For those of us who haven’t found the perfect soul mate with whom to share fine vistas while celebrating the accomplishments of Saint Valentine, I wrote a little love letter. My thought was that I’d rather focus on the things that bring me giddy joy rather than grudgingly celebrating “Singles Awareness Day.” So for those Spreading Stokesters out there, I present this Valentine.

XOXO Love, 
Lexi 

Sometime in January: It continues to snow, and I continue to change. Being fully immersed in blower pow is where I want to be all day every day, and Japan is turning it into a reality. There is an absence of thought and a taste of bliss when one is gliding through bottomless pow, it truly nourishes the soul. The Kiri Krew has gotten a taste of several of the local resorts including Grand Hirafu, Annapori and Rusustu, all being awesome in their unique way.

The best turns of this trip, however, has been at a smaller and more low key resort called Moiwa. The pow fields at Moiwa were closed for four days due to chairlift maintenance, and we made sure we were at the opening gate when it was ready to open. At first I was nervous, because the lift line was starting to resemble the tram line at the Bird, we were surrounded with pow-hungry locals and stoked-overloaded tourists from all around the world. But worry not, we  somehow skied untracked for the first ten runs and then still found stashes until last bell.

Pitted! PC: My GoPro

When you are skiing in Japan, there is no time for lunch, bathroom breaks or any kind of stopping for that matter. You have legs cramps? Ski through it. Your stomach is eating itself? Ski through it. Goggles fog? Welp, your skiing blind anyway, so who needs good vis. It isn’t until you are in the parking lot loading your gear into the van when you realize your limbs have become ramen.  But it’s OK for your joints to want to burst, that is what the Onsens are for.

After skiing, we have been revitalizing in the Onsens at Goshiki, a very small village (more of a zone) with an abundance of terrain to tour. Onsens are hot pools that are naturally heated from the volcanic surroundings. Men and women are segregated and can only enter naked. The Japanese believe entering naked is a way to break societal barriers, however you have to enter clean as a fermented bean and wash yourself in the bathing areas provided. I have been fortunate enough to have these gems to myself, it’s where I reflect and pay homage to Japan’s mountains. I’m truly thankful to be here.

Sun peaking through the clouds at Annupuri. Photo: Kade Krichko

The Kiri Krew in Japan posing with some primo custom Dirtybird boards.

The Kiri Krew has a new addition to the team, a free-spirit from Nova Scotia that is residing at the Hirafu Train Station. Matt, also known as Lordly, met us while making breakfast in the common kitchen while laughing over GoPro footage from the night before. After accessing to see we weren’t totally out of our minds, he decided to tag-a-long on some of our adventures to find the deep! Lordly brought a lot of stoke to the trip with his photos from Nelson, BC and a serious passion for snowboarding. His warm presence reminds me why I love to travel so much, the people you meet are always as good as the places you go.

These resort’s in-bound terrain have exceeded our expectations of japow. However, we have also be fortunate enough to tour Goshiki, an area outside of Niseko, sprinkled with trees and untouched powder snow. Just lapping under the tree line, we ascended and descended until the sky grew dark and our legs were ready for the Onsen. It is usually this time of evening where I  spend a good portion of the night dedicated to getting the massive dreads that have formed in my hair.

Touring behind Goshiki Onsen. Photo: Matt Lordly

Snoozin after a long day shredding and marinating in the Onsen. Photo: Matt Lordly -

When people have asked me “Who are you traveling with?” and I respond with “5 guys”, the consistent raise of eyebrows and unfiltered expressions have been quite funny.  If you know me, I’m quite use to being the ‘only’ girl.  Don’t get me wrong, I have an incredibly close knit group of girls I hang with that all shred as hard as they dance, but for some reason, I have always found myself able to really connect and bro-down with the dudes.  That said, I was still slightly nervous to go on the trip knowing I would be immersed in smelly farts, mildewy socks and non-stop ‘your mom’ jokes.  I have to say, I have loved every bit of it and I wouldn’t change the dynamic of it if I could.  These guys are the brothers I never had. They push me to hit cliffs, keep charging, and take that next whisky shot.  My abs hurt from laughing so hard at their ridiculous banter and my heart melts when they offer to carry my heavy luggage.  The Kiri Krew is not gender specific, all it requires is being stoked (albeit not ODing on stoke), and loving every minute of the pow-filled life we are experiencing.

