an unedited video preview from the showroom floor:
ABS backpacks also got a sweet makeover for 2014/2015. As a leader in avalanche airbag packs, the ABS Avalanche Airbag System has the most experience and the highest survival rate (97%) of any airbag company on the market. The ABS Base Unit goes unchanged, since they’re so dialed already, besides a narrower profile (depth-wise) that keeps the weight closer to your body for easier skiing.
Watch for a neoprene stretch fabric in 18 and 24-liter ABS Zip-On packs that provides more space for longer shovel handles. ABS also incorporated their 40-liter and 55-liter bags into the ABS 45+5 airbag backpack (right), perfect for longer tours, mountain guides and connecting routes from hut-to-hut.
The new Mammut Eiger collection, looking sleek and polished. Mammut clothing is designed for extreme use in harsh conditions and demanding terrain, and their Eiger line is for the top of the top. Next season’s outerwear is looking even better than last year…and we thought they’d already had their styles pretty fine-tuned!
Not only is Mammut men’s and women’s clothing functional and fashionable, but check out that sly little headlamp on the mannequin in the middle. Mammut headlamps are super lightweight and provide superior lighting for mountaineers. Still, they’re sleek and affordable so everybody has a need for one, not just those who play in the high-alpine rock gardens.
Smith Optics has a full collection of new colors and styles in both their ski and snowboard helmets and ski and snowboard goggles. This yellow-on-yellow combo is just one sweet headwear outfit. The sneaky Amstel Light simply crept into the shot last-minute. We’re not exactly sure how that got there.
Smith is also unveiling the next generation of interchangeable lens goggles, the Smith I/O 7. If you thought it was easy to swap the lenses on the original I/O, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This video walks you through the process of changing Smith I/O 7 lenses:
Helly Hansen has expanded their clothing line by 25% for 2014/2015! Their Lifa collection features 100% polypropylene fabric that breathes incredibly well on the inside, and it’s coming in two versions: Lifa Flow has a merino wool/polypro blend, and Lifa Active has a polyester/polypro blend. Their new C.I.S. piece is a 3-in-1 jacket with a with a removable inner-liner, and is compatible with all Helly Hansen C.I.S. pieces. HH is also dropping the Mission Stoke Jacket for next year, featuring H2 Flow along the back (circular spaces trap heat better and ventilate faster) and a new stretchy fabric in front that is ideal for freeriders. And an update to an already popular jacket, the Odin Insulator Shirt is now a reversible ski jacket and has a zipper rather than last year’s button-up front.
Here’s a short video preview of the Helly Hansen Supreme Jacket, a top-ranked piece for 2014/2015 with PrimaLoft Gold insulation: a blend of down and synthetic, giving you get the best of both worlds. Also, a four-way stretch liner and exterior go hand-in-hand when you need maximum mobility. Four-way stretch in solely the inner or outer doesn’t help much, but having it in both layers makes a world of a difference. Please excuse the poor color contrast in the video…our hand-held recorder was acting up.
There are several new styles of CamelBak water bottles dropping this fall, including a new coffee mug called the CamelBak Forge, which is is supposedly excellent for adventurers of all sorts. The CamelBak Podium Chillinsulated sports bottle (best for warmer months) gets a makeover for next year with a larger mouth piece to increase flow, and the CamelBak Eddy .75 (3/4-liter) is still expected to be their best-seller for the gym/office/car crowd. Live in the city but want fresh water to mimic your weekend getaways in the mountains? The CamelBak Groove Bottle with a built-in two-way filter works better than Brita filters to remove the funky chlorine/metal taste. All CamelBak reservoirs are dishwasher-safe and their glass and plastic bottles come standard with a lifetime warranty.
CamelBak kid’s packs like the Kicker, the CamelBak Skier (like a mini-Mule, a top-seller), the Scout pack (hiking pack with 50-oz reservoir) and the CamelBak Trail Blazer (15-liter backpack) haven’t changed much except for color options. Neither have CamelBak winter packs for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and winter hiking. The CamelBak Gamblr is ideal for sidecountry skiing since it’s sleek and slim enough to fit under a jacket yet also holds three liters of water so you don’t have to keep stopping to fill up at the lodge.
