FC Mag Goes Colorado Styles
Day 6: The Other Vail
02.20.04 - Mink coats, long lift lines, groomers, and two hour $150 lunches: the definition of vail in the eyes of the ignorant. Hitting lover's leap's cornice in stride, skiing through lunch, and ripping hard all day; that's the vail I experienced on my first day in Colorado. Thats the real vail. Mink coats and groomers could only represent the other vail, I thought, while strolling through vail village. It was my last day in Colorado so I forced our 5 man posse up early to ensure an early and groggy start to the ski day. Being blessed with the presence of "the guide" I knew my last day of this trip would be memorable; however, I didn't know it would re-write my definition for the other vail. But on february 7th, 2004, I learned that the other vail wears no mink, drinks no frappacino, rarely waits for anything, and definitely never sees a groomer. Instead, the other vail rips through waist deep untracked powder off a 15 foot cliff like an f-16 tears through fluffy clouds at mach 3. Thats the other vail.
(About the guide. The guide is the more athletic and heavier drinking younger counterpart to one of my good friends. He rips down a slightly bumped up wide open snow filled bowl, and if he feels like it, makes a turn. The guide finishes off a long day of skiing by skiing the mintern mile, a long route off the back of vail down into the neighboring town of mintern finishing at a local bar. The guide rips, and so does his crew.)
We hopped on the vista bahn express among the small crowd at lift opening, traversed over to the mountain top express lift, and took it to an elevation of 11,250 feet. The guide blurted out to our crew, "windows", and skated along a narrow trail and into the trees. Upon reaching the top of windows second entrance, I knew it was going to be a snow filled day. The trail had been skied pretty heavily, yet had a ton of snow on it. Chewed up knee deep snow can sometimes be even more fun to ski than fresh pow, so I dove in energetically. Turning with everything my cold legs had, I tore down through windows and followed the crew left into the trees. Breaking out of the short and tight tree patch into a wide open bowl with soft snow, I witnessed the guide set the standard by making a single turn during his high speed decent. One after another we flew down with reckless abandon to the run-out which took us to the lift.
I felt a bit nervous on the lift ride up because my legs didn't feel good and keeping up with this crowd could prove to be a challenge. When we reached the top we traversed to an out of bounds marking rope, and ducked under it. Continuing on a narrow broken trail along flat ground for a few hundred yards, we then entered some tight trees. Now beginning to fall behind, I continued to follow the pack sometimes up hill in the tight trees. Eventually, I came upon our crew resting near the right edge of the trail which dropped off 15 to 25 feet depending where you stood. Catching my breath at the back of the pack, I suddenly saw a flash of blue as one of our crew, Brad, went flying off the 20 foot cliff pulling a helicopter! Much to his dismay, he landed in a small tree pretty awkwardly causing an uproar of laughter. Finally, someone asked if he was indeed alive and well, and thankfully he responded with an OK. However, as it would turn out, Brad would have to call it quits early because of some knee pain caused by this incident.
I crept up to the edge of miller's cliffs and could see bottomless untracked powder in the chute below! One after one everyone in front of me jumped off, and skied down with a hooting and a hollering. The last man standing, I was shocked to see that a fresh landing area still remained (large enough for me to land sideways). I hopped off the fifteen foot drop off and into a very deep snow drift encompassing me like quicksand. Quickly digging myself out, I began skiing through the waist deep, fresh, untracked, and light powder! The next couple of turns felt like heaven as I floated through the deep and fresh snow. Suddenly, I came to a halt in a very deep drift. Quickly getting myself going again, I skied into paradise on the bottom section of the chute funnelling into the trees below. The trees were tight in areas, but the snow was deep everywhere so it was hard to make a bad turn (certainly some lines were better than others). I lucked out and had a good line once I got out of the guide's tracks swerving through like a playful dolphin in the ocean. Eventually the fun came to an end when I found myself lost and on flat ground. Without question, the skate out was well worth experiencing a big phat nugget of the other vail.
We cooled off with a nice wide open bowl run. The conditions on the mountain were great, and the conditions outside the lines were epic. We wasted no time and were once again skating along a narrow trail out of bounds. Falling behind, I tried to suck it up as much as I could, but coming from sea level to 12,000 feet took its toll on me. When I finally reached our motley crew, we began traversing through a farther section of the woods than last time. The guide informed me that we were en route to an out of bounds run called bushwacker as he stopped to point out a line he wants to ski. The fact that I even refer to it as a line is ludicrous since its a 40 foot drop into an extremely tight section of rocks and cliffs.
