As our first real pow producer of the season began it’s final approach into northern Vermont, I got my hands on a pair of Black Diamond Reverts, it’s newest touring offering to us, the skiing public. The Revert is a 95mm waist, playful smear board. Designed to be a “mini AMPerage”, this ski sports some very new technology to the Black Diamond line of schussing tools. Significant taper at the tip and tail, moderate rocker both of the tip and tail, and camber underfoot are the hallmarks of this new shred axe. All with the same ABS sidewalls introduced on this years Freeride skis, the Revert is the first of the FreeTour skis (formerly Efficient series) to be built in this style, as opposed to cap construction. For those into SAT style analogies, the AMPerage is to the Rossignol S7 what the Revert is to an S3. Same premise in the design, saving some weight and a bit less sidecut.

Before we get started with my thoughts, let me tell you a bit about myself.
Age: 28
Height: 5’9
Weight: 170
All Time Favorite Skis: 183 Volkl Katana, 183 Volkl Gotama

Ski Reviewed: 2012/13 Black Diamond Revert w/ Plum Guide
Mount: Manufacturers recommended mark

My first impression of the Revert was very positive. A very good looking ski both graphically and technically. Let me state, for the record, that I was never a huge fan of the older BD skis. Some I enjoyed skiing, but in terms of construction and durability I felt they left something to be desired. So I have been very pleased in the past year plus with BD’s construction changes and desire to hop on board with newer technology (camber/rocker profiles, use of carbon, taper, and more soft snow specific shapes).

The ski came with a Plum Guide binding, a French company who has been building rando race tech bindings in Europe for about 6 years, but only released their first Freeride tech binding last season. I have heard many good, and a few bad, things about this supremely beautiful piece of machined steel and polymer that affixes boot to ski. It was good to get on snow with this binding. Frankly, I found it so similar to my Dynafit FT 12s in terms of skiing performance. I would need more time to vet out real durability differences, but both Dynafit and Plum have aspects of their bindings that I am not a huge fan of, while each offering is really a dynamite piece of equipment when used in the manner it is designed for.

My first day on the Revert was the Saturday morning after “Easy” had moved through. The pair I was given to test was the 181cm, 121/95/109 version. I was on the skin track at 6am and got about 4,000 vertical feet of skinning and skiing through 12-20 inches of fresh snow. I was skiing the Revert with my Dynafit Titans on this day. And it took some time to get comfortable with such a different plank than what I usually choose to ski. My skiing style is fairly aggressive. I tend to try and drive the tip of my ski hard and keep my weight forward over the ball of my foot. This ski does not like that type of skiing. On the very first 100ft of descent, I punched it over a small convexity to see how this tool likes air under it. I landed, the ski folded up and I did a little ass-over-teakettle into the deep fresh.

“Ok, let’s start a little slower.” I told myself.

After that I got the hang of it a bit, but still had to get comfortable with a more centered stance on the ski than what I am accustomed to, and an almost non-existent tail. The more time I spent on the ski, the more I enjoyed it. And I really enjoyed it’s softness on the ascent. The soft tip constantly residing on top of the blower, and the feathery weight were all big assets on a day of deep snow skinning.

I did get a groomer run on the Revert, and it was a bit squirrely (to be expected), but overall it was pretty responsive and fun. The fact of the matter is that groomers are not really what this ski should be doing, but when asked to they respond with a surprisingly pleasant ride.

On day two I decided to lighten up the boot pairing, and plugged in my Garmont Helixs to the Plums. This, a last minute decision before venturing out into the 0 degree F sunshine, was the best decision I made all weekend. Without the stiff forward flex and high cuff (in a relative sense) of the Titan, I was forced to ski the lateral stiffness of the Helix and kind of “rock” the ski side-to-side. In this style I was doing my best to keep my weight over the middle of my foot. This strategy yielded much better results, hoots, hollers, face shots, and fun.

If I had some more time with this ski, I would make an effort to put it into situations where I don’t think it would be best suited. Just to see if the engineers at BD put something into this board that would surprise me. High speed groomers (with a brake-less tech binding; YIKES), chop, crud, and icy steeps should be the bane of the Revert’s existence. But at least for now, I will not know this from experience.

