The best
Snowboarding books:
Reddit reviews
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The best of Snowboarding books by number of unique Reddit comments:
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Snowboarding books:
I'm not going to pretend to know if you assessed the situation correctly but this:
> This is a run just outside of the main pistes
and this:
> My friend in the orange has been riding this area his entire life, and assured me
Are two huge reasons that people die in the backcountry. If you're off piste like this everyone in your group should have a beacon, probe, and shovel at minimum. If this is a thing you do often or want to do more in the future, then I would recommend at least reading a book like this.
To me, diffusion of responsibility and thinking "well he knows what he's doing and is ok with this" is not something I want to bet my safety on. Gaining knowledge for yourself so that you can make your own intelligent decisions is the best way to go.
Hopefully this didn't come across as a lecture, just trying to provide the right information. Like I said, your friends decision could have been fine, but if you read up on it a bit you'll be able to at least know what to look for and make a judgement of your own next time you end up in this situation.
If nothing else, at least remember this for judging if something is steep enough to slide.
Real talk, if you have to ask this question to randos on the internet, you should almost certainly not be in the backcountry this year. Avy risk and trail crowding will be at an all-time high because of the number of first-timers thinking exactly the same as you. If you don't already have potential partners to show you the ropes, now is not the time to be dabbling.
I would get setup for future seasons.
- Rent a splitboard and take an Intro to Splitboarding course under professional supervision.
- Find and learn how to read your local avalanche forecast. Read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain.
- Sign up for your regional equivalent of Avy 1 (AIARE Level 1 in the US).
- Ride with a small compass and test if you can feel out which aspect of the mountain you're on.
But I wouldn't plan on consistently getting out into the field unless you can either afford multiple guided trips or find experienced partners willing to mentor you.
Absolutely! Snow is incredibly interesting and demands respect.
If you are interested in a primer, get the book "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain"
Are you getting enough vitamin C?
Your symptoms could be scurvy. Eat some oranges and lemons.
Just did mine in January. The online coursework is a great pre cursor and has a ton of the info from the in person part. Reading this book before hand really helped nail down a lot of concepts and made the course make a lot more sense for me. https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1680511386/ref=nodl_
Buy and read this book if you want to do more touring: https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1680511386/ref=nodl_
The reason why it is important to learn is because the only person responsible for your safety is you. You need to be able to assess terrain and conditions and make decisions for yourself. Having an experienced group is awesome, but they aren’t infallible (see the Loveland pass avalanche a few years ago for a prime example).
Kinda echoing all of what has been said here. If there's any one thing you can do, read avy reports from the CAIC (https://www.avalanche.state.co.us/) and avoid slopes >30 degrees. Meet people, especially those who know what they are doing, go to Friends of CAIC, Friends of Berthoud Pass, and other backcountry meetups. It is a very welcoming community and we want to share our knowledge because we don't want to read a report about one of our own gone because they did something stupid/were ignorant about avalanche danger. Fear is healthy and good. When you go into the backcountry with no fear/respect for the mountains, that's when you die. Certain ski areas (Loveland, A Basin, Copper, etc. all have uphill access where you can go early am and skin up and practice touring safely). Get your touring setup and take an AIARE 1 course ASAP, I recommend doing it through Colorado Mountain School. Read this book and study it, then apply that knowledge. It will keep you alive. Start small and if you don't know, don't go. The mountains will always be there, and you can always ski them another day. The backcountry is a beautiful, exciting, fun, and peaceful place, but it can have significant consequences if not respected. And lastly, if you really are getting after it, you just are gonna have to drop some dough. Name of the game unfortunately. Also P.S. please don't boot up the skin track :)
To increase flexibility, I recommend the book Stretching by Bob Anderson and Jean Anderson. It's a classic - they just released a 40th anniversary edition - and the illustrations and instructions are really clear. Here's the link to the new edition, but any edition would be good: https://www.amazon.com/Stretching-40th-Anniversary-Bob-Anderson/dp/0936070846/ref=asc\_df\_0936070846/
For those that want to blame inexperienced or reckless people, Colorado's snowpack is significantly more unstable than the other states listed. Those 300+ days of sunshine that we like to brag about, that is the real reason. Colorado goes a long time between storms with lots of sun in the meantime. This causes the top layer to melt and then refreeze causing "sugar snow". Sugar snow is very weak, and after a few storms it just gives out.
