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Echo Lake Backcountry Trip Report 1/30/2011

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  • Echo Lake Backcountry Trip Report 1/30/2011

    1 month to Shredfest and three days of backcountry tours for fellow skiboarders .. For those signed up I'm stoked to show you my backyard. in person ... here is a bit of a preview .. 10 inches of new snow overnight after almost a month of dry weather .. time to welcome winter again !

    Billy crossing the lake in the morning .... .


    Billy on Hagan 130's , Michael Icelantic Scouts ,My son, Jordan, carrying Winterstick snowboard and using Karhu Meta 120cm approach skis... Myself on Sherpas ...


    Michael on the climb ...


    Jordan and Billy topping out at the Summit


    Yours truly at the summit , that is the lake we cross earlier way down below ..
    Today on the Sherpa to test out a new crampon set up I have designed for the
    Fritschi mounted Sherpa , worked great .. you can see the crampon under my boot and on top of the binding front plate ..


    Michael with some of the mountain scenery in the background .. .


    Jordan following Dad's tracks in the pow .. .


    Here is a little you tube video with some clips from today's adventure ....

    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

  • #2
    That all looks like great conditions. We finally got some fresh here on the weekend after a bunch of rain on the locals, but I wasn't able to get out at all. Hoping the temps stay cooler again and we don't get much more wet for the season, had an awesome start followed by too much warmth so far.
    2012 Rockered Condors/Spruce Pro Sport///Revolt Cities/Snowjam Extreme2's

    Comment


    • #3
      Awesome still shots and video, you have a lot of great YouTube videos. I want to hopefully try out some backcountry eventually..
      2011 KTPs w/ Silver Receptor Bindings
      2009 BWPs w/ Zero Pro Bindings
      Full Tilt High Fives

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by jjue View Post
        Today on the Sherpa to test out a new crampon set up I have designed for the
        Fritschi mounted Sherpa , worked great .. you can see the crampon under my boot and on top of the binding front plate
        Great trip pics Jack, thanks. Curious about your new crampon set-up...it's a little hard to see details in the picture.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Bill View Post
          Great trip pics Jack, thanks. Curious about your new crampon set-up...it's a little hard to see details in the picture.
          Hi Bill , I was too tired to take and post pictures last night about the crampons ( I kind of understand how my 17 year old son smokes me on climbs... but I am not quite too sure why I find it hard to keep up with my 60 year old and 56 year old buddies ... the three of them took pity on me and broke trail all day while I followed along in their nice cross country track... my son say's it is because dad eats too much hot dogs and potato chips !!!.). will post pictures and a discussion on this thread tonight
          Boards :
          Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
          Boots
          K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
          Bindings:
          Zero Pro Non release Binding
          Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
          Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
          Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
          Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

          Comment


          • #6
            Fritschi Crampons

            Ski crampons are necessary for climbing icy slopes or icy slopes covered with some new powder like we had this weekend ...
            Fritschi has proprietary crampons that snap on the binding bar but none wide enough to fit the Sherpas


            B and D ski gear sells binding mounts which are drilled into the skiboard and support a pivoting crampon and also sells a binding lock to keep the crampon down . This also needs to be drilled into the skiboard



            Here is a picture of the B and D crampon on my Fritschi mounted Sherpa .. it works in the middle position heel elevator but not in the highet position .



            I was looking for a crampon to easily apply directly on to my Fritschi binding that would allow all positions of my heel elevator and would elevate out of the snow making walking with it easier then a fixed crampon and also does not involve drilling the skiboard.

            I purchased years ago a crampon that was used with the Rossignol Freeventure touring Skiboard. The patent for that skiboard was sold to a swiss company called STC and the Freeventure has been rebranded as the Snowventure .. The crampon is still available overseas for use with that skiboard .

            Here is how the crampon is used with the STC snowventure .. it is just dropped in a slot in the pivoting binding plate and is kept from coming out by the skiboot which is locked down like in skboard binding ... Here is a picture



            what I did was a simple diy modification to use this crampon for my Fritschi .. drill the crampon with a hole and attach a bit of bungeed thread . . the crampon has a number of holes because it has been used over the years for a variety of bindings .



            Then I create a little slot by creating a lip of duct tape . ( i love duct tape )

            I drop the crampon on top of the sole plate and into it's little slot and attache the bungeed cord around the front binding part .




            the fritschi binding has a nice adjustment screw to adjust the height of the front release binding piece , you can bring it up a bit so the boot and the plate snap under the binding front piece and when the plate is removed . if you adjust it right there is still a nice firm attachment of the front part of the boot with no slop..



            this allows you , when you want to put crampons on to just pop out of your binding step to the side of your skiboard and then put the crampon on and snap right back in easy as pie , removing is just as easy . .. you need to use the leash , if you are using leashes , on the rear rather then the front so it doesn;t get in the way of putting the crampon on and off , if you are using brakes, no problem .

            Here is my boot snapped in over the top of the crampon . in the middle position of the heel elevator .. the crampon is seated in its little slot prevented from sliding out from under the boot by pressure on three sides .. the bungee cord in front , the boot sole on top and the lip of duct tape to the rear .. this is very secure and the crampon did not slide out in heavy climbing .
            it is important that he crampon fit the sherpa pretty exactly as it can pivot but if the width is pretty close to the width of the sherpa the sidewalls of the skiboard prevent it from rotating .
            The crampons for the STC Snowventure are a little narrow , but a little pounding with a sledge hammer get them to fit perfectly !


