I'll take another pow day

yup that's right.  another nine overnight.  on top of six yesterday, thirteen the day before...

another snow day

Today was another great day of snow.  13 inches in the AM, 18 by 2 pm.  Tomorrow will surely also be awesome.  

Rode the Nidecker today, which sure is fun when I'm riding fast open terrain, but I just cant flip my turns in steep chutes and trees like I can on my salomon.  I'll be on the salomon tomorrow, searching for deep snow in the trees :)

Well when I drove to Colorado I saw desert terrain and red rocks.  That's when I decided it was time to call it quits on the snowboarding and go ride bikes.  Then I had a lot of fun in Utah with my friends and then it started snowing here...and I'm happy to end snowboarding season on a great snowy note.  

So we have a week left in the season at Jackson, which sounds about right to me, and then I'll jump ship for Moab or Fruita or some similar southwestern mountain biking mecca.  Hopefully I'll start climbing, too.  Then I'll shoot back to NY to see friends and get some biking gear, and then start working early to mid may.  Working where?  That's the question.  I rode the lift with a ranger in Teton park.  He suggested I call the park to check for open positions--that often times they weren't listed with USAjobs.  I'll call soon to look into trail crew positions.  I would love to work outside on trails all day.

And tomorrow I have a phone interview with Mountain Racing Products (MRP) to whom I shot a resume when I spotted their craigslist ad for a degreed mechanical engineer.  Yes I am degreed!  MRP makes tensioners, bashguards, forks, pedals, and seatposts (i think...)  They are most well known for their DH chainguide products and their forks (marketed under white industries).  I miss using my brain and I'd enjoy working with mountain bikers in Colorado.  Besides, I stopped in Grand Junction on my way to Crested Butte and there were mountain bikers and bike shops all over the place.  Trails are dry there!

My friend here Dan is also trying to figure out his summer.  What appeals most to him now is buying an old VW Vanagon listed in the classifieds and being a climbing bum this summer.  He proposed that I sell the Toyota, pitch in for the Vanagon, and join.  I declined.  It would be fun to park together though, I hope he goes for the climbing bum plan.  I proposed that he backpack all summer, but he has no gear or experience, and isn't sure that he would even enjoy backpacking all summer (what is there to do but walk around and eat?).  Fair enough, I guess you really have to like being alone in the woods for that to work.

good days

Well the night before last I was kicking myself for leaving Utah.  SLC region was getting dumped on, and Jackson was pretty dry.  I was sure I made a mistake. 

Then it started snowing late that night.  Six inches by sunrise was all I needed to hop out of bed.  It snowed all day, but you could still feel the crust under the fresh snow.  At the end of the day, the snow picked up, dumping another foot overnight.  The 24 hour total ending this morning was 21 inches.  

I got over to the resort at 8:30, intending to meet up with Billy the kiter who could get me half price tickets.  Billy didn't show, so I bought a full price ticket.  

The tram didn't open until 10 or so, but it was worth the wait.  We were third tram car, giving us some great tracks in Rendezvous bowl.  Today was my first day riding the tram, and it was sweet.  The thing covers more than four thousand vertical feet in the blink of an eye.  

We scoped out Corbets Coulouir (a very difficult steep chute that starts with a 20+ foot drop to ice.  Steel and Doug said they were doing it (before they saw it), while I was not so sure.  After scoping no one did it, and we got down to business.  The morning was great.  Great tracks on all sorts of stuff.  Deep, fresh, and steep.  There were lift lines, though, and we were always waiting for somebody, so the morning was kind of slow.  I finally busted out on my own because I was tired of waiting (no friends on a powder day), and the folks I wanted to ride with skipped out of bounds and I didnt know where they were going.  Yesterday the mountain was empty and you could get good tracks all day, but not today.

It got warm and the snow got heavy.  I ended the day totally spent.  

I'll probably get up early and do it again tomorrow (without the $87 ticket).  I expect they'll open casper bowl and the crags (in bounds hiking terrain).  I have a few things I need to do during business hours, though.  I'll probably try to be really productive in the morning, because afternoons after riding are always very, very lazy.

