Five Steps to Buying a Cheap Telemark Ski Setup

Gered makes his own climbing skins out of snow.

November is a tough month for skiers. Your mailbox is filling up with ski magazines, your inbox is getting blasted with announcements for ski movie premiers and resort lodging specials, and you've already dusted off your gear and put the ski rack back on your car. Still, the season still seems so very far away. Sure, you may get an October treat to tide you over for a few days but pretty soon it's brown and bleak again and you're counting down the days until you can make some real turns.

1000 Miles from Home

Somewhere near mile 994.

I traveled a thousand miles from home this year....and I did it all on a mountain bike.

Trip Report- Millstone Hill Trails: True Grit (October 2011)

One of the many bedrock spines.

At the geographic heart of the Green Mountains, the trails at Millstone Hill near Barre are the embodiment of Vermont's stern and ingenious spirit and among its premiere mountain biking destinations.

While you probably won't need your climbing harness or pitons, you'll need to bring a heaping helping of true grit.

This is the Year: Alaska Heli-Ski Video

There is only one guy I know who is more fanatical about skiing than Andy: My friend Ben Szekely.

Ben has been gracious to lead me down some of the best lines I have ever skied and this past spring he set some of his own personal bests out in Girdwood, Alaska heli-skiing with Chugach Powder Guides. He put together this video of his footage for a CGP/GoPro contest.

While this guy can rip some big lines, Ben is based in Boston and hones his chops on New England slopes like the rest of us. The brief East Coast cameo in the video is likely the first time heli-skiing and Bretton Woods have ever been associated with one another.

Check out the video and let Ben know what you think.

Christmas in October II

Zen shot of Brad pulling out his only real turn.

For all of you hunters/skiiers out there waiting anxiously at the top of tree stands this weekend for a chance to put a cap in Bambi's A@@, well you really did miss out on the big payoff. The meal ticket. Christmas in October 2.

This is the second year in a row that Nor'EasterBC has been making October schuss. We were on the slopes at KMart on Oct 16th last year for an epic high mountain Nor'Easter, and had a chance to do it all again this morning on Ascutney, every lazy BC skier's favorite private playground.

2011-2012 Backcountry Ski Comparison Chart

Snow is finally falling which means that it's time for this year's backcountry ski comparison chart.  I've already been busy stalking this year's boards, and the fruits of my obsessive-compulsive labors are here for your enjoyment.