And She's Dope Too

A great company with a crazy name.  I just spent the weekend shooting footage for a Kickstarter campaign that ASDT is launching next month.  This fledgling, Ogden-based company has rapidly developed a loyal following of women who love to get together and enjoy the outdoors.  Using funds from the sales of their apparel, Jenn and Taylor Killian, the founders of ASDT, hope to continue to fund outings, gatherings, and outdoor sports clinics for women across the country.  In addition, they plan to give back a portion of their proceeds to causes that support the environment, as well fund non-profits that are helping people in need around the globe.  These are lofty goals for a small business, but Jenn and Taylor are enthusiastic and totally committed to make their vision a reality.  I'm glad I can be a part of helping them build their business.

Speed Flying in Chamonix

No...I wasn't speed flying, but my crazy friend Jon Malmberg and his friends were doing so last March in Chamonix, France; the epicenter of big mountain skiing and now "hucking yourself off big mountains in every way imaginable."  He asked me to edit his GoPro footage into something fun, so that's hopefully what I was able to do here.  Nothing fancy...just some good old fashioned editing with all effects done inside of Premiere Pro CC 2015.

Thanks to his sponsors for their support - in particular, KAVU, an outdoor clothing company based out of my old hometown area of Seattle.

KLYMIT

There aren't many things better than venturing out into the vast wilderness areas of the western United States.  On this last trip into the Uinta Mountains of Utah, we took a pair of lightweight backpacks from Klymit - a local Utah company.  Our latest backpacking trip was to the West Fork of the Black Fork River where I was still able to get some imagery of Klymit's superlight packs.  The Motion 35 and 60 packs utilize Klymit's unique Air Beam framesheet to provide the structure and suspension while keeping the overall weight as low as possible.  They performed as advertised, and I look forward to more adventures exploring the mountains while capturing the Klymit Motion packs "in action."

MAGGIE ODETTE

Inspiring.  Humble.  Amazing.  All three of these words come to mind when you meet Maggie Odette and watch her gracefully scale a rock wall.  I first met Maggie this past winter when my family and I were embarrassing ourselves on the bouldering wall at The Front Climbing Gym in Ogden.  

 Over and over again our eyes were drawn to one climber in particular.  Her movements were calculated and smooth as she repeatedly attempted the same complex set of moves involving hanging off a tiny hold, extending her foot above her head to grasp an even smaller hold with her heel,  followed by an explosive surge as she swung her body to a friction hold far to her side.  Even when she missed her hold and fell to the mat below she always stood back up with a huge smile and a self-deprecating laugh.

That same day she gave my daughters tips on how to better balance themselves as they attempted holds they never thought they'd successfully reach.  Within an hour they were attempting routes they never dreamed were possible.  We all chatted, laughed, and had a fun afternoon.   Little by little over the next month I learned more about Maggie--usually from people I talked to outside the climbing gym.  Quickly, I realized I had to make a short video featuring her.  

Due to lots of various reasons it took almost six months to complete the video, and it really only got done because Maggie emailed me telling me she was leaving town and not coming back.  Her and her husband had made a major life decision and were going to "live the dream."  Luckily, I finished up the video before they packed up and headed east, but I felt lucky to have met such a humble, outgoing, and wonderful ambassador for her sport. 

I wish Maggie safe travels in her dangerous flip flops, lots of fun days filled with friends and laughs, and many sunny days climbing with her husband.  You can follow her adventures at gravitychronicles.com

SUNNY SNOWBASIN

This past week I again teamed up with the Fish Marketing team to shoot video for Snowbasin Resort's upcoming TV and online ads promoting their summer activities.  I was fortunate to also meet the husband and wife team behind the local company AndShesDopeToo -- Taylor and Jennifer Killian.  For three days we shot a gamut of activities from stand up paddleboarding on Pineview Reservoir, running along the trails shooting Taylor and Jenn on their mountain bikes, to enjoying the Sunday buffet at the top of the Gondola.  Overall, it was a fun time with a happy, energetic group of people!

#DeerValleySummer

I've been very fortunate in the past couple years to work with a number of stellar organizations, and this summer I've teamed up with Deer Valley Resort to create a series of videos promoting their summer activities with the new hashtag #DeerValleySummer.  It's intimidating to work with a company that was voted as the #1 Ski Resort in North America for 2015, so I knew I had to up my game.  

