Ian Provo

Capitol Reef National Park

2013-05-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

This rugged strip of land in southern Utah is worth checking out, and I'm not sure why it took me 10 years to do so. Its only four and half hours from my house to the deep sandstone canyons and broad deserts that make up this weird, and completely unique part of the planet. Capitol Reef is an exceptional place to wander through when the temperatures are in the mid 70's and the weather is pristine, as it was for my girlfriends birthday. We checked out the halls creek narrows at the southern end of the park, and

made a nice 23 mile overnighter out of it...

everything you need for the desert here:

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Alaska 2013 from my iPhone

2013-05-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Back home from Alaska for nearly 20 days now, and I still can't believe it. The great land of the north was good to us this year. After our first trip to Alaska in 2012, my brother and I were determined to return this spring with more knowledge and a better understanding of how things work up there, and with any luck, ski the best runs of our lives.
We decided to buy roundtrip plane tickets out of Salt Lake for $699 to Anchorage, packed with only the absolute essentials for living and skiing in the bush for a month. The first part of our trip we teamed up with the Howell brothers, Jonah and Noah of the Powderwhores, and together we planned to camp out on a glacier high in the Tordrillo mountains for 12 days. A fifty minute flight in a 1950's beaver had the four of us positioned right where we needed to be, in the middle of nowhere...

^ we weren't very heavy when we flew in. The uphill landing approach and flat light made it feel like we were going to crash into the mountain side, but thanks to our pilot Joe, we landed safely. For fear of sliding backwards, three of us held on to the struts as Joe cranked up the throttle and slowly broke free. After flipping a bitch he pointed it downhill and he was off.

Now the fun part, building up a base camp. I spent my entire childhood running around the woods of Connecticut constructing all kinds of cool forts and secret hideouts with my brothers. 20 years later and nothing has changed except the locations. I love setting up a proper camp.

^ As soon as we were dropped off, we put up the stronghold provided by mountain hardware, and a storm rolled in. Perfect timing really. We spent the first day waiting out the storm by reading, digging a snow cave, playing games, drinking, etc.

Perhaps the most important piece of equipment for me on the trip was the iPhone. Its an incredibly powerful tool, never-mind the fact that its telephone and internet capabilities were completely useless. While the never ending music, real time GPS, high resolution images, and Tiger Woods 2012 among many other features are very plush to have, none of it would would have been possible without power.
For that we teamed up with Goal Zero. Their solar panels and battery packs were just what we needed to keep our "phones" charged up the entire time, not to mention all of the other professional cameras, gopros, laptop, and speakers. So I have to give a big shout out to Goal Zero for giving us the ability to bring our technology deep into the backcountry, to gather images to bring back and share with everyone at home.

^ Here's a photo of Neil having a nice guzzle. Waiting out the storm on the first day, we were just trying to drink the sky blue like they do in the movies! You may notice some of the photos are a bit blurry, and its not because we drank too much whisky. All of the pictures in this post were shot with my iPhone, powered by Goal Zero Guide 10, or Sherpa 50 battery packs. I'm continually amazed with the quality of photos, and ease of use provided by the little gadgets.

^ As it turned out, we were able to drink the sky blue. A 1/5 of hundred proof peppermint schnapps did the trick. The next morning we woke up to 20 inches of the fluffiest snow I've ever seen and breaking clouds. We clicked into our skis for the first time and broke trail through deep snow to a high point above camp to get the first look at our surroundings. Our camp position was so fucking choice its not even funny. Perched on top of a saddle bisecting two massive glaciers, at the foot of the highest peaks in the Tordrillo mountains, we were in position!

We spent the first few days skiing around camp, testing out the snowpack, and lapping up the deep powder on the south faces. The area began to open up to us and potential objectives were noted.

^ Our zone was perfect. There were plenty of short, steep lines with minimal exposure around camp to give us a good taste, and allow us to learn about the terrain and snow. After the first snow storm on day one, the skies opened up for us and it remained clear and cold for the remainder of our trip. The powder was so perfectly preserved, and without any wind to fuck things up, we skied amazingly stable blower snow the entire time. It was unreal.

