12/31/08

Day 18

Conditions: Icy, windblown, and crowded
Location: Keystone, CO

Ugh. No new snow for the 5th day in the row. Conditions were just like Boyne Mountain, with longer runs. In a desperate search for something decent, we spent most of the day paying $5 per ride for the Keystone cat. We found some nice stuff in the Tele Trees, but most everything was windblown or skied off. (Interestingly, an old Seaholm classmate of Steph’s is a ski patroller at Keystone and gave us a few tips on areas to check out.)


Dirk prepares for another cat ride.


Dirk makes an esoteric signal to Steph, which he later reveals means to get out the radios.

After a crowded lunch and a few runs of scraping down ice runs, we headed home. Maybe we are just spoiled, but today was one of those days when it was just work.


Even a rough day on the mountains has amazing views.

Highlights:

- The Tele Trees in South Outback Bowl
- Dirk hugged a tree. Despite getting the wind knocked out of him, he was fine.

Lowlights:

- Basically, everything but the highlights.

Après Ski:

More football. More food. We’re pretty boring, actually.

Days to go: 32

12/30/08

Day 17

Conditions: Packed Powder and Windblown
Location: Breckenridge, CO

We finally made it to Breckenridge on a day when the T-Bar was open. Boy, were we disappointed. Everything was windblown, rocky, or skier off. It was a rough day. We looked in all our secret spots for good turns, and didn’t find many.

Desperate for good snow, we hiked Lake Chutes. Why is hiking so much easier for guys? Dirk was taking panoramic shots while I was still panting uphill on the 60 degree bootpack. And this is a guy who thinks 25 minutes is a lot for cardio. Luckily, he got all the evidence on video.


Steph straps up near the gate for Lakechutes

After practically being blown off the mountain, we dropped into Lake Chutes to find the snow just as worse as the windblown crud elsewhere on the mountain. At least the steepness was a little scary. We’ve had mind-blowing runs down Lake Chutes. This wasn’t one of them.


Dirk takes a breather after riding LakeChutes

The masses were lined up at the chairlifts when we got down to the tree line. The snow was just too bad, and the crowds were just too big. We were heading down the gondola by 1:30 in the afternoon. What would Coach D. say?

Highlights:

- Hiking Lake Chutes provided a good cardio workout

Lowlights:

- Most of the day. Hey, they can’t all be epic!

Après Ski:

We watched Maryland upset Nevada, cooked dinner, and hung out.

Days to go: 33

12/29/08

Day 16

Conditions: Packed Powder
Location: Keystone, CO

Steph baptized her new alpha snowboard today. It was a pretty special day from the start. We are so proud of the little Alpha.

The forecast predicted high winds, so we gave up on Breckenridge and the T-Bar for the day and went to Keystone. (Interestingly, there were not high winds, and we are pretty certain we missed the opening of the T-Bar, despite our obsessive plotting.)

Truth be told, we were expecting a ho-hum day. We took a Cat ride up to Outback bowl in the morning. We found great snow and had a great run. It was definitely worth the $5 each to ride as opposed to hike.


The cat takes riders above and beyond the limits of a chairlift


Wait, why is Steph carrying both boards?

We spent the rest of the day playing in the trees. We were surprised to find tons of powder. We even discovered a hidden glade, which Steph named Shakespeare’s Glade because all the trees were orange and the snow was white. (Well, the trees were orange because they are dying from some beetle disease, but the name is not changing.)


Steph takes a run down the newly discovered Shakespeare's Glade.


We took a ton of video footage and made a full day of it.

Highlights:

- Finding and naming Shakespeare’s Glade
- Outback Bowl Cat skiing

Lowlights:

- The line lifts were long in the afternoon. But we rode single and it didn’t really affect us.
- Steph hit a tree…with her head…hard. Thank goodness for the new (and now dented) helmet.

Après Ski:

We went to the South Ridge Seafood Grill, the best restaurant in Breckenridge. The owner is also the chef and everything is made from scratch.

Days to go: 34

12/28/08

Day 15

Conditions: Packed Powder
Location: Breckenridge, CO

For the second day in a row, we went all-in with the hope that Breckenridge would open the T-Bar and Imperial Lift – two great areas that have not been open since the storm. When we took our first chair ride up, the wind was blowing hard. So hard that we put down the bar and each clenched it with both hands as we swayed uncontrollably. At times, it felt like our snowboards would become sails and take us right off the lift.

