Hi, I'm Janice
I have been working here at Alpenglow for close to 8 years. Besides helping customers on the floor I am the buyer for the accessories- belts, socks and insoles. I enjoy merchandising the clothes (my closet at home is color coded by style …so it comes naturally!). In the winter I am passionate about skiing both at the resort and in the backcountry - and over the past few years I have enjoyed learning to skate ski.
When there is no snow on the ground (and sometimes when there is) I enjoy trail running and backpacking. I try to sign up for a few ultra distance trail races every year as a goal to keep me training. Windsurfing has been a big part of my life for decades and I still love it – although these days it is much less popular (probably because it is so hard to learn!) I recently started Wing foiling and it is so much fun to learn a new way to enjoy time on the water.
My Story:
I moved to Tahoe in 2011. I was born in the UK and my parents immigrated to Quebec (near Montreal) when I was a toddler. I lived in the Montreal area until graduating from University and then I worked and lived in Toronto for 10 years. Toronto is a great city but like many big cities traffic is a nightmare and getting out of town to play in the mountains and lakes was always a pain. I decided to leave corporate life and travel North America skiing and windsurfing. During that trip we spent several weeks in Tahoe City skiing at what is now Palisades - it was one of our favorite places especially for the challenging terrain.
After traveling, I spent some time living in Calgary and Toronto and then my husband at the time was offered the opportunity to move to Denver. We skied Summit county and when we split up I lived in Breckenridge for a year before moving to Tahoe City – I remembered the skiing was great and I have family in the area – so it was an easy choice! I worked at another retailer here in town and taught skiing at Palisades before landing at Alpenglow full time in 2015. After living in many different places I was able to appreciate just how special the community is here in North Lake Tahoe.
My Top Three:
Zero G Tour Scout
I have been skiing in the Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout Boots for 4 seasons – I like that they are light and have a great range of motion. They are comfortable enough to wear for a full day of touring and they are stiff enough to drive a ski in any conditions. I have tried on the newer model which has a beefier liner and I think that is a great improvement! The newer boot also has a few degrees more forward lean – I had no complaints about the fairly upright stance of the original Scout but I know that there are women who like a more aggressive forward stance.
Carbon Wailer 107
The new DPS Carbon Wailer 107 is a super fun ski that tracks and turns effortlessly – with just a little pressure the ski will rail on edge and give you a smooth ride around a perfect arc. I am 5’ 7” and my choice is the 179 cms length. That might seem long for my height but with the 15M turn radius and the early rise rocker it never feels too much even in tight spaces and bumps. This ski weighs in at 4.25 lbs – so it is my choice for resort – my choice for a similar skiing experience in the backcountry would be the DPS Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL 112 also in 179 cms length - a few cms wider and a pound lighter than the Wailer it surfs powder like a dream and makes turning intuitive.
Pomoca Tour Pro
The Pomoca Tour Pro skins are an amazing blend of grip and glide. The glue is very dependable and I have had the same pair for years. I like that they are so easy to trim to fit with the pre-attached tip and tail and the easy trimming tool that leaves just the right amount of edge exposed.
More Top Picks:
Free Pro Skins
The Pomoca Free Pro Skins are my preference for larger skis. They are lighter and more packable than the Climb Pro S-Glides. The lightness makes a difference for big powder skis like my Lotus 138’s and I didn’t notice that they are a bit less grippy compared to the S-Glides. Like the other Ready to Climb Pomoca skins they are easy to trim to fit with the pre-attached tip and tail and the easy trimming tool that leaves just the right amount of edge exposed.
Dawn Patrol 32L
The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32 L Pack has everything you need for a day of touring. It comes in two torso lengths and at 5’7’ the Small/Medium size fits me well. There is a place for everything - your safety gear outer compartment, and a lined goggle pocket. There is a built-in helmet carrying system and lots of ways to strap skis to the pack.
Barryvox
I am a big fan of the Mammut Barryvox Beacons, they have an excellent initial search range, they are easy to use and very importantly, they are dependable.
Tour Vario Pole
The Dynafit Tour Vario Pole is light and strong. I like the extended handle that cushions the shaft. I have been using them for 3 seasons and they are not showing any signs of wear.
Atris Birdie
The Black Crows Atris Birdies are a fun ski in powder and can cut through crud like butter. I ski them in the 178cm length and I never feel that they are too long despite the 19 meter turn radius. The rocker in the tip and tail helps you pivot and they are easy to make short turns in tight spaces.
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