^ With the help of our verts, which are essentially small snow shoes to aid in climbing up through deep snow, we were able to go anywhere we wanted. Often times the best choice was to climb the lines directly, but every so often we were able to gain the safety of a ridge.

^ click on the pano to view larger size.

^ This is the kind of terrain I have been dreaming about for the last 10 years. After we skied all of the low hanging fruits around camp, we began to venture further out on to the glacier. We explored different branches of the glacier, always curious what might lie around the bend.

^ Eventually we made it to the top of our first true, alaskan summit. It was a beauty of a peak with an airy summit pyramid, enough room from my brother and I and perhaps one more.

^ looking down the line from the top, 2500 feet up off the deck. I lost the rock paper scissor match and Neil was awarded with the first drop. We called the route "Thanks Joe" for the pilot who dropped us off, because thanks to him we were riding the best runs of our lives.

^ As the trip progressed, the lines got bigger and the walks got longer. We called this the long walk wall because it was a long ass walk to get there. By the end of the trip though we were feeling strong and confident.

^ One of the highlights of the trip for me was coming across these fresh wolverine tracks. I've always been fascinated by the animal, and I was fired up to think there was one nearby. We followed his tracks and eventually we ended up in a beautiful cirque full of glorious big lines.

^ Wolverine Cirque (x10)

^ Halfway up one of the couloirs, looking back down. This would end up being the last line I skied in the Tordrillos. After 9 consecutive blue bird days shredding powder, we were almost out of gas and food and it was time to fly out. It was a shame really, we felt like we had just unlocked the zone, and I was very sad to leave. But I also felt great about what we had accomplished.

All of the footage we gathered from our camping trip on the glacier will be featured in the Powderwhores newest film to be released this fall. Be sure to check it out!

As a small side story, a few days before we were set to fly out, a group of campers were dropped off, 3 miles down the glacier from us. The next day they showed up at our camp and sure enough it was our friends from sweet grass productions! We shared drinks and smokes and stories and we wished them farewell. I think they also had an amazing trip.

^ We recharged in Anchorage for a few days, while another storm refreshed the mountains. After securing the cheapest rental car we could find, we hit the road for two weeks camping about the Girdwood area and Turnigan Pass.

^ We stayed in this little hut for a night and enjoyed some of the finest tree skiing in Alaska. The accommodations were five star compared to what we were used to.

^ Turnigan Pass

^ Our last day of riding In Alaska was sublime. What better way to celebrate a successful spring in AK then to shred a 2000' ft spine wall with our two good buddies, Pep Fujas and Zach Clanton, under glorious evening light.

This trip was an incredible experience, proving to me that you don't need a helicopter or huge budget to ride quality lines in Alaska. With three thousand bucks and the right gear you can go a long way, of course you have to like hiking... a lot.

- Get geared up for any adventure at backcountry.com -

when the moon is looking right...

2013-03-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

12/30/12 A brilliant full moon illuminates the massive north west face of Mount Shuksan, revealing all of the glorious potential in a mesmerizing new light. It was about 4 am and we were getting ready to drop in through some deep, moonlit powder to reach the base of the mountain. It was one of the best days I've ever had on skis.

2/27/13 All of a sudden we were in position. The moon was big and bright, and the storm that had freshened up our mountains was now on its way east to Colorado. At the top of the hill I was refreshed and excited to find out that instead of the wind and sun hammered environment I was expecting, the air was dead still, and the snow was in quality form. Everything seems so pristine under the glow of a full moon, especially laying tracks through a field of powder.

Desert Spines - 2010

2013-02-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

As a southerly flow begins to make its way into Utah's red rock country, bringing with it cold winds and dry powder, I can't help but wonder if the spines and gullies are in. Memories of the great 2010 winter are still fresh, when the snowpack was fat and sexy....

Even at 7500' there was enough snow to take it all the way to the desert floor.