I'd recently acquired a DJI Ronin Stabilizer.  There's more to it than simply throwing a camera on the rig, but it's a big step up in creating production value for those of us who are trying to create quality videos on a budget.  Hopefully, there's now less need for dollies and cranes that take quite a while to set up for one shot.

I wanted to select the correct camera and lenses for the job, so I practiced with the Ronin and my Canon 70D DSLR one evening above Park City.  In less than ten minutes I'd shot multiple clips that were relatively smooth, mostly in focus, and looked pretty good for a first time operator.  I must admit the footage still has a lot of room for improvement, so I'm still working on finding a consistent setup  with ND filters, focus, aperture, and shutter speed.  Overall, the Ronin may be expensive, but for the type of work I do it seems to be the best choice to bring the most production value to future projects.

Utah Olympic Oval

After creating a series of videos for the Utah Olympic Park, it was an honor to be asked by the the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation to create a series of videos featuring sports and activities available at the Utah Olympic Oval.  The Oval was created for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and it is a marvelous facility that continues to allow people to learn and participate in a myriad of on-ice activities.  From curling, skating, and hockey, this facility is truly a gem for the entire community along the Wasatch.  I'm still finishing up the last of the videos, and they should be online in the coming weeks.  You can learn more about the Olympic Oval and the Olympic Park at www.utaholympiclegacy.org

TRAINING WITH CAROLINE GLEICH

Last fall, the ever enthusiastic Mike Lewis from ZEAL Optics suggested Caroline and I meet and bounce around ideas of possible video projects for the coming winter.  We met at Mazza's at 9th and 9th in SLC, and over plates of delicious Middle Eastern food we discussed our plans, goals, and thoughts about the ski season.  While we were full of ideas, we were also short on free time and a budget.  I ate some pita bread and thought of what we could do.  Caroline was very busy, but wanted to make a video focusing on her training regime.  I had a lot of commitments over the winter, but I had a kernel of an idea for a video.  A few more servings of muhamara and loobia later and we'd come up with a plan.  We just needed to shoot some video before the snows hit and then meet again a few months later to get some on-snow shots.

The next week, we met again in SLC and over the course of one day we were able to shoot video of Caroline running in the foothills, working out at the gym, and hiking at Snowbird Resort.  It was a long, fun day, and I knew I captured a lot of great shots.  We said goodbye and wished each other all the best during the upcoming ski season.  I threw together a quick assembly edit to make sure I had all the shots I needed, then I moved on to other gigs and didn't think much about our unfinished project.  

Between Caroline's world travels and my own "schedule restrictions" (aka - other obligations that required skiing), we couldn't choose a day to meet until April.  Unfortunately, the weak snow year was also deciding to give up the ghost and leave us even earlier than usual.  As we talked about our plans, the prospect of running out of snow was very real.  Luckily, two late season storms hit and gave us the saving grace of a new layer of snow.  Then, almost immediately after it fell, this white goodness started to melt, too.  

As we drove up the Little Cottonwood canyon I noticed the buds on the maple trees opening up.  The canyon was a sea of glowing green.  Beautiful, but not what I needed to capture some "on snow" shots.  I was worried we'd waited too late in the season.  One mile down the canyon from Snowbird the snow coverage was still sketchy and I was still worried.  A couple more miles up the canyon and we parked at the base of Mt Superior.  Caroline pointed at the approach and the chute she wanted to ski.  It looked great!  The cruel sun didn't have a clear shot it, so nicely nestled at a bit over 8,000 ft we found our perfect location.

It was a short morning skin and boot pack followed by a short ski back down.  The video came together rather quickly at that point.  It attempts to showcase not only the work that goes into training for Caroline's physically demanding adventures into the mountains, but her thoughts about why she is always in pursuit of Type 2+ fun.  Enjoy!

You can follow Caroline's adventures on her webpage: carolinegleich.com

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SKI TEAM

There are many, many, many superb non-profit foundations across the country.  Each can only thrive with the help of a core staff and countless hours of volunteer work, and in return they help to enrich their communities with unique services and experiences.  One such program in our local area is the Ogden Valley Winter Sports Foundation (aka Ogden Valley Ski Team).  Program Director Gordon Perry and I sat down to record his interview narrative a while back, and now that the snow has officially stopped falling, it was time for me to put the video together.  Great program, great coaching, great athletes -- we're lucky to live so close to the mountains and to have programs like this one to get young athletes out onto the snow.  Where ever you may live, please get out and support your local non-profits, too!

