Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

This time of year is excellent for exploring a winter wonderland practically in your own backyard. Grab your snowshoes and head up to the north side of Big Tesuque or Raven’s Ridge. There you will find plenty of the untrodden fluffy stuff. If you look closely in these meadows you will find the tracks of snowshoe hare, field mice, fox, coyote, and sometimes just the wing print of a large owl bisecting the tiny footprints of a mouse. This is a hidden realm that only quietly hiking through the snow can reveal.
Another merit of snowshoeing is that its nearly free whether you rent or own your snowshoes. Just pack a lunch, load up the car with kids and dogs and make a day of it.
The trick to snowshoeing is to follow a trail on the way up then come down through the powder. The steeps in snowshoe turns equivilate to trying to stay on top of the snow by using your snowshoes and poles just like a skier following the fall line.
So take the time this winter to get out experience the mountains, get some exercise, and have some fun.

Skiing in the backcountry is becoming a hot ticket in today’s modern ski world. As more areas open up the gates and allow skiers to access the back country at there own risk, interest is peaking and inevitably there are more tracks out back than I have ever seen before. Skiing in the back-country offers up the possibility of fresh lines and some how feeds that radical spirit of the “free heel skier”. Whatever draws you to skiing out of bounds there are some critical pieces of gear that should be included in every backcountry skier’s pack. While the seduction to ski untracked powder can be great, one should always take heed and remember that with the thrill comes great risk of injury and the  looming possibility the temptress will unleash a nightmarish hell in the form of an avalanche. If your skiing in the backcountry this winter here are a couple of items to review before you head out for the first time this season. There is no equipment that replaces good judgement.

Before I head out into the backcountry for my first tour of the season, I like to take some time and go over my ski pack which I consider a lifeline for me and the people I ski with. Backcountry skiers should include the following items in their daily arsenal. First I like to inspect and test my avalanche safety gear. An accomplished backcountry skier will always have a Shovel, Avalanche Probe, Beacon, Snow study kit, extra batteries and a sound knowledge of traveling in avalanche country. For a quick review check out this refresher at avi.org . If you plan on skiing with someone who does not have these items in there possession you are placing yourself at serious risk as it is your partner who hopefully will be searching with a beacon, probing and shoveling to get you out when shit hits the fan. If I am ever in a group where someone is missing something, I gladly will lend them my kit as it might be me one needs to look for.

When skiing in the backcountry I always error on the side of being better prepared as I know anything can happen in the back country and even the smallest thing can be an epic game changer for the ill prepared. It is smart to carry a down parka, extra hat, extra gloves, and base-layer. Years ago, me and some of my partners over shot the Windsor trail on a classic back country line called Heavens Hill. In failing light we flailed through drainages well into the night looking for the trail. Despite the fact that we had all the proper gear including an altimeter, compass, GPS, and map we were for the moment lost. We were able to successfully locate the trail and ski out but we arrived back at the car at nearly 10:00 pm. Without being fully prepared for this unexpected side trip, we may not have walked out of the wilderness that night or ever.

Dressing for back country skiing can require just about everything in your arsenal as you move from highly aerobic ski touring which requires lighter breathable soft-shell layers to periods of inactivity requiring warm insulation. The ever looming possibility of precipitation begs a good shell jacket and pant, preferably lightweight Gortex ® or other packable waterproof breathable fabrics. If you are covering a lot of ground you are always peeling layers and adding layers depending on whether you are high or low, moving or stationary. Traveling in extreme winter climates requires the prepared skier to plan for the best but be prepared for the worst. At altitude the sun can be very strong, on brighter days Sunglasses and a hat for protection are essential.

Moving in the mountains at altitude requires a huge caloric intake for success. I always pack an abundance of food in my pack when I am heading into the backcountry. High calorie foods like energy bars, candy bars and gels are great and compact. I like to also take some regular food like a couple of PB and J’s with honey and butter. So what if you come home with excess food, I do on most trips but I like to know I have it. Beef Jerky and hard salami are also great trail snacks when touring. In addition to plenty of food, staying hydrated is paramount. Most good ski packs have a H2O reservoir pocket and skiing with a Camelbak or similar system will allow you to stay hydrated all day. The more the better, I like to have at least 100 oz’s of water on full day skis as well as a bonus hot drink in the thermos.

