Tag Archives: Backcountry Essentials. Chris Gerston

Sometimes as a shop owner, I have to creatively justify expenses for the toys I want that we sell. In this case, I wanted to try the Kokopelli Recon pack raft, so I bought two for our rental fleet (despite the fact that 20 years ago I had decided that whitewater scared me more than rock and snow so I …

  by Chris Gerston, owner, Backcountry Essentials, Bellingham, WA.   My perspective: I am 165 lbs., 5’5” on a good day, and ski tele, mostly in what some would say is my one and only forward gear – as fast as I can.  About mid-season on deep powder days, when I’ve finally gotten my 41 year old legs back into …