Lee Lyon

Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shakushi Southeast

This series documents riding spring big lines in the Hida Mountains. The first part reports from the Shiradake Diagonal Couloir. One cool thing about Hakuba is that many of the biggest, most aesthetic lines are clearly visible from town. Every sunny morning, I wake up and stare at Shakushi’s SE face lit up in alpenglow. I scan the surrounding terrain for signs of instability for the day ahead, and I dream about putting tracks on Shakushi’s spines. I’ve been waiting for the right conditions to get on this face for some years now. In late March, an opportunity finally presented itself. […]
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Lee Lyon |
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Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shiradake Diagonal Couloir

Due to the complete media blow out coming from Japan this winter, I’ve been hesitant to share anything from over here. I know I’m sick of hearing about how awesome Japan is; I can’t imagine how annoying it is if you live somewhere suffering through a rough snow year. However, I thought it might be appreciated to see a different perspective on the skiing and mountains in Japan. Everybody knows about the deep mid winter powder season. It is a lot less common […]
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Lee Lyon |
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Atomic Automatic 109 Ski Review

For the 2014-2015 season, Atomic has expanded their extremely successful Automatic model into three different widths: a 102, 109 and 117. They still have that Automatic shape you know and love, and now you can choose the size that fits your style and the conditions you ski in most often. The 109 is the most versatile ski in the Automatic lineup. It’s a great ski for any and all snow conditions, and it is light enough to be a good touring ski. It is fun and playful and can also carve, but it is not stiff enough for heavier skiers who like to go fast. I tested the Atomic Automatic 109 in a wide variety of conditions over the course of 40 ski days at Nevados de Chillan, Las Leñas […]
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Lee Lyon |
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Japan Conditions Report: Bottomless Powder at Cortina Yesterday

What a start to the season at Cortina! With 50cm today and 50 cm yesterday, it was truly bottomless, by any definition. Snow quality was quite good, and face shots were plentiful. As the lifts opened, the clouds parted and gave us a few hours of beautiful light before it started to snow again. Despite weekend crowds and limited terrain due to only Chairs 2 and 4 being open, the resort did not track out too quickly. This last storm has done […]
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Lee Lyon |
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Atomic Outerwear Review | Ridgeline Ski Jacket & Ski Pant

Ridgeline Jacket.

The Ridgeline jacket and pants are as light, breathable and comfortable as a thin mountaineering soft shell; but are also waterproof, windproof, warm and durable like a heavier resort skiing hard shell. This outerwear combination can handle long hikes, varying temperatures, and heavy wind and precipitation, all in the same day. It is perfect for the skier who hikes, rides lifts and skis hard every day, in every condition. Test: 40 days between Nevados de Chillan, Las Leñas, and Cordon del Plata. Trip reports available HERE and HERE. The Ridgeline 3L Jacket and 2L Pants make use of Pertex Shield+ and Pertex […]
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Lee Lyon |
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