Some sweet looking lines at 10500', and a lot more wind.

trippy

the "look but do not touch" spines

Well, if I wasn't nursing two subperiosteal hematomas and a flesh wound (its a long story, but essentially I ate shit on to some rocks, hard) you know where I might be doing some exploring this week.

Temple Basin, NZ

2013-02-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

Here's a few iphone shots from my trip to Temple Basin this past summer with a crew from Armada Skis. This little club field in the middle of the Southern Alps had some of the sickest terrain I've ever seen accessed by rope tows. Its truly a one of a kind ski experience.

The little nutcracker style rope tows will only bring you so far at Temple Basin. At which point, boot packing straight up to the ridge opens up a massive amount of big terrain. Unlimited potential...

This was the second time i've been able to ski with one of my idols, JP Auclair. The first time was down in Chile about 3 years ago and we had a pretty solid adventure skiing a big couloir. He loves going for the big glory lines.

this was the biggest line of the trip for us, off the top of Phipps peak down some fun ramps and spines.

Todd Windle and JP Auclair booting up the south face of Phipps. It was pretty exposed, but with the stable conditions it was a lot of fun and the skiing was really good and steep. New Zealand totally blew my mind, the skiing, the fishing, the mountains, it was all unreal.

Steelhead and Spines in Alaska...

2012-12-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

Steelhead and Spines- The Provo Bros from The Provo Bros on Vimeo.

Our addiction to mountains and rivers has always had us looking north to Alaska, where big fish and mountains existed on a level we had only experienced in our dreams. As the winter of 2012 continued to disappoint in the lower 48, it was obvious that Alaska was being buried in snow. It seemed like the time was right, that maybe after 10 years of "practice" in Utah, we were ready for our journey north. We hit the road in March, putting everything we had into our first and for all we knew, our last adventure to Alaska, with two things on our mind, steelhead and spines.

We joined forces with three of our friends from Utah, for a ski-plane assisted camping expedition in the heart of south eastern Alaska's backcountry. Over 50 miles by wing from the nearest road, our pilot dropped the 5 of us off on a big lonely glacier encircled by jagged mountains, and in the spirit of adventure, wished us good luck. We would need it. From that point on, the feeling of being completely alone in a wild and unknown land for the first time in our lives penetrated every cell in our bodies. Only one person in our group had ever been to Alaska, Chris Coulter. On day 8 when he suddenly left to work in Haines as a heli guide, the feeling of isolation crept deeper into our minds, and it had never felt so good.

We chose to do this trip without any guides, plans, itineraries, or rules simply because we wanted to have our own experience. We wanted it to be raw, unknown, and we wanted it to be an adventure. Of course the style we chose made things much more difficult for us than they could have been, but the feeling of accomplishment was immense. We found glorious spines to ride, and stumbled upon one of the best runs of wild Steelhead in the world. Returning home safely from our first journey to Alaska signified a successful mission, along with the wonderful new memories from the greatest riding and fishing experiences of our lives.

First tracks in Utah

2012-10-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

The first big storm of the year set down a blanket of snow over northern Utah nearly 3 feet deep. Its tradition for my brother and I to bust out the boards after the first storm. On some years, we'll be snow skating on 4 inches of slush. Some years we get lucky though, and our first turns are made through a layer of balls deep, blower, utah pow....

Castle in the sky

2012-10-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Bald Mountain trail is a relatively unknown track in the Uinta mountains that begins at the rivers edge, and delivers you to the vast alpine plateaus at the roof of utah. At the end of the trail is an incredible area known as Red Castle. The trail is steep until the 11,500' contour line, at which point you step out onto the tundra, and for many miles the sky is big and views of the north slope and Utah's largest wilderness are massive.

Glacier Bay from the air...

2012-08-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, the highlight of our first trip to Alaska was spending time with Drake Olson in his Super Cub bush plane, 53 Charlie. Between recon flights, glacier drops, and a shuttle to Alaska's premier steelheading river, we spent over 3 hours in the air with Drake frothing over the wildest mountains our eyes had ever seen, as Jimmi Hendrix ripped through the headsets. Drake was absolutely essential for our mission in Alaska and we couldn't have asked for better air support. Non-stop shit talking and jokes interspersed between serious knowledge of the mountains really made for an all time experience, and he never missed an opportunity to try and scare the life out of us! Here are some photos we shot from the air....

