The patent ran out on Flicklock, so they developed a new and improved version of their current Flicklock system. This one will be more user friendly, with a wider lock lever. Also, it’s less likely to loosen, which sometimes occurred with the old Flicklock system.

You’ll notice a wider hold on the top of the pole grip, for better gripping with the palm when you need it most. The Whippet largely remains the same, with a few minor changes to the grip.

Black Diamond skins are currently our favorite skins on the market. Gaining popularity is the split skin, shown on the left, intended for skis 115 mm or wider underfoot. With backcountry skiers venturing further with fatter skis, this skin fits a growing niche in the market. The goal of this skin is to save a bit of weight while also significantly improving glide.

Users will notice some changes in the BD skins as well. They’ve made them noticeably thinner, for a beneficial weight savings. At the same time they changed their glue to improve adhesion in colder weather. Lastly, but perhaps more importantly, they lengthened the “hairs” on the skin, to improve both glide and traction.

One of the neatest changes we saw was the addition of the Ergoactiv system to their Covert pack. This unique system allows for flexibility at the waist.

Observing the system and how it works is one thing, but actually trying it on is another. Both Frank and I were pleasantly surprised at how noticeable this feature is on the pack. This Ergoactiv system improves both comfort and flexibility, especially when you need to bend down and mess with something on your boot or bindings. We felt that more packs should carry this feature.

While most backcountry skiing pack companies are in the process of developing some sort of airbag system, Black Diamond has taken a step back in this technology. We were informed that BD will produce an air bag pack, but they are grappling with whether to continue to incorporate the Avalung or not. Have airbag packs made the Avalung obsolete? Or is there still a need for both features in a pack? These questions are an ongoing discussion. It will be interesting to see what BD develops from this in the future.

For ski boots, the line remains unchanged from the current season. Look for changes in 2013-14.

Thanks for the detailed tour BD!

The sky was beautiful in the late afternoon.

Hagar and Citadel in the distance.

Kim.

Frank.

This backcountry experience had me hyper-alert compared to most others, simply due to the snow pack. While I love the backcountry and what it has to offer, Frank and I wish to stay safe and will be backing off from it for a while – likely until we head to Alaska in just a little over two weeks. Until then, enjoy the reviews and other food for thought we offer!

It dumped all afternoon, yet the lines were like this.

The snow continued to fall all day long. When I took a quick break, I came out and my skis had been quickly buried.

The skiing got better and better throughout the day. And during our last two runs, we decided to grab a few quick shots.

Frank sporting his tele-steeze.

Me.

Like children on Christmas Eve, we went to sleep while dreams of pow turns and face shots danced in our heads. And we awoke to this.

9.5 inches new and over 15 inches storm total. Ullr, the God of Skiing, finally delivered

Lift lines were considerably higher, but it didn’t deter the stoke level as we rode the Silver Queen for our first run of the day.

The skiing in the morning was far too good to be wasting time on the camera. We took time to enjoy it. Besides, we had to outski a few thousand of our other best ski buddies But, near the end of the day, there were still a few powder stashes to be had. And I finally whipped out the camera for a few pics.

Frank.

Ben.

It was good to feel the cold smoke on the face again

The Marmot Power Stretch Hoody is one of those versatile pieces that I love so much. I can wear it around the house, around town, skiing, and backcountry skiing. Made from Polartech Power Stretch material, this hoody is soft to the touch, is exceptionally warm. Even better, the material is highly breathable and repels moisture, including snow, making the Power Stretch Hoody perfect for touring in the backcountry, even on big pow-days!

The power stretch hoody has two zippered hand-warming pockets in the front and thumb-holesin the sleeves. The hood is attached, and useful for when you need something extra to stay warm. The fabric is lightweight, so you don’t get that annoying bulky feeling that comes with some sweat-shirt type hoodies.

All in all, Marmot has designed a great product for the female athlete. Both comfortable and functional, this simple hoody has become one of the first things I grab out of my closet. I purchased my Marmot Power Stretch Hoody from Appalachian Ski & Outdoors. Be sure to check them out!

As we skinned up, the windscouring was evident everywhere. And even though temperatures were forecasted in 20′s, it felt much warmer, as we all stripped down to our thermal layers.

Mike dropped in first.

Though the snow was certainly wind-affected, we did find some good turns. However, our turns were most abruptly interrupted when we hit old frozen tracks beneath the new snow.

Grete.

Rachel.

Mike.

Though I enjoy blue skies, it’s certainly good to have the white clouds this week. With snow falling every day since Saturday, this season is finally starting to turn

I kept my eye out for sales and finally buckled down at the end-of-season sale at our local mountaineering shop, the Alpineer. I tried on a number of boots and also demoed a few pairs before determining that the Black Diamond Shiva was the right one for me.

However, after using the boot for a few weeks without working out a few kinks, I developed a foot issue that stuck around for the rest of the spring. I had to return to my Divas to give the foot issue a break. I finally dug the Shivas back out of the closet last month.

