You may have noticed that it’s getting colder and your skis, and boots have probably fallen off that back shelf you put them on in April and started to inch their way towards your bicycles with murderous gleams in their eyes.

That’s because ski season is just around the corner. As such I am in the market for new skis for skiing Lake Tahoe Resorts and Sierra Nevada Backcountry this winter.

I want a quiver of one, new ski design, something fat, something cool, something that can handle steeps, deeps, chops, crusts, rows, and whatev erelse might present itself for shreding. Mostly backcountry with a fair amount of resort days.

So help one dirt bag on his search for everything across powder, corn, crust and corduroy!

Here are my Top Picks:

Moment Belafonte 182 $699

This seems like a safe bet. Should be a good stomping ski off the trail and then fun on groomers too. I’m leaning towards these since they’re a local Reno Ski Maker and they look cool…

Don’t pick on the new kid in class—you just might regret it. The all-new Belafonte gets its inspiration from big-mountain freeski competition: lighter and slightly softer than a true comp model, it has tip rocker to aid flotation and fight deflection, plus traditional camber for powerful edge engagement. The snap of our hand-laid aspen/ash wood core and the playground-dominating toughness of triaxial-weave fiberglass keep you motoring long after the pow turns to chopped-up crust. Steal our lunch money? We don’t think so.

• Aspen/Ash wood core
• UHMW sidewalls
• 2.2mm edge
• 4001 DuraSurf sintered base
• Triaxial fiberglass
• Reinforced binding mount laminate
• VDS dampening system
• 135-106-124
• Tip/tail rise: 67/40
• sidecut: 25.7

Armada JJ 185 $674

This one seems pretty extreme. From what I’ve been told it’s amazing off piste across the board. Groomers, not so much. Not bad, but not at home.

The JJ remains without a peer in back and sidecountry versatility. Thanks to the creatively applied EST Freeride Rocker and profile geometry, the JJ surfs to the cat track and carves to the lift. Patent pending.

• AR50 Sidewall
• Hybrid UltraLight Core
• EST Freeride Rocker
• 50/50 Base
• CK Stringer
• Laminate Matrix
• 1.7 Impact Edge
• 185cm
• 126-136-115-133-121
• 14m

Black Diamond Verdict 190 $599

This one seems like a safe bet as well. Good, strong all around, but nothing really radical here.

An all-around ripper, the award-winning Verdict bridges big mountain and in-bounds skiing by handling firm on-piste snow as easily as it rules powder and chunked-up crud. Package pricing available!

• New Internal Wall Core Technology with snappy birch for a more lively feel
• CNC-machined poplar core wrapped in Torsion Box construction
• Formula One Technology with integrated 3D dampening
• An all-mountain, semi-fat ski for the powerful skier
• 36-102-122 (190 cm)
• 4.5 kg, 9 lb 11 oz (190 cm)
• 27.0 m (190 cm)

What else should I be considering?

-M

Here’s a nice little ski video featuring VNasty and Shredder.

Read more from VNasty

Click the Pic for the NWS Reno Briefing: Big Storm in the Sierra Nevada

Below is a email forwarded to me from Mark Forest:

“I wanted to pass this information along since the news stations are downplaying the magnitude of the events that are headed our way.  This system of storms is being funneled across northern California and Northern Nevada by a very high velocity jet stream.  Our senior HDR meteorologists are advising us that this event could produce a series of large precipitation events on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday to Saturday that could result in as much as 10 feet of new snow in the mountains and considerable rainfall in the valley areas.   While this storm could change over the next few days and become less severe, they tell us that we need to keep a close eye on this one.  We have not seen a storm track this strong in many years.

Below is Mike’s forecast.  If you are interested in tracking this, I would be happy to get updates and forward them along.

Our flooding events on the Truckee, Carson and Walker Rivers have typically been a result of 3 to 10 day events that are relatively warm like this one.  So, it is worthy of our attention.   Feel free to forward this information to those that I have not included in this email that would have an interest.

If you want to see the animated version of the model results that are based on current atmospheric data:

http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/model_loops/12zgfs_pcp_240l.php

Here is the jet stream that is driving this system:

http://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/model_loops/12zgfs_250_240l.php

Mark Forest, P.E.

Vice President

West Region Water Resources Director

HDR | One Company | Many Solutions”

The drop off Credit Card Bowl was pretty RAD yesterday when JR, Pyrofloptic, Taldor and I hit it yesterday. I’d say make it a mid morning patrol until more snow hits. It’s a tad crusty here and there. It was perfect by the time we had to go to work…

Feral Snow: Dawn Patrol on Credit Card from Mike Henderson on Vimeo.

Top o the morning to you!

-M

So I usually ski with my sisters and my dog, all of whoom are ladies. (some more than others) So this episode features them and our friend Eva. Carrie, Callie, Eva and Juni the snow dog!

Tahoe Avalanche conditions were pretty chill Saturday with the previous week’s snowfall setting up well and the windloading tapering off Friday. The snow on the southeast aspects was ok, but Eva and Huck Tater had some issues with sticking to the snow. North facing aspects of Incline Peak in the shade were as awesome as always…

The next episode is Dawn Patrol edition, shot this AM with Me, Taldor, Pyrofloptic and Japhy Rider with Oso, Chloe and Juni running sweep.

-M

As crazy as it sounds, Mt. Rose Wilderness had some GREAT snow yesterday! The Kangdiggity and i hiked the Hourglass, The Hairplug and out. It was rad!

Unfortunately, the snow from yesterday is burried under another 4 to 6 inches or new powder with more on the way.

Live conditions from Slide Mountain

Anyone with half a brain is headed to go ride bikes in southern Arizona though…

-M

My buddy Jim and I hit Alpine Meadows today. It was alright. No face shots, but still managed to have some fun.

Gonna hit the BC with my sisters, SteadyB and the Kangdiggity tomorrow!

-M

You can always find freshie that keeps you off the rocks if you know where to look. Here’s a little something i threw together from a trip with my sisters and SteadyB on Saturday.

 
Feral Snow #1 Incline Lake Peakon Vimeo.

While we were starving for snow on Saturday and hiking through minefields to get to the hidden gems. The anti has been upped. Watch your top-not.

-M

At the risk of inciting the ire of powder-deprived west coast BaconStrippers, here’s how we spent the Solstice in the Front Range.[Photo credit: Dean]

Cameron Pass has been a lucrative source of powder this year. It wasn’t at its best on the Solstice (kind of a flexie proto-crust), but it was eminently skiable once we got it figured out. Cold it was, but the weather kept it from getting too crowded. Thanks to Dean, Bob and Dave for making space for me in the trip at the last minute.

Amen, brothahs and sistahs, can ya gimme hallelujah…verily, we spent the day in the Church of the Steep & Deep. And I know ye are righteous, for the fires of Perdition were far away indeed…far, FAR away, as it was -18C with a nice, pleasant 30 mph westerly breeze and heavy snowfall, and we all know what that means. Here’s occasional BS lurker and former Renoite Greg “Harshie” Harshfield at Butler Gulch on the 20th. Your Scribe apologizes in advance for the incompetence of the photography in this image. Great snow there, and seemingly endless terrain. Butler Gulch ROCKS despite its popularity. Your Scribe had never been there before and offers his profuse thanks to Greg & Frau for their hospitality. [They also turned me on to the Golden City Brewery and their very wicked India Pale.]