MOAB MUSINGS

April is a tough month for the outdoor enthusiast with Mother Nature caught in her schizophrenic throws of transitioning from winter to summer.  As the powder dumping snowstorms become sporadic, I satisfy my urge to travel and explore with my annual trip to magical, mythical, majestic Moab.  This year was a low key trip with just me and my trusty cattle dog mutt, Lucy.  While I intended to practice with my 4K video camera, I ended up focusing on taking photos with my Canon 70D.  There are better cameras coming out every month, but there's something about shooting with a piece of equipment I feel comfortable using under all conditions.  You can read about my trip and see more photos in my article posted on the ZEAL Optics website HERE.  

BROS NOT PROS

ZEAL Optics recently released the first in a series of videos I'm creating featuring people who aren't athletes.  The majority of us aren't rich and famous, but that's okay.  The series celebrates the people out there who are living life to its fullest without fanfare, spotlights, blogs, photographers, or POV videos.  they do what they love and love what they do.

I shot this video of Rich Tilton in the fall out on Antelope Island.  I chose Rich because he's a super friendly guy who is humble, kind, and just gets out there every day and does something active.  On the day of our shoot, the skies were clear and the colors of the land were a palette of autumn browns as the season was transitioning to winter.  The aerial segments were shot with a GoPro on a drone and I used my Canon DSLR for all the rest.  We only had an afternoon together, so we were quick to capture as many different shots as possible before I had to head home and barbecue dinner.

HERE'S TO A GREAT WINTER

While this season will go down in history as one of the driest winters on record here in Utah, it still didn't keep me from having a terrific season.  I enjoyed tons of great skiing, I spent many days in the mountains exploring new areas, and overall I'd have to admit it I had a better season than I deserved.  What really made the season so memorable was meeting so many inspiring, kind hearted people who made my days in the mountains even better.  

While I still have a few days of skiing left in me, I'm already getting excited for the this summer's adventures.  In the meantime, here are four photos taken in the last month, proving that even a bad snow season here in Utah is still pretty amazing.

SKILOGIK Ambassador Emma Morgan leading the way off of the Mount Allen Tram.

Here's Dave Rosen enjoying some late season goodness at Powder Mountain.

Caroline Gleich takes in the view after we got the top of Suicide Chute on the last day of March.

I was going to freeski, but I ran into Jim Forster and we just had to take a couple photos.

I never get photos of myself, but I asked Caroline to snap a few photos.  She kindly snapped this one of me with the Pfeifferhorn in the background.

MAGAZINE ARTICLE PUBLISHED

Lightning does seem to strike twice, and I'm excited to say that I've had two articles published in AMERICAN ANGLER magazine in as many months.  This latest issue features a story I wrote about backpacking and fly fishing in the gorgeous Uinta Mountains.  Thanks to Finn Navidomskis for being my hiking partner and inspiration for the story.

As I sit here typing, there's a snowstorm dumping wonderful Utah powder onto our mountains, and I'm excited about the great skiing I have scheduled for later this week, but...there is a little part of me that's excited about early mornings on the trail, late nights camping high in the mountains, and long days exploring endless miles of serpentine rivers in search of trout.  Tight lines!

Free the Powder

"When college ended and the World thought we were supposed to get real jobs like our father had, the Old Man actually took great pride in the fact my brother and I became ski bums. We still are to this day."  

That's a quote from Chase Stewart who, with his wife Shannon, recently started Free The Powder Gloves in Park City.  Their goal is to provide high quality gloves at affordable prices.  In fact, their gloves just went on sale as we approach the end of the ski season (a moment of silence, please).  Dave Rosen and I recently became members of "Team Free the Powder," so if you see us on the mountain, then check out our gloves, and let's ski a few runs.

Dave Rosen charging as usual in his Free The Powder gloves.

Snowbasin TV Ads

Last month I was fortunate enough to work with Fish Marketing out of Portland, Oregon to help them create a series of television and online spots as part of an advertising campaign for Snowbasin Ski Resort.  Doug Fish brought a small production team out to Utah, and I was hired to provide the on snow video content.  Lucky for us, the resort had just received a fresh layer of stereotypical Utah Pow.  With only two days to get the required shots, we were on the mountain early and hit every spot on the mountain.  The Fish Marketing crew were a terrific, professional group, and I'm glad I could help them get the shots they needed for their client.