The Man

Drake may be a jokester, but he takes his job very seriously.

Our good buddy, and motivator for the glacier camp, Zach Clanton shooting reconnaissance photos. Choosing a campsite from the air turned out to be a lot harder than we thought.

The heaviest pillow stacks I've ever seen

entering the Fairweather Range, Mount Fairweather in the distance

The shoulder of the Fairweather Range in Glacier Bay National Park. Imagine the Himalaya with 1000 inches of snow, thats the Fairweathers.

McConkey's... a zone made famous by Jeremy Jones and his film Deeper. Our friends Drew Tabke and Chopo Diaz skied the massive panel in the light this spring. F*ck ya boys!

Coming in for a landing. Somewhere down on that broad glacier we would setup our temporary home for 18 days. At this point we are more than 50 miles by wing to the nearest town.

Our first look at the zone we would eventually call "Moonshine Cirque". At this point I was shitting my pants because everything was bigger than we thought. Welcome to Alaska!

untouchable

"Hey Drake, Can we come here next year?" "sorry boys thats Canada, but I have an idea......"

Sunset skating...

2012-08-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

One of the reoccurring themes of my summer has been skateboarding at sunset. Its by far the best time of the day to skate, the temps are cool, the kids are gone, and more often then not, the sky turns into a psychedelic display of ever changing colors. Once the monsoon season arrived, sunsets were popping off everyday. I live less than 500 meters from an incredible skate park in a town of 900 people, surrounded by farms and grasslands.

Here is a collection of photos shot and edited with my iPhone from this summer...

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Dome Life

2012-07-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the relentless heat of the summer, I can't help but think back on the coolest campsite we've ever had. We plopped down our tent city in the middle of the glacier, surrounded by heavy mountains. The music never stopped, glacier cakes were always flipping, and by the 18th day our backs began to take on the shape of the community shelter. Dome life in Alaska...

Orvis news: Steelhead & Spines trip report...

2012-06-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

This was originally posted on the orvisnews.com blog. I really want to thank the Orvis company for helping my brother and I out with the right gear for our trip. Going for the hardest fishing challenge of our lives was made a little easier thanks to those guys!

This little write up I did for them has some insight into our primordial DIY Alaskan adventure, but I hope to do some more in depth updates in the future with more photos.

My brother Neil and I had talked about going to Alaska for many years, but the idea to combine fishing and skiing in one trip was kind of new to us. For two diehard ski and fish bums, it seemed like the trip of a lifetime, and the perfect way to see Alaska for the first time. You can only talk about doing something for so long before the urge to bring it to reality becomes too much. We reached that point, and for the first time in our lives we could make this trip happen.

By doing everything on our own, it was obvious we were in for a big learning experience and perhaps more failure than success. Without guides, or planned itineraries, the rawness of the adventure was left completely intact. For us it was important to experience these new mountains and rivers from the ground up, and it didn't matter if someone had done it before or done something greater, because this was going to be our adventure.

For 18 days we lived on a glacier, 50 miles by plane from the nearest anything, with a couple of our buddies from Utah who were also looking for their first Alaskan experiences. We got plenty of those. From the moment our pilot Drake set his plane down till the day he arrived to bring us home, the feeling of being totally isolated and alone for the first time in my life never left my thoughts for a moment. We slowly worked our way into the greatest mountains any of us had ever seen, battling the weather and snow, avalanches, and our own minds. Coming off the glacier our crew smelling like a massive pile, we knew we had done some things wrong, but we did a lot of things right, and that was certainly something to be proud of.