Sizing
My feet are small and I typically use a shell size of 2 or 22.5 in an alpine ski boot. I prefer slightly larger boots for touring so I usually settle on a size 23 as most AT boots don’t come in a smaller size. The Scarpas and Garmonts I’ve used in the past have been slightly on the big side for me. However, I’d say BD’s sizing runs a tad small. A size 23 was much smaller than any size 23 I’d ever tried on before. I might have been better off with a size 23.5, but the Alpineer had none in stock at that time. However, I’ve been told that BD’s sizing has changed this year. Whether that’s true or not, I have not yet verified myself. As always, it’s best to try on the boots to determine which size is best for you.

The Liner
I liked the concept of the liner. It’s thermo-moldable, though not on the same level as an Intuition liner. I liked the lacing system and how it could be tightened by turning the knob at the top of the liner. The lacing could quickly be released by pulling the knob out.

However, in practice, the liner wasn’t all I thought it would be. The heal of the liner continually pulled out when touring. Though the liner was fairly comfortable while touring, I felt a lot of pain in the shin area while skiing. The tongue of the liner is soft compared to the shell of the boot and I kept feeling the cuff of the boot right through the liner.

It didn’t take me long to ditch the stock liner with a custom Intuition wrap liner. Immediately, I felt the boot skied a lot stiffer. With the stock liner, I didn’t feel that the Shiva performed at it’s rated flex of 100. With the Intuition liner, I think a Flex of 100 is about right. Although I can sometimes feel the cuff of the boot through the liner, I don’t feel it to the painful extent that I did with the stock liner. I also don’t have the issues of the heal pulling out of the shell while touring.

Other Features
The Shiva comes with a few features that I like. For example, I like the canting adjustment pictured here.

There is also a forward lean adjustment pictured here.

In addition, the Shiva comes with replaceable sole blocks. So, when the rubber on your sole wears out, there’s an easy fix. As with most AT boots these days, the Shiva is compatible with Dynafit bindings.

Touring
I tend to tour with buckles fairly loose. I tour as recommended, with the 2nd buckle up from the toe loosely locked. I usually have all other buckles hanging loose. The touring mode in the Shiva does not go quite as upright as some AT boots, including the Divas I’ve used in the past. But, I don’t notice what while touring at all. The Shivas tour well.

Overall
I am happy with my Black Diamond Shivas, especially after adding the Intuition liners. The Intuition liners make the Shiva properly perform closer to its rated stiffness of Flex 100. While a touch heavier than my previous Divas, I immediately feel a difference in skiing performance. And the Shivas tour efficiently and comfortably.

This year’s Shivas come in fun new colors. Be sure to check the Shiva out if you are looking for a stiff women’s AT boot!

Check out the Shivas from some of our different affiliates below!

We grabbed our skis and headed to the ski area. Yelps and smiles and shouts of elation were everywhere. Two inches became three inches and three inches became five as snow continued to fall throughout the day. I felt my edges carving through the newly fallen snow as if they were razor sharp, something I rarely feel on the man-made frozen congealed slop.

We made our way to the East River lift. “Scrape, scrape, brush, brush,” was the sound our skis made as we glazed over rock after rock and blasted through the small trees and bushes. The coverage was thin, but it was natural snow- natural snow with fresh snow on top of it. And that made it fantastic.

Last year we were spoiled. We would have either laughed or cried at the desperation we find ourselves in today, where skiing a black diamond bump run laden with rocks and bushes has been the highlight of our lift-served experience, where two inches of fresh is declared a pow-day. But, no skier on the mountain yesterday could deny that it wasn’t a good day. Because it WAS a good day!

Sometimes the best days are the ones that remind you what you’ve got

Our intended line, but strong winds kept us from venturing above treeline.

Instead we stuck to a few lower pitches. Frank at the top of one of our ski lines.

We don’t have many ski pictures due to some camera mishaps, but this shows another area we skied.

And me, at the bottom.

A few days later, we went ice skating at Evergreen Lake with the Konsella family. Despite warm temperatures which made the ice turn to mush, we still had fun.

Frank showed off his mad hockey skills.

And we enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

We enjoyed our frolicking in the Front Range. But, it’s good to be back home in Crested Butte

As we made a quick stop in Downieville, wind blasted ice and gravel in our faces. I won’t deny that I nearly gave up just then. “Maybe we should just turn around and go back now.” But, we were almost there. Why not just stick it out and at least check out the actual conditions on Berthoud Pass? We were pleasantly surprised when we stepped out of the car on top of the pass- the hurricane we’d felt down valley was a mere breeze up high.

Frank and I last skied Berthoud Pass prior to the days of the warming hut. Ah, the memories of changing in the exposed parking lot, with snow and wind blowing all around, trying to buckle icy boots with frozen hands. Today, we decided to reap the benefits of this new shelter.

So, the flashbacks of our old stomping ground continued as we began skinning.

The views were beautiful despite the clouds and lack of snow.

The changeover.

The skiing, although variable, was better than we expected.

Me.

Frank even smiled as he found a nice puff of powder to play in.

But, there’s the ever-present reminder, which became even more of a reality as we passed through the weather station- less than two feet of snow on the ground and it’s the end of December. We need snow!

Like the poster on the wall of my classroom says, “Attitude is everything.” There is no doubt that snowfall totals are hurting so far for this winter. But, bringing the right attitude with you as you head out for turns can turn an otherwise mediocre day into a day of fun. Even though we aren’t getting face-shots in epically deep powder, it’s still enjoyable to get out in the backcountry. That being said, let’s hope the New Year brings us the gift of more snow