Oh yeah, and the forecast is for another storm this weekend and next week.  Out like a lion.

spring break

I had a long but very pretty drive on Wednesday to crested butte, colorado, where I met up with Rebecca and Tosh.  Rebecca rode with Tosh and his dad for three days (I tagged along for one).  Crested Butte was very hardpacked and cover was getting a little thin.  Spring conditions for sure.  

Then Rebecca and I drove from Crested Butte to salt lake city.  I enjoyed the drive, it felt comforting and familiar to drive with rebecca at night.  We stopped for dinner in a chinese all-you-can-eat buffet.  Pretty tasty I must admit, although I did pass up on the sushi.

In salt lake we stayed in the same extended stay america as before and met up with Adam, Jeff, and Rebecca's friend Chris from her kenya trip (who goes to school at berkeley).

We rode Brighton, the Canyons, and Snowbird.  Brighton was probably the best day--nice soft spring conditions with super fun terrain.  I practiced my spins a bunch and hucked a lot of rocks.  It's a great place for jumping--nice launches, nice landings, and good runouts.  Jackson's much too steep for the same casual approach to cliffs.

the canyons was a bust.  The mountain is laid out kind of poorly, we did a lot of traversing, and conditions were really slow.  Rebecca, Jeff, and I lapped the terrain park at the end of the day, which was fun.  Jeff busted himself, hope he's feeling better.  Rebecca was hitting jumps way faster than before (props), making the landings on some good size jumps.  

Snowbird was a steep mountain.  It was a little cloudy so it took longer for conditions to soften.  At this point Adam had gone home and Jeff took the day off, so it was just me, Rebecca, and Chris.  We had a fun day despite some harder conditions.  Great terrain, but very crusty in the shade and on the steeps.

We went bowling a couple of nights (the alley is close to the hotel).  One night was disco bowling or whatever you call it.  I was sure the flashing lights and music would throw off my game, but I didn't notice a difference.  Chris established himself hands down as the fast ball thrower, cranking out mid twenties speed all day.  We were also very well entertained by the arcade in the bowling alley.  

Rebecca, Jeff, and Chris left Sunday afternoon despite forecasts of snow.  Rebecca gave me three Solitude passes (a birthday present) and I stayed in Utah.  

After dropping Rebecca and Jeff at the airport I went to a coffee shop.  It turned out it was a cyclist themed coffee shop, apparently in a neighborhood filled with cyclists.  I felt right at home.  Some older hippy chicks (maybe not politically correct term...) told me all about the benefits of raw foods.  Apparently when we cook food we kill all the enzymes and our bodies have to make more enzymes which is taxing.  By eating raw food you get the enzymes you need, and your body doesnt have to work so hard producing enzymes, making you feel great.  I'm not so sure...but I did get a free dinner of vegan raw food stuff.  It was delicious, but I was not inclined to stuff myself.  Hugs all around, then I was headed for Solitude.

Solitude was a ghost town.  Outside the Thirsty Squirrel I met Rich, a 16 year local who works landscaping in the summer and skis in the winter (a common lifestyle).  He gave me tips for where to ride if it were to snow a lot (didnt snow enough).  He also let me in to his hotel where I was able to bum a hot tub and a shower before sleeping in the truck.

It snowed about 8 inches overnight, which was not nearly enough to cover up the bulletproof sun-crusted hardpack.  It was windy, so I was able to hopscotch from wind-loaded patch to wind-loaded patch, and I got some nice turns in.  It was very painful to fall, though.  Ha I forgot to zip my fly on my first run.  I was reminded quickly by snow in my pants.

I met up with two locals Jaseth and Cody.  They (also snowboarders) asked me if I wanted to take a fun run.  We got fresh tracks in some out of bounds woods that were way fun--different than in Jackson, where woods are tight and steep.  These were tight in a different way.  Instead of shooting steep chutes between the trees you would shoot tight tunnels of tree branches.  There was stuff to drop and stall on all over the place.  Fun riding--the only good snow on the mountain.  Jaseth and Cody were characters too.  Jaseth grew up in Mexico and has been in slc for five years.  Cody grew up in slc, and both are doing the ski bum thing at least for a little while.  I think they're just a bit older than me, but I'm not sure.