The CamelBak Scorpion has external helmet loops, space for storage and a 2-liter reservoir. CamelBak Zoid hydration packs are minimalist with only two pockets, but at $65 they’re the #1 seller in their class. The CamelBak Snowblast isn’t changing anything but color since it’s already so well designed, but now will come in Black, Dark Olive and Brindle. The CamelBak Bootleggerinsulated hydration pack is sleek and stylish, meant to hold 1.5 liters of water with a low-profile perfect for donning under a jacket and riding chair lifts.
Tahoe Mountain Sports, in partnership with Diamond Peak Ski Resort and Dynafit, are proud to announce the 2014 Backcountry Experience. This guided backcountry tour will explore terrain in Diamond Peak’s Golden Eagle Bowl. Open to intermediate and advanced skiers and riders, the Backcountry Experience Series is designed to provide a safe and welcoming introduction to backcountry skiing and boarding.
Never used backcountry equipment before? This is your opportunity to try out Dynafit touring gear before purchasing. Want to learn about avalanche hazards and techniques for avoiding them? Interested in learning the most efficient uphill skinning methods? Or, perhaps you simply want to meet new people and enjoy unskied terrain in a fun, controlled environment. A Backcountry Experience tour in Diamond Peak’s secluded Eagle Bowl is a great way to earn your turns and experience Diamond Peak in a whole new way.
Feb 22, 2014 Tour: 9am-1pm – $90
*$90 tour package includes a partial-day lift ticket, full Dynafit backcountry ski equipment rental and professional guiding services.
Any changes made due to winter weather will be announced within 24 hours of tour departure.
Your guide, Brennan Lagasse, has been skiing since he was two and has spent many years traveling and guiding ski expeditions world-wide. Brennan has training in Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel, along with Wilderness First Responder and AIARE Level I & II certifications.
Diamond Peak Ski Resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada on the scenic north shore of Lake Tahoe with amazing views of world famous Lake Tahoe. Diamond Peak offers skiers and boarders 30 runs and a 1,840-foot vertical drop with beginner to advanced terrain. Connect with Diamond Peak on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832-1177.
For the remainder of the 2013/14 winter season, you can rent snowshoes in Kings Beach for FREE on Wednesdays!
Tahoe Mountain Sports has the best snowshoes for trail hiking and backcountry travel in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor to Tahoe in the winter or you’re a seasoned Tahoe local, you should try renting snowshoes. Nothing compares to the tranquility felt when surrounded by a magical winter wonderland. Snow absorbs sound, so the woods are wonderfully quiet and peaceful on a nice winter day. When it’s snowing, wander into the trees for shelter from the storm. To spend time enjoying the huge winter playground that is our Tahoe backyard is an experience that will live inside you forever. I highly recommend getting out in the snow and wandering around a bit. It’s good for you! As Tolkien said, “Not all who wander are lost.”
Free snowshoe rentals come with ski/trek poles to simplify walking through snow. However, we also rent backcountry ski equipment, so please try to understand if we have overlapping business and there are not enough poles for every hiker in your party. Poles can help, but are not mandatory.
MSR snowshoes at the TMS tent during National Winter Trails Day, Mt. Rose Meadows, Nevada
Between February 1 and 14, you can win brand new winter gear by simply entering your e-mail address!
Just visit this link - http://woobox.com/ear9sj - and enter your e-mail address to win a pair of Smith I/O Goggles ($175) or a Smith Vantage Helmet ($220)! I/O Goggles have a Black frame with Green Sol-X Mirror Lens and a Free Bonus Red Sensor Mirror Lens; Vantage Helmet size = Medium, color = Matte Gunmetal.
Two random winners will be be selected at random! Winners will be contacted via email on February 15. One winner will receive a brand new Vantage helmet, our favorite Smith snow helmet, and the other winner will get a pair of I/O Goggles, the industry standard for snow goggles with interchangeable lenses.
Don’t need new gear yourself? Give the gift of safety, comfort and top-performance! Either of these items would make a great birthday present, or just a sweet gesture for someone you care for.