After the mentally and physically exhausting glacier expedition, it was a great relief to finally set our sights on the water. But knowing absolutely nothing about steelhead fishing or where we would go, the anxiety and uncertainty quickly returned. It was very clear to us that if there was going to be any "Steelhead & Spines" concept, well than one of us had better land a fish on this trip, and it should probably be a good one. We decided to fish a river not far from our base camp in Haines, Southeast Alaska. But like most good adventures up here, this one had to start out with a bush plane. Once again we found ourselves flying with Drake through the nastiest mountains our eyes have ever seen, it was hard to believe we were going fishing.

When we landed in the small fishing village of Yakutat, there was still a 2 meter snowpack at sea level. Some of the locals told us not to be afraid of the brown bears who were waking up, but rather to watch out for the moose in the river that will run your ass down. for three days we drifted our watermaster kodiak raft down through the thick cover, camping wherever we could find a dry spot to pitch our tent. We picked the brains of some hardcore steelheaders and with that knowledge we were able to develop our own technique. On the first day we had a bite, and on the second day Neil stuck our first steelhead after thousands of casts, and at that point the biggest fish of his life. It was coming together for us, and we were learning about the style. On the third day, gear soaked from 36 hours of nonstop rain, our moral was low, but we continued to put a fly in every hole. Once again, Neil was on the rod when it got bent for the second time of the trip. After only 5 casts through a beautifully undercut and sticky sweeper, the fish we were dreaming about was on.

Once this fish was released, we had never felt more accomplished, ever. Coming to Alaska, we had only two goals, ride the line and catch the fish of our lives. It didn't matter if only one of us achieved each goal, because we were working as a team and none of the goals would have been reached without the help of each other. The Steelhead & Spines mission was complete, and we began the long drive home knowing that we had the most Alaskan experience we could have ever hoped for. After finally being exposed to this great land, it will be impossible for us to ignore the desire to return.

Pesca en México

2012-06-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

After the most intense 3 months of my life, a real vacation seemed appropriate. While roasting away in my camper in Southeast Alaska, an email came in from a friend asking if I wanted to join him in Mexico the following month for some surfing. At the time, it sounded to good to be true. Next thing I know I've got my brothers and my Mom along for the trip, and what do you know, its her 60th birthday! perfect timing...

^ It took my brother Neil and I a few days to adjust to the immense luxury of the Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita. After a two month ski bumming marathon, living like true dirt bags, it was a shock to find ourselves living this plush lifestyle. Nobody complained. I'm so happy that my mom was able to come along and experience this place with her three boys. ^ this was supposed to be a surf trip, but after a few google searches I was packing my fly-gear along too. ^ fly fishing from the surf was a new experience for us. While we never linked up with the fabled Rooster fish that Mexican surf fishing can be famous for, we had fun searching. We did manage to catch baby Jack Crevalle, Surgeon fish, leopard Grouper, and missed a few monster needle fish.
^ Unfortunately the surf was kind of bunk. But it gave me a chance to learn how to stand up paddle surf. ^rolling to the surf break ^although the waves were small, we were still able to appreciate the potential. I wish it didn't take me so long to discover Mexico, but now that I've been exposed, I'm positive I will go back.

......................................

The moon is looking right...

2012-02-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, the conditions were right for a full moon tour. Every month during the winter when the moon is big, it's always a great idea to go for a little backcountry ski at night. Most of the time its snowing during the winter, but this year we've had more high pressure in Utah than I hope to ever see again. So we had epic conditions for full moon skiing, I'll take that for once...

^We hung out on a ridge top for the sunset, and then dropped in for big run at twilight.

^with the avalanche conditions as tricky as they are right now, we are not riding anything extreme. This, for a few thousand feet is about as good as it gets right now. We dropped in under the glow of the twilight blue hour, and by the time we reached the car the moon was out at 90%.

^the following night, under strong high pressure and a nearly full moon at 98%, we had an incredible hike into the alpine. It was so bright, headlamps were not needed, and one of the only times they were used was to make this photo.

trying to survive a winter...

