Do these poles look familiar?

Panda Poles are made for the backcountry

By Ian Ferguson | Photo by Jason Hummel

Here at MBE, we often feature photos of northwest skier Adam Roberts (pictured at left in a photo by Jason Hummel that we ran on page 3 of our winter issue last year). Adam uses Panda Poles, and Panda Poles hooked us up with a pair to give away at our premiere of Days of My Youth at Aslan Brewing Co. November 7.

These poles are serious powder weapons. Made of bamboo, they are strong and lightweight. The distinctive baskets have a lot of surface area to help propel you forward while skinning through the fluff, yet they are angled to reduce drag on fast descents. The rubber grips are long, allowing you to choke up on the uphill pole while traversing steep slopes. The straps are big enough to get your mitts into fiddle free.

The poles are here with me in the office, and quality design is apparent in every detail, down to the screw head tips that would have no trouble biting into icy surfaces. Every pole is handcrafted in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah by "free skiers and mountain mystics," and every pair comes with a 30-day ultra satisfaction guarantee.

A lucky guy or gal will win these poles at the raffle to benefit NWAC and HRT before the premiere of Days of My Youth November 7 at Aslan Brewing Co.

See you there!