And can you blame me for devouring 7,000 ft of human powered flakeage this weekend? I think passing on holiday weekend resort skiing was a strong decision.

My overall impression of the Revert is that it is very well built, light, playful, and easy going modern moderate powder ski. It would be wonderful for a person not too set in one skiing style, or a newer skier who has had time to get used to driving the new ski shapes. The ski is best driven with a lighter and softer boot (think TLT 5) by a skier who is happy slicing effortless turns in medium deep powder. Did everyone just raise their hand?

If I could change anything, it would be to stiffen up the flex underfoot, soften the tip slightly, and add a bit more to the tail. Maybe I am fundamentally changing the ski at this point, and maybe I should have been on the 189cm version, but I feel this way for one major objective reason.

When a soft flexing ski is paired with a tech binding, there is a lot of movement of the heel pins into, and out of, the boot heel inserts. Make sure if you are using this type of setup to keep your forward pressure on the loose end, since most pre-releases with tech bindings come from a deep flex where the binding heel housing hits the back of the boot and pops it out. I set my pressure loose on the Plum, and noticed that while standing still waiting to ski, I was flexing the ski so much that the heel housing was almost touching my boot. And in certain situations while skinning my boot heel would catch on the binding housing. (This was when I was on the flat tour setting, and coming up out of a water bar style feature where only the tail was flexing). Not a huge deal, but still a little strange and never a factor on any of the stiffer underfoot skis I have used tech bindings with.

To sum it all up, when approached the right way (fluid and balanced skiing, not hard charging) on the right terrain (moderate gladed terrain and moderate pow slopes; not steep or very variable terrain) this thing will be a tool that facilitates superb experiences.

Stay tuned for more flavors of gear I am using now, and some small tastes of what will be available for the coming Fall.

And of course, stay tuned to FIS for more of the quality stoke and weather forecasts you have come to expect and rely on. I know I will! (And if you’re looking to pick up some Black Diamond gear we suggest this particularly fine VT gear proprietor)

Well, by now you’ve probably all heard about the Blackout on Wikipedia, and Google’s sad censored logo. Here at FIS we’re in “Whiteout Mode” to take a stand against internet censorship.

Click here to access a tool that will help you contact your US Representative(s), and let them know you care about Internet Censorship. We’ll get back to the pure ski stoke and snow forecasts shortly, but for now, thanks for caring!

I can’t believe it’s January 15th, and I haven’t written one exciting storm forecast for Utah or the entire west. That’s impressive. Espically so since I sorta expected this winter to be above average (after a very slow and bad december). Well regardless of what we all predicted and expected, we got what we got and looking foward next week will bring a period of stormy and unsettled weather to the west.

Follow the passage of a weak front, a moist zonal pacific moisture induced pattern will unfold next week. Looking a global models for the North Pacific it’s clear that a surge of warmer, wetter air will flow up and entrain into a steady westerly flow just off the Wash/Oregon coast. Waves of moisture and embedded shortwaves will ripple inland over the Cascades, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. As the flow fluctuates naturally north and south, moisture will move into the Northern Wasatch and Northern Sierras.

Taking at look at the time/height series for Jackson and Alta we see the pattern played out over their air colums.

Alta:

Notice the difference? Clearly we see sustained heavy upward vertial motion through a heavily saturated enviorment straight through the middle and end of next week at JH. Alta’s graph shows more burst like precip with off and on snowier periods.

I think this is fairly representative of the overall system described above and looks rather well modeled.
Overall we’ll likely be looking a many new feet of snow across the Northern Western mountains and 1-2 new feet across the Wasatch and Sierras. If I had time and a car to go find some deep powder, I’d look to Jackson Hole, Targhee, and anything in Idaho. At least that’s what it looks like now.

Let me add a little more timely data here. As of sunday morning it looks VERY wet out west.
Here is the precip total for the next week:

So this pattern is looking a little better for Utah that previously mentioned but still Idaho and Jackson look to get SPANKED.

Who called this one? Lionel did, that’s who. That’s why this update is all Lionel…all the time…reaping the fruits of his forecast. Honestly, I’m not even sure that makes sense, but whatever, it’s time for some pow shots.

