I’ve been in the market for a hooded softshell that can bridge the gap between burly inbounds jacket, breathable and functional touring jacket and something to wear around town when the weather gets a little brisk. After years of searching, I think I’ve finally found the right match in the Stio Vescent Softshell jacket. But first, a little background on the jacket and on Stio as a company, as it too, has been a gear company I’ve been waiting for quite some time. In 2007, I stumbled upon a nice looking, versatile “fleece” on the clearance shelf at REI with a Cloudveil logo on the chest. It was referred to at the time as the Cloudveil Gridlock Fleece with Windstopper technology that was used for the better part of 5 years as a do-it-all jacket in all seasons. I also owned a Cloudveil Koven “Hardshell” that had an innovative “Cloudburst stretch” material that gave it the feel and function of a softshell, but also contained the waterproofness of a hard shell with pit-zips. Keep reading…
Because snow can be a tough commodity to come by in Rocky Mountain National Park, it pays to be patient and take advantage when conditions are right. A week ago the Longs massif was as stacked as we’d ever seen it, so Rick, Marc, Brian and I decided to go for the Dragon Egg Couloir on Mt. Meeker. Keep reading…
Upon the strong recommendation of Ben and Brian I decided to pull the trigger and get a pair of Ski Logik Howitzers for my backcountry skiing adventures. Being an unemployed mechanical engineer means I don’t want to spend even more money for a ski shop to mount my skis. Add to that a lot of free time and the “I can build anything” arrogance that comes with being an engineer and it’s not hard to see how Ben and I ended up in my garage about to drill holes in one of the most beautiful pairs of skis I have ever seen. Keep reading…
When you tour thin snow on mountain passes in the fall, ski hard at the resorts all winter, and cap off your season with a lineup of ski mountaineering objectives in the spring, it’s a good idea to get some solid protection for your noggin. While a collection of helmets for each season’s activities and temperatures will certainly suffice, a quiver-of-one option that excels in all scenarios may be preferable. Enter the Carbon X from Pret Helmets, an up-and-coming Park City, Utah based company known for making versatile, high quality head protection. New for the 2015/16 season, the Carbon X is Pret’s highest spec’d helmet to date, combining multiple technologies into a single, fully ventilated and impressively lightweight package that will keep your head protected and comfortable from October to June. Read more…