When we finally reached the top section of bushwacker I could see that we reap what we sow. We were at the entrance to a fantastic glade run with untracked bottomless powder as far as the eye could see. The guide stepped off to the side and pointed ahead, giving the honors up to a couple of us who don't get the chance to ski bushwacker on any given sunday. Stoked, pumped, and happier than a puppy being let off its leash for its first time, I took off into the wide open section of the glade without direction or hesitation. Turn after turn, the snow enveloped me up to my knees and sometimes waist keeping my speed in check as I flew down. About ten turns later the run began to tighten up; however, I still enjoyed knee deep, fresh turns while taking a wack here and there as part of the punishment for having such a damn good time! Farther down I found myself in a tight section and bushwacked my way left towards the guide to enjoy a few final turns before the traverse out. The other vail. Can you ski it?
~CG
Related Articles:
- Day 1: Vail
- Day 2: A-Basin
- Day 3: Breckenridge
- Days 4 and 5: Crested Butte
- Day 6: The Other Vail
Termas de Chillan Chillan, Chile (August 21-23, 2005)
11.01.05 - It's day nine of a fourteen day excursion to Chile. Its our fifth ski day of a trip designed to accommodate six to seven ski days, and our second day skiing Termas de Chillan, a mountain about 300 miles south of Santiago, offering up approximately 2,300 in vertical and well over 30,000 acres of piste and off piste terrain. It's about 9:20 a.m., and I?m sitting on the El Huemul double, angry. No, El Huemul is not broken. Rather, it is moving as fast as the El Huemul travels. At this stage of the trip, being stranded on a lift was not the source of my anger...
02.26.06 - So, I give the Dominos guy 7 bucks on a 23 dollar bill and he looks at me like I'm the one who should be delivering pizzas in a snowstorm. Good thing me and Shmibda are unemployed or else we wouldnta caught the dump that gave way to bluebird solitude today at Mammoth Mountain, Cali. Sure their 12 foot base is the largest in the US and sure my Volkl Karma fatties had no problem pizza wheeling through the fresh half meter left over night, but what's wrong with a seven dollar tip?
The Phantom Menace: Crystal Ship
07.01.05 - Every once in awhile you stumble across a ski you didn't think existed. Gerlt and I were auditioning various websites for a potential First Chair storefront when a generously proportioned, Doors-themed ski jumped off the page at us. Neither of us had ever seen this ride before. Further investigation revealed a small ski company, Phantom, with one ski dedicated precisely to the conditions we worship: East Coast powder filled trees...
06.16.05 - Last year Line's catalogue looked like an army recruitment brochure. This year, it resembles a romp through the Playboy mansion; the Line reactor binding spread out on a pimped out velvet background. After 10 years in this business, Line has released their best skis yet. From 3 different Prophets to 2 different Chronics to a couple of women's skis, Line is putting it all on the table this winter...
Igneous Skis, "Don't call it a comeback..."
06.05.05 - When Igneous Skis closed its Jackson Hole doors and shut down operations in March of 2001, Adam Sherman (half owner) thought there was a small chance they'd be back. The company had lasted 5 years but couldn't make ends meet in a market dominated by enormous ski moguls like Atomic and Salomon. Igneous' niche, custom skis, allowed the consumer to choose between multiple options...
Insider's Guide to Tuckerman Ravine, Mt. Washington, NH
05.24.05 - Skiing Tuckerman Ravine is a ritualistic sacrifice for some of the best skiing exeriences imaginable. Mount Washington, the home of the ravine, boasts some of the world's worst weather. Extremely harsh, cold, and snowy winters pound the slopes of the 6000 foot New Hampshire resident every winter. Snow falls, builds, packs, slides, fills, and falls again throughout the season. When this weather cycle dies down in March, Tuckerman Ravine opens for business...
Salomon Releases 2005/2006 Skis
05.15.05 - Salomon has long been a leader in skiing equipment and the 2005/2006 gear continues to help set the standard. Salomon skis will feature 2 types of construction this upcoming winter. The Titanium Monocoque (for power and energy) is used in the Racing and All-Mountain categories while a Composite Monocoque (for lightness and maneuverability) is utilized in the Freestyle/Freeride series...
03.24.05 - After three great days at Whistler/Blackcomb, Reichert, Bell, and I headed back into Washington searching for more powder. We decided on the nation's leading yearly snowfall getter, Mt. Baker, for phase 2 of our trip. Although Dave tried to warn us, nothing could have prepared JR and me for the Blackcomb to Baker culture shock. I realize no ski resort in the country could live up to skiing's Disneyworld, but Mt. Baker, even with its 600+ inches of snow per year, has more similarities to a desert than to North America's ski Mecca.
03.16.05 - After 4 years of hearing about great skiing in the Pacific Northwest, I finally chose this season to visit Dave Bell and find out what exactly is going on with the often underestimated resorts of Washington state. I got the call from Bell about a week before JR and I were set to leave. "I think you should fly in somewhere else, we just don't have any snow..."