The off snow video was shot with a Blackmagic Cinema Camera with Rokinon Primes/Canon Lenses while the on snow video was shot on my Canon 70D with two zoom lenses.  I love the 70D for its autofocus capability while trying to get great video of moving subjects.

The screenshots of the more dynamic skiing have the standard 180 deg shutter motion blur, so I chose these photos as a representation of the great conditions we had over the two days.

The wonderful world of Multi-Media

While my primary focus has been creating videos that tell a story, the world of storytelling has really evolved and grown more complex over the past few years with clients now needing media in many various forms and flavors.  Over the past year, I've been expanding into written content (American Angler article, ZEAL blog stories, Orvis articles, Storehouse & Steller stories, etc.).  Facebook, blogs, Storehouse app, and the Steller app to name a few outlets provide excellent platforms for clients to reach out and tell their stories to a wide audience.  In addition to more written and photographic content, I've also been supplying video in different formats to again reach different audiences.  The video below is a standard 1080p video to be embedded anywhere on the web, but I also created a fifteen second Instagram version for SKILOGIK to use on their Instagram feed (@SKILOGIK).

It's an exciting time.  Democratization of storytelling is hitting its stride bringing an unparalleled ability to get out there and tell a story in an almost unlimited way.  This freedom does come with its own set of difficulties; number one being the problem of standing out amongst the din of so much constant media.  I believe a strong focus on the message, the branding, and specialization to hone the message to a select audience is the only way to successfully catch the attention of audience members.

Time will tell which outlets stand the test of time, but in the meantime it's a very fun time in history.  Within moments of an event, that photo/story/video can be shared through a multitude of outlets.  With a bit more time to refine the media - to edit, enhance, contemplate a bit more outside of the excitement of the moment - the story can be made even better.  This is the exciting part to me.  There are so many stories out there to be told.  So many interesting people.  With technology being affordable and outlets being accessible this truly is the Golden Age of Creativity.

American Angler Article

The current issue of AMERICAN ANGLER magazine contains an article I wrote about last summer's eleven day float down the famed Kanektok River in remote southwest Alaska.  It's a humorous story about my attempts to catch a mighty King salmon while under the tutelage of flyfishing veteran and good friend, Mike Navidomskis.  Do I catch a King salmon worthy of a photo?  You'll have to stop by a local bookseller, grab a copy of the magazine, and find out for yourself.

Powder Mountain Snowsports School

Kent Lundell, the director of the Powder Mountain Snowsports School, wanted a short video about the snowsports school, so I grabbed my Canon DSLR and in a quick morning shot what I needed for the video.  The atmosphere at Powder Mountain is so great; laid back, friendly, supportive.  This feeling permeates the staff and is felt by visitors and students of the snowsports school.  While we're still in need of another round of snow storms here in Utah, there's still a lot of fun to be had in the mountains right now.

Powder Mountain Backcountry

Recently, with the help of the great folks at Powder Mountain Ski Area, I was able to head into their surrounding backcountry to scout out the location of an upcoming photo and video shoot for SKILOGIK, ZEAL Optics, and ABS backpacks.  Ex-racer, Christina Guay, accompanied me on the outing to help as my talent/model/skier for the day.  She did a great job, as well as Garrett and Brian, who made sure we were safe in the backcountry.  Thanks to everyone who made this possible. #zealoptics #skilogik #powdermountain

WasatchReport.com

Last winter, my wife and I alternated spending days at home taking care of, and home schooling, one of our daughters who was going through a prolonged illness.  During some of the many hours I spent sitting in front of my laptop as I looked out at the snow, I put together an aggregation webpage focused on skiing, the backcountry, and misc good stuff from along the Wasatch.  I was going to so many websites on a regular basis, I wanted to compile them all on one page for easy access.  One thing led to another and soon I had WasatchReport.com.

The intent was create a central site I could bookmark and then find information in a quick, clear format.  It's a dynamic site with links, articles, and videos I found interesting, informative, or entertaining.  There's nothing extra here -- just links and some videos I thought were worth adding to the page.  Last season I tried to add a new article every day, but I'm not stuck at home this season, so therefore I don't see this happening...but who knows. 

I invite you to check out the site, click and explore, and discover new people and places.  Let me know if you have something I should add or suggestions to make it better.  My email is chris.twosherpas@gmail.com

Thanks, Chris

WASATCHREPORT.COM