it's getting colder!

Ok, so I realize I've been sorely lacking in the 'new post' department....this past winter I totally just dropped the ball on posting. I felt like it wasn't very exciting for people to read about--"oh, guess what, we're sitting here in another rad skiing location, watching it dump outside and waiting for that window of blue so we can go skiing again!"--plus, I felt like a spoiled brat for getting to chase the snow (we had a lackluster winter in Tahoe, so I spent a lot of time up north, Washington, BC, and Alaska). At any rate, I'm over those silly feelings of self-consciousness, and I'm ready to start ranting, raving, and blathering on and on again! Uh, lucky you guys?! I had been wanting to post again lately when all of a sudden, just yesterday about 8 people sent new comments (or maybe they all just came in at the same time but they were old?)--so thanks everyone for the comments and the nice notes, I love hearing from people all over the world.

For some reason, the past several months I keep crashing into solid objects with my body--in Terrace, BC in April I landed on a snow-covered, broken-off tree stump with my right butt cheek, and then up in Whistler at High North summer camp a month ago, I decked out on a table jump and knocked myself out and did some damage (nothing serious!) to my back and ribs. The butt cheek thing was almost funny it was so grotesque--my right cheek was GIGANTIC and swollen and black and blue, there are still lumps of hematoma in it, too, which is really gross. I even went to the doctor and he drained almost two huge syringes full of liquid out of it! My back is recovering well from my latest run-in--I've been power walking around the neighborhood as that's the exercise my (awesome!) physical therapist says is best, walking on pavement. It feels ridiculous when I'm used to biking and running and climbing in the summer, but hey, it's something, and I'm outside in the beautiful Tahoe sunshine, so it can't be bad!

The most excitement, however, is that I get to go to Portillo, Chile, in a few days to coach at a camp run by Chris Davenport--I've heard they're having a great winter, and I absolutely love it there, so I'm even more super extra excited than usual. (I would put an exclamation point there, but I'm in danger of seriously overusing them, so I'll hold off). When I get back, it will be September...and you know what than means! It's Fall, duh, which is the one right before winter!!!!!~

Springtime, and hot pow

You'd think that after 23 years or something of skiing, that I'd get used to how quickly winter flies by, but once again, here it is almost the end of April and I'm totally shocked that winter is probably already over! (I say probably because you never know what the weather will do these days, especially because it seems like winter is just picking up momentum here in Tahoe! Also, I'm trying to use reverse-psychology on Ullr--if we act like winter is over, then maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised with another two feet?!)

It definitely was winter still up in Alaska, where I spent the past week--I got to go back with a different crew this time, Higher Ground Productions. They're working their butts off, making a documentary about big mountain skiing, and I can't wait to see the finished product. We flew into Anchorage, and then loaded up two of my favorite-named planes, a beaver and an otter, and flew about 40 minutes northwest of Anchorage, to a cabin on frozen Judd Lake in the Tordrillo Range. It's a new lodge, owned by Mike Overcast, Jeremy Nobis, and Tommy Moe, all of whom were there, and operated by Chugach Powder Guides. It was a totally sweet trip--we hung out in a beautiful log lodge, everyone there was great, and we even saw amazing, purple, red, and green Northern lights one night, shimmering all over the sky. Oh, and the skiing--the mountains there are huge. We skied four out of six days, which is a great percentage for Alaska. The avie danger was considerable, so we took it easy, especially because many of the runs you would normally drool over there are huge--if anything went wrong, it would be a big slide, not just slough. So we went for smaller runs with good snow, and then, one day, we skied Mount Spurr, an active volcano, from 11,000 feet. The ski itself was pretty mellow (Bill Dyer and Overcast navigated the upper, 'shrunded section roped up, and then we followed their tracks)--wind-scoured ice and rime up high and wind-packed drifts down below made for some nice turns, but the coolest part was hanging out up top. We could see Denali and Foraker to the north, the fumarole was constantly sending up sulphur smoke right next to us, and you could see the ocean to the southeast. Awesome! On down days, we would cruise around the lake on snowshoes with Baxter, the resident black lab and tireless outdoor fiend. And we watched Grizzly Man one day--have you seen that? It's very interesting--sad, too, but really fascinating, with incredible bear footage.

I had Easter dinner at Grandma Bunny's house, in Seattle, and now I'm back in Squaw. The last three days have been spring skiing to the max--hot and sunny, with hot pow, and corn in spots. There's been so much snow here that tons of lines are in right now that you normally can't even ski mid-winter--it's like a whole new realm of spring skiing, and it's blowing my mind! Heh. Hopefully the rain that started an hour ago will turn to snow tonight--because it's been such a great winter, I'm just not ready for it to end yet.

What on earth is going on?

What is up with this time of the year? I swear, more shit goes down around the first week of April amongst the mountain community--it's heartbreaking. Three years ago yesterday, MC Constantinescu, a beloved Tahoe ripper and all-around enjoyer of life and making others smile, passed away skiing Squaw. This year seems particularly hard, though, with Doug Coombs' and Chad Vanderham's unthinkable deaths in La Grave, and I just learned of another incredible skier who is in the hospital in Canada, who needs positive and healing thoughts sent his way.

I feel sad, melancholy, and helpless. I also feel lucky, and I feel guilty for feeling lucky. Having just returned from Haines, Alaska, filming for Matchstick, and seeing the two other skiers I was with both get hurt (one not so badly, he should be skiing in a week or two; the other more serious--a month, maybe--but still both are totally ok, considering), it has to make you wonder. For filming, this time of the year is crunch time--people are feeling the pressure to get things done, which might encourage more risk-taking, not to mention just as far as the season goes, most skiers are feeling pretty good by now and are ready to step it up. The weather's getting warmer, even if it's still dumping. I don't know. There are too many factors to consider, and most likely it's all coincidental. It's certainly no one's fault, and please excuse my rambling--it's just what I can't help but think about today.

Now back to a positive day and positive thoughts already in progress.....Haines is an incredible place, so much terrain, and I had a wonderful time there, of course except for when people got hurt. Squaw was skiing great today, if a bit crunchy in places underneath, but I got to make turns with my youngest brother which is always a pleasure.

Be careful out there.