2012-02-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

Deadly avalanche conditions continue in Utah, and the surrounding Rocky Mountains. At this point, I'm just trying to survive this winter, without being lured into any traps. Self control is critical, and while we're not skiing any big lines in Utah this winter, I'm taking the chance to practice good decision making, and of course patience... but that doesn't mean there isn't some amazing powder runs to be hit in the backcountry...

Take the following video, viewed by more than 12,000 people in about 2 days. Im literally just cutting a block of snow, big deal. But what it represents is clear, if you tap the wrong slope in the wrong way, you're fucking dead.

1/29/12 Snowpack stability on the PC ridgeline, Utah from The Provo Bros on Vimeo.

^crossing through a very strange group of Aspen trees, as they looked on.

^ripping skins in the Uintas, ALWAYS leads to something good

^sometimes the best powder stashes are heavily guarded. Its kind of like slalom skiing, except there is pow, and if you hit any of the gates your out of the contest for good. Key here is avoid the shadows, ride towards the light

Steelhead & Spines!

2012-01-19T10:09:00.002-07:00

Just over a decade ago, my brother Neil and I began a new life in Utah and started down a path that we knew would someday lead us to places like British Columbia and Alaska. This spring we have a plan to travel further north on the path than we've ever been before, to experience the greatest big mountain riding and steelhead fishing the world has to offer, in one journey.

Sometime in March we will begin our long drive to the mountainous spine riding capitol of the world, Haines, AK. Our goal here is to make our first turns down an Alaskan mountain, while participating in an expedition with six others who are also on the same path ( more on this expedition later... ).

After what is hopefully a successful ski trip, we'll begin part two of the quest and hopefully bring another lifelong dream to reality. This part involves taking a ferry from Haines down through the North Coast of B.C, eventually arriving in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It is here where we enter the most fabled steelheading waters on the planet. We will explore the Skeena and its tributaries, and our timing should be perfect for the spring return of the wild steelhead.

I'm really hopeful that this will evolve into our greatest film project yet, but with any self supported project there will certainly be obstacles along the way. We're going to need all the help we can get! feel free to contact me (ijprovo at hotmail.com) for more information...

Armada SKis @ Retallack Lodge 2012.... like a dream

2012-01-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Its been like ground hog day in Utah for the last 3 months. Wake up, not a cloud in the sky, and absolutely no snow anywhere in sight. I couldn't have been more excited for this annual trip to Retallack, where I knew it was firing and I could escape this devastating drought. The trip was a major tease, and it was kind of like a dream, for more reasons than I could ever describe. It's like I went to sleep in Utah, arrived in this snowglobe winter wonderland in the Interior of BC, skied blower snow for three days without a cloud in the sky, and then my dream turned into a nightmare when I woke up in Utah again. No snow. It was a very surreal trip, maybe not sleeping much for 4 days has added to the illusion. But I know for sure it definitely happened, there were photos on my leica when I got home....

^Goat Range, BC, its on the list, believe me.

What was crazy about this trip, was that I spent over 65 days at this very place last winter, and I never saw one bluebird day like we saw on day 2 of this trip. Lucky we were.

^Johnny Five, master of the joke, keeper of the stoke. Rockin the same toque as last year.

^ Pretty strait forward here, bounce all the way to the end and hope there's a nice place to land. Skiing on the all new Armada Bubba's here. I feel like the mayans prophesied that in the year 2012 I would have these ultimate skis to sacrifice snow pillows for the good of man and to bring even more prosperous snow falls. Maybe not, but these are next level.

randoms...

2012-01-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

^wake up from nap, look out window, "HOLY SHIT"

2 month old recycled ice grains. Not even really snow at that point.

While I wait...

2012-01-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've been watching the dogs a lot lately, while my family members are out having way more fun than me. First it was my moms dog, while she enjoyed a distant beach on an island near Madagascar for nearly a month. Than my younger brother left for a ski bumming road trip leaving me fully in charge of our dog. And most recently I have acquired my older brothers animal while he's away in Costa Rica doing whatever it is one might do in paradise.

