Hopefully you enjoyed our story on skinning and skiing Magic Mountain last December. With February vacation week upon us (and the masses descending on the ski resorts), here’s five other ski resorts in Vermont that are uphill friendly.
Do You Believe in Magic
With frozen, firm, and un-fun ski conditions in the backcountry and eager to earn some early December turns we found ourselves at Magic Mountain, in Londonderry, one of the most uphill-friendly ski resorts in the country.
Ice Tour: Winter Paddling on the Cape
I love paddling amongst the ice on Cape Cod just after a freeze breaks up. All alone on the water, there’s a quiet beauty in my surroundings … the same surroundings that are anything but solitary for much of the “busy” season.
My Winter Riding Gear List
There’s so much dual sport gear out there that sometimes it’s hard to know what’s best for you. Indeed, maybe you’ve bought gear on somebody’s recommendation, only to find that the conditions they’re using it in are quite different than yours. To help solve that problem, here’s a list of what I’ve found is working best for me in New England this winter. And if you’re looking to ride in conditions like these–essentially brisk days with the temps ranging from 39-55–this gear is worth checking out. Hopefully you’ll even find that it will work for you too.
Surf Station: Mid-Winter 2019
Before the snow started dumping, Doug and Tim had a great time climbing Flume and Silver Cascades, doing some research for an upcoming goEast piece on moderate ice climbs in Crawford Notch. Their friend Nick joined them that day. Look for him in some of the pics in the article as well as on Tim’s Instagram (@Timjpeck).
Klim Krios ADV Helmet: In-Depth Review
When you’re flying through the backcountry on your dual sport, your helmet might be your most important safety tool. I’ve been wearing my Klim Krios ADV Helmet for months now and love it. So much so that I named it my 2018 Gear of the Year here on the TWR. Here’s why.
10-Year Mountain Bike Challenge
To say mountain biking has been stagnant for 10 years just isn’t true. Of all the sports I participate in, biking has progressed significantly, and all these changes are pushing the gear in the perfect direction. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring. But seriously, can we please drop the E-bikes!
Book Report: One Man’s Wilderness
The first 100 pages of One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey always make me so happy. It’s about a man (Dick Proenneke), building a cabin from mostly natural materials, living his dream in the wilds of Alaska. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Pedaling With Mickey: A Day on the Bay Circuit Trail
Less than 15 minutes from Mickey’s house and we’re already lost. The directions made this intersection seem easy: exit Borderland State Park on the Rockland Street Trail, turn left onto “Rockland St. for 0.1 miles,” and then take a right onto “a woodland trail.” A Bay Circuit Trail marker, designating the turn from the road into the woods, was supposed to be right there. Unfortunately, it’s not.
Book Report: Deep Powder & Steep Rock
I thought I knew a lot about the life of heli-skiing pioneer Hans Gmoser, having first read about him in Topher Donahue’s book Bugaboo Dreams. However, after reading Deep Powder & Steep Rock: The Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser by Chick Scott, I now recognize that I only knew a small part of the picture, as Deep Powder & Steep Rock delivers a comprehensive look at Gmoser’s life. Documenting the entire journey from an Austrian-born boy who went on to become a legend in the Canadian mountains and the father of heli-skiing.
Winter Fat Biking in Borderland State Park
Borderland State Park, in Easton, Massachusetts, has awesome winter mountain biking. The best way to experience it is on a fat bike after a big snowfall. My favorite loop is about 9 miles and takes you through some of the best winter fat biking terrain Borderland has to offer. Here’s the beta (and a map so you don’t get lost).
Book Report: French Revolutions
Much like A Walk in the Woods part of the charm of French Revolutions is the fish-out-of-water aspect of Moore, a novice cyclist diving into the deep-end of bicycling by tackling its most iconic challenge. But it’s not just the cycling world that Moore doesn’t fit in into. Being a British person traveling in France Moore must also tackle the language and cultural challenges presented to him in addition to physical challenges on his journey. Challenges that frequently lead to uncomfortable situations for Moore and high comedy for the reader.
Winter on the Water
Winter is fleeting. Steep ice today is flowing water the next and subzero surf can be cold calm in an instant. But whatever form winter water takes, I’m all over it. Here’s five favorite winter moments that I recently captured with my camera.
New Year, New Lesson, Old Trip
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve skinned and skied Mount Tecumseh but if I had to guess I would say over 20 and under 50. Despite my numerous adventures on Mount Tecumseh, I still find myself being educated by the journey to the mountain’s summit and the trip down the ski resort’s slopes, and my most recent trip was no different.
Mosko Moto’s Pinner Tool Roll: My Initial Impressions
The Pinner Tool Roll is the second piece of gear I’ve recently purchased from Mosko Moto. It’s the slimmer little brother to the very popular Fatty Tool Roll, with many of the Fatty’s awesome features, just in a more compact set up.
Surf Station: Happy New Year
We’re psyched that Tim and Doug’s piece “1927” was featured in the Winter 2019 issue of Wild Northeast. Skiing the Carriage Road on New Hampshire’s Mt. Moosilauke is one of our favorite winter outings, and Tim and Doug’s piece weaves the history of skiing racing on the Carriage Road into a story of their ascent and descent of the mountain. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to grab a copy at your local gear shop. And if you’re not able to find a hard copy, you can get the piece by clicking on the link above or the whole magazine by signing up for a free digital subscription.
What’s Up With Tim?
Thanks for the cute picture of Tim and Nellie that you texted on Xmas Eve. It’s a fantastic shot of a man and his new best friend. But looking at the picture got me wondering—since when has Tim liked dogs? The last thing I remember is him threatening that poor lady at Lincoln Woods when her dog so much as barked at us. Now that he has two of his own, I often find myself, to paraphrase his favorite Twitter follow, wondering “whaz up with Tim?”
Mosko Moto Crew’s Reckless 10: My Initial Impressions
In sum, if you’re looking for a bag that can hold some extra gear on your smaller Enduro style bikes, this is the one for you. I’ll update this review in the early spring when the weather warms and I’ve put some more miles on it. But until then it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong with the Reckless 10.
Our Favorite Gear 2018
Everybody on the TWR wrote about their favorite piece of gear for 2018. Here’s our choices.
Ditch Your Pack and Get Sendy
The best part of pack-less riding is that you can do it using any bike jersey with rear pockets. So stash your snacks in one, the tool bag in another, and the extra layer and phone (with its built in camera) in the third. With the tube and C02 strapped to the frame and fluid in the bottle holders you’ll be good to go. See you on the trails!