A couple weeks ago I went down to Brian Head to do a few days of shuttle laps with the Huck n’ roll team of photographers. The trip was incredible! We had an all time caste including Jenn Berg, Re Wikstrom, Tommy Chandler, Grant Gunderson. We arrived around 2pm and quickly set up camp just out side of the Cedar Breaks National Monument. Within the hour we were all loaded with our bikes into our two vehicles ready to set up the first shuttle of the trip, to hit Dark Hollow.

We hit the trail and immediately I knew this was going to be an epic few days!! The trail was flowy and fast with some techy parts mixed in as well. After shooting tons of photographs and hiking bikes back up sections multiple times, before we knew it we had been out there for about 4 and a half hours just on the one trail and our hopes of squeezing a second lap in was a bit ambitious so we did what any good freeride team does, we started drinking beers as we headed back up to camp to make a fire and prep for a tasty dinner of shrimp fajitas. Yummy!!!

That night we kicked it around the campfire discussing the game plan for the next day. We would hit Bunker Creek and then hit up BlowHard. With great anticipation I crawled into my tent. Around 6:30am my eyes popped open as the realization of where I was cut through my dreamy mind. I jumped out of my tent and was welcomed into the day by watching the peach sky gently waking up The Cedar Break formation as well as the rays of the sun silhouetting the Peak at Brian Head. It was an invigorating way to start the day.

As the rest of the crew rolled out of their tents the scent of backcountry coffee and breakfast simmered out of camp. With full tummies and amped bodies we hit Bunker Creek. It was a fun trail with a few pedally sections, but we got some great shots. As we reached the shuttle truck the clouds started moving in and with further discussion we decided that Blow hard was a ride best left for tomorrow and that Pizzono’s, the local pizzeria, was our most intended destination. We ate more pizza then our exhausted bodies could or should probably be tolerant and then it was off to bed.

The next morning we woke, had some oatmeal, and then it was off to Blowhard. It’s a magnificent trail with the first few miles riding along the Breaks. Stunning views and a few exposed areas to really let you know you were riding in southern Utah. Again, hiking back up and taking multiple shots made for an extra long decent and by the tme we reached the shuttle Jen and Tommy had to start their journey back to Sal Lake City. Re, Grant and myself were more opened and decided to hit Dark Hollow again, without cameras. Despite an interesting flat tire, we made it down in relatively good time.

My goal for hitting Dark Hollow again was to hit this area of red rock spires and shale that I had scoped on our first day. I had decided on the trip that i wanted to start getting into Big Mountain Freeriding and this spot looked like the perfect way to kick it off. It was a little under 500ft. of vertical. So I rode ahead and started the long hike-a bike ascent. If you have never hiked a big DH bike up a lose scree field, I strongly suggest it. Nothing is more character building then trying to keep your footing while maneuvering a 45+ pound bike up a sharp rocky field. At any rate it took about an hour and a half and a few sketch falls to make it to the top. As I put on my knee-shin guards, my elbow pads and my full face my heart rate began to spike. “What was I doing up on this scree field?” With no trails and just a crazy lose descent in front of me. “What was I thinking?” Then I began to look at it through my skier eyes, suddenly it did not look so steep and my line became clear. I yelled down to Re, who was shooting from the bottom “Dropping” Next thing I knew I was surfing the shale, feeling confident, while at the same time realizing that my previous concern of cutting myself up on the shale if I skidded out was the least of my worries. Now my focus turned to the fact that I was mocking down this slope and if anything went wrong I would be tomahawking at skier speed down a rock field. Yeah… a spine and neck guard will be my next Huck ‘n Roll purchase! At any rate, miraculously, I made it down. With more adrenaline then I have ever felt before in my life, I threw down my bike and started jumping around in complete elated disbelief. I did it! My first Freeride line. Success!!!

With that accomplishment under my belt we cruised down to the truck, had celebratory beers and made the journey home.

I can not thank the crew at Huck n’ roll enough for inviting me on this adventure!!

Behind The Scenes Of HP&M: Shaun Raskin

Yet another system lines up to hit the Wasatch with even more late Spring snow

So like I do every year, I booked my flight and made my annual migration to NY to spend some time with my family. However, this season as I hit the skies heading east I could not see that close behind me an endless storm cycle of snow was going to blanket over 50inches of the fresh white stuff over Utah. The weather in Utah has definitely caught most off guard, with many of my friends itching to ride bikes, but still feeling the need to buckle up their boots and get after the fresh because…well… “this might be the last storm of the season”.

Riverside Bike path overlooking the Hudson River

While it is quite tempting to jump in a plane and head back west to join my friends in the April and May powder crazed emotion, I realize that as a professional skier in the winters and a full time guide in the summer times, these short couple months between seasons are some of the only time I get to see family and childhood friends.

Reuniting with some High School friends

So I stick to the plan, spending a week at my childhood home northwest of Manhattan, watching my mom walk down the isle with the man of her dreams, spending time with my grand parents who taught me how to ski way before I can remember, and kicking back with my cousins aunts and uncles.

Rita and Phil, The Matriarch and the Patriarch of the Family and the ones who introduced me to skiing

Rolling on the Subway with one of my bestfriends Rachel

After soaking up the family love I head into my sanctuary outside of the rugged world of jagged peaks and swooping valleys, New York City has been a place of inspiration and comfort for me since the time I can remember. Whether it’s the rhythm of the subway cars vibrating beneath the busy city streets, or the collective energy of 1.5 million people living within 22miles of one another, the city has always spoken volumes to me. So I use it to revive my cultural and spiritual being, as well as to catch up with some great friends from my past, before heading south to Miami to catch up with my father.

