Prez Weekend

Sometime in the morning

Once again I made the overnight drive to the land of the west. This time Tyler Chris and I head back to Winter Park for the deep and steep. We showed up to WP with 6inches for fresh snow. The drive up the pass was icy and snow covered but driving at 6am, there were few cars to worry about. The first day was powder skiing at its finest. 

Chris and Tyler trying the back bowl

We skied the whole mountain but had the most fun in the trees dropping pillow after pillow. Sure there were spills and crashes, but we were having too much fun to care. We skied following two days in packed powder conditions. It was still good skiing but nothing compared to Friday.  Enjoy the pictures.

So DEEP!!

Chris hitting a pillow

Tyler's take off

straight leg landing, that's not going to be good

and the landing

powder is so soft

Sunday was day 15 for me this seasson

the crew

hard to see but Chris hitting a pillow

and the fall

for a close up look at the snow

Holiday crowds are the worst 

MLK Weekend 2014

Blue Bird day skiing!

This post is a little late, but over MLK weekend, I made the drive out west for another ski trip. After picking up Tyler, we then headed to the airport to pick up the Scotsman, Mr. Smart. Bobby is the only person I know who would fly half way around the world and then sit in a car for 14 hours.

MLK Crew

The drive started rough, with blowing snow for the first couple of hours, but the rest of the drive was smooth sailing. We rolled into winter park around 6am, took a nap in the car, which was followed by breakfast and then we hit the slopes. It was a great day skiing, packed powder but there were still freshies to be found in the trees.

WP Backcountry

The lift rides were quit the first day and after dinner I was sleep by 8pm, it was a long day. With over 12 hours of sleep, the next day was much more enjoyable. Sunday we packed the car and headed to copper for some fast groomed runs. We meet up with Dave, who was on his way to Cali but took a day off from driving to shred with us.

Colorado Sunrise

Copper was a blast and once the Denver football game started the lifts were almost empty. After skiing, we packed the car and made the 14 hour drive back. It was a lot of driving for a weekend but the mountains were worth it. Enjoy the pictures, until the next adventure.

Copper Mtn!

Love Colorado

Christmas Break

Colorado!

Last week started my holiday break and my annual pilgrimage out west for white room. This year Colorado has had an amazing early season. Loveland Mountain reached 100 inches 3 months earlier this year, than last year. With pow on our minds, Chris, Kyle, Dave and I headed west December 26th for a week long road trip to find the white stuff.

This is why we don't let Chris Drive

 Our first stop was Monarch Mountain, just outside of Salina Colorado. It was a long 14 hour drive but when we got there, there was a nice snow base on the mountain. This was my first time back on the skis since thanksgiving, I’m not counting Hidden Valley days, and the legs felt great! It was also the first time skiing in the new boots, since I down sized to a 26.5 size, well worth it! 

Monarch Mountain

The first day was great except Chris was feeling a little under the weather, but I’m not complaining because on the hike up to Mirkwood Bowl, I stayed with him instead of going to the summit. It sucks being a flat lander and trying to hike at 10,000+ft. Once we got on the back side it was deep but clearly skied up, in our option, it wasn’t worth the hiking up for another run.

Dave getting some air

After monarch, we headed up Hwy 24 to Buena Vista, Colorado. Which is the whitewater center during the summer months but in the winter, the Arkansas River was barely running with snow all on both sides of its banks. After spending the night in BV, we continued up Hwy 24 to Copper Mountain.

Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is known as a racers resort because they groom almost every run and with it being still early in the season, groomed runs are usually your only options. This was Dave’s first time at Copper, we told him to follow and not to get lost. Well…. After the first run we lost Dave. 

Copper Base

Chris and I weren’t too worried about him, but Kyle being the good brother, said we should go looking for him. After looking for him on one run, we saw the back side of the mountain was open. So all three of us headed that way, needless to say the back side is a place Dave would surely never find us, so much for Kyle being the good brother.  Copper was a great day full of fast runs.  On our way back to Georgetown (home base) it was lightly snowing!!

Copper's Super Pipe

Snow!!

At 6:30am, I got the text, 9.5 inches at Winterpark, POWDER DAY!! The drive up Berthoud Pass was slow but steady, and once we got to the Marry Jane side of Winterpark, it was all powder! 