As one can see, being prepared when you ski out into the wilderness is important for a successful journey but there is one thing that does not go in your pack that every backcountry traveler should have an abundance of when headed out of bounds and that is knowledge and common sense. Nothing can replace the value of taking an avalanche safety course to help you better assess the terrain you are traveling in. There are many courses and resources available to help the back country skier. A great local resource is the Northern New Mexico Avalanche Exchange. Have a great time in the back country, always observe posted closings (Some times ski patrol has info you don’t have

Check out our complete backcountry gear list HERE

Genuine Guide Gear  raises the bar in 2009 with the introduction of a new AT Tech binding that improves on the lightweight benefits of  the  existing TECH binding market. The new ONYX tech from G3 is a lightweight , high performance Alpine Touring binding with a design focused towards reliability and like most Genuine Guide Gear products functionality in the most extreme conditions. While similar to the TLT binding from Dynafit that we have all grown to love, the ONYX approaches some of the user interface a bit differently making this an excellent and competitive option in the AT Binding world.

The ONYX is an advanced TECH Toe sytem binding utilizing the same design principle as the Dynafit TLT. The new binding, while weighing a bit more than the TLT at 1430grams has some great design additions not currently available in competing TECH binding systems. The ONYX uses a fore and aft heel release system making the switch from Ski to Tour mode much easier as you do not have to release the boot from the binding.This is a nice feature if you are racing your ski partners for first turns. The fore and aft heel release with two climbing positions is an excellent and easy to use feature of the ONYX Binding system.

Another added value of the Genuine Guide Gear ONYX binding is the incorporation of a mounting plate making the binding transportable across more than one ski. If you are looking to ride a quiver but don’t want to buy a binding for every ride you own, The ONYX mounting plate ( $67.95 ) makes transfer fast and easy.

I had the opportunity to Ski the binding at The 2009 Keystone Ski demo and really liked it for the limited time I was able to test it. I found the toe alignment to be a bit easier than the TLT, as well as the added bonus of not having to  bend down to change te binding from ski to tour mode. The heel lifts are easy to use and accommodate a great range for tour-ability and climbing. All of these features all lend to easy skin removal.

With the season ahead, The ONYX will surely get its licks from the greatest ski tester of all the GP. For those interested in the ONYX Tech system, we will have a few pairs of  ONYX mounted for demo at Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works. Come by or shop online for all the best gear from Genuine Guide Gear.

Wild Snow Reviews

Genuine Guide Gear ONYX

I’m sure that most of the skiers in the Santa Fe area have noticed that there’s snow on the hill.  A lucky (and industrious) few have already gone out and made their first turns of the season and the rest of us are eagerly anticipating our first runs.  At some point, we’re all going to take a look at our gear and think about ski maintenance.  Skis’ edges and bases are our primary point of contact with the snow and inevitably wear and tear take a toll as we cruise around the hills or even during transportation.

Skiers need sharp, even edges that will initiate and release cleanly in a turn and hold us firm on hard and icy snow, a flat and smooth base that slides easily and quickly, and a nice coat of wax that will speed us along and help us glide into and out of turns.  At our shop we offer a variety of ski work, but we specialize in backcountry skiing outfitting so we focus on telemark and alpine touring ski equipment.  We can do edges and base work on downhill equipment, but we only work on and mount tele and AT bindings.

At Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works all our edge and base work is done by hand.  We use files and stones to smooth, angle, and sharpen the edges.  Bases are flattened by hand with sharp scrapers, and repairs are hand-welded and smoothed.  Waxing is done with irons and scrapers and buffed out by hand as well.  We feel this gives us better results than big machines that impersonally grind your bases and shave your edges and slap wax on your skis.  But hand-tuning also presents some limitations, and we may not be able to work on some more serious core-shots, warped bases or torn-out edges.  Ask our ski techs first and be ready to allow time if we accept your more complex repair issues.

Speaking of time, it will really help out if you allow plenty of time to get your skis mounted, tuned, or repaired.  Especially early in the season or the day before a big storm, we get swamped with work, so plan ahead.  The estimated waiting period for ski work will be posted at the store counter.  We work on a first-come, first-served basis, but in spite of these warnings if you find yourself needing a short turn-around time a certain amount of beer may help convince the ski techs to stay late and work on your gear.  Due to workloads and commitments to earlier customers, that can’t always be counted on to work but if you want something done quickly it isn’t a bad idea to bring a sixer along to help with the timeline.

