Turkey Day goes Lobster Week

Thanksgiving is without a doubt my favorite holiday. To me, it is the most proper and wholesome holiday there is; a pure observance that truly celebrates the human spirit. When families are brought together around the table, banded together by thanks and appreciation, that is the true essence of the holiday. This year, I was fortunate enough to celebrate the harvest in the Bahamas with my family. It's becoming a tradition of sorts for us, to spend our week together in paradise in our family friend's house on "Briland" — a blissfully tiny island north of the mainland Eleuthera. We're very glad to have such a gracious friend to share his place with us.

When there, I did some testing with my new GoPro. Only a couple of short videos — my focus was on relaxing not filming — but here are some of the photos that turned out! Hope you enjoy...what a beautiful place. The simple island-life reminds me of how truly blessed I am.

Tribute

It has been reported that on Sunday, November 13th, the world lost skiing legend Jamie Pierre to an avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT. Jamie was constantly pushing the limits of his sport; his tenacious pursuit of the extreme has forever changed the face of skiing. His death is a harrowing reminder that even our heroes aren't immune to the dangerous whims of nature. But he will always remain an icon to the skiing community.

I remember watching Jamie's segment in the premiere of Warren Miller's Playground at the Minneapolis State Theatre when I was 16. Before the show, he came out on stage to give a warm Minnesotan hello to his hometown crowd. I had no idea he grew up where I did. Another meat and potatoes kid like me? Midwestern skiing has got a lot of heart. If you can put up with the frostbitten tow-rope skiing of Minnesota, you've either got an enormous amount of passion for the sport or you probably sport your Ski-Doo jacket while apres-skiing with a Premium Grain Belt.

Seeing Jamie, another flatlander from my neck of the woods, shred huge lines and drop massive cliffs in a Warren Miller feature was hugely motivational. After seeing that film I was inspired to get out of my element — I had no doubt in my mind that I would be heading west to be in the mountains. Idols like Jamie have given me and many others the spark to get out there and slay it. And for that, I am so very grateful. So here's to endless glades of white. Thank you, Jamie. May you rest in peace.

The hut that shall not be named

Tucked just beneath the western slope of the continental divide, we found shelter from the blustering night in the hut’s dark and time-scoured walls. We left the highway with hours of daylight left, but it almost wasn’t enough time. As darkness fell on the river gully we had been hiking, it was clear that we had overshot our destination. Alex had stayed before at the mountain shack, but during his first trip they had similarly hiked-in in the dark. So we were wandering at this point. And the conditions were starting to worsen. Weather can be brutal on the divide, we were experiencing classic blizzard conditions at 11,000 feet when we put our headlamps on.

Despite our aimless rambling, Alex felt confident that we were close. I suppose I did too, for that matter, maybe I just needed to believe it. Our options were stark…we needed to find the hut, or we’d have to face the bitter defeat of trekking back to the car. I began to ask myself how long I think I could maintain a smile while searching in the dark. But as I’m struggling to keep my stride, I hear hoots and hollers from up above me. Our beloved guide, Alex, had led us in the right direction. Sanctuary at last. We excitedly let ourselves in to view our accommodations. Never before have a seen such a hospitable outpost in the backcountry. It was clear that this hut was a well kept secret who’s patrons are well equipped and generous. In a desolate setting where individual responsibility could cost you your life, this hut is a vivid beacon of community and the human spirit.

As we read the guestbook, it became apparent that we weren’t the only ones who had difficulty finding this place. Every other entry said something like “Can’t believe we found it!” or “Must have walked past it 5 times”. As we continued to read about the hut’s mysterious and legendary origins, it became less of a structure and more of a sacred or spiritual place. A place adventurers and transients can call home. Where respect is the central creed and etiquette means everything.

I’m being as delicate as possible with this post, so as not to tarnish the pure seclusion of this mystic hut. I do not wish to share its name or location…but if you can recognize it from these photos, then you must share the same feeling of stewardship that I do. Here are some shots of our headlamps and lanterns creating a glow in the room through minute long exposures...flash photography is implicitly forbidden in this place.

Side note - aside from guiding us there, alex managed to fit a chainsaw in his pack so we could make our contribution. Last photo proves it, with Matt taking a hack at a log, and Alex sawing away in the background. Enjoy.