Don’t worry…we won’t overload your inbox. We’ll only contact you if you WIN, or to send you cool updates about the outdoor industry and let you know when we’re having huge sales on outdoor gear and clothing.
Sweepstakes runs February 1 – 14, 2014. Only one entry per user. Must be 18 years or older. Winner pays shipping outside continental U.S.
Part 3 – Feb. 6 – Read, Interpret, Decide – Analyzing Avalanche Reports with the Sierra Avalanche Center
As the third and final installment of our three-part 2014 TMS Avalanche Education Series, representatives from Sierra Avalanche Center, a Lake Tahoe Region non-profit dedicated to providing a free daily avalanche advisory for the central Sierra Nevada, will lead an extremely useful presentation about how to properly read and interpret the avalanche report.
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss technical and situational issues that arise in the field to create a good platform for safe decision making in the backcountry. There will be a HUGE raffle at this event and everybody is sure to walk away with something. All raffle proceeds and a portion of sales from this evening will benefit Sierra Avalanche Center.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Come get some free tips to help properly read and interpret the avalanche and snow conditions reports in order to make better decisions and keep safe in the backcountry!
This event will take place between two different locations: Tahoe Mountain Sports (8331 North Lake Blvd, Kings Beach, CA 96143) and across the street at the North Tahoe Event Center (8318 N. Lake Blvd)
In case you can’t make the full event or just want to stop by for part of it, here’s the event schedule:
5:00 – 6:00 – Reception with S.A.C. and Backcountry Gear Specials at Tahoe Mountain Sports 6:00-7:15 – Formal Presentation with Sierra Avalanche Center at North Tahoe Event Center (NTEC) 7:15 – 8:00 MEGA Raffle to benefit Sierra Avalanche Center (at NTEC)
Many backcountry enthusiasts came to Tahoe Mountain Sports on November 20 to learn the basics of beacon use and brush up on their avalanche expertise and transceiver techniques. Experienced mountain guide and Level 3 AIARE instructor Tom Carter, and Ortovox Rep Jared Rodriguez, were present to lead a discussion about the basics of companion rescue gear and techniques. Tom also led a hands-on lesson on how to properly and efficiently use your avalanche transceiver. Participants brought their own avalanche gear to practice with, and others demo’d some of the newest Ortovox models.
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Part 2 – Dec. 20 – Avalanche Airbag Party Sponsored by ABS featuring Pro Skier Elyse Saugstad
As the second of our three-part 2014 TMS Avalanche Education Series, we filled a large room at the North Tahoe Event Center with a bunch of Tahoe backcountry enthusiasts for a free, community-oriented, fun night. Elyse Saugstad, a professional skier and airbag backpack advocate who was saved by her pack in a large avalanche near Stevens Pass, WA (Tunnel Creek, 2012), and ABS backpacks Rep John Clausen were on-site to lead a technical discussion about avalanche airbag backpacks, how they work, survival rates and statistics, personal accounts and learning experiences from the field.
Participants got to activate their airbag packs during the event, which added even more fun to the evening. Since all Avalanche Airbag Backpacks should be serviced annually, this was a great opportunity to receive a free servicing and full canister for their ABS, The North Face, Mammut or Ortovox airbag packs. We also offered special discounts on Avalanche Airbag Backpacks for attendees! Thanks to our sponsors for the evening, ABS Avalanche Airbag Systems, Ortovox Avalanche Safety Equipment and The North Face!
Lake Tahoe is usually a snowy paradise featuring spectacular resorts filled with fun adventures for the entire family. With between 300 to 500 inches of snow in many years, this family-friendly ski destination is always ready to be enjoyed all season long. As California’s premier ski destination, there is no shortage of stunning scenery and world class resorts ready to welcome your family and their love for snow sports. However, it is important to remember that while most resorts welcome kids and offer skiing for children, there are some that are able to cater to specific needs better than others. To help ensure that your family enjoys a memorable vacation in the mountains, we’re highlighting some of Tahoe’s favorite family ski resorts.