I cooked dinner in my truck (in heavy snow), and hung out at the Squirrel.  The folks at Solitude were awesome.  It was fine to park overnight, I wasn't hassled, I got free coffee in the morning, and the bartender gave me a free beer and unlocked the pool table so I could play for free.  Beers were also 5 bucks, 1/2 strength, and you have to pay 4 bucks to get a membership to the bar (this is what happens when mormons make laws).

Another night in the truck, no snow overnight.  I checked the forecast in the morning and the predictions for Solitude and Jackson were both pretty good.  Anxious to catch some more good days at Jackson, I packed up, sold the two tickets, and headed North.

On the way back I stopped to fish.  The first spot, a picturesque hole on the Salt River, yielded nothing.  Didn't see anything, didn't feel anything.  Then I stopped on the Snake where I was previously accosted by the warden.  Here the fish were going off on the surface despite sub-freezing temperatures.  They were taking midges, and I took several fish on a griffith's gnat and on a midge nymph pattern before my ferrules iced too badly and I couldn't use my hands properly.  The fish also shut down.  Fun stop though.

A good trip!  Great to see Jeff, Rebecca, and Adam, and good to meet Chris.  Fun to ride different terrain and meet new, fun, friendly people.

twenty inches

that's right!  check out teton snow

alive and kicking

spring break trip went well, and then I stuck around in utah for a day because it snowed.  I'm headed back to jackson today because jackson is forecast to get snow (so is utah, but my terrain and buddies are in jackson).

i'll talk more about the last week when I get back.

quick post

Nice riding yesterday.  We got six or seven inches overnight at the top of the mountain with rain at the bottom.  My board is too wide :-(, but it will make a sweet powder board.

Today I'm headed out of town, a quick stint to Colorado to grab Rebecca then to Utah for a few days to meet up with Jeff and Adam.

dont fish without a license

Another thing Jackson is known for is the excellent fly fishing.  The Snake river is famous for trout, while the surrounding area is populated with grayling, golden trout, and others.  I was tempted to stop somewhere in Utah to fish, but without a license and knowledge of local regulations I resisted.

Today was a day off from riding.  It was beautiful, and I was going fishing.  Doug knew of a spot on the Snake about 15 miles south of town.

I did not purchase a license, although I did check local regulations.  Tributaries are closed, and cutthroats are off season.  A day license is like 15 bucks, while a season is 92.

We were both stoked to fish, it's been years since I've cast a fly rod (a fact that makes me sad).  We got to the water, rigged up, and started fishing.  We stood below a retaining wall for the road.  Doug opted for the calmer water at the tail of the pool, while I headed for the middle and top of the pool, where I could see rocks and water features that would attract fish.  I fished a wooly bugger (a type of streamer that looks like a leech, a universal good bet) with a prince trailer (a nymph tied on to the trailing end of the knot to the wooly bugger).  This setup allows you to fish both a nymph (the aquatic stage of life of waterborn insects) and a streamer (minnow or leech look-alike).

Doug fished a green wooly bugger, although where he was fishing you could see fish rising all over the place (I wish I had known this before the warden showed up).

I took a small brown on the wooly bugger, fished for another ten minutes, and then wandered over to where Doug was fishing.  He had no luck, and thought he saw a warden's truck pull up.  We stopped fishing for a bit, and sure enough, the warden came down to see how everybody was doing.  

He asked how things were going, what we were using, did we have any luck...could he check out our licenses?  Doug leapt into a shpeel (sp?) of how he had only ever had a lifetime NC license and didn't know how things worked in Wyoming.  The warden kindly explained how things worked, and I said I was in a similar boat (no license), and had only been in town for a few weeks.  We made sure he knew we were intending to stick around town for the summer.

He was very friendly and it seemed like we were going to get off okay, but then he mentioned (somewhat off-handedly) the mandatory $210 citation, told us to collect our things, and meet him at his truck.