Smearing Powder

Making our way to Panoramic express, I ducked down into the tress. While skiing, I saw a gap in the snow, not knowing what it was I braced for impact and came to a stop. With skis on one side and my arms holding on the other side, it was a running creek. Yelling back “Creek! It’s a Creek!” I was too late and in a row, Kyle then Chris hit the creek too. After getting water on our boots and skis, which ended up being a big mess, everyone ended up ok and dry. 

POW!

We then headed to our secret pillow rock. Chris and I found this rock during last year’s spring break, the rock is along a run but hidden in the trees, it’s about a 5ft drop. As, we came on it, it was clear no one had tried it since the new snow. I scouted and packed the drop down for Chris, as he was the first one to send it. It was buttery smooth. We spent the rest of the days in the white room and the trees. It was a great day. We even shut winterpark down for the day.

Dropping the Pillow

Kyle getting air time

The next two days were spent at Copper and then Winter park again. Chris hit a bender while trying to throw a 180 off of a jump at copper and by the 5th day at winter park, all of our legs were shot! It was a great trip with a great crew. The snow was good and in two weeks should be even better when I’m back out there. Until the next adventure.

The Crew

Ice in the Mustache

 

Bumps!!

First Trip to Utah

Salt Lake City

It's happen again. I'm seating in a half empty airport while family and friends are gathered around enjoying the American holiday Thanksgiving. To most people, this day is full of family, eating, and football, but to me, it’s another adventure. The holiday gives me a break from school and the Midwest culture, when I can escape into the mountains. Allowing me the oppunity to travel where I can immerse myself into the wilderness and clean out my head of all that doesn't matter. Over that last two months, I have averaged working 70 hours a week with teaching during the day and working on skis in the evening at the Alpine shop. To make my full schedule even busier, I am also enrolled in 6 hours of grad school. 

Las Vegas Airport

The other day I was asked why do I do so much, and the simplest answer is for what lays ahead. This time tomorrow I will be on the slopes enjoying the sun and pre-season conditions of Salt Lake City. So to say the least, I am thankful for full rocker skis and the fine people at Southwest Airlines, who have allowed me to make the trip. Clearly joking, I am thankful for a family that is back in St. Louis thinking of me but who also understand that I need adventure in my life. While I am truly grateful for all that I have, I always need more mountains in my life. As John Muir said "the mountains are calling, I must go"

 

Little Cottonwood Canyon

SnowBird Tram

Snowbird

After hearing all types of stories about Utah and little Cottonwood Canyon road, I finally got to experience Utah skiing. What better place to start then Snowbird, know for its steepness. As we loaded the tram, I noticed that every ski patroler had on an ABS bag; ABS bags are designed to save your life in the case of an avalanche. As the tram ascended, it soon became clear why ABS bags were needed, Snowbird is steep! The days consisted of multiple laps, and with early season snow, it was a great day full of fast runs.

Alta

Today I Finally made it to the skier’s paradise, Alta Mountain. Alta is just up the road from Snowbird and once on the top ridge, you can drop down into Alta on one side or snowbird on the other. Alta was less steep then snowbird but had longer runs. The snow coverage at Alta was the best of the three mountains, and we even found a black diamond in the trees with some POW and a nice 8ft cliff to drop, but as expected, rocks won the battle over my skis with a real nasty core shot. Skiing Alta was a blast and to make it even better they don't allow snowboarders!

ALTA!!

Park City

Park City is known as a park mountain, with a discount lift ticket from Liftopia, I had to check it out. With only 6 trails open, PC was kind of boring, basically they had one long run from the peak to the base. After a couple laps, I headed to the park. On the lift ride up, I saw 7 different back flips; these kids were throwing them off of every feature. The park riders were unreal, as in they threw down. Park City was cool to see but I spent my last day at Alta were I could shred the whole mountain.

City Park Utah

Salt Lake City was cool to see. I didn't really know what the city was going to be like but after walking to dinner two times, I have to say, it might be one of the cleanest city's I have ever been to. I also wasn't sure how the city would be with such a high Mormon population, but it seemed like any other city to me. Utah in general was way different then I had pictured it, much more legit skiing then Colorado, plus only a 35 minute shuttle from airport to lifts. I still can't believe how steep it is. Anyways, a great first ski trip. Hope you enjoy the pictures, until the next adventure.

City Creek Center, Downtown Salt lake

LDS Temple, Downtown Salt Lake