To start it off, here is the man himself Tebowing (or is that TePOWing?) to give thanks to the one and only divine Ullr.

Now let’s get a little bit o’ tele SOUL, replete with three part harmony and a gaper-neck-warmer.

Peak-a-boo-a-pow

And to close it out, here’s just some good old fashioned VTah Classic Deepness.

Thanks folks, and THANKS to Lionel for the forecast (feel free to thank him below yourself in the comments)! Hope you got/git sum! Earn your turns (and then “like” on Facebook).

Friday Jan 13th 5pm Update

Ok Act III. Upslope snow over next 12 hours will be the story of this storm. We’ve gotten between 5-8 inches of cumulative snow since Easy started with a few pockets of more. It has fallen in a creamy dense consistency and now it’s dumping snow up and down the Spine and on a strong 260 degree wind.
Digging closer we see tremendous upward motion between about 5pm and midnight.

With deep level saturation:

and decent snow growth temps through the layer of upward motion

We should see VERY solid snowfall rates between .5 and 1.5 inches an hour depending on the dendrite growth.

I think when all is said and done we will be well into that 6-12 range I originally forecasted and like I said below somebody is coming away with 18 total. This pattern tonight DEF has the possibiltiy of popping off and dropping an additional 8-12 of snow somewhere along the spine. AND if you want my suggestion as to where that might be…well I’d say somewhere between MRG/Bush/the Midd. Snow Bowl / Kmart. Seriously…it’s running that way for sure.

Friday Jan 13th, 9:30AM update
So Here comes Acts II and III of Easy.

Right now a strong low has developed with it’s surface center just off the NY border north of Watertown. Here is the 850mb meso analysis of the system.

It will track northeast across the border over the next 10-12 horus. As it does it will push a strong cold front through the region ( Marked in yellow) Strong southerly winds out ahead of it in VT and NH are keeping mid level temps just a notch above freezing. (Red arrows to east of yellow).
To the west of the front strong winds from the west are whooshing in a lot of cold air and entraining significant moisture. Noted in the red streamlines in western NY there is also a large degree of convergence behind the front from these winds. That will grealy aid in uplift and convective precip.

Overall once that front pushes through we’ll see snow and falling temps. Heaviest snows are going to be in the ADK, and Greens from KMart to MRG. Stowe/Jay might get shadowed a touch from this pattern.
As the winds really stay westerly…the upslope machine kicks in around 10pm tonight with possible a very heavy period of like 2 inches per hour snowfall rates.

Overall I’m going with 3-8 inches additional today.

Jan 12th 12:45PM update:

Storm has started to bring rather steady snows to the Greens over the last few hours. Waiting on reports from the ADK. So far looks like as expected the WAA on the east of the storm has brought a solid 3-5 inches in southern sections of VT and Mass and it’s still snowing. Storm isn’t that well organized and starting to merge into one large low blob. Which is ok. looks like the 12z suite of high res models is handling this well.

Speaking of, I’m now tuning into that period from Friday thru saturday morning. Looks like we’ll see .75 to 1.25 inches or water from Friday morning through Saturday morning along the ADK and Green spine.

and

Certainly some of this will fall as mixed precip (sleet, ice and drizzle) over the day on friday. However, as I’ve discussed below much of this will fall as snow during the later hours of friday and early saturday morning.

Jan 12th 9:38AM update: So this is where we currently stand:

you can clearly see the double low structure that I referenced in the write up below.

Because I don’t have a ton of time I will lay out how this plays out based on the current data and model forecasts.

First today we’ll see that primary low track to the northeast. It will bring light snows to VT, and Northern NH. Heavier snows will fall in central NH and Maine.
Generally there will be a few inches along the ADK and greens – with more on the eastern slopes. Following that light snow, freezing drizzle and misty type precip will reign tonight thru tomorrow midday. Then, that second low – having deepened- will push through. This will be imo the real story and snow maker. The upslope signal is strong from friday night thru midday saturday. With dropping temps snow growth will be right side up so what falls will go from dense to very light by saturday.