Luch time in Manhattan's Financial District

Welcome to Miami

Miami is a strange place to find yourself when you still have a goggle tan, a stark white body, and an alternative sense life. None the less, the bleach blond hair, fake boobs, and overly tanned bodies can be something to appreciate and like any community, there are misfits, hippies, and punks in Miami, you just might need to look a bit harder to find them. One of those who has always beaten to his own drum of life is my father, and while his New Yorker heart still flutters irregularly with out the city’s bustle keeping him on beat, he is still staying true to himself in the city of plastic. Getting to spend time with him is always special.

Sunset with Downtown Miami in the background

Papa Bear!!

So with my soul, now filled by family and friends, I am in the airport heading back to Salt Lake City, where yet another storm cycle is expected to hit and I will return to the mountains to join my friends and industries in excitement over this fluke endless winter!

Sunrise over the La Sals

The objective, of making it to the top of our lines before noon.

The last push before the boot pack

The approach was long and the final boot pack up the couloir (later named Helen Keller) was steep, icey and really mad me wish I had an ice axe.

Alex and Weston get ready for the boot up Hellen Keller

But none the less, myself, Alex Paul, And Weston D. made it up to the top of our lines by 11am.

You can't tell but this couloir is about 50 + degrees

Weston skied Helen Keller, the tightest shoot of the three, at parts his skies barely fit through the narrow walls of the Couloir.

View from the top. If you look close you can see Arches

After hearing the icy turns echo through the basin there was talk of abandoning my line, but I decided to go for it. It was just lookers right of Helen Keller, a steep couloir that had a narrow choke about ski length wide. I dropped in and it was an ice sheet with lose rocks peppered on top.

Lookers left: Helen Keller. Right: My line

It was bullet proof, scratchy, slow survival skiing, but at the end I was stoked to have skied it anyway.

Alex Paul Finding the good snow

Alex took the good advice and hit a line that was getting a little more sun and his first few turns were delicious, however as he dropped down his line too became scratchy. All and all we decided that it was cool that we skied our lines, but the quality of snow and the energy and time it took to get into that zone was not worth repeating at this time.

The Summit through the lens of Alex

So we say bye bye to the La Sals. We will see you next winter!!!

Sunsetting on Moab

So here we are in a desert with all of are ski stuff (and a bit of climing gear as well)

Desert and Snow

The point of this trip… well to ski some fun spring lines with the backdrop of the beautiful Redrocks of Moab in the background and enjoy wearing flip flops, board shorts, and camping int he hot desert.

The first scouting mission= Tomorrows lines

It’s gonna be a great next few days, stay tuned….

I showed up on Friday just in time to watch the final run for the women and then cheer on the men. It was truly great to get to watch the girls rip up the venue with outstanding performances by Megan Michelson, Paige Brady, Lizzet Christensen, Brooke Edwards, and Candy Froerer. After watching the girls get after it we took a couple runs including a lap down Christmas shoot, then it was time to get our drink and grub on over at Brooke’s before the awards.

The Venue

The night proved to be a big party with dancing and many shot of Tequila, which left our morning a bit sluggish but appropriate for the grey-bird andon and off snow/rain conditions. So we did what any group of professional skiers would do, we hit the hot tub and pool in hopes that by surrounding ourselves with water our hangovers would dissolve. By 4:30 we were ready to motivate and hit up the last night of Night Skiing at Alyeska. The days snow had accumulated, leaving about 8 inches of fresh covering the mountain.

It was a rad night filled with face shot and lots of laughs.

We left the mountain as the snow continued to fall and by this morning we woke to 24″ of fresh snow!! The lifts don’t open till 10:30 here at Alyeska so our 10am arrival for the tram was on the early bird side of things. As it were we got on the 4th tram around 11:00 and hit the mountain.

It was a great day, but the heavy snow left us all hurting and calling it a day by 4pm.  All and all Alaska is producing the goods. Josh Madsen and crew come in tonight and then it’s show time!

Tram line

Enjoying a tasty brew at the “Fox Sports Sky Box” In the Phoenix airport on my way to Anchorage, it dawns on me that I have just flown an hour and a half south to then wait at the airport for another 3 hours to then, finally fly north to Anchorage and land at 1am. Why is that???

Well, maybe it has to do with the $300 price difference that separated the non-stop Delta flight with the “take two steps back to take one step forward” U.S Airways flight that stops in PHOENIX. At any rate, here I am catching up on some much behind work.

Can't wait to get back here!!

I arrive in Anchorage and then hitch a ride to Alyeska in time to watch the finals of the Women’s World Tele Freeride Championships. I have always loved competing, but this year the  timing was just wrong, but I am excited to sit on the side lines and cheer my fellow competitors on. After which, I will be meeting up with Josh Madsen and friends to film for his newest project that will probably be hitting a town near you this fall.

All and all it should be an exciting next few weeks and I will keep you all posted! Stay tuned….

This edit highlights what happens when five girls get together and push one another to go beyond their comfort zone and progress the sport that drives us. There were a lot of crashes, but some huge pillow lines and cliff drops that show just how hard women are pushing on Teles!!

Thanks to Paige Brady for putting together this edit.

Oh, but I remember that first day was always a right of passage, one complaint, one needing hot chocolate, one extra bathroom break could have you sent right back into ski school. It might sound crazy or a bit over the top, but it worked. To this day my family’s favorite way of getting together is on the hill and last week my Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Mike came into town and graciously invited me to go cat skiing with them up at Alta.

We lucked out with the snow as a system pushed through  the Wasatch and blanketed the cottonwoods with over a foot of fresh utah pow.

It was a great day, filled with laughs, many face shots, and doing what our family does best! Thank you Uncle Mike and aunt Steph for treating me to such a great day!!!!