Trappings of the Trail

It seems I’ve always lived in a climate where the average Halloween costume necessitates long underwear and Sorel’s. Boulder was graced with nearly twelve inches of heavy snow before the 31^st this year, ripping limbs from trees and causing serious power outages to Xcel’s clusterfuck of a power grid. That’s all I have to say about the municipal utility. But Halloween is over, kids. And that means that new snow is on it’s way to the Rockies. If you haven’t already been out to get some of the snow that’s up high, you’ve hopefully at least endured the lift lines at your local resort’s “opening” weekend to squeeze in some turns. As fall officially turns into winter we will inevitably start seeing more tall-tees, goggle tans, and most importantly — fresh crystalline precipitation.

But there is perhaps something more exciting than new snow in the beginning of the season — new gear. This year, I have labored over the selection and acquisition of my new equipment, something every outdoor enthusiast can relate to. Being a college student, funds are pathetically limited. So I was forced to be creative if I was going to get what I really wanted. My roommate, Cheyne (you can read his blog here, he’s doing some really awesome stuff in the climbing world), is a Craigslist junkie. He outfitted himself for a summer-long big-wall climbing jaunt in Yosemite entirely by swapping out his old, unneeded equipment for the gear relevant to the routes planned on his trip. Cheyne’s dirtbag thriftiness inspired me to do the same myself. One thing was for sure. I needed new boards. My skis had gotten absolutely gored last spring when I was skiing Dead Dog Couloir on Torreys. Here is a photo of my attempt to mend the damage.

The last two seasons have been really rough on my Volkl’s, which are notorious for having a soft(er) base. But even though I didn’t really need anything besides skis for the upcoming year, I didn’t see the harm in turning over my inventory for some fresh hardware. So I wrote up a budget…I mean, that is the rational thing to do, right? If I was going to whore myself off to consumerism, I might as well do it with style and poise. So this was my game plan…

The green column on the left was everything that I was hoping to sell, mostly old racing gear, but some miscellaneous big-ticket items as well. And the green column on the right was my wish list. So if all went as planned, I would come out with a surplus…not a bad prospect. By using my PSIA discount, and by making some crafty phone calls to reps, I was able to get everything in Green column #2 on Pro-forms. As you can see in my riveting, multi-colored spreadsheet, If I had to pay MSRP prices, I wouldn’t have been able to afford new equipment.

This final price of my new equipment was to be inflated with the additional costs of having my bindings repaired — a painfully slow and dreadful process. Marker’s customer service department is less than exceptional. But even after the binding ordeal, I still had money to burn. PLUS, I am on a roll with my craigslisting. Since getting rid of all my old gear, I have gone as far as selling old graphing calculators for spare cash.

Beyond feeling even more like a dirt-broke college kid with an expensive pastime, I was immensely satisfied with my dealings on craigslist. It feels good to make a deal with a complete stranger, knowing that both of you walk away from the exchange with something you didn’t have before but desperately wanted. Using craigslist and industry deals to outfit myself for this season was definitely time consuming, but totally worth it in my opinion. Because even though I feel like a broke college kid, I probably don’t look like one when I’m all booted up. Don’t take this the wrong way…I consider myself to be a minimalist. But who doesn’t like updating their quiver?

Disclaimer

Greetings, Friends!

It’s been some time since I’ve had either the time or inclination to sit here and write — I can’t explain why. Since my last cursory blog post, I’ve had many goings-on that have distracted me I suppose. Summer was a trip. Aside from taking classes at CU, I was an online editorial intern for Bonnier Mountain Group i.e. the offices of Skiing Magazine, Ski Magazine and Warren Miller Entertainment. My duties were largely that of fact checking and busywork, and I respectfully knew my place on the totem pole. But I was graced with several opportunities to compose some small articles of my own. A sample of which you can read here.

The whole experience was very enlightening. I was opened up to a new realm of “work” where my passion for skiing could simultaneously exist with my responsibilities of occupation. Being exposed to the inner workings of a major publication firm — with no previous experience in the field — was daunting yet enormously helpful. Working so closely with seasoned editorial professionals, I have developed a greater sense of the power of language. And perhaps more importantly, considering these “professionals” were ski-bums-at-heart like myself, I’ve also come to appreciate the gratification of working somewhere where the parking lot is filled with bikes, you know your co-workers dogs on a first name basis, bumper stickers cover every imaginable surface, and stoke levels are always high.

