Redemption
03.25.04 - I sat in the driver's seat of my white '91 VW Jetta gazing up at KT-22. My car was jam packed with every piece of ski equipment I owned. I had technically fulfilled my life long dream to be a ski bum for at least one season but having spent most of the time in the ER on a less than stellar snow year, I was unsatisfied. It's hard to think Squaw wasn't laughing at me as I drove out of the parking lot but I knew I'd be back, at least that's what I told myself for the next 3000 miles. Three years later, my car was jam packed with most of the ski equipment Craig, Stu, Reichert, and I owned. With that same image of Squaw etched in my mind, I was headed back for some revenge.
Hubbard (aka Gnarpoints), Mcdunz, and Wells picked us up at the Reno airport in style and quickly delivered us to the greatest of all places: Lake Tahoe. Weather forecasts were calling for temps in the 50's - 70's all week long and the potential for 'legendary' spring conditions was high. However, it was not until we pulled onto the access road for our first day of skiing that it sunk in: we were at Squaw Valley, USA for a full week with nothing to do but ski. Can life get any better than that?
We arrived at the mountain early each day armed with our AK-47 and ready to ski. However, spring corn skiing is not just jumping on the lift and going, it's more of a careful investigation of pitch, aspect, temperature, sunshine, and skier traffic. If the combination of these variables is 'dialed' correctly, corn snow can rank slightly below powder in terms of enabling skiers to go anywhere on the mountain. Lucky for our crew, most of these variables were monitored by our fearless locals leaving us to play a tiring game of keep-up all week. By arriving early and leaving late, we hit every corn window on every peak throughout the week.
As each day progressed, our search party moved about Squaw's infamous 4000 acres leaving a trail of harvested corn in our wake. Our daily hit list read like a who's who of some of the best ski terrain in the country. From Broken Arrow to Silverado to Cornice 2 to Headwall to KT-22, nothing held us back. Wide open pitch, narrow chutes, towering rocks walls, and endless vertical easily replaced the typical ski days of tight tree skiing we were all so accustomed to. And bluebird skies (not that fake east coast bluebird) provided the backdrop for our group of 7 all week long.
Once we had earned enough vertical each day, between 20,000 and 30,000 feet usually, we celebrated. We drank free beers at the Plaza Bar, drank beers in the parking lot, drank beers on the front porch in Tahoma, and drank beers at seemingly every restaurant in the Tahoe area. Banter of the ski day behind and excitement for the ski day ahead filled our conversations. Strange goggle tans and sunburns covered our faces and muscle soreness spread through our bodies. One thought filled my mind the entire time: this is the life.
I skied more at Squaw in 6 days than I did in my entire season as a ski bum. We skied longer every day of this vacation than any day at Jay so far this year. We skied the best corn snow I have seen in my life with some of the best skiers I know. And most importantly for me, I know that KT was not laughing as we left because we had got he best of that mountain all week long, and next year, I may just stay for two weeks.
Final thoughts: I cannot thank Hubbard, Wells, McDunz, and the Tahoe locals enough. Their tour of the mountain made 4 out-of-towners feel like 10 year Squaw Valley veterans. Endless local deals (Ray, Angela's, ticket deals, Cascade's breakfast), a non-stop taxi service and entertainment provider, and a hotel/living room made a last minute decision into the best 6 ski days of my life. Thanks.
~BP
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