Eric Dyer and Harrison spreading toke in Sapporo. Photo: Kade Krichko

Eric Sales in front of the camera instead of behind it for once. Photo: Kade Krichko

Found an awesome ‘quilt’ map of Niseko while enjoying drinks trying to figure out where the hell we are! Photo: Kade Krichko

Gearing up to go tour Goshiki. Photo: Kade Krichko

Triple espresso, choco-taco, and some anime porn – why not? Photo: Kade Krichko

The ‘Japanangeletti’ getting after it, pillows for days! Photo: Eric Sales

READ MORE:

• THE JAPANUARY CHRONICLES – PART 1: 5 BROS AND A TOE
• JAPANUARY CHRONICLES – PART 2: GETTING PITTED IN NISEKO

In every ski bum’s life there comes a point in which you pack up what you have in the wheels you have and head west. Maybe you are joining friends, maybe leading the charge, maybe some are coming along to blaze the trail for the rest… Either way, it feels less like a conscious decision and more like the inevitable next step in life. “I just knew I had to be in the mountains”, is what I hear a lot. Your family may support it because they too see this unavoidable phase in your life. Chances are you owe it to your folks who put you in ski school at an early age, paid for lessons, gear and lift tickets, gas and food, and lodging to get the days in. Or, maybe because they made the same decision long before and they too see that inevitable move to the mountains and support the path. Either way, you are now on your own, doing minimum wage work, and dedicating all of your free time to the pursuit of powder.

There are also the lucky ones that grew up and never left the ski town, living their entire lives under the mountains they were born beneath, but the majority of “locals” traveled to their destination. Often times, coming from the east coast or a neighboring Mountain Time state to stay for a few months, years or seasons until they move on to follow a friend, a job, or a girl/guy to the next resort town down the I-15 or I-70. You hold a job (or two) for the winter season and a different gig for the summer season supporting the local tourist economy. This job gets you your season pass (screw health insurance, even babysitting jobs have the “free pass” benefit in this town!), but it requires all hands on deck for the Holidays. No returning home, no Turkey with the family, no presents under the familiar tree or ski socks in the embroidered stocking. You’re on duty. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have family and it doesn’t mean you don’t have holidays.

When I decided for the first time to chase powder instead of flying east to Buffalo, NY for the annual 4am Blackout Wednesday debauchery and way too hungover Thanksgiving feast, I found myself heading to Jackson, WY where the storms were lining up and the base was being set. I reached out through my powder Rolodex to find a couch or two for the week and got set up with the Mad Trees crew out of UVM. With 18″ coming down on the pass in the 13th hour of the drive from Mammoth (and another 4-8″ forecasted each night after), the stage was set.

5am wake up calls for 6am bootpacks and skins off the pass were standard so everyone could get to work by 9am. Pressure to make it back to open the demo shop pushed the tempo up and put the pressure on. I spent the days at Grand Targhee or on the Teton Pass with new groups to skin with and hitchhike with. At 3pm we would meet back up for another bootpack/skin off the pass to close out each day. Three intense days to kick off a big week leading up to Jackson Hole opener and a big storm on the horizon. 20″+ expected in the upper elevations Tuesday into Wednesday so we started planning an overnight hut trip (yes – in November) in Grand Teton National Park. The big storm came in warm and wet though, and shifted the plans as avalanche danger went off the charts. The intensity didn’t falter though as the crew built road gaps on the outskirts of town, ripping backflips under the lights of snowmobiles and stemming the appetite for powder with good times, friends, beers and a lot of karaoke (you can find them at The Virginian every Wednesday night). Ski tweaking at its finest.

Then, after a bluebird opener at Jackson Hole, we made 100lbs+ of food (including 2 20lb turkeys) to feed the 25 East Coasters and friends made along the way that chased a dream, followed a friend, made a decision, or just took that inevitable next step to head west. In the end, to head to a place with a job next to a big ass mountain with a shit ton of powder. A place where avalanches are real, where danger is tangible, where skill, knowledge, and balls are a must.