But in all seriousness…the whole experience was profoundly inspirational. I have learned so much in the last several months. Not only about my professional aspirations, but also how I wish to document my thoughts and adventures: the chronicles of Rob. But from a less self-absorbed perspective, I would like to share these stories with all who are willing to listen in hopes that I can reach out and spark that same inspiration in someone else.

So consider this my mission statement. It is my intention to use this blog as a platform for my growth as a writer/storyteller/human-being. But through posting my thoughts, photos, and videos, I hope to maybe rouse someone else to pursue their own dreams. Grip it and rip it….at this point in my life, that is my chief motto.

I’ll leave you with the words of Mark Twain, who more eloquently describes the passion for adventure I hope to capture here

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Spring i.e. Goggle Tans

So i'm a little upset that i don't update this blog as much as i could. I had plans of making an elaborate trip report to accompany our video "Day on the Divide", but after the lengthy editing process, i had really lost all my motivation to write anything else. At this point, i feel that the video is the best representation of our day in Berthoud Pass. Writing a recap would not be worth it...but photos are still enjoyable.

I stitched this panoramic view together using Photoshop, the photos were taken about halfway through our hike.

Matt losing layers - Brando checking the Blackberry

The last part of our morning hike, bootpacking for almost 1,000 vertical.

Matt up top, working our way to the drop spot.

Awesome shot of some of the HUGE slabs that were hanging on the cornice. Once we got to the bottom of this bowl, it was clear that this face had recently experienced an avalanche.

It's awesome to think that this hut is completely skier/rider maintained. A nice resource to have in the backcountry.

The following photos weren't from our last Berthoud trip, but offer good insight into what i've been up to recently.

Eldora in all her majesty.

These crazy ice formations are made in the reservoir at the bottom of Eldora. This water is used to make snow for the mountain, so after significant amounts have been syphoned out, the ice breaks due to the low water levels. This body of water is deadly, considering in some spots there is as much as a 6 foot drop from the ice into the water...no getting out once you fall in.

Scenery from the seasonal road heading to Fourth of July Trailhead, a sweet mountain park behind Eldora.

Eldora has plans of expanding their Carona chairlift, so skiers will be able to access some of this terrain...word.

Some samples of Emiley's exquisite photography.

Hiking along the seasonal Hessie Road, there are a bunch of these summer cabins completely snowed in.

Didn't quite make it all the way, but we had good views of some of the skiing you can access once at the Fourth of July Trailhead. Once conditions are better in the spring we will definitely make a trip up here.

Here are some photos from a more recent tour in Vail Pass

Attempting to read the map

Our lunch pit...we dug this out not only to block some wind, but also because we needed something to keep us warm while we were waiting for Matt to catch up.

We thought about it....but didn't have the balls.

Sweet view from our first traverse.

From sun up to sun down....hell of a long day.

Hopefully that is enough to catch up for my lack of posts in recent history. So much has been going on lately that it's been pretty tough to keep work, school, and skiing in sync, while simultaneously documenting it. 

Work at Eldora is picking up now that the spring-skiing season is upon us. But thankfully i have been able to tweak my schedule in such away that allows for maximum free-ski days. Right now, I am approaching my 60th day on snow this season, which may or may not be a personal best, considering the season still has a ways to go.

But now that warm weather is approaching and the snow is slowly but surely melting, i am in a bit of a rush to solidify my plans for the rest of the spring. So far i haven't made any decisions on a spring break trip, but my options look good. With a PSIA discount, lift tickets in Thargee and Jackson are only around $30. So if i'm really feeling it, i might just have to make the trek out, because i have never skied the area and feel that it would be totally worth sleeping in my truck bed to find some big mountain lines not available in the CO rockies. I'll also be in Winter Park soon, to compete in the Weekend Warrior Freeride Championships. This would be my first opportunity to compete in a field that i have always wanted to get into, and i really think that the whole experience would open some new doors for my skiing. Besides a few training runs, i have not been doing any racing or competing of any sort this year. So this will be really sweet to become a competitor once again. Similarly, i was just invited to partake in Keystone's hiring clinic in April. For two days i will be bombing around with Ski Patrol, participating in their Patroller tryouts. It sounds like it will be pretty intense and exhausting, but i'm excited to see how i chalk up to some of these other candidates. Ultimately i would like to get my WEMT certification, and possibly someday become a guide. So this will definitely be a step in the right direction.