So I've been firmly planted, unable to travel away for more than a half day, patiently waiting for my chance to move. Typically this would be a non issue in Utah, but with the sad state of this winter I have been getting antsy. Luckily I live in an area where I could never get bored, a little fishing and biking here and there, and more days skiing flat groomers than I care to admit.

dogz....

1st time biking in january, ever...

Sammy Carlson is on it!

2011-12-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have so much respect for this guy, not only is he an incredibly friendly human and passionate skier, he also knows how to keep it all in perspective. After watching all of this insane footage that he stacked in British Columbia last year, I nearly forgot that he just dominated the X-Games. And if you think this kid just sits around and vacations all summer, you're wrong. Check out his On Top of THE HOOD film. Sammy is fucking on it right now....

2011-12-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

A brand new arsenal of powder skis from Armada sits in a state of neglect. Right now, I'm equipped for a style of skiing that is nothing more than a constant dream at this point. What I need are some cross country skis or even some park skis, but this is Utah, land of the deep, what the hell am I talking about?

This dependence on natural forces is found in only a few other "sports", surfing obviously being one of them. It's the same type of anxiety that the surfers on the north shore experience when the big winter swells fail to arrive (which is obviously not the case this winter, check THIS tube). These lifestyles can be emotional roller coasters, but overall teach patience, understanding, and respect for the earth. A new level of appreciation for the best days ever is reached when it all seems so far away. This year my patience is certainly being tested, as we all wait for the big winter swells to hit the north shore of skiing, the Wasatch Range. And while I'm at it, Keep the Country Country!

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Government extraction of our natural resources...

2011-12-16T20:01:00.002-07:00

^ Bryce Canyon National Park, where nearby coal mining expansion threatens this beautiful piece of earth. The government wants to sell off public lands to further develop nasty strip mines. It does not end...

I found this article first posted on the backcountry.com blog, and it comes from the Adventure Journal.

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2011/10/house-bill-could-ravage-parks-gut-enviro-laws-—-so-extreme-both-right-and-left-are-alarmed/

"The National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, sponsored by Utah’s Congressman Rob Bishop and approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources 26 to 17, waives the power of 36 environmental and other laws within 100 miles of U.S. borders nationwide"

"Environmental laws waived by this legislation include the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Wilderness Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, National Park Service Organic Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act"

To me this sounds like a complete extraction of everything we have in this country whether that be the non-renewable resources, or the last wild lands that are still void of mans exploitation. Our government is hell bent on having complete control over everything in this country. Will the people still have a voice in the future? If its left up to them, then I don't think so.

Baffin Island: A Skier's Journey

2011-12-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is the latest episode from skier/photographer/producer Jordan Manley's web series, A Skier's Journey, which has fast become one of my favorite things to watch on vimeo. This episode tells the tale of 5 skiers on a trip to the incredibly inspiring fjords of Baffin Island, in the Canadian Arctic. This story has all of the elements of what big adventure skiing means to me, and they've done a perfect job of capturing the scale of such a radical landscape. I've never seen such a juxtaposition of extreme verticals and horizontals. Also, how would it be if the worlds largest land carnivore came into camp ? Terrifying.

dog days of winter

2011-12-12T14:00:00.001-07:00

My brother bought a new camera, and I was eager to test it out. We have been shooting with the Canon 5D series ever since its inception, but decided to add his little brother the 7D to the camera block this winter. The 7D is great because of the 8fps photo, 60fps video, and fast autofocus. Its incredibly fast when combined with a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L which I used for these shots. Don't skip the fence, they are watching, and they will eat you...

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Winter is hitting a wall

2011-12-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

It seems that in the western United States, winter has hit a wall, literally! I've had my jet-stream maps opened and looping for the last month and nothing has changed. A massive wall of high pressure is parked over the west, and all of those pretty colors you see on the map above split north and south. Alaska is getting hammered, which I'll be thankful for in April, but the local situation is grim. I keep telling myself that the last 3 years have been incredible and that I am jaded, and now its time to harden the f*ck up and go nordic skiing in the Uintas. That, or the 22 foot walls at Park City which I have not seen in 3 years....