Assiniboine Pass (BC), Canada – We awoke to heavy snow in Lake Louise, but our rented Dodge Neon got us through Banff and down to Canmore, where we boarded a chopper bound for the Mt. Assiniboine Lodge. n The Lodge is nestled in an intervale situated 7,000 feet above sea level, bounded by Wonder Pass … Continue reading Mount Assiniboine Lodge Backcountry
Snow. When you really think about it, it’s the one essential component to our sport. Lifts? You can hike. Mountains? There’s always Nordic skiing. Skis? It wasn’t that long ago that they were fashioned out of barrel staves. It also wasn’t that long ago that skiing was less than reliable. n The actual origins of … Continue reading The Art and Science of Making Snow
January 16, 1997. It was a beautiful day at Smugglers Notch. There was a clear blue, sunny sky and the temperature was about 20 degrees. I had shed several layers, finally finding comfort in long underwear, windpants, hat, goggles, gloves and a windbreaker. In the previous week, it had dumped powder galore. In the woods, … Continue reading Mind Games: An Unplanned Night in the Vermont Woods
Charlemont, MA – Exiting Interstate 91 at exit 26 in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Route 2 (a.k.a. the Mohawk Trail) climbs steeply out of the Pioneer Valley, then down to the Deerfield River. The road follows the river through several sleepy hamlets before arriving at one more: Charlemont, Massachusetts, the home to Berkshire East. I shared the … Continue reading The Beast
‘Tis the season, the folks at the New York Institute of Photography are getting lots of letters from NYI students and other Web visitors about taking photos in cold weather. They’ve been kind enough to contribute this piece and another which discusses how to take great ski photographs, and that means going out in the … Continue reading How Should I Handle My Camera In Cold Weather?
We’re talking here about downhill skiing. (And whatever we say for skiers is equally true about taking pictures of those snowboarders who are crowding them off the slopes these days.) Before you take a picture of a skier on the slopes, you should consider the answers to three questions: How should I handle the camera … Continue reading How to Take Great Skiing Pictures
Lac Beauport (QC), Canada – The big eastern snow drought of December, 1998 weighed heavily on my mind as I packed my ski gear. I prepared for my annual pilgrimage from Florida to visit the in-laws in Québec City, and I fretted about what I would encounter once I arrived. My concerns deepened as I … Continue reading Le Relais