It's rare for me to give 5 stars to anything, but this shell deserves it. I've only taken it on one trip thus far, but out of 6 days skiing (inbounds) I wore it 3. In the 3 days, I had varying conditions. I usually wear a soft shell or fleece on mild days, and a shell in storms, wind, and/or extreme cold. I ski a lot in the Eastern Sierra and it is known to be very windy. 60+mph on the ridge lines. I've never owned a shell as windproof as the Sidewinder. Absolutely amazing. This is due to the GoreTex ProShell, so any shell with this material would be a good one to consider. During moderate mid-season whether (28-35 F) The breatheability of the shell was top shelf. I was skiing 3-5" of powder on aggressive lines, and when I stopped for lunch, there wasn't a drop of perspiration on the inside of the shell (I wore a base layer and a 1/4 zip underneath). I did have it on for a 1/2 day of blue bird (34 F) and with the breatheablity and the pit zips, the jacket was very comfortable. I contemplated buying this shell for 2 seasons but held off because of the cost. Let's be honest, this thing is obnoxiously expensive. It sounds cliche, but I wish I bought it sooner. I'm 6'1" 185lbs the the L fit me well and has plenty of room to layer. I'm a level 7-8 skier and I didn't feel restricted once. If you are considering this shell, and your current gear is letting you down, spend the money. My previous shell was North Face. I'll never touch HyVent again. Nowhere close to the same ballpark as the ProShell Gortex in the Sidewinder. I promise you, after the season, you won't remember the cost of the shell, but you'll be satisfied with your investment and not freezing on the chair, during high winds, while wet. I do agree with the previous comment, the Everglade color is more of a lime. It appears more yellow in the picture above.

I purchased the Apogee ST 4 seasons ago. I also purchased The North Face Patrol Pant at that time. The Apogee is made with TNF's HyVent, and the Patrol Pants are made with Gore Tex XCR (3 layer, i believe). I mostly ski in bounds in Mammoth and Colorado and generally ski pretty hard, mostly in the bowls and bumps. I wear the pants every day and the Apogee during storms. Bottom line, Gore Tex holds up in any condition, from 40 degrees to 20 below with excellent breathability and wind and water proofing. The Apogee is warm but has terrible breathability. Perspiration moisture cannot escape and you get damp and cold on the chair. Even when using the pit zips, which are good size. The lining in the jacket makes this issue worse, as it absorbs a lot of the moisture, adding to the dampness. When you try to layer a little less under the jacket, you become very vulnerable to wind, which is pretty constant in Mammoth. Bottom line - it's a good looking jacket, the collar is an awesome design, but the jacket is bulky and it has terrible technical performance. I should have listened to the Backcountry.com rep and considered the Arc'teryx Sidewinder, which will probably be my next shell.