            In high position I still have crampon teeth in the snow


            Removing the crampon is a simple operation of snapping out of the binding stepping to one side and removing the bungeed crampon and then snapping back in , stripping skins . and then off to the races ..
            Boards :
            Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
            Boots
            K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
            Bindings:
            Zero Pro Non release Binding
            Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
            Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
            Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
            Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

            Comment


            • #7
              great pics and vid jack, as usual
              Rockered Condors/Bomber Elite 2's
              Spruce 125LE's/Tyrolia attack 13 bindings

              Comment


              • #8
                Looks like amazing trip

                I'm a newbie. both to this site and to backcountry.
                I'm a strong resort rider, but didn't take any tour yet. Other then few out of bound "mistakes" here and there. I'm determined to experience the BC this year!

                I know of the tour out of Sierra @ Tahoe to Huckleberry Canyon and that might be my best bet for start, but if I'm lucky I can find a local from south lake that might be going out for few hours and don't mind sharing their BC magic with me.

                I don't have formal training (YET) I only read the book "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" by: Bruce Tremper. I do have snowshoes and a Board (my DIY split board setup it coming)

                I'm going to be in South Lake Tahoe from 2/19 through 2/24. If by any chance you will agree to have a first timer come a long (please remember your first time) then you got my friendship for ever

                Anyway, I blabbered enough. any feedback is welcome.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Trailwarrior, welcome to SBOL forum ... I take it you are a snowboarder and not a skiboarder ?
                  unfortunately , I will not be in the Tahoe backcountry during those dates, but we do have a Shredfest get together the weekend of feb 26th to march 1st .. most of us are skiboarders... ( My son , in the pictures is a snowboarder , who uses short approach skis with climbing skins and carries his board )
                  i think the best way to get started in the backcountry is if you have some friends who are into backcountry riding in your local area or Tahoe , if not then taking an introductory class is great , one of the best programs in the Tahoe area is Alpine Skills International which has a program especially geared to Splitboard Snowboarders,
                  http://www.alpineskills.com/cat_bcsnowboard.html
                  It is a problem following skiers, skiboarders or splitboarders on skins with snowshoes as the snowshoes tend to mess up the skin tracks of the riders using skins , the snowshoes sink more in the snow and destroy the skin track for those using it again .. If you are using snowshoes , it is best to go with other riders using snowshoes.
                  Boards :
                  Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                  Boots
                  K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                  Bindings:
                  Zero Pro Non release Binding
                  Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                  Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                  Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                  Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks @jjue for your quick response and the information.
                    I'm aware of 'alpineskills' program. I'm going to sign up for one of their day clinics in May. However they are based in Sugar Bowl and I won't be there on this trip. I already talked with their office.

                    You are right, I'm a snowboarder. I recently purchased a DIY splitboard conversion on the internet and I guess I'll wait for it to come rather then go out on snowshoes. I waited so many years, it will wait few more days...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by jjue View Post
                      we do have a Shredfest get together the weekend of feb 26th to march 1st .. most of us are skiboarders... ( My son , in the pictures is a snowboarder , who uses short approach skis with climbing skins and carries his board )
                      I probably won't make it this time, because I'll be coming back from Tahoe few days before. but do you think you'll have another one at the end of March? because by then I should have all my BC equipment (and hopefully the alpineskills clinic under my belt) and maybe I can join you guys.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by TrailWarrior View Post
                        I probably won't make it this time, because I'll be coming back from Tahoe few days before. but do you think you'll have another one at the end of March? because by then I should have all my BC equipment (and hopefully the alpineskills clinic under my belt) and maybe I can join you guys.
                        Hi Trailwarrior . . go ahead and send me a PM with your regular email address.. we have a group of backcountry riders who are going out most weekends throughout the season.... once you have your split board and the alpine skills program done , you should be ready to join our group , mostly we do day trips on saturday or sundays .. we are based out of sacramento . , you could meet up with us on some saturday or sunday in sacramento and ride up with us for one of our backcountry trips.. i can put you on our email list .
                        you will need skins ( so a splitboard is good ) , occasionaly in the spring we do trips on snowshoes with my son and myself carrying our boards and using snowshoes if the snow conditions are better for snowshoeing and i can let you know if we are doing one of those trips and you could carry your snowboard and use snowshoes..
                        jack

                        ps . one caveat about diy splitboard kits.. the problem with those kits is you do not have a metal edge along one side of each of your split skis .. while a DIY splitboard is ok for soft snow climbing on moderate terrain , if you are doing any kind of technical climbing on firm snow or traversing on steep slopes .. metal edges on both sides of your split skis are super important even if you are using crampons ... on the trips we do ... a DIY splitboard without full metal edges may be a problem with following us ...
                        Boards :
                        Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                        Boots
                        K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                        Bindings:
                        Zero Pro Non release Binding
                        Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                        Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                        Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                        Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks again!
                          I'm sending you a PM with my email.

                          I was aware of the down side of no edges on both side when in split mode.
                          I had a great opportunity to on this DIY board and I jumped on it. I guess it will make it that much better when I "grow up" and buy real equipment in couple of year.

                          Eliad

                          Comment

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