Overall I’m still sticking with this being a total 6-12 type event for much of the mountains of the northeast. I made this comment privately and I’ll make it here. If you don’t get above 2500ft you will think this storm is a bust. It’s just going to be that way. Take your time, let it play out and don’t judge it by what falls on your car when it’s parked in the driveway.

ORIGINAL POST from January 10th:
Nope- no intro this time. (Well maybe a short one…if you read “Easy” and don’t think of “Easy Company” 506th Regiment, of the 101st airborne you have not scene the greatest Television series of all time and possibly the best depiction of American men on the Western Front during World War II: HBO’s 10 part epic Band of Brothers. There is little more to say than watch this now. I promise you it will be the best 10 hours you spend this year.)
Back to the weather:
Beginning on Thursday, and running through early Saturday, the North Country has the potential to see a heavy dose of Snow with some rain mixed in.

At its base level “Easy” is a storm complex formed by the interaction of two separate systems. First a moist storm moving out of the south (A) and a cold trough moving out of the northwest/Alberta (B).

Models wanted to merge- or phase- these two pieces a number of different ways of the past week. Slowly however it’s seemed a consensus has emerged. Generally it is agreed that by wednesday the southern low will be over Virginia and the northern energy will be developing a storm over the great lakes.

This is the moment it gets “interesting.”

Models have a very hard time with the complex interaction between lows and frankly so do forecasters. There are just a lot of moving parts and wind shifts/temperature changes. TO accurately predict what will happen tends to focus more on the “art” rather than the “science.”
Generally however it seems pretty clear that these storms will not totally phase but rather link in a rather unique way. (from the Euro)

Nor often when something like this happens one of the lows takes over as the primary low. Usually that’s the coastal low given how cyclones form. That however doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Rather all the major models want to skirt that primary low off to the east while still dragging the second low up into Canada.

- Of course as soon as I publish this the 12z NAM for 1/10/12 comes out and just decides it wants to make that primary low the story. According to the NAM the Greens and ADK a solid 8-10(+) of snow will fall on thursday, FOLLOWED by the passage of the second low with waves and impusles sparking snowfall through saturday. DO I buy this soluition totally…well not quite…read on…

With that said, I think the following plays out…
1) The primary (or southern low) tracks up into southern NY state. VT and the ADK seen WAA snows on the “front end” with a passage to some mixed precip and periods of heavier snow on Thursday.
2) As that primary low moves east, the lagging more vertically stacked “secondary” low- the northern low will slowly drag across the ADK/Greens Thursday night and Friday. While the models don’t throw a ton of moisture out, I think there is plenty to be had. Once the high res models come in line I’d not be shocked to see enough water to get us to a foot of snow. These lagging moist lows are just great for the greens.
3) A weak impulse may ride up a secondary front associated with this second low late Friday. That would spark additional snowfall in Vermont- esp. southern and central VT.
4) As the second low moves out into Maine, we’ll see a period of solid upslope snow from Friday to Saturday.

So what snowfalls are we looking at? Overall- when all is said and done I think it’s VERY possible somewhere along the Green Spine and ADK will be over a foot with the potential to get into the 18 inch range if that second low tracks a little south right over the spine. Otherwise I think this is a solid 5-10/6-12 type event
across much of the North Country (at elevation). Further south I think southern VT could fall in that 4-8 range. Interestingly a low level moist easterly flow at the outset may spike snowfall rates in the Whites putting MTW in that 6-12 range.
-Maine Bonus: On the advice of a wise friend, I’d like to add that the Sunday River/Sugarloaf region could get a real hammering as well. During the first lows life, a strong southeast flow off the ocean will develop and funnel moisture right into Maine. Should be cold enough for snow at both SR and the Loaf. The result will likely be a 8-16 inch snowfall event for them by friday afternoon.

Caveat Conclusion: This is a very complex event that models have not handled well at all and I think there are some assumptions that just might not play out. Am I totally confident this stays all snow? Nope. Not at all. Am I confident that Easy isn’t just another warm rain storm? Yes. We’re going to get snow out of this and somebody along the spine is going to get a fair (possibly VERY FAIR) amount.

I’ll keep you posted.

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