Doug and I, both stricken by the harsh nature of the penalty, gathered our stuff (I made sure to dump my beer...), and met the warden at the truck.  

He gave us a warning, on the condition that we would go buy a license and bring it by his office next week.  Yes sir, I will.  $92 for a license no longer seems so bad!

new ride, bad conditions...grilling!

Got out yesterday on my slightly too wide board.  As I expected, it's slightly too wide.  However, I was still able to ride some tight trees to get the few stashes left on the resort, and it gave me an incredible amount of stability in heavy, tracked conditions.  I expect great flotation in powder.  I feel like I have to commit more for steep turns, that's probably where the width comes in.  

I havent yet formed my opinion.  I need to get a couple more days on this board.  It is beautiful, and now I match from head to toe.  I'll get a picture of it soon.

Oh yeah I got some buddies together yesterday for some grilling in the ranch parking lot.  The ranch lot is a parking lot at the ski resort that isn't as spendy.  A very helpful lady employed by the grocery store helped me prepare.  She found all the deals on buns and hot dogs and recommended I add shredded broccoli and frozen chopped onions to my burgers.  

Sure enough, she was right.  The burgers were delicious, everyone complemented me on my brilliance...  I was impressed by my little grill's ability to cook.  the thing put out plenty of heat to char burgers and used very little propane.  

I expect to continue to ranch lot grilling tradition every week weather permitting, preferably on fridays or saturdays.  In the future I expect we'll get some more folks to come out.

good snowboarders

I was graced with good snow and good riders on tuesday and wednesday.  

Manual got into the hostel on Monday night.  He flew to Vancouver from Switzerland mid January and is flying out of Buenos Aires in December--epic trip, huh?  In between he's traveling and doing some snowboarding.  He bought a dodge neon in vancouver.  He's a funny dude, and a skilled rider. 

We rode on Tuesday, a cold (~10 degrees), windy, snowy day.  The snow was awesome, and certain aspects were getting way wind loaded, so it was fresh tracks every run.  The downside was that visibility was dreadful.  I had some trouble with the visibility...

I led for a while because I knew where the goods were, but once we both knew where we were going I got to follow Manual for a bit.  It was fun.  He threw 180s all over the place, the occasional 360, and was way more playful than me.  I tried to imitate his riding with limited success.  

At one point, we were at the bottom of moran woods taking a break.  I said it looked like good snow over that way, to which he said, "I go dis way" and ollied off a rock through a thin patch of willows.

We went out that night, nothing eventful, played some pool.  Me, Dan, Manual, and Sarah were chatting in a bar when Manual looked up, pointed at the tv, and yelled "Soccer!".  He promptly ran to the tv.  I guess there's some big soccer thing going on.

Manual did the tourist thing yesterday and I got out around noon.  I stopped at the transit station to offer rides (so I can park for free), and that's where I picked up Josh.  I didn't have enough people for the free parking (which I got anyway), but I didnt feel like waiting so we booked it for the mountain.  Josh grew up in Lander and riding at Jackson.  I think he's fresh out of high school, and headed for the northeast for college although I forget where.

I was super sore from the day before, and I knew this kid was going to give me a run for my money...Fortunately I kept up just fine (I learned my keep up skills from Adam).  Following Josh was amazing.  He regularly popped 3's while riding about as fast as I can go.  I also spotted a couple of fives and one 720.  He also aired an impressive gap off a catwalk.  It was inspiring to watch, and reminded me that I learn things by example, and if I want to step it up I gotta ride with people like Josh and Manual.  

Today I goofed around popping 180s, ollying shrubs, jibbing on stumps, riding switch, and even got one 360 around on a small hip.  I'm working on the trick where you smack your board into some object (like a tree or a park obstacle), and use that force to rotate 180.  It was fun to goof around.  

My board has started to delaminate on the heelside edge.  I will try to fix it, but I have to stop riding it for at least three days to fix it.  This was all the encouragement I needed to buy a new board.