Thanksgiving with Mad Trees reminded me that a life of a ski bum and a holiday away from family doesn’t change the holiday at all. It just changes the family you surround yourself with. Ride on boys.

Mad Trees is a community of riders from the East Coast who are spread across the country for the epic pursuit of an epic mountain life. Follow them at @madtreesusa or madtrees.org as they shred Washington, Wyoming, Utah and Vermont.

Some photos from our awesome adventure traveling. These were taken while down in Chile, South America.

These were taken while down in Chile, South America.

LOVE – EL AMOR! After reading ‘5 Reasons Why I Freaking Love Japan,’  I was not only frothing from the mouth about the bottomless snow I was missing out on, but I was also inspired. Inspired to jump on a plane and fly to Japan ASAP, yes.  But, also inspired to share those feelings of ‘love’ you get from discovering a place.  That is why I would like to share the defying moments I had when I left to head south with little money and a big heart.  A little more than a year ago I set off to explore Argentina and Chile, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.  So here it is…my version of “Why I freaking love … Argentina and Chile”

1. REFUGIOS        

Or in other words, cozy little cabins scattered in the mountains to supply a warm place to sleep after a long and many times grueling trek.  I discovered my first refugio after an 11 hour hike down in Patagonia. After crossing treacherous bridges (like the ones you see in movies,  above a raging river with missing panels and sketchy wire holding it together) and climbing 13,000 feet, my legs were jelly and I was ready for some mate.  Refugios range in all different styles and shapes, but the refugio we had stumbled across at the peak was a gem.  It had a plethora of books, cooking tools, warm blankets, and the best shower. No seriously, the world’s best shower!  Outside the refugio was a quaint room made out of logs with a furnace that allowed us to burn wood and heat our own water.  Water would then pour from the ceiling and I was suddenly standing in a steamy log room, 13,000 feet on top of a mountain in the middle of the woods. Pure bliss. I highly recommend seeking these incredible havens if you find yourself trekking in Patagonia.

2. THE SURF

Ah surfing, how humbling of a sport you are. After 48 hours of hitch hiking from the south of Chile, I found myself in a small beach town, Pichilemu. Piche has a special place in my soul as I was not only moved by the town’s lovely structure and it timeless manner, but I had also made a family.  The locals in Piche are some of the most genuine and bright individuals I have ever come across.  I was fortunate enough to spend three weeks with a native to Piche, who was not only an awesome surfer, but a reggae rock star.  The water was freezing and waves gnarly.  But we surfed our hearts out anyways, swallowing mouthfuls of sea and getting tossed wildly. I love you Picheeee!

3.       BEFRIENDING A K9

If you have traveled in and around Argentina and Chile, you know there are a lot of stray dogs.  And if you are an animal-lover and total pushover to furry cuteness, you give into the ‘Don’t Feed The Strays’ and befriend every K9 you come across. Often these stray pups were a point of contention with crowds, annoying tourists and hassling business owners.  But I was grateful for them. In fact, when I found myself completely lost and emotionally exhausted, these kind K9s comforted me and became a temporarily friend. They act as guides and never judge you based on your appearance…which in many cases was a struggle.

4.   STRANGERS 

Growing up we are often told to never talk to strangers. Hearing it reiterated in the schools, I inherently knew that would lead to isolation and closed doors. I also was fortunate to witness my dad talk to anything that moved, from strangers on a chairlift to the trees and plants surrounding us. Upon my journey down south, I found hostels to be distant and repetitive. I had little patience for the ‘tours’, and constant reckless partying. I also ran out of money. I had hosted a few couch-surfers back in the states and thought I would try surfing as a new way to dive into the culture. If you are a close friend, then you know that I preach couch-surfing as a way to ‘save’ this planet. It is the most rewarding and sincere thing you can do, all it requires is being ‘open’.  I was fortunate to travel several months by couch-surfing.  I stayed with a variety of hosts including a gaucho, a physics professor, a biologist as well as many local surfers and students. All of them had the most life-altering stories and biggest hearts.  Even if it was for a night, they became close friends and I truly thank them for their hospitality.  Please, couchsurf!  It will open doors and give you a whole other perspective on what it means to live life to the fullest.

