The Season Ender: On The Side Lines But Not Out Of The Game

So it has been quite a while since I last posted on this thing and much has happened…

The long and Windy Road to Recovery (aka little cottonwood)

Last I wrote I was well on my way to diving into teaching AIARE Avalanche courses through White Pine Touring, I was looking to Shadow some backcountry ski guiding companies in the Wasatch, and I was just about to sign a contract with Telemark Skier Magazine.
Well, as life often does… I got thrown for a BIG loop and many lessons to follow.

While doing some soul skiing up at Alta with Weston D. I tore my ACL.
No, it wasn’t that simple, but it was that strait forward. Before you ask- No I was not hucking my meat or skiing some spectacular line, I was simply enjoying the first significant storm after our January dry spell. We had about 15″ of fresh, slightly wind affected snow on top of a sun/rain crust. I simply hit the icy layer underneath and sat back, giving a bit of a butt check, when I stood up POP!

Madsen and Weston D. hanging out post surgery

That was the end of my season. It took about two weeks until my denial and that of my physical therapists broke down and we decided I should go in for an MRI. Of course the outcome showed a full tear of my ACL, with surgery and the inevitable end of ski season being the outcome.
It has been exactly one moth since surgery and I have been on a wild journey of sorts. I am not going to dive into the dark places I have gone or the emotional roller coaster that has been the product of a super athletic and physical being, being kept from the only form of meditation and emotional outlet they have ever known, but I will say it has been a struggle, one that I was not really prepared for, but I guess no one ever really is.

Behind the Lense

Since tearing my knee I have managed to do a few cool trips. I went and supported the Telemark Freeskiing National at Alpine Meadows. There, I was able to catch up with a bunch of my friends that I only really get to see when competing. It was actually a really cool experience getting to go to the comp, cheer on all my friends, film a bit for Telemark Skier Magazine, and have a place in the community even though I was on the sidelines (which has never really been my favorite position).

Lunch fest at the ski test

Last week after being cleared from using crutches I headed up to the Telemark Skier Magazine Ski Test in Powder Mountain. Of course I was not able to partake in the physical test, but after expressing my need and desire to stay as connected to the goings on of the industry to Josh Madsen ( friend and editor of TSM) we decided that I would head-up the writing of the 2012 Gear Review. This meant I would take notes at each nights debrief, compile all test sheets, and create an incredible list of the most tantalizing gear you must have! It was a super fun four days of obligatory libations being funneled through a plastic flamingo lawn ornament, AKA the BeerMingo accompanied with great new faces and tons of laughs not to mention a bunch of skis, binding, and boots that I am drooling to get on next season.

Weston D. filing out his test sheets

Tony Gill feeling the affects of a late night and an early morning

The Crew

Madsen and Cody Smith Pondering life

BEERMINGO!!!!

What's a Tele gathering without some dirt musicians. Alex, Zeph, and Madsen getting after it!

Alex scerinading the crowd

Again, being in the periphery has been a challenge, but through a hopefully increasing sense of clarity I have found that if I truly love this sport, then I just have to push a bit harder to make my physical inactivity disappear behind my motivation and drive to continue being relevant through other means.
There are so many lessons and realizations that I have had through all of this. That is not to say that I have become enlightened though it, more like dumbfounded by my own habitual behavior that now doesn’t work. I have gained a new awareness, that I have to learn some new tools, because the old tricks don’t work so well when trying to bend with the braided lattice that is life. So I am on another sojourn and I am sure lessons will continue to trip me along my path, but with each stumble I will gain more balance and continue to gain strength and perspective.

Huge thanks to all my friends, family and sponsors who have been so supportive!

Photo: Re Wikstrom

Mother nature giving it to Utah!!!

Alta Patrol hard at work on the Gun tower

This past week has been a little like living in a war zone. It seems that our greatest alia , Mother Nature, has decided to wage war on the state of Utah. With huge storm totals of inconsistent snow densities, followed by ripping winds, and now sunny warm temps, it seems as though she has decided that Utah residents are going to have to learn to use some self control this season, much like our neighbors have to do every season in Colorado.

The week kicked off with an early morning wake up to beat the LLC closure and get early chair with Re Wikstrom, Paige Brady, and Pip Hunt. We were able to stand by while the Alta patrollers waged their war with mother nature. It was an incredible experience, to stand so close while they shot off round after round of chest pounding, ear ringing explosions into the adjacent mountain sides. After getting amped for the day with a little explosive energy boost, we had a great morning of shooting, powder, and as always great laughs.

Re Wikstrom letting her camera do the talking

While the backcountry remains an ominous landscape of usually popular lines that are still laying untouched, the inbounds ski has proven to be quite exceptional and if you can get to the resorts that aren’t hit as hard as others you will be hugely rewarded with tons of powder and fresh lines still awaiting a good slasher turn.

Page Brady (Right) Pip Hunt (left) enjoying the sounds of war

Yesterday, I went to Brighton to shoot with Steve Lloyd. It was the first time I had skied in sun shine since before my journey up to BC about three weeks ago. The skies were crystal clear and Weston Deutchlander, fellow Trew rider, Colter Hinchliffe, and I were out trying to get the shots.

We skied some killer sunny sky powder and Weston and Colter sessioned a sick natural kicker. The day ended with a sweet 35 footer  onto a relatively flat, but deep landing, or shall we say splat/ hot tub zone.

All and all a great week to be back in Utah!

Huge Winter Storm Drops 32" in 24 hrs. on Alta

I think it is safe to say that winter has finally hit Utah!
WIth 32 inches blanketing the mountains and 22 inches burying cars and homes in Park City, things are starting to look a lot more like christmas.

My day started at 7:30am when my phone started going off with friends eager to share the powder stoke. Thank god for those calls, because I had forgotten to set my alarm and was in bed sleeping the morning away.

I was a little tired from a late night, but the minute I opened my eyes and saw the snow piled over the porch, my lack of sleep was no match for my insane excitement.

I pulled on my clothes, went outside and started digging out of the house.

Whitney pulled up at 8am and we took off heading towards Little Cottonwood. We had survived the sketchy drive down Parley’s and up Little Cottonwood.

It was about 9:30 by the time we pulled up and to my surprise and excitement they weren’t loading the lifts yet. It seemed as though mother nature was trying to see how messed up she could make our snow pack and with a fully upside down pack every rollover was cracking. So we got our rightful place in line for the Wildcat lift and waited till they opened the lift at 11am.

It was well worth the wait! The snow was bottomless and not your typical Utah blower. It was a little firmer, which allowed it to feel as though you were getting a ton of energy out of each turn.

Everyone was popping off little hits, some were biting it. others were stomping everything.

It was a rad day to be on the hill! Can’t wait to do it all over today.

(Sorry for the lack of photos, I lost my camera but will have another one soon to keep the B log interesting)