Author: Zachary Kenney

Ski Touring at Night |Park City Mountain

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As you climb up the ski run, that you’ve skied downhill so many times, you begin to enter the flow state. The lights from the base area begin to disappear, and the darkness around the beam of your headlamp becomes the new normal. Without the constant alertness required when traveling in avalanche terrain, you can allow your brain to wonder. The climb begins to hit a rhythm as you find a good pace to slide over the icy surface. One foot, sliding in front of the other, and repeat. It becomes, sort of like a meditation. Only when a fellow …

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Climbing in a Flow State on The Grand Teton

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Move after move, far above my last piece of gear, stemming off a thick sheet of rime ice, I felt like I couldn’t fall. Climbing 5.4 off the ground is no accomplishment on its own; but in some of the most adverse climbing conditions I’ve ever faced. And at 13,000′ and going on 12 hours of climbing, it’s something I wanted to look into. I’m no 5.12 climber or experienced mountaineer, but why was I making every move with pure confidence? I attribute it all to being in a flow state. Flow is something most adventure and action sport athletes …

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Dogs in Banff National Park

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve wanted to take your dog with you on some of the most incredible hikes that our National Parks have to offer. You know… to Delicate Arch in Arches, Angels Landing in Zion, or even up to Half Dome in Yosemite. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t take a dog up there, but you get the idea. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in National Parks in the United States (or should I say not allowed on trails). Have no fear, the Canadian National Parks are here!  Did you know, dogs are allowed everywhere in Canadian National Parks? …

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Lessons Learned from Skiing Teton Pass… like a Jerry

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No matter who you are, or where you ski, when it comes to skiing of Teton Pass, prepare yourself and have an open mind. I start by saying this not because of how technical or difficult the skiing is off the Pass, because it isn’t. I say this because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that my friends and I made on a weekend in February last year. And we made fools of ourselves. Teton Pass is the main thru-way from Jackson, Wyoming to Victor, Idaho that crosses over the southern portion of the Teton Range. Being …

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Grandeur Peak Trail West Face | The Hardest Hike in the Wasatch Mountains?

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There are two pinnacle hikes that every Salt Lake resident can see from the city and eventually should do. The two are Mount Olympus and the West Face of Grandeur Peak. Having done both of them, and many other peaks in the Wasatch, I think it’s safe to say, the Grandeur Peak via the West Face is the hardest hike in the Wasatch. In typical Wasatch trail fashion, right out of the parking lot you immediately head straight up. With little reprieve at the bench, you have the option of choosing between trails that ascend up two different ridges that …

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5 Tips for Working From Home and Maintaining a Healthy Work/Life Balance

Zachary Kenney0 Comments

Almost three years ago, long before the pandemic was ever on anyone’s mind, I moved out to Utah. I never was able to find work out here, so I made a deal with the company I worked for at the time to allow me to work from home full time. I’d be able to keep my job, my responsibilities, my hours, all in exchange that I’d be chained to a home office desk during working hours. At the time, I thought that deal was by far the best thing that could happen in this scenario. I was 26 years old, …

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Huntington Dog Beach

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Flat out, I think the best part of California is the Dog Beach in Huntington Beach. On our first trip to California over Thanksgiving in 2018, when our dog Gregor was only 6 months old, we discovered this absolute gem of a beach. And two years later, we made the drive back to California over the same Thanksgiving weekend to go Huntingdon Dog Beach again, because it’s that incredible. And after three days, back to back to back at the dog beach, Gregor was completely wiped out and slept the entire 12hr drive back to Utah. What exactly is the …

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Neahkahnie Mountain Trail | Hiking the Oregon Coast

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Overlooking the tiny beach town of Manzanita, cut off from the ocean by the Oregon Costal Highway, is one of the most surreal mountains I’ve ever hiked. Is it some alpine peak requiring ropes and ice axes, no. But does it hold some of the most incredible, panoramic views of the Oregon coastline, you bet it does. I’m talking about Neahkahnie Mountain. And on our road trip through Oregon this past summer, we stumbled upon this hike one morning, and couldn’t have been more surprised. Growing up on the east coast, and doing a fair amount of growing up while …

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Review: Patagonia Houdini Jacket

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When looking in our gear room or in our closet, I can truly say, the Patagonia Houdini Jacket is one of the most important piece of gear I own. Sure, there are a few sport specific items like skis and climbing harnesses that I physically can’t take part in the sport without, but when it comes to all-around utility and effectiveness, the Patagonia Houdini Jacket takes the top prize.  The Houdini Jacket labeled as, “The 100% recycled nylon, take-it-anywhere jacket with weather-resistant protection for high-output endeavors. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.” And what that really means is, it’s a wind breaker …

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Black Diamond Helio 105 Ski | REVIEW | Backcountry Touring Skis

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The Black Diamond Helio 105 Carbon Ski is flat out an incredible ski. Of course, like all skis, it has its time and place and its own set of drawbacks. But so far, after skiing 3 seasons on them, I can officially say it’s a great ski. Early models of the Helio 105 were definitely a work in progress, like any new product, but their latest models have really dialed it in. As a full disclosure, I live and ski in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, where I primarily use these skis to access backcountry terrain, where I ski between …

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