After cheating death, we took one run and found that the wind-blown conditions had blanketed much of the mountain with snow, and that the runs were terrific. Unfortunately, when we got to the bottom both of the main lifts on Peak 8 were closed due to wind. We waited 45 minutes for a slow, double chair to take everyone in the area to a different area. The day looked like a wash.

We made our way to E-Chair, fully expecting it to be packed. However, the chair was empty. We rode E-Chair for most of the day. It services only expert terrain, and some of the stuff was pretty steep. It wasn’t epic, but it was a good, challenging day.

By 2:30, the crowds were unbearable, the elusive T-Bar still hadn’t opened, and we had hit our share of rocks and lumber in the woods. It was time to go. On the gondola ride down, Dirk vowed to come back the next day, determined to hit the T-bar the day it opens. Whenever that may be.


Dirk finds some nice snow in The Doors at Breckenridge



Dropping into some sketchy terrain off E-chair


Highlights:

- Finding some soft snow
- Practicing hop turns in the steeps – it’s a great workout.

Lowlights:

- Fearing death on the windy chairlifts
- Once again, the very reasons we came to Breckenridge were all closed today.

Après Ski:

More food, more football. The Lions lost, becoming the first 0-16 team in the history of the National Football League. Next year literally can’t get any worse.

Days to go: 35

12/27/08

Day 14

Conditions: Arctic
Location: Breckenridge, CO

A few days ago we hatched a secret plan to get all the good snow in Colorado. Our first step was to hit Vail hard on the first day after the storm. That was a success. Step two was to hit Breck the day after the storm (today). The logic behind this was that nothing major would be open at Breck during the day of the storm, due to the high winds the mountain always experiences. We were hoping that Imperial Chair and T-Bar would be prime today, because we assumed they would be closed the previous day.

When we pulled into the gondola parking lot, our car thermometer said -10 degrees Fahrenheit. That was at the warmest point on the hill – not a good sign. We rode the Gondola up and got ready for the day. The winds were high and it was so cold we literally had to stop in warming huts twice before lunch (And we never go in warming huts. I mean, come on...only wimps and losers go there.) We did take lots of runs, and the snow was pretty good. But the long rides up the windy chairs got to be too much.

By lunch, we were chilled to the bone, and Steph took a fall that made her thankful she was wearing a helmet. The T-Bar was still closed, and showed no signs of opening. The wind was kicking up, and Imperial Chair was unrideable due to the winds. It was time to call it early, something we rarely do.

By 1:00, we were heading down on the Gondola with all the cold gapers. So much for our plan to get all the snow. Our only comfort was that no one else was enjoying it, and that it would probably be there tomorrow.


Everyone on the hill tries to tuck and head for cover as the wind picks up.


Highlights:

- Horseshoe bowl and Solitude were two of the better runs. Overall, the snow was good; it was just difficult to find a place where we could stand to ride on it.

Lowlights:

- The weather. We ride through a lot of junk, but this was too much even for us. Judging by the sparse lift lines, even the Saturday locals agreed with us.

Après Ski:

We watched the Champs Sports Bowl, made dinner, and relaxed.

Days to go: 36

12/26/08

Day 13

Conditions: 6+ inches of Rocky Mountain Powder
Location: Vail, CO

We arrived in Colorado last night to find that the whole state was expecting severe weather. Vail had the tastiest forecast with a predicted 10-20 inches. So, we decided to get up early and make the drive the Vail.

When we woke up, we were glad that we planned ahead, as Breckenridge got a lame 1 inch and Keystone got none; Vail on the other hand reported 6 inches (which usually means double that in the bowls). Our morning was nothing short of Epic. We hit Sun Down Bowl, then made our way across to Tea Cup Bowl, and eventually back to Blue Sky Basin. Blue Sky had the best snow of the day with huge stashes in the Champagne Glades. Pretty soon, we were starving. Only then did we realize it was already after noon.

We ate lunch in the perpetually overcrowded Two Elks Lodge. It was so crowded that we had to share a table with three rock-climbing hippies who were brown bagging it. That led to some interesting conversations.

The afternoon was just as eventful, but not as enjoyable. We hit some bumps off Highline express. Then, Dirk got a brilliant idea to search for some fresh snow in the trees. These weren’t trees just off the run, or the kind of trees that have tracks in them. These were death trees – the kind that have no discernable fall line, are thick, and seem never-ending. We don’t get scared much, but at one point I realized that if one of us were to get hurt, then ski parole would either never find us, or refuse to try and get a sled into those trees.

After surviving the trees, we headed to Game Creek Bowl, just as extreme wind gusts and zero-visibility-snow infiltrated the area. Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day trying to get out of there (with every other idiot on the hill).