Aside from these plans, i'm sure we will make some time for a few hut trips seeing now that spring is here. I'm trying my best not to wear myself out before the snow is gone, but hopefully i will soon have some more footage/pictures documenting other sweet adventures.

Coming soon...

Be sure to watch in HD! And stay tuned for a more detailed account of the trip!

Breaking Trail : 101

So far, the new year has been one of discovery for myself. In the past month, my priorities have completely shifted from one focus to another. But amid all of these transitions, i have found a new energy with which i approach my undertakings. I feel like i am constantly learning new things everyday, which is actually somewhat overwhelming. But regardless of how stressed i may be, there is no doubt that i will find time for skiing.


For the beginning of this season, i have been lucky enough to follow many of the storms systems that have brought snow to the rockies. But as any powder-junkie knows, aside from stashes and remote glades, this fresh quilt of snow will be quickly eaten up by every other schmuck who is looking for a few fresh tracks on the mountain. This is why in my most recent pursuit of snow, i opted not to buy a lift ticket and instead grabbed all the gear i would need to trek into the back country. Now i have done plenty of boot-packing before, in order to access some un-touched snow. But i've never been without reach of a high-speed chairlift or ski patrol. So needless to say, i was very excited for my first opportunity to 'earn my turns' in the high-alpine terrain of Berthoud Pass.

On Wednesday, January 19th, Alex and I packed up the Subaru, and made the drive up Hwy-40 to reach the the continental divide. Al has quite a bit of experience in the back country, so i figured it would be wise to break trail for my first time with a self proclaimed ahem, 'veteran'. He is also a tenured member of the Back Country Club at CU, so thankfully we were able to grab our shovels, probes, and transceivers from their supply, free of charge. (A pair of decent avalanche transceivers will typically run you $300-$400....yikes.) With all the necessary gear and an experienced trail guide, i felt very well prepared and was absolutely STOKED to catch some seriously good snow. We left Boulder in clear skies, but as we rose in elevation the clouds boxed us in and we were looking at inches upon inches of snow accumulation. On this particular morning, there was an avalanche advisory in effect until 6 AM, but the snow was expected to slow down so it was nothing of immediate concern. But once we pulled into the parking lot of the base area, we were greeted by a park ranger who informed us that he and 40 other rangers/volunteers were currently conducting a search for a body. 3 days earlier to our arrival, a group of skiers lost one of their buddies to a huge slide in Hell's Half Acre. The mood was pretty heavy. But in less than 15 minutes we were geared up and making our first ascent on the east face. I was a little concerned about how well i would fair using climbing skins to hike myself above the tree line, but it really wasn't as difficult as i thought. Aside from my pack being way to heavy from my over-zealous water supply, i felt pretty comfortable making all of these new moves. It didn't seem like too long till we were at a good spot to make our descent...



This video is a quick edit of our first 2 runs. In the first run, you can see some of our tracks from skinning up. The terrain we were skiing was pretty mellow, but we were trying to eliminate any and all threats of an avalanche.




We crushed through 3 laps in floral park, and i was steadily nearing exhaustion. After our 3rd descent, we hiked backed to the lot to regroup/refuel with some M&M's (naturally). After much deliberation on whether or not we would push for another couple of runs, some santa-claus lookalike offered to take turns running laps with us down to a switchback on the access road. Sweet. So we played musical chairs in and out of this gentleman's Xterra for another 3 runs to end the day. Driving a standard transmission in ski boots is difficult, let alone when you are driving in a blizzard...up a mountain pass...with old man winter, his 2 hounds, and all of your gear crammed into the cabin. But i was loving absolutely every minute of it. All in all it was a very humbling and eye-opening day. When we were taking our boots off at the car, we were told by some other rangers that their search party had found the body of the missing skier. This bit of news brought along with it a very eerie sense of closure and legitimacy to the whole experience. I will definitely be back soon for more.


Aside from the videos, we don't have much photo documentation of the trip. Which is unfortunate. But we do have this one picture that alex snapped with his phone after the long haul to the top. Epic day...