03.14.05 - Any mountain that has the word "kill" in it is good by me to begin with. Ski Plattekill in Roxbury, NY didn't exactly make me giddy thinking about their 1000' of vertical, two chairs (neither high-speed) and seeming lack of terrain, but I was enthusiastic about not having to sell my stereo for the lift ticket ($40) and I knew the mountain was owned by a husband and wife. There's a somewhat golden glow that radiates from your soul when you're not skiing on the Man's mountain...
10 Signs Jay Peak is Officially Blown Up
02.15.05 - Anyone who was at Jay last weekend noticed one thing was more abundant than the supposed 36" of snow that fell: people. An aggressive marketing scheme and a reputation as the East Coast Powder King has helped to attract skiers and riders from all over New England, Canada, and beyond. For those of us that have been skiing Jay for 5 + years, it is frustrating to see our mountain be taken over by intruders. How do I know Jay is too popular for its own good? Read on...
02.08.05 - This winter sucks, plain and simple. Nearly any Jay bird will have career low ski days this year. I can count my powder days on one hand and my face shots on one finger. December was descent up until the 30th; then the rains came. The east coast rang in 2005 with a month of boilerplate trails leading to injuries and fatalities. However bad it seems here, it's as bad or worse in other places...
01.25.05 - You can twiddle your thumbs, follow a sport you don't care about, take up knitting, or put your head underground and bang the topsoil like a drum, but when it's not snowing, you feel crazy, cheated, gypped, depressed, anxious and underwhelmed. Part of the magic of the skiing lifestyle is the anticipation of the BIG DUMP. Driving up north on a Thursday night in blizzard conditions is what keeps us young, vulnerable and appreciative. Skiing is nothing without the risks involved and the glory in overcoming the odds both inside and outside of ourselves to reach the mountain...
10 Things To Do At Jay This Year
01.15.05 - The lack of quality skiing this season has sent Jay regulars in search of alternative activities in the Northeast Kingdom. Some people may not know exactly which hot spots to hit, while others may just need a little encouragement. Here are a few ideas to keep the sanity levels in check while waiting for the next big dump.
01.09.05 - Jay is in bad shape. Really bad. The worst I have seen it in 5 years. The recent warming trend and rain events have basically ruined what looked like a promising year. If you are looking for a cruel joke, refer to the article I wrote 370 days ago (A.P.B. - Jay Needs Snow) to see the same thing happened last year, it just wasn't this bad. Last year also had help from the 200" of snow we got in December. Out of 30 people I know who ski Jay Peak regularly, not one went up there this weekend. Half of us found deeper snow on Berardi's roof Friday night than we would have in Beaver Pond. And despite partying on his Boston roof top past 2am, we were a lot safer compared to skiing Jay's glades.
12.04.04 - "Could it have really snowed 5' in Tahoe?" I pondered as I read an email from this tele-skier Chiquita I know. It was October 22nd. I had no reason to believe there was 5' of fresh goodness out west. It was still 65 degrees in Boston. It was October in the western hemisphere. Nope. No reason to believe. So I did what any ski-geek-bum does these days: I checked the Squaw web cam.
11.28.04 - With a packed parking lot and a cold spell in the air, big things were in store for our first day of the year. None so big as my willingness to leave after 3 turns. As I navigated my way down the only open trail, I quickly realized that every type of skier was strutting their early season style. Race teams practicing race drills, beginners practicing sucking, and everyone in everyone else's way was the recipe for ski day # 1 for JR and me.
Older Archives
11.19.04 - Let's Get This Season Started
09.29.04 - 5 Tips to Skiing Better This Season
09.18.04 - Summer Meditation
07.27.04 - Pics of the PNW
07.14.04 - Line's New Line: 2004/2005
07.06.04 - Yesterday
06.15.04 - Cathedral
05.13.04 - Tech Tip#2: Post-Season Tune-Up
05.01.04 - Atomic Releases 2004/2005 Skis
04.13.04 - First Chair
04.07.04 - K2 Releases 2004/2005 Skis
03.25.04 - Redemption
02.29.04 - Big Jay on Leap Day
FC Mag Goes Colorado Styles:
02.11.04 - Day 1: Vail
02.12.04 - Day 2: A-Basin
02.13.04 - Day 3: Breckenridge
02.17.04 - Days 4 and 5: Crested Butte
02.22.04 - Day 6: The Other Vail
01.27.04 - Part 2: Champagne on New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.20.04 - Freedom
01.12.04 - Part 1: Champagne On New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.05.04 - A.P.B. - Jay Needs Snow
12.28.03 - Big Jay
12.27.03 - 6th Chair, 1st Chair, 1st Tram...A Great Day
12.08.03 - Big Monday
12.07.03 - Anticipation
12.05.03 - Opening Day
11.22.03 - 10 Ideas to Kick the Pre-Season Blues
11.01.03 - Tech Tip #1: Pre-Season Tune-Up
10.04.03 - Tenney Mountain Opens – October 4th
09.01.03 - FC Magazine Launches Online Winter Home