The selection is slim in Jackson.  This late in the season all that's left are short park boards and a couple of long, stiff mountain assault boards.  I'm looking for a mid-flex all mountain board between 160 and 163 cm.  The extra length will give me a bit more float in powder, and I don't want to overdo it with stiffness.  One shop had a Burton Supermodel X 161, for out of my budget, one had a Salomon Answer 161 that was tempting but I read bad things on the internet.  There were a few arbors at the village, but for some reason I didn't like the shape of the element (I've always wanted an element).

After riding I drove out to Victor.  I was going to buy a board--either an Illuminati for cheap (the board maker is quitting and selling inventory) or something from the shop out there--Habitat.  I have seen a few broken illuminatis on the mountain, so I'm hesitant to buy one without any sort of warranty.  I walked out of habitat with a Nidecker Platinum 163 midwide.

It's a gorgeous board.  We'll see how it feels.  I got occasional toe and heel drag on my salomon, even though my salomon boots are size 9.  My old boots were 11s.  I got confused at the store and reported my size as 10.5 or 11, making the selection of the mid-wide board OK.  

I think, though, that with my history of heel/toe drag on the salomon, I should be okay with the mid-wide.  It's probably a centimeter wider at 264 cm, barely out of the range of 'normal' boards.  The increase in width + the extra length will be a significant change (although it's also a short 163, more like 61 or 62).  The owner marked it down from 600 to 350.  Like everyone else around here, I guess he's worried about getting rid of his inventory...

Did I mention it's gorgeous?  click on the link above to check it out.  if you're too lazy, it's all black with some gold inlays and a clear spot in the middle where you can see the wood core, the carbon strips, and a four leaf clover.  hand made in switzerland.  I'm stoked to ride it, and I really hope I like it.  I'm not sure what I'll do if I dont...

Mailing Correction

Don't send mail via USPS to 215 N Cache, only send stuff UPS/Fedex.  

USPS goes to the PO Box for the owners, not to the hostel itself.  Apparently USPS doesnt deliver at all in Jackson, which explains why there are so many PO boxes and why the post office is always so busy.

good weekend

Yesterday was a beautiful bluebird day after a day or two of snow.  I was itching for some exercise...annnd I saw that the headwall was beautifully untracked after being closed for a few days, so I bee-lined for Sublette and hiked the headwall.

It was a slow hike, as lots of other people saw the opportunity for fresh tracks...and one group was slowing a bunch of folks down, including a few instructors, and wouldnt move over (despite encouragement from the held-up crew).  If you want to get a bunch of ski bums/addicts worked up then slowing the hike for everyone is the way to do it.

I got three hikes in from 9:30 to 2, when the hike closes.  Had I got there on time I could have gone for four, but I was pretty satisfied with three.  Two runs in Casper and one in the Crags.  The Crag run was amazing.  1000 vertical feet of great, deep snow followed by another 2000 of more tracked but still awesome riding.  Here are some pictures from the top of the Crags.

You can barely see the top of the Tram peaking out above these trees.  The hike starts further down this ridge (towards the Tram).

Yours truly with the tetons in the background.

The first spot to drop in on the Crags.  It's more tracked at the top but opens up after that cliff.  I haven't made it past this point on the traverse.

I tried to keep riding in the afternoon, but my legs gave out and I had a nasty blister.  Came back, had a $5 burger special, and passed out.

I slept in today, lost an hour to daylight savings, and had a leisurely breakfast.  Little did I know it was snowing.  Once I realized this I hurried over to the mountain and rode from noon to close.  all this snow makes some of the steeper, more interesting terrain accessible, and I was lucky to hook up with Steel's boss, Steve.  We rode the alta chutes off of Sublette and then the mushroom chutes off of thunder.  Great steeps, good snow, and tight chutes.  What more could I ask for except another four hours to ride.  A long traverse to Apres Vous for a shot down Saratoga bowl and that was the day.  

Fortunately it's still snowing!  Sadly I have work to do tomorrow.  I may try to get out a couple hours early to go ride Snow King if the snow keeps falling in town.

Oh sad news...My board's heelside edge is coming apart in a few spots and it appears that some wood on the inside of the board is wet.  Mark at the board room recommended letting it dry for a couple of days (!!!) to see if it closes up, then lathering it with some epoxy if it does.

a reason to go to europe!