Taking a break to enjoy the brief blue sky of Highline Lift.



Dirk goes over the river and through the woods to find a hidden stash.


Highlights:

- Powder, powder, powder. The drive the Vail was certainly worth it.

Lowlights:

- Being in Vail is great. No complaints. However, there is just something about knowing a mountain front to back. Bombing down a run and knowing the location of every rock, stump, and dip is priceless. You don’t need to worry if you partner can find you, because you both know exactly where you are going. No gripes about Vail, but in a way it made me miss the farmiliarity of Mount Bohemia.

Après Ski:

Beer, snacks, dinner, ESPN. Good.

Days to go: 37

12/21/08

Day 12

Conditions: Powder + Backcountry = EPIC
Location: Mount Bohemia, MI

We thought all the deep snow was gone after Saturday, so we geared up for a day of packed powder and fast trees. We had a great couple of runs, when we heard the backcountry was opening. We found that one rope had been removed to open Shivering Timbers and Lonesome Wolf – one of our favorite run packages. As soon as we turned into the steep of Shivering Timbers, we realized we were the first ones on it.

We spent the next five or 6 runs in knee-deep powder in the backcountry. No obstacles, no speed-checks, just floating through the trees. It was a flow experience.

Right before we left, Lonnie offered to show us the Outer Limits. We tried to find our way through this labyrinth before, and always ended up hiking out. In the process of getting to the actual runs, we un-booted three times as we hiked through un-packed snow that reached up to our waists. At least we got a cardio workout.

When we finally got to the runs, we looked at each other with a silent stare that could only mean “this better be good…” To our surprise, it was. It’s definitely a run that has hiking, but it will be a nice place to go play late in the day.

Highlights:

- Powder in the backcountry. Days like this are why we snowboard.

Lowlights:

- Not expecting much from the day, we ditched the video camera. So, we didn’t get any epic, first-track shots. But, we really didn’t care. We were having too much fun to worry about getting the perfect shot.

Après Ski:

Because we had too much fun, we stayed too long. We didn’t leave until after 3:00p.m. – three hours later than usual. As a result, we didn’t get home until 1:00a.m. Once again, worth it.

Days to go: 38

12/20/08

Day 11

Conditions: Packed powder in the morning; powder in the afternoon
Location: Mount Bohemia, MI

After a surprise snow day on Friday, we were able to start the 10 hour drive up to Bohemia a few hours early. Unfortunately, no one in the Lansing area knows how to drive in the snow, including the snow plows and salt trucks. The drive took us the longest it ever has (11 hours), but at least we arrived at 9:00 p.m. instead of 1:00 a.m.

After a good night’s sleep, we were ready to go. Even though most of the front side was skied off, we found plenty of powder pockets on Powder Keg and Widowmaker.

We ate lunch and adjusted our angles, which made a huge difference later in the day. By the time we got back out, the back side was opening. We had a five star run down Rollercoaster and Goldilocks. There was a wait for the bus, but luckily we were at the front of the line. We took one more bus run, this time waiting through three busses for a total down time of about 20 minutes. We both agreed it was worth it. Bohemia fired up the double, so we were able to ride the back for most of the day. With Lindsey’s help, we discovered a second set of trees in Goldilocks. Later, we discovered the long-lost Papa Bear. Both newly discovered runs were top notch.

Highlights:

- Widowmaker
- Discovering and naming a new run that links many runs together and hits several runs that don’t see many riders. To protect the secrecy of the new run, and to respect the person who told us about it, we will reveal nothing further.

Lowlights:

- We were both riding “Boyne” angles earlier in the day, so we were both having difficulty hop-turning. Once we figured out why we were struggling, we were able to fix it and enjoy the rest of the day.

Après Ski:

We ate a greasy dinner at the Bear Belly, watched a movie, and fell asleep.

Days to go: 39

12/13/08

Day 10

Conditions: Packed Powder
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

The work week was over, and it was back to work for us as we woke up at 4:00am and headed to Boyne. Even though Boyne did not post much new snow, the conditions were in the top 5% we have ever seen at there. The snow was soft, the grooming was decent, and the trees were still in great shape.

We enjoyed the killer-groomers and then got some much needed footage on Fallen Tree run. We also ran into some unfortunate man-made “petrified silk powder” (Dirk’s term) off Meadows.

We broke for lunch and met up with Lonnie and Lindsey for the afternoon. We took most of the runs through the trees, including Brad’s run. We were also shocked to discover Super Bowl open, and the glades in great shape.

