PNW Part 1: Whistler, BC
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." I wasn't going crawling back to Squaw Valley after bailing on other ski plans two years in a row. We decided we'd just go to Whistler for the first part of the week and take it from there. Whistler as the back up plan! A resort that consistently ranks number one in North America for vert, terrain, skiable acres, and apres ski as our fall back! I'll take it.
Whistler/Blackcomb: the Disneyworld of ski resorts, home to the 2010 Winter Olympics, 8171 acres, chutes, steeps, cliffs, bowls, back country kickers, in bounds ob, ob ob, 93 bars/eateries, Cuban cigars, grocery store hook-ups, street side pitchers of beers, really bad skiers, and really good skiers - this place has it all. Whistler village is world renowned for a reason, it has something for everyone. Featured on E's "Wild On", CNBC's "Squawk Box", and the Travel Channel's top lists of anything, this world class resort village caters to everyone from the richest of the rich to the poorest of the ski bum world, usually at the same bar overlooking the chairlifts.
We started off the first day heading straight to the top of Blackcomb Mountain. A gondola ride, 2 chairlifts, and a t-bar later we were standing on top. A rare bluebird, warm day revealed some of the most incredible views I have ever seen from a ski area. Two-toned mountains (snow on top, trees on the bottom) surrounded the perimeter while an incredible playground of ski terrain comprised Blackcomb Mountain. After getting our bearings for one run, we went straight into "Spanky's Ladder" armed with no more knowledge than a 2-paged picture in Skiing Magazine. Only problem was magazines do not affectively illustrate two widely used terms on our trip; "exposed" and "cliffed-out". For non-skiers, these phrases describe making turns on pitches above large cliffs, meaning, one fall and you're done. Needless to say, skiing on such lines gets the heart going, possibly a little too much for our second run of the week.
Most of the day focused on finding soft corn on long steady pitches. As the temps rose, the 7th Heaven Zone became our most skied bowl, featuring Xhiggy's Meadow and the Everglades. From hiking to the top of Blackcomb Glacier, to checking out backcountry options for later on, we did it all. And we did it all under blue skies and warm sun, two rarities at the WB.
Our final run of the day featured some of the best turns we had seen. 1000 vertical feet of gnarly corn turns through trees and rocks gave way to 4000 vertical of groomers. The end of day at Blackcomb is a rat race of skiers through a labyrinth of blue squares and green circles. Upon completing the leg burning crusade back to the truck (25 minutes of skiing followed by 35 minutes of trying to find the parking lot), we finished the day in style; a quick hook up at the grocery store and a few pitchers of IPA at the Guns n' Roses-blaring Amsterdam Pub in Whistler Village.
Day 2 featured a trek up Whistler Mountain, which is seemingly as big as Blackcomb. The prior day's bluebird gave way to gray-overcast skies and flat light. The ride up The Peak Chair Quad revealed more of Whistler's insane terrain. "Peak to Creek" to "West Bowl" started a guessing game of where to ski next. The task of trying to find good terrain without killing ourselves was a challenging one. Our big adventure of the day was a hike to Whistler's newly opened back country, "Flute Bowl". An easy hike up to some incredible terrain, and some of the worst, and most dangerous, conditions I have ever skied. Simply surviving the run was enough for us. We ended the day with a trip through "Japan", a glade named for the Japanese snowboarder who shook his head yes and uttered "very difficult" when we asked if we could navigate the huge trees and gullies. Like the day before, a 25 minute groomer run stood between us and our sidewalk pitchers of beer and buffalo wings in Whistler Village. Later in the night, we returned to the village to smoke Cuban cigars and drink more pitchers, I could get used to this life.
We went straight back to Blackcomb on our last day. 2"-4" of snow had fallen overnight and we were eager to get a glimpse of the WB on a powder day, albeit a small one. The cliche is bad, but like the waking of a sleeping giant, we could instantly see the big time potential of this mammoth mountain. Despite the area claiming to have 20% of its normal snowfall, the new powder began to reveal the chutes, steeps, and drops typically ripped by locals on a regular basis. We studied the wind to find where the snow had fallen and began hunting down those aspects and pitches. We dropped in behind Horstman Hut finding deeper and deeper bliss. Laps through Secret Chute and Pakalolo were incredible as we dabbled in unknown chutes and unknown drops.
A ride up the Showcase T-Bar accessed the gem of the day; a quick 15 minute hike to the top of Blackcomb Glacier with nothing but boot deep turns and smooth snow. "Epic" truly describes the feeling we had dropping thousands of vertical feet into the canyon between Spanky's Ladder and the ski area boundary, which was another enormous peak. By the time we emerged from the Glacier Access Road an hour had gone by; not a bad run considering we were still 3500 vertical feet from the base. And thus you can begin to imagine the enormity of this skier's playground.
We decided to leave Whistler/Blackcomb after the 3rd ski day in search of new snow back in Washington. I think we may have scratched 5-10 percent of what these two mountains have to offer. Any type of conceivable terrain mixed with every type of mountain enthusiast. The only way to really appreciate British Columbia's best is to go there yourself. 13 million dollar village apartments to $37 per night hostels, and 20,000 beds in between, Whistler can accommodate anyone and anything. It will play host to the largest stage in the world in 2010, but it suited us just fine for a back up plan.
~Brian Parmell
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