So get your skis in early for work, whether for mounting bindings (tele or AT), or tuning, or repair because you don’t want to miss any turns when the snow starts flying.  And remember that Sangre de Cristo has bootfitters that have advanced certification from MasterFit University, and we can fit your shells and custom-mold your AT and tele boot liners as well as help you to select footbeds – both custom-made and off the shelf.  Our goal is to improve your skiing performance and comfort.

See you on the hill,
Bob

With the nights getting cooler and summer slowly making its exit for another year, our minds naturally start to drift like the snow towards the ski season ahead. The early season prediction on the street is that we are setting up for an El Nino year which we hope will bring a season of leg and lung busting descents in and out of bounds.

Fall is a season of change and a good season to probably hang up the twelve pack of PBR and nightly burgers and brats and start thinking about getting that rear end of yours in gear to start the season out with all the strength you left at Totemoff’s or the Martini Tree on the last day of the season last spring.

Getting the ski season off on the right edge is going to require some work in the gym, but there are a ton of good guides out there to help you increase your flexibility, Balance and coordination, strength, speed and endurance. Wow if we all possessed these traits we would perhaps be skiing in the worlds. While this may sound daunting, do not be discouraged, in a mere nine weeks you can awaken your inner skier and start the season off charging like the bad ass that you are.

In the early part of your training, working on flexibility is a great idea. Establish a stretching program that you can practice daily concentrating on hip, knee, hamstrings, quads and calve’s. Stretching will lubricate your muscles and hopefully prevent against a nasty in season injury. There are many books and web sites about stretching your body, most of us know enough from high school PE that we can develop a basic routine. If you want a more comprehensive stretching routine check out a Yoga class at BODY or  Bikram Yoga in Santa Fe. Stretch when you can, stretch often and develop the flexibility your body will require to bend, bounce, jump and fly down the mountain.

As you in-corporate a flexibility program into your day, the next step will be to begin work on the foundation of your skiing, balance. Obviously balance is pretty key and those of us who are challenged this way tend to spend a great deal of time laying in the snow. Balance and flexibility are  cornerstone as the foundation for your athletic skiing style and ability. Incorporate some simple balance drills. One legged dips are the easiest and cheapest way to work on balance. If you have a balance ball at home this too will work well to increase your balance on the planks. Other great balance drills are slack-lining and of course log rolling. A slack-line can be set up anywhere there are trees and if you have access to a large log and a body of water a good log roll should suffice. Another great balance and plyometric work out on the cheap is jumping rope. I personally prefer log rolling.

As you gain flexibility and balance it is time to start thinking strength. Your strength work should be vigorous and I would recommend a good solid warm up before you begin a strength training routine. Do Squats, Leg Presses, Leg curls, calve raises, as well as core abdominal and flexibility work. Really wanna burn? Grab a medicine ball and do squats while simultaneously lifting the ball over your head. A few hundred reps of these and you will be well on your way. If you can’t get to a gym there are some good alternatives you can do on the cheap. Bode Miller likes to fill a wheelbarrow with fifty pounds of dirt/rock and push it up the biggest hill in the hood. Head for the local high school bleachers and do dynamic jumping up the benches.

The key to being the king or queen of the hill is rooted in the skiers Speed and endurance. Training for speed and endurance represents a great deal of work building your base for the ski season. The good news is you can get a lot of this work done riding, running, rollerblading, playing basketball, soccer and more.

If your goal is to ski strong all day long then a solid base of aerobic fitness is essential. There has been a great deal of study in the area of aerobic activity and most agree that varying the intensity of your workouts will provide the best results. If you run, then change from low and slow one day to a faster pace the next. Interval training added to the mix will help build your aerobic base.

The components of flexibility, balance and coordination, strength, speed, and endurance should be a part of every skier’s preseason training. Of course the intensity will change based on the skiers goals and ability but the fundamentals will remain the same. If you want to build on your season now and maximize your days on the slopes following some routine based on the above will be very helpful. There are huge and worthwhile benefits to be gained from preseason conditioning, namely: increased athleticism, improved technique, and injury prevention. Strap on your I Pod and get it in gear because before you know it the ski season will be here. You can be here before you know it. See you on the slopes…….