4.5. EMPANADAS

That’s right, don’t think for a second I was going to leave out these little, doughy, cheesy, flaky pockets of divine goo. You can find them on every street corner and they are cheap!  I loved them so much I legit wrote a business plan to open an empanada truck when I would return to the states… a girl can dream.

5. VASTNESS

There is nothing I love more than looking out as far as I can and just seeing nature.  It’s magnetism and energy fuels my curiosity and undeniable passion to protect it in all ways possible.  I explored several places that allowed my eyes to dance around the landscape and allow my mind to relax as I would just sit and soak in natures peacefulness.

There ya go, get inspired and go to South America!  I hope to return in the snowy season and shred the Andes next.

What are YOUR 5 reasons why you love a particular area, whether that be your home or place you have visited.  Share and motivate people to book their plane ticket NOW.

As  I was driving through the desert last night headed back to Reno, (having just left the best place on earth -Park City,Ut) I was occupying my time with remembering how I grew up in a small ski town, but also how it has changed. I kept thinking to myself -never change, and remember where you came from and don’t worry about where you’re going.  Keeping the inner Peter Pan alive is my goal.

“Life is too important to be taken seriously” -Oscar Wilde

Looking forward to posting, and viewing some excellent adventures and stories!

Until next time

-Casey

Three weeks ago today, I endured the experience that any athlete subconsciously dreads. Skiing by myself at Solitude, I took the tumble that would end my season and jeopardize my long anticipated spring travel plans. As I came to a stop at the bottom of the icy face I had just descended, I knew that I wasn’t going to be getting up any time soon. I felt a shooting pain from the bottom of my left leg, almost positive that I had broken my ankle. I waited there in the snow, cringing with pain for 20 minutes before a woman finally skied by and called for help. At this point, my tears were less for the pain in my leg and more for the fact that I was supposed to be leaving for a month long volunteer experience in Nicaragua only a short week later. After being assessed by ski patrol, I was packed into a sled and taken to the Solitude clinic for x-rays. Low and behold, it was far worse than I had hoped. A spiral fractured fibula, with x-rays calling for immediate surgery. At this moment, all of my upcoming adventures, the first joyful opportunities presented to me in over a year and a half had vanished before me. I felt defeated, pissed off, cursed and undone by the reality of my situation. Two days after the accident, I underwent surgery on my fibula leaving me with the 9 screws and long metal plate that will forever be a part of me.

I beat myself up for hours after the accident but soon came to terms with the fact that accidents DO happen. Injury is an inevitable part of any active lifestyle and frankly it is in everyone’s best interest to move past the ‘what ifs’ or ‘what could have beens‘ in any way possible. I reasoned with myself that the universe kindly broke my leg to prevent me from getting eaten by a shark surfing in Nicaragua or perhaps from drowning in the river’s depths of the Grand Canyon, a trip I had planned only 2 days after my return from Nicaragua. Rather than dwelling on something I cannot change, I committed myself to healing in the open, tropical arms of Santa Marta, Nicaragua.

For those who know me well, I am not one to be defeated by the ebbs of life. Rather, I use them as opportunities to challenge myself to creatively overcome every obstacle that soils my path. Though the challenge of navigating this rural landscape on crutches has proven to be difficult, it has also transformed my experience into something entirely unique and entirely beautiful. Most locals around the area know me as the broken gringa (la gringa rota), often found riding on the back of various motorcycles or slowly making my way through the sand at the beach club of Playa Colorado. Being reliant on locals for rides throughout Santa Marta, I have established relationships that I would never had known had I two working legs. Just the other night, we were cordially invited to a rural Nicaraguan cock fight, La Pelea de Gallos, a spectacle not suited for a weak stomach. A gamblers game at best, the fights lasted over 5 hours while I sat contently behind the drunken debauchery, meeting and conversing with locals who were admittedly surprised at my attendance. Shortly after the fight, we found ourselves at a local night club where the owner quickly sent his friends to find a couch for me to sit on, another service exemplifying the generosity of the locals.