If you are unable to attend an Avy 1 class due to COVID and the influx of people this year, at the minimum read Bruce Tremper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. I prefer paperback vs the kindle because I find it easier to take notes, but do what you want.
That's dope! Just bought one because it looks kinda like one of the illustrations in my latest book "Powder Power."
Representation for women/POC in snow sports is SEVERELY lacking, so I love to see it in this sub! Keep up the good work!
https://www.amazon.com/Powder-Power-Snowboarding-Book-Kids/dp/B08BGM3W9T
You should do the kid from my cover next! (Check the link)
;)
There's a lot to do on the I-90 corridor. If you're new to the backcountry, I would ideally try to find someone who knows the area you plan on skiing in and have them take you out. Then they have a pretty good idea of where to skin up, what areas are avvy prone and the best lines that they might be willing to share with you. If you don't know anyone, then a guide service is also a way to get this info.
CalTopo and slope shading is your friend.
There is also this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594856567/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TA9BFb77ES449
Before anything else, make sure you're at least minimally avalanche-aware. If you can't get avy certified, read Bruce Tremper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Territory cover-to-cover. Sorry to preach, but lots of first-time backcountry users will be out in the field this season, so trying to educate where I can.
To your question, keep in mind when you're splitting you'll likely be at least 10+ lbs heavier than your base weight. Pack + avy gear + skins + layers + food + water.
159W at 195 lbs is a little small, but not unworkably so. My preference would be pay more for at least a 161W, but if that's all that's within your budget, you can make it work. FWIW I'm 210 lbs on a 163 Weston Backwoods... I'd ideally be on more like a 165, but the next size up is a 167, so I opted for the smaller size.
In all seriousness there is a reason to address this issue. Snow sports have historically excluded POC and I've never once seen an effort to include these groups of people.
That was my goal for this book, to inspire and motivate the next generation of snowboarders to be better than my generation. I included women and POC in my favorite illustrations in hope that I would correct some of the negative stereotypes and do my part to diminish discrimination within the sport.
It's not much to combat systemic racism, but I hope that in some small way my actions have an effect on the future. If just one child is motivated to snowboard then I'll have been successful.
I'll include a link to view the paperback version if anyone is interested, and thank you for supporting me and helping to end discrimination in snow sports.
TL;DR if the phrase "Jamaican bobsled team" makes you giggle, you're a part of the problem. Buy my book and help become part of the solution
With all the crazy news in the world and recent layoffs from multiple jobs due to COVID as motivation, I decided to take a risk and follow my passion for writing and creating art.
I could really use some reviews and some help promoting my book, as the feedback helps me improve. My goal was to create something that was colorful and amusing, yet also educational for those interested in learning how to snowboard.
I also made a point to include women and people of color in some of my favorite illustrations, as these groups have historically been excluded from snow sports for a variety of reasons (although thankfully that has been changing). Still, I wanted to do my part and help inspire the next generation to participate in one of my favorite sports.
I'll include a link to my Amazon page below for anyone interested in supporting me, and if you have any questions feel free to send me a message.
Powder Power is a book about snowboarding for kids and adults alike. It helps teach the fundamentals with colorful pictures and simple tips so that anyone can learn the basics!
If you wanted to support me by buying my book I'll include a link to the paperback on Amazon. Just make sure to comment so I can thank you!
It's on Amazon!
I wish there was a cleaner link I could copy, but that will take you straight to it! If you left me a review (good or bad, helps me improve) I would love you!!
"Surfing the Himalayas" by Frederick Lenz: https://www.amazon.com/Surfing-Himalayas-2016-Frederick-Lenz/dp/0982050593 Magical!
I see it's available on Kindle. I know it is also available as an audiobook on Amazon, but unfortunately it is in tape format, not mp3 or CD.
I see a few different ones, is this the one you mean?
I generally just browse Turns-all-year for conditions and see what looks good but if you are looking for a big mountain there are lots of things on hood, rainier, baker and maybe throw in the sahale arm as an option. Skiing mount saint helens on mothers day (just before the climbing quotas go into effect) is popular too but you will have to wear a dress to honor mothers (tradition, google it).
Be aware that skiing a big mountain might mean ice at the top, corn in the middle and slush at the bottom and their are lots of other options that should still have enough snow to be fun...last year we even got some powder in may.
THis book has some good options http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Backcountry-Snowboard-Routes-Washington/dp/0898866618