a little riding, weird weather

The weather has been really warm recently in Jackson.  We got a few inches of snow, but it's heavy snow (and here you get to be picky about what kind of snow you want).  

I got out for a half a day on Tuesday.  I planned for a full day but got tired after a few hours.  Not bad riding. 

I went with Mike from Calgary.  Conditions were mixed--pretty crusty under the heavy snow.  He came around me on the first run and straight-lined it down a groomer, picked up too much speed, and biffed super hard after a cat track.  Knocked out his wind pretty good and definitely a tough way to start the day.

Mike came down from Canada, much like Blake, to escape winter drought conditions up there.  He said yesterday that they got some snow--the first for two months!

Came back from riding, ate, passed out, and went to Hoback.  They need bike builders right now, you get payed by the bike.  I could definitely build some bikes.  I go back on Tuesday to talk to the head mechanic.

Haha then Mike and I went to Carlie's church for some free Mardi Gras food and drink.  Those church folk pour strong drinks, that's for sure.  They also make delicious red beans.  After stuffing myself we met up with Doug and Steel for some billiards.  Tables were full, so Steel challenged a couple of older guys from Milwaukee.  With drinks at stake they accepted, and we ended up both playing pool and drinking for free.  Cool guys...Bob and Steve, but way older than I thought they were (~40).  All in all a good night of free stuff!

Had a slow day yesterday, futsing around, reading the news, doing laundry...got a few runs in later in the day in some heavy, wet snow.  Too slow and very sticky, with terrible visibility.  Probably the least enjoyable runs as of yet, but my shins were hurting too.

The plan was to meet up with Rebecca last night in Salt Lake, but she had some flight troubles so we met up today instead.  It's very good to see her, I'm happy she was able to make the trip out here.  We grabbed some food and passed out (she's sick, I've pretty much kicked it).  

It was nice to go for a drive today.  The drive from Jackson to Salt Lake is about 5 and a half hours, and much of it is very scenic.  I was glad to do it in the daytime, and I took the more scenic, and also more direct, route.

Now I'm awake (obviously) and wondering if I'll be able to sleep after my long evening nap.  I was kicking myself for forgetting my book when I checked my email and saw a common sight--a reminder to blog from my dad.  Fair enough, I didnt realize it'd been so long.

There is a terrible lack of pictures recently.  I promise this will change.  I don't know if you all are bored without pictures, but I know I am.  Apparently you can search for "dave jumps rock" on youtube and you get something, but I didn't.  I still need to post that avalanche footage too, I'll get on that early next week.

Oh yeah did you know that Aerobie, makers of the weird frisbee thing that goes really far, makes a coffee maker too?  I didn't.  Mike Glass sent me the Aerobie Aero-Press, what he called the best camp coffee maker ever.  I think I agree.  It's super easy to use and clean, and brews a nice mellow cup.  So far I've used it every morning.  Thanks Mike.

update

So the last couple days have been lazy cause I caught whatever's going around.  Fortunately it's not the flu and seems to be on its way out now.  

Mostly I bum around, watch snowboard movies, walk around, and eat.  I got food yesterday so I can make delicious stuff for at least a couple of days.  This morning started with an overstuffed bacon, spinach, onion, pepper, mushroom, and cheese omelet.  Lunch was cheese steak, also with peppers, onions, and mushrooms.  Dinner was lemon ginger curried steak, onions, peanuts, and raisins.  Pretty good but needed salt.

I took some time today to look for a job--went to the workforce place but found little help.  I  did fill out an application for Hoback Sports (which turns into a mostly bike shop in the summer).  The manager called earlier and I'm headed in tomorrow for a chat...ah I'll have to leave the mountain early...bummer.

Two days off is enough.  I'm jonesing big time to go ride.  Fortunately it started snowing today and should snow through tomorrow.  I could use another powder day, but who couldn't?

All these snowboarding movies (The Lab, Down with People, Ready, It's always snowing somewhere--to name a few) make me want to go build a kicker in the backcountry.  Gotta find some like minded folks...

hostel

The dude in the bunk  next to mine snores loudly all night.  It's impressive, but I haven't had a good nights sleep in three days.  Fortunately today I moved into a new bunk that is sufficiently far away, I think.  I moved into what is basically the long-term residents area.  

There are five other long-term residents.  The first that I met is the lady that oversees the hostel, Carlie.  Carlie's is about 40, pleasantly plump, and essentially the mother for the hostel.  She thoroughly enjoys cooking for the hostel, but can't very often due to insufficient funds.  She's a very crafty cook.  I learned how to make good, easy, cheap syrup from orange marmalade and a lemon, and she makes biscotti in the microwave.  She's happy most of the time and always excited to see me.  She swims a few times a week, sings in one or two church choirs, and watches lots of TV news.  

