GoogleDocs

Google, hate it or love it, its here to stay. Recently, I have had a couple IT projects that use Google Docs extensively. It makes it nice to be able to work from anywhere and still input ideas to one other like we are in the same room. The programs that Google offers for free are amazingly useful. In my wiki, I talked about Word-Of-Mouth campaigns, and Google's extra features seem like a great example. They offer great, free programs that students (and non-students) all across the world have recommended to one another.  I may or may not be skimping on this week's blog (again?) but there's lots of stuff going on as we approach the 1-month-left milestone.

GOOGLE. 


/irrelevant post about site everyone is aware of

Online Alarm Clock

Alarm clock on phone doesn't work. Instead of getting a new $40 phone off craigslist, (or a $10 dollar alarm clock at wal-mart) this website and I slowly kill away my aging laptop by keeping it on all night, every night. I suppose it would technically be the website I spend the most time on. KUKU KLOK

First tracks down Saddle!!!

Ya ya ya, most the websites I visit don't really relay any direct benefit to my well-being or future success, but this week, the tables have turned. Admittedly, when I first came to Bozeman, my knowledge in the realm of backcountry safety in the winter was nill. I still am no guru, but I like to think I can make educated decisions regarding snowpack and terrain assessment. I owe what knowledge I do have almost exclusively to the friendly folks at the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center and the programs they set up. 

MTavalanche.com is the homepage of the center, and contains a wealth of knowledge. Each and every day, either Mark Staples, Doug Chabot or Eric Knoff wake up and deliver an advisory for each mtn range around Bozeman. This may include, but isn't limited to: the "danger level," persistent weak layers, or even how much water content the new powder fell with. The website also includes a ton of photos and videos of slides and results of Rouche block tests from around the Bozeman area.

In addition to sharing their expertise on avalanche conditions around the area, and website also includes another extremely useful resource. They provide weather information from multiple sites on all 3 of the resorts, and other popular backcountry destinations. Some of these feeds are provided by the resorts, some from purchased and donated equipment, and some from SNO-TEL sites. Depending on what the station offers, a person can find out tidbits of info such as: temp, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, snow depth and new snow fall. All this knowledge really helps in a person's decision of where and when to step into the backcountry.

Bridger Bowl 48-Hour Weather from the Bridger weather station
     as of March 11th, 2012 at 8:00 PM

    DATE    TIME     AIR     AVG     AVG     MAX     NEW
                    TEMP    WIND    WIND    WIND    SNOW
                           SPEED     DIR   SPEED    FALL
--------------------------------------------------------
   03 11    2000    34.2      24     SSE      44     0.2
   03 11    1900    35.7      16     SSE      37     0.2
   03 11    1800    37.5      17       S      48       0
   03 11    1700    39.4      17     SSE      38       0
   03 11    1600    40.4      20     SSE      44       0
   03 11    1500    43.7      15     SSE      30       0
   03 11    1400    45.9      13     SSE      30       0
   03 11    1300      44      15     SSE      34       0
   03 11    1200    41.7      14     SSE      32       0
   03 11    1100    42.9      10     SSE      19       0
   03 11    1000    39.8      12       S      21       0
   03 11    0900    37.2      11     SSE      19       0
   03 11    0800      33       9       S      17     0.3
   03 11    0700    31.2       8       S      15     0.3
   03 11    0600    30.2       4      SW       9     0.3
   03 11    0500    29.7       2      SW       5     0.4
   03 11    0400    31.4       2     SSW       7     0.3
   03 11    0300       0       0       N       0       0
   03 11    0300    31.6       3     SSW       7     0.4
   03 11    0100      33       2       S       7     0.3
   03 11    0000      34       2       S       6     0.3

Another resource on the site is a listing of education opportunities. Whether it be attending the short intro lectures at MSU, or sporting good stores around Bozeman, or going on to get level 1 or level 2 certified, it is imperative to get some help in assessing terrain and snowpack. As you can see by scrolling through the photos section of the site, more and more people are going into the backcountry, and more and more human-caused slides are occuring. Winter in Montana, or any other place with a continental snowpack, can be extremely dangerous, and is underestimated frequently. Get educated, make good decisions, stay alive. 

Saddle Peak, popular slack-country bro-brah destination. Feb. 2010. Notice the masses of tracks that occured before it actually slid.

Blog-de-Cool...websites

So when I started out this blog, I didn't really do much planning as to count how many blogs and blog-ish websites I visit frequently/ at all. Unfortunately, this has led to me running dry on material. I could go out and find some blogs that I have visited here and there a few times, but instead, I, (the moderator/writer/only reader of this blog) am changing the format. The blog will now feature websites that I visit in general, not necessarily being in a blog format. First up is Craigslist. Sell your junk, buy others' crap, find rides and jobs. What more could someone ask for?

Pinkbike

Another week, another website in a blog-ish format that I like to visit. The semester rolls on. This week we have Pinkbike.com Strange name, cool site. Pinkbike is the biggest and most relevant online community for mountain biking of all disciplines: Downhill Racing, Cross- Country, Dirt Jump/ Street, Freeride/Slopestyle, BMX. and lastly......Road . It's a great place to go for photos, videos and industry news; as well a great place for user submitted buy/sell ads and forums. Like a lot of online communities, Pinkbike forum's median age sometimes seems a little low to get any useful information, but the search function does wonders for questions about parts and reviews.

Two cool features that stick out on the homepage are the POD and VOD sections. (Photo and Video of the day). A lot of professional photogs submit a lot of pictures to the site, so the POD section is always a very high quality shot. The videos aren't quite as great, but the mountain biking industry hasn't really progressed as much as other sports in the realm of frequent and high-quality, user-submitted video edits. (possibly because filming mountain biking is extremely time-consuming and tiring.)

Today's POD

I couldn't upload today's VOD because Blogger can only process Youtube videos evidently. But it was video coverage of the Valparaiso Cerro Abajo, which is an urban downhill race that happens every February in Chile. Like we've come to love in rally racing, fans really enjoy getting as close to the action as possible, and this human really makes racing interesting. It is a very unique race in a very unique and culturally rich location, so a quality video from it is always a treat. Check it out.

Online community covered today: mountain biking.