Resorts for Families with Younger Children
If you can’t wait to get your little one on skis for the very first time, a number of the Tahoe ski resorts offer schools for the tiniest of tots. Squaw Valley Resort features a program that can teach kids as young as three. Each child learns on the flats and is in a class that has 3 students for every teacher. As learning can be tiring, it is recommend to only enroll your child for a half-day and then place them into daycare for the rest of the day while you enjoy personal time on the slopes. When it comes to daycare, it’s hard to beat Minor’s Camp at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. Not all resorts offer on-site child care in Tahoe and Northstar’s Minor’s Camp accepts children between the ages of 2 and 6. The facility is licensed by the state and boasts a ratio of 1 adult to every 5 children. There are plenty of activities for the children and the best part is that parents can get a free adult lift ticket when they book their child for an entire day. In addition to Northstar, the Child Ski Center at Diamond Peak Ski Resort teaches kids between 3 and 7, also at a ratio of 5 kids to each instructor, and their separate learning area with a surface lift is a great place to learn.They’ll also have access to activities only available in the Child Ski Center, like tubing, sledding, crafts and fun games. If your children are younger than 2, the only childcare available is at Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe, which will accept children 2 months and older.
Resorts for Learning to Ski
When it comes to teaching kids how to ski, parents have two choices: to enroll in ski school or teach their own kids. If you want a school that is cost-effective and offers good value, Alpine Meadows Ski Resort is a great place to go. Located on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, this smaller resort has a great program for kids learning to ski. The full and half-day programs at Alpine are designed for children as young as three years old. The cost is highly affordable relative to other resorts in the area with lunch and kid’s ski equipment rentals included and the resort itself is less crowded, creating a comfortable environment for families. Each child is also tracked with a Falk GPS tracking device to ensure that they never go missing.
If you would rather teach your own kids to ski, Soda Springs Resort is not a bad place to start. Designed with children in mind, this resort features an area known as “Planet Kids” for children 8 and under that enables parents to coach their kids as they learn to ski or snowboard. The area features a number of small bunny slopes and the best part is that it comes with a magic carpet that will slowly and safely take your kids back to the top of the hill. It’s incredibly affordable and if your child gets bored of skiing, there are snow tubes and the popular tube carousel to enjoy.
Resorts for All-Inclusive Family Adventures
Although it’s likely the most expensive ski resort in Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley Resort is a favorite among families for the stay-and-ski experience offered. The best part for most families is that it’s a one-stop-shop filled with upscale stores, restaurants, luxury hotel rooms and plenty of snowy adventures. Once you arrive at the resort, you never have to leave…except to visit Tahoe Mountain Sports and get an up-close view of the lake, of course! The entire experience in all aspects of resort life is consistent with what you would expect at a luxury hotel. Families have a number of activities to enjoy including ski school, ice-skating, hot tubs, and a heated pool. There is also the ever-popular tram (cable car) ride that boasts incredible views of Squaw Valley and even a climbing wall.
Resorts with Fun for the Whole Family
If you’re looking for a resort that can offer a great time for all members of the family, Heavenly Ski Resort is a good choice for your family. You won’t need any divine intervention to enjoy this resort that boasts the highest elevation and most vertical feet of any ski resorts on the West Coast. For the younger children, skiing and snowboarding lessons are available while others can check out the wide array of other snowy activities including snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tubing, and snow-biking. The Gondola is a highlight for almost everyone featuring amazing views of Lake Tahoe from a fully enclosed lift. In addition, there are plenty of intermediate runs for families to enjoy skiing and snowboarding together as well as the only day care that can accommodate children as young as 2 months old. The daycare also features ski-play programs for children that need to be gradually eased onto the slopes. Although there is no accommodation on-site, there are plenty of dining choices scattered along the mountainside including healthy options, gourmet cuisine, and tasty burgers. The staff bring the resort to life while the competitive prices make it affordable for many families, leaving plenty of opportunities for wintry adventures in 2014.
