Thursday, February 01, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Driving away from KH this afternoon with its huge face in the rearview mirror was bitter sweet. It is the best mountain I've ever skied but after about 75,000' in 2 days my quads are aching...my back is sore...my lips are chapped. I can't wait to get back. Highlight of the day, after our short hike to the chutes feeding feuz bowl was being stopped by patrol. They were about to blast a twenty foot cornice and we dropped in just in time to have a front row seat.
Happy hour was spent on the road to banff with nearly a full moon elevating the sunset.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Peterson Lumber
KickingHorse
A quick flight in the piper cherokee from BBL to Van Nuys airport and before i knew it was watching the sunset over Peterson lumber. From there, a couple of margarita's and a short nights sleep. To find deep snow and massive mountains a short 2 1/2 hour flight to Calgary Alberta is all it takes. The drive thru Banff National park was incredible on a bluebird day...but its all about Kicking Horse. 4000' + feet of vertical and 200 centimeters of snow. Time to go drink canadian beer, watch some hockey heh, and eat elk burgers.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
The holiday season has come and gone but I did squeeze in one day off last month. A lack of any early precipitation and a twenty year yearning to go where we were not supposed to be... It would be too easy, poaching, if we didn't roll from home. Under the glory of a December full moon and a 4:30 ride time Derek and I launched our epic adventure.
Sunrise, just after our hour of brutal hike a bike. Derek, who has "ridden these trail's a million times", knew a short cut.
From the back side of Sugarloaf as the soft pink glow of sunrise shines on our goal. It has only just begun..
Thinking that it is December, midweek, no one would see this. There is one car parked at the trailhead and I am following fresh tracks. Shit. We do see 2 sets of hikers and have no issues.
11,502'. Big Bear is behind the second ridge. With our climb over Sugarloaf, vertical gain was 9000'+, ride time around 11 hours. When I snowboard this so cal wonder, I think its safe to say I can be the only one to complete the trifecta. Ski, peddle, and board.
Monday, November 27, 2006
It won't be much longer...BBMR has about 36 hours of moderate snowmaking since Friday and cold nights are forecast. We might even see a strong santa ana develop and get on a real snowmaking run! With 6 million dollars spent to upgrade the "old" system it will be very interesting and exiting to see how efficiant they can be.
Already, instead of a single ribbon of white snaking its way down Miracle Mile, Snow Summit has laid down an early base on 2 top to bottom trails...plus the beginner area and upper Westridge. I would definetly say they are producing more snow because conditions to blow have been pretty marginal.
November sure came and went. Motivation for ride time has been a struggle. Maybe the lack of daylight savings time, maybe a long summer with more miles or maybe I be saving up the jam for 2007... Winter miles will add up though, as I begin the bike commute tomorrow.
It's time for me to dig out my cold weather acccessory's...including 10lbs of lead that will float around nicely at the bottom of my backpack until spring thaw. This old mans version of a testosterone patch.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Hal Helbock, 40 yearold family man, pro rider, celebrates the biggest win of his career at state finals.