600 foot line, sustained around 35-40 degrees.  Throwing buckets left and right..  

turns out he was riding with one heel riser up!  Good stuff Rob! cheers amigo.

Did you know that lichen are not thought of as plants.?  Turns out they are comprised of an algae and a fungus- in a mutually beneficial relationship.
What does that have to do with backcountry skiing in and around the AB?  Not much.  haha!  Other than there's lots of lichen out there.  :)

Imagine Raz, fishing this stretch of the Lamar.  It'd have probably been a warm summer afternoon, with thunderstorms threatening, just north over Druid Peak.  He'd have been focused intently on the water, and presenting his hopper, just right.  The cut-bank below the cottonwood trees, the 20" cutthroat he imagined flashing from the deepest hole.

THen, out of the corner of his eye, he catches a large brown figure at close proximity.  A bison?  No! A giant grizzly bear!  So apparently Raz, drops his rod and takes off running!  Forget the fly rod.  (Hawaiian Brian came back and found it for him).  So the story goes, of Raz's Run.

SW flow

smoked salmon! at the base of Glacier Pk.
(Von, if you're reading this, you know what to do. :)

And the local basketball court was plowed today.  

ANd there are reports of a couple Grizzlies down near the Blacktail Ponds, on a bison carcass.

Testing the new Mammut 6mm rappel cord.

It's thin, and light!, with af very stiff 'hand' initially- and seems quite durable and water resistant.  

Super psyched to have it in the cord quiver.

My favorite new rope investment is this Twilight Dry 70 meter though!  (rated as a double and half rope).  At 7.5mm wide and 38 g/m, it just feels 'right' for ski mountaineering applications. 

Someone recently asked me if I'd recommend the 40m 6mm rap cord for glacial travel, and I'd definitely say no.  The Twilight Dry (perhaps cut to a 40m length :) would be the way to go in my opinion.

5" of fresh - up at the Fisher Creek snotel last night!

With the Clark's Fork divide looking especially cloaked this morning.

A much needed refresher you could say.  

So put away those bicycles, and get back up on the Fin.!   :)

(first trail run of the season :)