The Best Time of the Year

Well, there's finally snow in the mountains and I'm back from my foray into biking.  This summer and fall were as enjoyable as any I can remember but now it's time to ski!  Obviously, the snowpack is shallow, the sharks are lurking, and we really can't ski anything that cool yet.  But, I feel the anticipation and excitement that rolls into the season and accompanies the first few storms (combined with the holidays), makes early winter the best time of the year.

SCARPA has recently released a video to highlight their Freedom SL boot.  While I choose to pursue a slightly different style of skiing, the video is beautiful and I can't wait to move around in the mountains with the freedom provided by my other gear.



For those that are more into the "light is right" philosophy, there are now more options than ever.  Some good reviews are available at skintrack.com and some great deals can be found at skimo.co

Skintrack.com is a website produced primarily by Stano Faban and is a huge resource for folks getting into the sport.  It also serves as a nice media outlet that covers recent events in the sport on this side of the Atlantic.

Skimo.co is an internet based company specializing in lightweight ski mountaineering gear.  They are based in Salt Lake City and have one of the widest selections of this type of gear in the world.  It's run by Jason Borro who is quickly becoming the most knowledgeable gear head on the planet when it comes to all things light.  He takes time to personally answer questions, stands by his products, and will guide you based on what's right for your skiing rather than his bottom line.  Multiple times, I've needed something last minute for a race or adventure and have only been able to get gear from him when other outlets are closed or too slow or out of stock.

Last, adding to the anticipation surrounding this coming winter, there's rumor that I'll get to fondle some of these in the near future!

Photo taken from Wildsnow.com

If that turns out to be the case, I'll put up more photos and a real review.  And, I'll let my friends come touch them too!