 

Also, this weekend i will be celebrating my birthday....rather tastefully for that matter. We are also planning to make another trip to East Portal. Considering these two events overlap, i imagine that i will have some rather colorful material to post. Stay tuned

Safety Lesson of the Day: Frostbite

The noise made by cold snow squeaking beneath your boots is possibly the most disagreeable sound in the world. This phenomenon only occurs when ambient temperature is low enough, and there is considerable moisture in the air. Today was one of those days.

Usually, i pride myself on my ability to cope with cold weather. Today, i couldn't get warm for the life of me. A cold front has recently blown over the frontrange, bringing with it some exceptionally light-particle snow. However, the trade-off for this fresh cover has been single digit temps and wind chills around -20. Regardless of the possible tundra like conditions we might face, a friend and i committed to the idea of playing hooky yesterday to catch some of this snow before our spring semester starts.

The previous night had given us around 11 inches of snow in Boulder, so we were anxious to see what conditions were like past the divide. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get the totals that we were looking for in A-Basin but we decided to give it a shot anyway. Snow had stopped falling at around 3AM, but strong wind and cold conditions were enough to create some pillowy drifts and clear tracks from previous days. We had an awesome day testing out some new camera equipment and building a small feature off of Baldy's Traverse, but my feet were numb, wet, and cold from about noon onward. We had the mountain to ourselves all day and consequently had a phenomenal time skiing some pow, but i never realized how cold my feet actually were. After taking our boots off in the parking lot and trying to warm up in the car, my feet were BURNING. I remembered how badly it would hurt to thaw my feet after a long day of subzero racing in Minnesota, and quickly detected some early signs of frostbite. As warmth and feeling slowly returned to my feet, i could tell that my right big toe was really sore and considerably swollen. My hasty diagnosis of frostbite was confirmed when i took my sock off at home, and with it pulled away a layer of skin. Yikes. In reality, it's a mild case of frostbite. But nonetheless...it sucks.

Today, i arrived at work for instructor lineup at 8:30. Air temperature was around 8 degrees, and wind gusts were consistently hitting 30 MPH. NOT where i want to be with a blistering big toe. Fortunately for us, no one was crazy enough to bring their child to Eldora on this hellish morning and we were sent home due to lack of work. Thank the lord. On my way out i had ski patrol look at my toe and once again confirmed the validity of frostbite. This particular patroller felt obliged to share with me, the imminent dangers of frostbite. Which is why i chose to share it with you today, as our safety awareness lesson.




This isn't my first bout with frostbite, and usually i'm much  better prepared in conditions like this. But i think i can attribute this particular instance to being slightly hypothermic while we were skiing. After hiking to get above the tree line, gale force winds were quickly freezing any moisture on my body, including in my boots. This is something i clearly need to be better prepared for if i'm touring  any backcountry terrain in harsh conditions. Anyways...it seems to be healing well but i hope it won't get in the way of things i have been planning recently.

In the next two weeks i plan to:

• Begin my PSIA Cert. 1 Instructor Training Course
• Teach my first series private lessons
• Spend a few days in Berthoud testing out new touring gear
• Spend a few more days in Vail with my girlfriend and her family
• Gather some more footage from said days of skiing
• Develop a gnarly goggle-tan
• Fill out my beard

Accompanying this to-do list is my new spring class schedule. I'm going to be very busy and exhausted these coming weeks...but i've never been more excited to start spring semester. 

There is LOTS more snow forecasted next week as well...so i'll be sure to update the blog with some more photos and, possibly, some HD video courtesy of my very gracious girlfriend. But for now, here are some photos from more current happenings.

Alex after a traverse into Montezuma's Bowl

Our so called 'feature' on Baldy's. This drop didn't have a solid approach so we spent about a half hour boot-packing a lane to reach it. A little more snow and we'll head back to film it!

Our last run of the day. As you can see...the weather was showing up.

Beard-cicles: A true testament to how cold it was this day....and also a personal first haha



I recently 're-purposed' our garage while my roommates were gone. These next two photos are from before the renovation. I would like to point out how someone has positioned MY extension cord conveniently atop the bike pile. Thank you to them...

These are the post-renovation photos. I'm very proud of my hand-built ski tuning table. After cleaning the mess up in the garage, i found enough scrap to anchor an old sink cabinet to the wall and mount a hardwood surface on top. Needless to say i felt very crafty.

The view i was greeted with after landing in Denver Dec. 26th.