Tahoe is just filled with family-friendly ski resorts that offer something for your entire group of loved ones. For those that want added adventures in the snow beyond traditional snowboarding or skiing, there are always plenty of places to check out, including snowmobiling at Kirkwood Mountain Resort as well as tubing and sledding at Boreal Mountain Resort. It’s just a few of the many reasons to come on a ski vacation in Tahoe this year!
Tahoe Mountain Sports is proud to carry the top-dogs in the snow safety game, and we’re especially stoked onOrtovoxAvalanche Emergency Equipment for 2014. They recently teamed up with ABS to launch a line of avalanche airbag backpacks, a partnership that we’re excited about not only because we love Ortovox backpacks, but we also stand by ABS airbags and their commitment to excellence in snow safety. The Twin Airbag System is top-of-the-line (click here to read more about the ABSTwin Airbag System), and Ortovox went the extra distance to make the system removable in their ski and ride packs so you can choose to ride with or without, depending on conditions and the extent of your backcountry adventure.
Not only are we backing the Ortovox ski packs for 2014, but their avalanche transceivers, backcountry shovels and snow probes are also a favorite here at the shop. Their transceivers feature Smart Antennae and Third Antennae technologies that pinpoint multiple burial victims and give the most accurate distance and directional readings. Their shovels are super-strong, rigid and lightweight so you can pierce through tough crusts and move lots of dense and heavy snow quickly and efficiently. Ortovox probes are also light and strong, and you can count on them during emergencies to deploy without delay and penetrate snow without snapping or fracturing under pressure.
When we leave the house, the hut, the tent or the trailhead, we all hope that unless we’re going out to practice our backcountry safety skills, our emergency snow equipment will never have to leave our backpacks. When the time does come to use that gear, we have to know we can depend on it. Our lives and our friends’ lives will depend on it. Practice all you want; if your gear can’t be trusted you’ll be no good in the field when disaster strikes. That’s why we only carry the best avalanche safety equipment in our fleet, and why you see Ortovox throughout the shop and our online gear store.
Thanks to Ortovox and the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education (AIARE) for providing the slides for this instructional avalanche safety video:
Check out these top contenders in the snow safety category for 2014:
Ortovox M.A.S.S. Modular ABS Airbag Safety System
Weighing less than three pounds and deploying in about three seconds, the Ortovox ABS system is compatible with all Ortovox avalanche packs. With twin airbags, you’re protected from the head to the torso. Ortovox couldn’t have made a better decision than to team up with ABS’s 28 years of airbag expertise and Twinbag technology.
Ortovox Tour 32+7 ABS Ready Backpack
Back, hip and shoulder muscles are relieved by the Vent-O-Flex back system and an O-Shaped frame, and an extra 20% of space can be added for larger tours by simply unzipping the middle section. The Ortovox Tour 32 + 7 is ready for you to add the airbag system, but if the terrain or conditions don’t necessitate airbags, just leave them behind save a bit of space/weight. Securely attach your skis diagonally or strap your board vertically, stash your skins and crampons in a separate pocket, and rotate the activation handle from left to right arm depending on user-preference. This is one really, really versatile backcountry pack.
Ortovox S1+ Avalanche Transceiver
The Ortovox S1+ is super-smart. Users can now see a display screen with the relative location of burial victims and be directed toward them along the fastest route. This beacon also features the Smart Antennae, which gives you 43% more range than other transceivers by choosing the best signal to transmit based on the body’s position in the snow. Multiple burials? No problem. Well, that’s actually a major problem, but the S1+ will locate up to 4 buried victims and mark each individually so you can continue searching while your partners dig. Also includes built-in slope Inclinometer and will automatically revert back to transmission-mode if it doesn’t move for over one minute during search mode (think ‘follow-up’ or ‘secondary’ avalanche).
Ortovox Beast Saw Shovel
High sidewalls and a robust aluminum scoop provide ultimate strength and rigidity in a pack-friendly, collapsible snow shovel that weighs less than two pounds. Inside the shaft lives a snow saw, ideal for carving Rutsch blocks during snow-stability tests and cutting firewood when you end up in survival-mode. The Beast Saw Shovel is ergonomically advanced: a T-handle and lower-hand-grip improve efficient digging in wet conditions, and the oval-shaped, aluminum shaft is stronger than standard snow shovel designs. Don’t need a blade? The Ortovox Beast offers all the same great features and strength, minus the saw for $20 less.