Often following Carlie quite vocally, is Miss Kittie.  Miss Kittie is 4 years old, all black, and part siamese.  She's loud, and meows constantly, especially in the early morning hours.  She likes to get on top of my computer while I'm trying to type and has terrible breath.  You can often spot Miss Kittie walking stealthily on the high surfaces of the hostel, or darting through hostel cubes and holes in the wall.  We have mutual respect for each other, or so I'd like to think.

Aside from Carlie the first long term resident I met is Diana.  I think Diana's not long term so much as permanent, but I'm not sure.  I don't know what she does for work, but I think she was fired recently for drinking.  She seems pretty reserved, we don't talk much.

Scott looks about 30 and travels by recumbent bicycle.  He's lived in Jackson for something like 10 years I think.  Like a lot of folks here, he works odd jobs to support his outdoor passions, which in his case is mainly backpacking.  We talk fairly frequently--about work in town, bicycle touring, recumbents, and the mountains.  He encouraged me to move to the front of the hostel if I could (which I did today).

Sarah, until today, had the cube across from mine.  Something about her rubs me the wrong way a little, although I think it's mostly due to the fact that when she drinks she drinks way too much.  When she's sober I enjoy talking to her, but otherwise I don't. 

There is also a group of Mexicans that cleans the place and does maintenance stuff, although with a busted urinal, a drain that floods poo, and water constantly running in the girls bathroom, I'm not sure how well they're doing their job.  They stay in honest to goodness rooms with walls and stuff, and I don't see them often.  I did once inquire about some food they were making and while I'm still not exactly sure what it was I tried it and it was delicious.   

A bunch of new folks showed up in the last three or so days, including the snorer, the creepy small engine mechanic, and Smiley (that's actually his name).  I don't know these folks well yet, but I do want to smack the snorer (I'm sick now)...

another 8 inches and im going to work?

LAME!

forget general delivery

Send goodies to me at the hostel, but same thing applies: let me know so I can alert them.

David Perry

215 North Cache Street

Jackson, WY 83001

in bounds slides

Despite traversing through bomb dust en route to the expert chutes, one of the dudes I rode with yesterday triggered a soft slab yesterday.  

I had split for the base to check out my tongue, and the rest of the crew rode the chutes one more time.  Steel was filming his buddy as he came down one of the untouched chutes.  He tossed a small slough, and then that triggered a fracture across the slope.  I think the slide knocked Steel off his feet, but no one was hurt.  It's all on video!  which I will post.

So on powder days I will be wearing my transceiver and I guess I ought to use my avy judgement too.

and i thought yesterday was good

Put a foot on top of yesterday and you have today.  

I didn't think it was going to snow, it started to clear yesterday.  However there's a dude at the hostel with a gnarly snore, so I woke up nice and early, called the snow hotline, found out it snowed a foot and was still snowing, and laid in bed excited for a few minutes, and then booked it for the mountain.  

I arrived to the mountain with Dan, Steel, and a transient at the hostel named Blake.  Blake's from Toronto, and Jackson is a stop on his skiing road trip, which includes a bunch of resorts in BC, a couple in Utah, Jackson, and maybe some more.  I laced up to the great sound of bombs going off on the resort.  

Made it to the gondola around 9, but it didnt open until 9:20 or so.  We hauled up the gondy and rode thunder for a couple of runs.  Nice snow, you can still get through to the scrapey base, but it's hard to do.  

Then we met up with someone Steel works with and headed to Sublette.   Took a couple of bivy woods runs, a couple elsewhere, and then traversed for the expert chutes.  I had told myself earlier that I wasn't going to look at the chutes until we got some snow.  

The chutes looked great, I dropped in the first or second chute (there are about eight) to avoid hiking.  It was steep, with a few rocks to work around, and maybe 70 yards long.  This is the first drop in so far that has scared me.  

But it was butter.  The snow was waist deep and not bumpy.  I shot out of the chute totally stoked. 

Steel's buddy dropped in the next chute over, which was completely untracked (at 11!).  We regrouped, and worked our way back to sublette to do it again.  On our next shot I bit my tongue in a spill and had to head down to the base to make sure nothing was badly damaged, no dangly chunks so I worked my way back to thunder.  I met up with Dan, who had lost the rest of the group, and we rode some more.  Dan quit and I rode casper for a while (my default chill lift), traversing to moran fields which was fantastic.  A couple of gondola runs (which serves some great terrain), and time was up.

If I do snowboard tomorrow it will probably be a hiking day.  They never opened the hiking terrain so I can still get fresh tracks...and it's still snowing.