Of Tahoe’s backcountry skiing destinations, one stands above the rest- Mt. Tallac. Backcountry Skiing Mt. Tallac is probably one of the most alluring goals for Tahoe skiers, as the peak rises 3300′ from lake level- not the highest summit in Tahoe, but the most dramatic. I had skied it in mid-winter conditions in early 2011, again […]
We’d seen some intriguing photos on instagram of arches in the Eastern Sierras, and when we ran across this article on the Crowley Lake Columns, we thought our Thanksgiving road trip would be a great chance to check them out. A prior attempt to see the columns in August had been aborted when smoke marred […]
In 2012, a friend from the PCT told me about some slot canyons he’d been to north of Mono Lake- but knowing California’s geography, it was hard to imagine anything dramatic in the barren hills of the Mono Basin. This past Thanksgiving, we took a roadtrip down the Eastern Sierras, and thanks to Galina’s recovering […]
By Bennett Chabot, SummitforDays team November in the Desert Call me uncreative, but I’m hard pressed to find a 4 day rock climbing trip in November that can beat Red Rock Canyon, NV. Although it became a marketing campaign this year to #OptOutside on the Thanksgiving weekend, it’s one I can support. And for a […]
I recently mounted a pair of Dynafit Speed Superlite bindings (original version prior to 2015-2016 model year; not V2.0), and wanted to share my notes from the process, as I found very few resources online for do-it-yourself mounting at home. Feel free to contact me with additional suggestions. Mounting these tech race bindings requires much greater […]
Far from the smooth slopes of the ski resorts, winter in Tahoe also offers up interesting snow and ice climbs in Tahoe- if you know where to look. South of the lake, near Carson Pass, the craggy cliffs of Roundtop Peak jut towards the sky- dark volcanic rock painted with brilliant white couloirs and gullies, perfect […]
Hike your own hike. I enjoy planning for big trips- but in hindsight I realize that I could have invested less time and stress in preparations, and still had just as much fun. Many hikers do little or no preparation, and once I hit the trail I realized that all of my planning and structure […]
Backpack: I hike ultralight, and am a fan of frameless packs- I brought the lightest backpack I knew of at the time, the Gossamer Gear G4 (14oz). It took some time to get used to organizing all of my gear using the pockets, but I came to like the simplicity and love the comfort, even carrying […]
The following posts are from my trail blog of my four-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Hike your own hike. The following entries will offer perspectives developed from my experience on the trail, but my experience is limited to the gear I carried, the year in which I hiked, and […]
