Hand Drawn (and Hiked) by McCall

Hi there! As I write this, it’s a cloudy, windy Sunday here in Denver. When I say cloudy and windy, I mean the skies are the darkest hue of gray possible and I can hear the wind whistling and pounding on my windows.

As you read this, it’s a beautiful morning with snow storms in the forecast. The mountains are expected to get 8-10 inches of snow Wednesday - Thursday, making for some epic conditions Friday.

(I have no idea what the weather will be as you read this, but I’m planning to go skiing the Friday after I send this, and a girls gotta manifest. Sorry for sandbagging.)

Let’s talk shop!

Avalanche Chronicles

I’m writing this section with a new level of enthusiasm and fervor because….. your girl is officially the owner of a 1. new pair of powder skis 2. with shift bindings and 3. skins cut for those skis. Now all we need are some boots and I’m READY to uphill at a resort.

While my search for a shovel, beacon, and probe (…secondhand. I don’t have $1K to spare) continues, let’s take a step back and talk tactics of uphill skiing.

Uphill skiing, also known as “skinning”, “alpine touring” or “ski mountaineering”, involves skipping the trusty ole ski lift and hiking to the top of each run. If you don’t have a shovel, beacon, probe, and AIARE 1 certification, you can skin at almost all of the major resorts (here’s an official list of where you can) before they open or after they close. For a number of mountains you can technically do it while they’re open, but it’s not advised because of the higher traffic + going against the flow of traffic.

Skinning requires hybrid bindings (also known as shift bindings) at a minimum. These are bindings with heels that detach for hiking uphill and then clip in for downhill stability. These bindings require a special type of boot, different from what you’d wear at a resort. Ski touring boots are equipped with a few different features than alpine boots, but most importantly, pin inserts so they fit with your bindings.

On top of that, you’ll need the “skins” that you’ll put on the bottom of your skis. They’re nylon or mohair “grip strips” that are smooth in one direction and textured in the other direction to keep you from backsliding. Once you’re at the top, you’ll remove these skins to go downhill and ski like normal.

Of course, I have to add a disclaimer: if you’re skinning or skiing on groomed trails after resort staff have gone home for the evening, ESPECIALLY during a storm, you should treat it as backcountry and have both avalanche-preparedness training and alpine rescue gear.

For a video version of this explanation, a ski creator I love put together this quick video on everything you need to go touring. I recently bought an uphill pass for when I’m in Steamboat in February and had to watch this video to get my pass, but it breaks down the tactics of uphilling at a resort so well if you want more info on the subject.

Artiste Break

This edition’s creation is the T-Bar in Crested Butte with a view of Mount Crested Butte in the background. There were parts of this that I loved drawing, and parts I hated. If nothing else, I learned I really appreciate drawing a building straight-on where only the building is in the photo. Live and learn, I suppose.

Mini Musings

Ah, the end of the year — in my extremely biased opinion, the best time of the year. ‘Tis the season to take stock of habits (good and bad), evaluate, and create goals and ideas for the year ahead.

Here’s a fun fact: did you know if you write down your goals, you’re 42% more likely to accomplish them?

Recently, I caught myself really falling into the trap of feeling bad for myself. Enter melodramatic internal monologue: my life is so expensive. I wish I made more money. I wish I was in better shape. I wish I could wake up earlier.

After some journaling, I was (thankfully) able to shake myself from that thinking and remind myself of the simple truth: my life is a set of choices and all the choices I’ve made to this point have gotten me here.

One particularly useful way to break that line of thinking? Keeping the promises you make to yourself. Starting your morning doing something you really don’t want to do, but promised yourself you would do — like going to the gym at 5:30AM.

All that to say, take some time over the next few days to evaluate and excavate habits. Where are those habits going to put you a year from now? Is it something you’ll be proud you did for a year? Are you keeping or breaking promises?

To Go Snacks*

*Y’all like the new name?

🎧 I typically hang on every single word Jedidiah Jenkins says or writes and his episode of Armchair Expert was no exception. Jed wrote my favorite book ever, To Shake The Sleeping Self, and he talks just as beautifully as he writes. I now have a note on my phone with phrases and words Jed said that I love

⛰️ The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) published their monthly report for October to November! Great real world application of everything I’ve been writing about above — and written by people who know 10000x more than me about avalanches

📚 Denver Public Library published their annual list of favorite books! There’s a recommendation in here for any and every category of book — well worth a peruse if you’re like me and read the same genre of book in perpetuity

I need to come up with more creative signoffs. “See you next time!” is getting a little stale, IMO. For now, see you next time.

- McCall 🌻

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