Michael Jackson!

folks come and go

Living at the hostel is interesting.  Right about the time I get to know and (hopefully) like folks, they leave.  I'm okay with it, it's fun to meet so many different people.  I'd say hostel traffic is about half folks visiting and half locals in a tight spot.

Smiley (which I found out was just a nickname) and Mike have left, Richard and a couple other dudes are here now.  There's a relatively quiet college kid (physics major), whose name I forget.  He doesn't seem too interested in hanging out, but he may be shy.  One local dude is moving out today because he found a place to live.

I've enjoyed Richard's company, though.  He's 47 and has lived in Jackson for 20 years.  So far he's been very generous with things like food and drink, but I haven't taken him up on yet.  He's also a wealth of knowledge on things like where to play music, folks to play with, what not to do, and social networking.  We were talking about fishing, and I mentioned that while I was stoked to fish, out of state licenses were real pricey.  He told me not to worry about that...

Richard's been out of town for a month.  I know he was in rehab for a bit, for what I don't know. (which I would avoid mentioning here but he's pretty up front about it and I'm not about to pass judgment)  Then he went to Cody to find work and had no luck.  He expects to be at the hostel for a couple more days before he finds a place to live.

I think there's a lot of alcoholism in this town.  It makes sense--there are always people here on vacation, so you can find somewhere fun to drink every night of the week.  A lot of people just start out with a partying lifestyle and then seem to get stuck with it as they get older.  A few of the longer-term older residents I've met fall into this category.  I'm glad I get a chance to see both sides of the lifestyle, it's makes for a much more balanced perspective.

I also just finished a book--Sorrow Floats, by local author Tim Sandlin, which is about a 22 year old alcoholic mother of two who embarks on a trip across the country with some unlikely characters after driving drunk with her baby on the roof.  A good read, gritty at times.  So alcohol is definitely an important theme in town.

utah, rebecca's visit

This past weekend Rebecca flew into Salt Lake from Ithaca for a visit.  We stayed in Sandy, rode Brighton twice and Solitude once.  Brighton's a fun little resort that's very playful (lots of rocks and stuff to play on).  We had a good time with Solitude once we started lapping the summit double.  It served some fun terrain with some drops and steep sections but everything had nice mellow runouts (a pleasant change from Jackson).  Rebecca's riding started progressing once she bought some new boots a season or two back.  Apparently riding with Tosh has been advantageous, too, because she bunny hop 180s frequently, a little trick I tend to avoid for fear of my tailbone...

too bad colorado is so far away, I'd like to get a day or two of riding with tosh and rebecca at crested butte, but I dont think I can justify the 12 hour drive.

Unfortunately Rebecca was getting over a cold, so the third day was cut a little short.  Fortunately I get to ride all the time so I don't mind a bit.

Then Atlanta had an ice storm, which canceled her return flight, and they couldn't book a flight until Tuesday AM.  Bad for schoolwork, good for vacationing.  We went to the Tracy Aviary--one of the best in the country.  A lot of the birds were inside for warmth but we got to see a bunch and I thought it was pretty sweet.  Birds are cool animals with serious character.  I promised pictures, and here they are!

This one is a rest stop on the way into salt lake.  I thought the red rocks were cool.

  The wasatch from town.

some red birds.  very red.

we were greeted by a gang of pelicans.  

with nice hairdoos

the emus (not ostriches) werent very friendly

hey baby.

these were funny looking geese with red bumps on their noses.  not very photogenic though

the ugly duckling...err flamingo

there were a bunch of fat ground birds, I liked them.  

some eagles

this was a very vocal, curious, and colorful bird.  

Theres a name for this guy, but he's a huge vulture-type bird.  cool bird for sure.

Lots of bird pictures...no people pictures...maybe I'll do better next time.

It was great to see Rebecca.  I'm glad she made the sacrifice with school and money to come out.  Bummer the flights didnt work out so well, but thats life i suppose.  she and some other friends (jeff and adam) will be out in a couple of weeks for spring break, so I'll see the gang then.