The Snow Troopers

Take a look at the conditions on Mt. Rainier from this past Monday (1-26-15), through the lens of Carl Simpson. The Sun was out the temps were up (with a little wind effect, but Tara, Carl, Zack and company always tend to finds the pockets of goodness), making it seem like post season with big coverage. Thinking I might have to make the drive up to Rainier too, as it truly feels like June here at Hyak, with almost NO snow on the slope.

video and photo credit / Carl Simpson, skier / Tara Simpson

I was out skiing the lower elevation lifts on Snoqualmie Pass yesterday, and MAN, it’s close to being put on hold (that’s just my view of how it felt in the gut ). However, if you ride mid-mountain and up at Alpental (which is open today 9-4), the conditions are far better. Almost night and day. That being said, Tara and Carl Simpson, who call Crystal Mountain Resort their home, have shared a ton of powder action from the “Higher Zone” (whether it was Crystal or Mt. Rainier NP and/or both), as seen below in Carl’s “mid-January/mid-mountain and up” powder adventure compilation.

photo and video credit / Carl Simpson

It has been a wet month in the Cascades, adding to the really tough times for the WA ski industry, but their is still good skiing to be had… If your timing is good, or you just ski almost every day, like Tara and Carl Simpson, along with their good friends Stephanie and Zack Jessel (all seen in photo to left, minus Carl, who snapped the sweet shot).

Get your spring gear ready for this weekend. No Joke: the forecasters are calling for sun and possibly record breaking temps in the 50s this Sunday. We’re talking T-shirts, shades, sunscreen and maybe even shorts. Who cares if there’s no deep pow and less snow than in past years? What’s there is sufficient and much, much better than expected. In fact, it’s down right spring like – soft and super FUN. No one ever complains when it’s sunny and 50 out in May. So come on out and enjoy it in January! All base areas at the Summit at Snoqualmie will be OPEN except Hyak -where, unfortunately, a section of the new, yet to open Rampart Chair at Snoqualmie Pass’ Hyak ski area collapsed under the weight of an old growth tree (that fell in last Sunday’s wind storm). But, we don’t care – it’s going to be sunny and 50 and FUN. See you out there!

ALRIGHT, time to fill the morning cup of joe and click play for “Week 2″ of JAPow seen through the lenses of Jeff Rich and Jason Hummel, as they capture good times, deep pow, new friends, and old friends Adam Roberts and Tim Black (that helped spark this eye candy treat). They are hitting it perfectly as you will see, and Jeff has already mentioned starting to save for next year’s trip Check out this short, sweet video Jeff put together, then for some great photos of the CURRENT trip, be sure to stop by Jason’s site @ Alpine State of Mind 

above:skier/ Tim Black, below: skier/ Dave Gheriani

photo credits / Jason Hummel / Alpine State of Mind

Wanted to share this super sic POV of Candide Thovex, put together with some cool directing (help from the Val Blanc ski resort), to jump ski racers, patrollers, public, slide the bar/deck scene into the gondola, for the next HOT lap. Wondering about the bird shots, especially the bald eagle seen during one of his backflips

I’ve been meaning to share this one since catching a view of it the other day. Blew my mind, as I entitled this one “There Goes the Neighborhood” because after seeing this one, you realize that those protected tree zones that kept the sleds out in the heavily traveled areas, now can be navigated with a little skill (or maybe a lot). I have a friend up here that has sold both of his sleds a year or so ago, and only rides his bike 4 stoke MX bike with a conversion kit, which takes him only part of a day to swap out. All I can say is, (being a former dirt bike guy) I now see a need to get back into the dirt biking. It’s the world I left for skins and skis, but there has been so many times in the past, where a ribbon of Spring snow across a road forces a mile or two to an approach. I’ve had the thought before in the past, but having a dog, I never moved on the idea. But NOW, with the Timberline Sleds’ conversion kits, you can have a year round device to “Access the Goods”, saving extra energy for climbing another lap/line, rather than the long approach in and out. However, my guess is most guys that have this set up will leave the boards at home.

Better save your pennies though, ’cause they run over 6K.

Pro Ski & Mountain Service + Dynafit (L-R): Tanner Moreland, Ryan, Drew Saunders, Mike Yost, Cody Barnhill, Paul Dukich, Martin Volken, Gina Volken, Dave Guyer

Backcountry skiers joined Cody Barnhill (Dynafit freeride athlete/designer and star of Sweetgrass Production’s award winning film, Valhalla) at Pro Ski and Mountain Service this week to celebrate its unveiling as the Northwest’s only Dynafit Competence Center. Pro Ski and Mountain Service joins a select group of just six other retailers in N. America to partner with Dynafit in this program. Dynafit’s Operations Director, Drew Saunders, was on hand to explain that this group of specialty retailers share the Dynafit DNA and passion for backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. In addition to demonstrating a deep knowledge of, and commitment to, the sport, Pro Ski and Mountain Service is also home to Pro Guiding Service which provides backcountry skiing education, trips and tours -making the address a very special, one stop shop for backcountry skiers. Dynafit recognizes this and reserves the Competence Center designation for only those shops that it holds in high esteem. Drew praised owner, Martin Volken for “setting a high bar; he’s a guide and expert in his field and I can tell you that even personally, when I encounter a situation, I’ll consult the bible of backcountry skiing which Martin wrote – you can’t set the bar any higher than that”. In addition to that book, “Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski touring and Ski mountaineering”, Martin and his team of certified mountain guides have also authored other books: “Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass” and “Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes Washington”.

Mike Yost with Dynafit boots & bindings

Cody and the Dynafit team gave away a pair of sweeet looking Chugach skis (double rocker!! 135-107-121mm, 22m turning radius). The Chugach are Dynafit’s new 2015/16 freeride touring skis which Cody helped design. We saw the skis in action during the party’s screening of Dynafit’s film, From the Road, starring Cody Barnhill, Eric Henderson (on Chugach skis) and team Dynafit (trailer below). The film captures the team’s ski touring trip through Alaska’s iconic heli corridor (i.e. sans heli). Check out the complete line of new Dynafit skis as well as the new Beast bindings and Vulcan boots at Pro Ski and Mountain Service in N. Bend, WA. Live to ski another day!

Here’s a young guy, Zack Moseley, that skis out of Crystal and is a member of the NW Freeride team, who caught my eye at a jr. freeride event Alpental held. Therefore, I immediately clicked play to see what Zack does on a high and dry mid-Winter day. WOW! This kid rocks! Be sure to check it out too, then think cold, deep snow!

CAUTION: little kids and Zack’s grandparents… a couple EXPLICIT lyrics with in the banger pov!!!

Tara Simpson, is best known as Crystal Mountain’s 2014/2015 Dirtbag Queen, simply because of her love for skiing (and her best ski partner, Carl Simpson). Tara and Carl Simpson are quite the team of “year round” skiers, logging more vert than most in the deep pow or Summer sun cups.

Below is Tara’s birthday gathering at Crystal Mountain this past December 19th, 2014. Photo credit (above)/Carl Simpson, and video bellow was captured by Jeff Rich/Carl Simpson and mashed together for our viewing pleasure, by Carl.