Archive for the '11 Perspective' Category

7 Summits Presentation

Published on May 16, 2012 by a ok.

Check out a compelling story at Black Diamond’s Salt Lake City based retail store Thursday night, May 17th, at 7 p.m. as Johnny Collinson recounts his successful efforts to summit the highest point on each continent. Not just another hardman or hardwoman ‘7 Summits’ presentation, this story will present the journey through the eyes of a kid. See, Johnny started very young, and nabbed the last of the 7 summits by the age of 17. Surely there will be something to be learned about achieving a higher level of determination and focus than average.

As for backstory, the Collinson family has been based out of Snowbird, Utah where Johnny’s dad has been on the Snowbird patrol and helping lead snow safety efforts since the 80’s. When the snow melted, the family headed out in a van to climb on distant peaks. Summer and winter, these folks were in the mountains..

In an age where electronics just might be keeping average kids from experiencing any sort of deep relationship with the outdoors personally – other than through YouTube videos – it’s bound to be a more inspiring story than average.

Admission is free. Shopping at Black Diamond is not.

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Recharging

Published on April 19, 2012 by a ok.

With rain all the way to about 8,000 feet this morning, J-Bo and I pulled into the White Pine parking lot and more or less started laughing at the grimness. It’s not funny – in fact it’s quite sad for us skiers – but the situation begged the question: which is more desperate; the conditions, or us?

Wait a minute, we're back in ski areas? Wasn't that how we spent the first half of this winter? With more low vis on the menu, I couldn't complain.

I guess the answer turned into ‘the conditions,’ as we agreed to move higher into the fog, and J-Bo backed up the Subie. We drove up until there was no more road, which also corresponded with a lack of visibility. Considering the

Continue reading ‘Recharging’

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One of the Worst Ski Days of My Life

Published on April 17, 2012 by a ok.

It’s difficult to nail down my exact worst day of skiing. Short of a full burial by avalanche, every other episode probably pales in comparison. I say probably because that’s what I’ve heard from survivors.

Anyway, it had to happen sooner or later.. Perhaps it’s fitting that shortly after my best pow day of the season, I treated myself to one of the worst ski days of my life. After all, the idea fits the theme of this season perfectly: best year ever last season, worst year ever this season. Why wouldn’t my life resemble Mother Nature and her manic ways?

Much of the day, this was as good as it got. Is that an overhanging cornice? Underhanging? Is there a difference between ground and sky? Are you certain?

I’ve had days like this before, but as far as I can remember, this one provided just that little extra tickle to the funny bone, assuring that it wouldn’t be classified as just an ordinary off-kilter day. In my view, days like this are largely about sheer Continue reading ‘One of the Worst Ski Days of My Life’

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Monte Cristo Direct (Redux)

Published on April 10, 2012 by a ok.

It’s déjà vu all over again. – Yogi Berra

The ski days of late keep requiring a PROBAR breakfast – in my case, usually one PROBAR and one or two Fruition bars tossed down the hatch while driving to the mountains. Today’s feast included the new double chocolate flavor, as well as lemon. Both are flavorful!  It’s a fast breakfast of choice when time is at a premium. And, of late, spare time has been a little spare. Not unlike the direction the snowpack is heading.

Snow is quickly becoming a premium commodity in the ole Wasatch.

But, duty called. A page out of last season’s playbook apparently got mixed in with this year’s edition. The situation was virtually identical, leading to the need for the opening quote. Just as happened with last year’s Hellgate Couloir outing and subsequent solo return visit  Continue reading ‘Monte Cristo Direct (Redux)’

Located in 03 Adventures, 06 Energy Sources, 11 Perspective, Going Light(er) Fast(er) Far(ther) and Wasatch 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Milking the Low Bar

Published on March 28, 2012 by a ok.

By now, everyone in the intermountain west is pretty much an old hand at this low bar winter. I think many have become adept at playing this year’s most popular mental game by now. You know the low bar game. It entails heading out for a ski day with the ‘expectations bar’ set so low as to virtually guarantee a successful day. ‘Ninja’s dropping out of trees on us?’ No problem. ‘Need to buy a new pair of skis after this one day of turns causes irreparable damage?’ We live in a disposable culture. ‘Pruning shears will be necessary at all low elevation exits?’ Standard Wasatch fare. ‘Bears are out?’ Bears in Utah are small. ‘No snow?’ Snow is a luxury when the globe is warming. As you see, (and probably know) – it’s all about managing one’s expectations.

Today, my personal low bar was set in the ‘I’ll ski Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, as long as it’s on a slight incline’ range. That’s pretty low – chicken noodle soup is rather chunky if you think about it.

Also engaging in the low bar setting philosophy today was Jon Swain, whose bar was probably set to ‘powder, please, even just two inches’ as usual. Just to highlight his powder dedication, I’m pretty sure Jon would walk the length of the Gaza strip wearing a large bull’s-eye if there were the promise of skiing powder once finished.

Swain brings his (higher) bar to the hills and enjoys the rewards.

Strangely, the powder gods Continue reading ‘Milking the Low Bar’

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Disney World aka LCC on a Holiday

Published on February 21, 2012 by a ok.

Sunshine, a few tracks, Travis making his own tracks..

Visiting very crowded places isn’t how I generally choose to pass my time on skis these days. On Monday, a holiday as it turns out, the local masses plus a few vacationers headed to LCC. The scene reminded me of long distant memories of vast crowds at Disney World. Untold numbers of vehicles were parked on the roadside, bursting out of stuffed ski resort parking lots. Parking attendants guided the wayward, presumably because people don’t Continue reading ‘Disney World aka LCC on a Holiday’

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