We spotted the scraper-hater. After much chasing and plotting, Dirk enlisted a Ski Patroller to help him confront the kid after he got off the lift, while Lindsey and Steph stood at a safe distance. After much denial, the kid finally admitted his was involved and apologized. It was probably the best-possible result we could ask for, given everything that happened the weekend before.

Highlights:

- Finding decent trees all day
- Dirk’s poetic justice incident
- Getting our money's worth: we almost never make it a full day at Boyne, and it felt pretty good to do so.

Lowlights:

- Sitting on the stalled, Super Bowl chair in the cold, wishing we had called last run earlier.

Après Ski: We had a few drinks before heading the Water Street Inn. We ate dinner at Red Messa and watched Iron Man (well, Dirk did…Steph fell asleep).

Days to go: 40

12/7/08

Day 9

Conditions: Packed Powder
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

After the horrors of yesterday, we were ready for a mellow day. We took some warm up runs and hit the trees. For the first time ever, we attempted to get video footage in Boyne trees. This was difficult, because the trees are so close together. We has fun, though.

We called it early and told our lift buddy Duane about the hate crime we survived the previous day. Then, we ate lunch and headed home.

Highlights:

- Kevin the tune master gave Steph’s old rock board an incredible facelift. That guy is like a P-tex surgeon.
- Finding more nice lines in the trees.
- Not getting harassed by skiers….

Lowlights:

- It was a short day, and Monday was looming in the distance.

Après Ski: The 3 hour drive home. Apparently there is only one radio station up north, and it plays country music. So we couldn’t listen to the Lion’s game. I can’t really explain why we would want to listen to the Lions, but we did.

Days to go: 41

12/6/08

Day 8

Conditions: Powder
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

This was possibly the most eventful day we have experienced together as snowboarders. Everything that could happen did happen. We arrived in Boyne City to more than a foot of fresh snow. No one went out the day before (Friday). So, for the first time at Boyne we had a lot to choose from. We bought our 4 hour passes (this will be important later) and headed off.

We warmed up and then went to Disciples Chair, because nothing was groomed there. We took a couple great runs through the trees. They had been untouched all year and the coverage was great. We decided to go down a main run called Devil’s Dive. It was not groomed, so there was knee deep powered, but several people had already skied down it. We got off the chair lift and prepared to strap in. Then, the following incident took place.

Random skier: Hey, stop snowplowing down Devil’s Dive!
Dirk: Me?
Random Skier: Yeah, someone is scraping snow off my run, and I’m pretty sure it was you.
Dirk: And you think that was me.
Random skier: Yeah, you look like a gaper! (Laughs to himself and skies about 10 yards toward Steph) And you too. (Pushes Steph off the traverse path as he skies by.)
Steph: What the f-- is your problem?
Random skier: Settle down B---!
Steph: You’re an ass.
Random skier: Come catch me! (Skies off)

We called ski parole and the patroller actually tried to rationalize the behavior, stating that some skiers are frustrated with snowboarders. Yeah, that makes it right. In the end, he took down the description and said he’d talk to the guy if he saw him. We found the patroller at the end of the day, and they had not found him. Our only confort is that some day that kid will walk into a bar, start talking smack, and get his ass whomped.

We took a few more runs and went in for lunch. It didn’t seem like we had been out that long. We got to the lift line after lunch and had our 4-hour passes clipped because it was 1:20 and our passes expired at 1:00. The liftie let us ride up one more time, so we decided to go under a closed rope and hike up Superbowl. We couldn’t ride the lift without passes anyway, and we knew there would be good snow there. We made it to Superbowl and took off our boards to hike, when a mechanic on a snowmobile caught us and told us the area was closed. We waited until he left, and went to another area to hike.

We successfully hiked this other area of woods, which we ride every now and then. It is probably considered out of bounds, and the trees are not cleaned up, because they don't want people ridig there. The run is normally great, but someone chopped down a bunch of trees or something, because it was virtually unrideable. There was lumber and carnage everywhere. When we finally made it to the bottom, we were beat up, and so was Dirk's board. We caught our breaths just in time to see another snowmobile was going by, this time with a patroller. He reminded us that the area was closed. “We know,” was all Dirk said. The patroler didn't say anything else. I think he saw our tracks and knew we had a rough run and were getting out of there anyway.

With no hiking or lift options, we called it a day.

Highlights:

- The snow and the trees – obviously.

Lowlights:

- Pretty much everything except the snow and the trees.

Après Ski: We stayed at the Water Street Inn, watched football, and cooked burritos.

Days to go: 42