Look out Tahoe, it's dumping knowledge! We're psyched to be part of Tahoe Backcountry Safety Awareness Week for the second year in a row, December 13-18, 2021. This week-long event is a combination of online content and in-person events designed to inform backcountry users of all experience levels of the hazards the backcountry poses in the Lake Tahoe area.
Understanding how long a ski tour or mountaineering trip will take is really important. Timing of the day with avalanche concerns, understanding calories needed for a trip, and deciding start times are all great reasons to estimate the travel time for your ski tour. Here we explore a few great ways to calculate the time your tour will take.
As the self appointed Director of Snow Quality Assessment for Blackbird Mountain Guides, I ventured north to Canada in search of poutine, Caesars, and pow. What I found? All of the aforementioned Canadian specialties! Most importantly, I found what is very likely the best skiing in North America right now is north of the border...
Lesson for the day: early season missions are hard on gear and tough on the body.Lots of dirt walking to reach snow, variable conditions and shallow snowpack are all a big part of the game this time of year. Splitboarding on Red Lake Peak was a humbling reminder that the mountains can always provide the challenge you seek. The question is… how far are you willing to walk on dirt for your next challenge?
Need ideas for what to get the backcountry skier or splitboarder in your life this holiday season? Wondering how to fill your own winter with adventure? Or maybe you are planning ahead to climbing season? Our Backcountry Gift Guide for Winter 2022 delivers all of the courses, trips, and gear to keep you or your special someone adventuring safely and in style this coming year.
Date: 2021-11-09 Location: Elephants Back East Bowl Objective: Assess snow and ski a line! When we arrived mid-day, it was raining lightly and we found 8 inches of new, wet, heavy snow spackling the ridge to our destination, Elephants Back. Despite an unfortunately high snowline, we were happy to see some fresh paint!
“The ski industry has a problem with inclusion and diversity. We need to start addressing that”, Blackbird's founder, Zeb Blais, said in regards to the purpose of the new scholarship. The chosen recipient may select anAIARE 1 Avalanche Course,Women's AIARE 1 Avalanche CourseorAIARE Avalanche Rescue Coursein the Truckee / Lake Tahoe area. APPLICATION PERIOD ENDS December 20th. Applicants will be notified via email after the scholarship application period ends on December 20.
FREE BEER & AVALANCHE INFORMATION. What more do you people want?! Get set to adventure into the backcountry this season with a FREE Avalanche Awareness Course South Lake Tahoe. Partners: Sierra Avalanche Center, Tahoe AleWorx, OutdoorGearLabs, and more. Details: PT Revolution, Nov 11 & Dec 2, 6:30-8:30pm.
If you're looking for an awesome backpacking loop in the Eastern Sierra near the Bridgeport area, look no further! This lollipop loop has spectacular views, well made trails, incredible camping spots and a moderate to low amount of elevation gain. This post details the route, some quick conditions and a few shots of what it looked like before Monday's storm.
The Frog Lake Huts are a series of backcountry-skier-designed, European alps influenced huts that have significantly raised the bar for backcountry lodging in Tahoe.Situated on the east side of Castle Peak, the Frog Lake huts provide easy access to some of the best skiing in the Tahoe backcountry. You’ll ski untracked runs in some of our favorite terrain including Red Mountain, Carpenter Ridge, and Frog Lake Cliffs.
We strive to make a positive impact in our community, beyond the benefits that our services provide to our customers. We're looking for ways to include more people & preserve the incredible places where we work & play for our generation and the future. We're starting with a land acknowledgement and BIPOC Scholarship.