Ortovox 240 HD PFA Probe
A PFA quick-release tension system deploys in seconds so you’re not stuck wasting any time during a rescue. It also packs back up really fast in case you need to book it out of the backcountry after the rescue. It only weighs 0.7 lbs and is one of the strongest avalanche probes on the market, with a piercing tip that penetrates hard snowpacks with little effort. AL 7075 TS aluminum light and stiff, thus the best choice for probe construction, and an EVA grip is easier to manage and keeps your hands warmer so you can dig more efficiently.
It seems there were some popular terms used frequently in this post: “safe”, “strong”, “efficient”, “lightweight”, “smart”. Do those words mean anything to you, as a backcountry traveler? This is not a coincidence. You can trust in Ortovox Avalanche Emergency Equipment.
Tahoe Mountain Sports also does Ortovox Firmware upgrades for Ortovox transceivers, updating them with the latest versions of Ortovox software to keep you as safe as possible with each passing year. To update your Ortovox beacon, click here: Ortovox Beacon Upgrade - you can either send your beacon to us, or bring it into the shop, and we’ll turn the update around within 24 hours.
I don’t need to tell you. If you’re here, you know it. If you’re not, you’ve probably heard. The snow conditions are seriously pressing on our nerves in Tahoe. It hurts. It hurts the bottom of your skis, it hurts local businesses and it hurts the local morale.
This is where I could mention some hurtful stats about this year being California’s driest winter on-record or drop some depressing figures regarding snow- and tourism-related economics. Instead, I’ve got some great news! Lake Tahoe has more year-round outdoor fun than any other ski town…probably anywhere. The lake itself offers a plethora of activities, from stand-up paddling, kayaking and boating off-shore to countless foot paths and bike trails on-shore. Although, you may need to stay closer to lake-level to find completely dry and clear trails. If you’re into fishing, the local tributaries will offer you a challenge in beautiful terrain. If you climb, you’re in luck; we’re completely surrounded by granite. You may not find as much ice to climb this time of year, but there are plenty of frozen ponds to go for a skate.
When you’re fortunate enough to see the views that I do every day, it’s possible to eventually take advantage of the fact that you live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I’m not saying that I do, just that it’s possible! Since I make it a point to Do Something Awesome Every Day, I figure sharing some ideas for adventure would be appropriate. Especially given these “winter” conditions and the notion that we’re all thinking the same thing: “What do I do around Tahoe when there’s no snow?”
Run On The Beach The fact that a sandy stretch of shoreline is available to our free use is almost unbelievable. In the winter months, when the sun’s shining and the temps are in the 40′s, the weather is perfect for running and you’ll often have much of the beach to yourself. So get into some cold weather running clothing, seek out a public access point and take a jog. If the amazing views, solitude and the pleasure of an aerobic workout aren’t enough to keep you moving, then think of it as “late-season ski conditioning”.
In-Bounds “Backcountry” Skiing You got all your backcountry skiing gear ready for the season, and now you have no powder fields to explore. Sure, the lifts are running from 8:30-4:00 daily, but that’s just not good enough. You want a workout, and you want to slap on those climbing skins that hung out in your closet the past nine months. Skin up the resort! Most ski resorts let the public use their groomed runs during non-operational hours (4:01 p.m. – 8:29 a.m.) *If you have information that proves me wrong, please correct me before you fine me for doing something awesome every day. So, if you want to get some exercise on your touring setup or you’re itching for some softer snow, take advantage of the man-made morning corduroy at the local resorts. Bonus: Starting a little after 4 p.m. and climbing an hour or so to the top usually rewards with a killer sunset. Pack a headlamp for skiing just in case; if you want to be off the mountain by 8:29 a.m. and don’t want to move too fast uphill, or you want to take your time watching the sunset before descending, you may be required to travel in the dark. And once again, Leave No Trace so we don’t ruin our reputation with the resorts. In my case, I bring extra doggy bags.
