Glide, young man, glide One step, two, each charting closer to near-certain nirvana. For skiers, the skin track is a sacred ritual, perhaps the closest we come to meaningful meditation. When things are good, the rhythm carries us, offsetting the thigh burn as we attain unimaginable objectives. Did we really just do that? Yes, we […]

I’d put in about a year on my Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV tires, and, honestly, I felt like we were pretty good together. Mounted on my Subaru Outback, the Hakkapeliitta R3 had powered through a historic lowlands snowstorm on I-90, gripped its way in and out of Alpental’s notoriously deep Lot 4 parking lot a […]

For half a decade the Black Crows Anima has established itself as a sturdy big mountain ski with a dash of freeski pedigree. I’d heard all about the Black Crows’ charging pow ski, a combination of full-length carbon and Kevlar stringers built to go—and go, fast—but, slowly maneuvering my way down the goat path, this […]

A sidewall puncture, leaky valve stem, or double blow out might be enough to lead any car owner into the rabbit hole of tire research. Experience all three within a year and you might become an amateur tire enthusiast by default. After a streak of luck that could have made for a long-hauling Johnny Cash […]

The Hestra Army Leather GORE-TEX mittens are hands down the warmest mittens I’ve ever worn, the first pair that’s ever kept my hands warm on a less than 25 degrees Farenheit day of riding. In addition to their unmatched warmth, the GORE-TEX has proven critical in the Pacific Northwest’s typical near-freezing, ultra-wet, hot powder conditions. I tend to run […]

Disclosure: Sponsored by The North Face. Please note that the links below are affiliate links. All claims about the performance of the product have been substantiated by The North Face.  Getting wet is a persistent issue in the Pacific Northwest. We go storm skiing on the regular, and touring is a big part of the […]