Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem cover Birds of a Feather by Phish

PHISH's Summer Tour is Announced

See you at the Greek!

The Benefits of El Nino

Even just yesterday, this weekend's skiing forecast at Squaw Valley was describing an average March day with 2-4" of new snow. The power of this incoming storm didn't dawn on me even after overhearing someone at the dog park say San Francisco was to receive an inch of rain today. All hardcore skiers, who are part-time weather geeks, know that an inch of rain in the city is equal to twelve inches of fresh powder in the mountains.

Today, I'm thrilled to see that Squaw's forecast changed to 10-16". This new snow is well needed and should make for very good conditions tomorrow. It'll be important to hit it early before the sun bakes the snow and creates the all too familiar sierra cement. Let's pray that the sun doesn't show itself all weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Interesting Visualization of the Chilean Earthquake

Winning Men's Line from Kirkwood

North American Freeskiing Championships at Kirkwood

The North American Freeskiing Championships return to the forbidden Cirque area of Kirkwood Ski Resort. This permanently closed area seems to open each season for only this Freeskiing World Tour event. After looking at the photo below, it's understandable why the resort has this area under such tight control.



For many seasons, I've played with the idea of entering this comp. It'd be a thrill to ski the narrow chutes and huck the cliffs of this challenging area. Since I'm not getting any younger, next season might be the year.

Good luck to all the competitors!

Thom Yorke of Radiohead on Tour

Thom Yorke will be touring this spring with an all-star backing band, Atoms for Peace, that includes Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, R.E.M./Beck drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco, and longtime Radiohead producer/associate Nigel Godrich.

At this time, they're playing two dates in Chicago, two dates in Oakland (at the Fox Theater no less), and Coachella. Tickets go on sale this Saturday and Sunday on Ticketmaster.

Go see them and report back!

Winning Lines for Tram Face

WOMEN
1. Jaclyn Paaso (USA)
2. Ane Enderud (NOR)
3. Ingrid Backstrom (USA)



MEN
1. Henrik WIndstedt (SWE)
2. Aurelien Ducroz (FRA)
3. Reine Barkered (SWE)

Tram Face Postponed Until Tomorrow

This morning, I was eagerly awaiting the start of the Freeride World Tour Tram Face (http://tramface.com/en/) competition at Squaw Valley. Given the recent snow, it appeared to be going off. From my perspective, it would've been a bad decision.

The technical lines in this no-fall zone area are skiable only a few days a year. It would take near perfect conditions to make these insanely steep, narrow and rock covered chutes to be skiiable on any day. Now, the idea of having a competition where all competitors are taking risk and trying to outdo each other seems to be a very unsafe decision to me. In the end, the comp was postponed on Monday and moved to the Silverado area because of the unstable snowpack. Check out the video below to see a slide that was provoked by a skier cut right before competition time.

Highlights of US Extremes at Crested Butte

The Goods from Jackson Hole Backcountry

POV of McConkey's to My Air to Engerbretsens

Booty Call from miles clark on Vimeo.

Black Hole at Smuggs

Skiing in the Crags at Jackson Hole

5' in 5 days at JH

Radiohead and the Fingers Race @ Squaw

Big Wally

Send some good thoughts to Jackson Hole ski patroller Mark "Big Wally" Wolling who was swept off a cliff during avy control. You can read about this tradegy at http://bit.ly/4opLk6. I send my condolences to his family and friends.