We have been here just shy of two weeks now but have successfully become a working part of our surrounding environment. Our workplace, Finca Santa Marta, (www.fincafarms.com), is a non-profit, organic farm dedicated to the practice and education of sustainable farming to benefit the local community. Adam Kenworthy, CEO and founder of Finca Farms has formed a credible repertoire amongst the people of Santa Marta and has dedicated his time, money and hard work to the progress and future of Finca Farms. Though I am limited to the kind of work I can do at the farm, I have found my niche planting and caring for Finca’s herbal nursery as well as constructing a few other garden projects of my own around the farm. During our first week, we also helped Adam in curating an art project for the local kids of Santa Marta. The kids were instructed to paint pictures of Finca Farms which will be displayed and sold in New York City, alongside individual portraits of each child and their artwork, in an effort to raise money for the farm. Most of these children will not complete an education above a third grade level which is an incentive for these projects to diversify their limited means of education.

As most of my fellow nomads will understand, traveling is far from a vacation. To me, travel is an experience brought upon us by curiosity. I myself am a creature of curiosity. I thrive on the adventure of the unknown and have taken advantage of the international opportunities that have presented themselves over the years. I now find myself basking in the heat of the Nicaraguan sun, consumed by a third world hospitality that ruminates through the colorful, rural pueblo of Santa Marta.

As with any experience, memories are created and lessons are learned from the trials and tribulations that breech the flow of life. If there is anything I have learned from my experiences, it is that life is indeed short and one must presume that any moment could be the last. Most obstacles are malleable; they can be bended, twisted and flattened by the intrinsic strength that pushes us forward when we can’t help but look back. Stay positive. Stay strong. Stay STOKED.

I skipped winter this year. This short travel video will explain why.

Going to bed doesn’t usually feel like the greatest feat of the day – it’s often the moment when you can finally indulge in relaxation. However, during “The Houseless Chronicles”, at times, bedtime could reveal itself as just the opposite. Whether it’s playing long games of life size Tetris with the majority of your belongings or not, the adventure to visit Mr. Sandman can actually take days. Or at least it seemed like. I remember a couple of nights being ready to melt into my tiny mattress around 8pm or 10pm – or whatever – and having to search for hours finding a suitable parking spot. You ask yourself; will any security guard want to find me here? Does that spot have too many bright lights around it? Do we have to pay to be here? Where is the free land? Why can’t I park here? Are we in America?

It’s days like this in Tahoe that I’m very grateful I have been able to put together quite an adept camera kit for a trip like I’m on.

For those that don’t/may not/probably don’t care, I’m in Tahoe for the season. No work. Just play.

Truth be told I probably should have headed to Colorado, but the budget didn’t really allow for it and I really did land on my feet with the place we’ve got here in Tahoe.

Not much research was done into snowfalls – I just remember seeing photos of the place as a kid and always wanting to go.

That being said, I’m sure some of you are aware, we’ve not been the luckiest when it has come to snowfall. It’s days (and in our case weeks) like this that really test people’s patience for one, but I’ve also found it’s a test of character. On every lift there is someone complaining about the thin cover, the lack of snow fall, the constant stretch of bluebird days. How they are getting spring conditions through December. (We have, I’ve been rocking a hoodie, tee and no leg thermals for over a week now!)

However! While the runs are full of people who should NOT be on them, before you attack me about how pompous that sounds, take a minute to hear me out. I understand it’s holiday season and crowds can be frustrating (waiting in a 35 minute lift line at Northstar wasn’t fun) but I cannot understand families that bring their children, or groups of tourists who insist on embarking on intermediate and advanced terrain, not only when there is snow, but when there is a distinct lack of it, making things even more difficult when they are unable to dodge rocks, stumps etc. Pile-ups hurt people. That’s the part I don’t appreciate.

In any case, this is about stoke, at the end of the day. So back on track.

The camera kit has been a work in progress over the last few years once I made the switch from Nikon over to Canon. And it’s times like this when I can get to the very well maintained parks around the area and satisfy the trigger finger in me.

I love shooting snowboarding, I could sit in the parks and shoot ALL day and be just as happy as if I had ridden a couple of feet of powder. You can be out there all day and all it takes is one shot to make it all worthwhile.

That was the case at Northstar.

With huge crowds and ordinary cover, after a few runs with my brother and a couple of mates I decided to head down pinball to shoot the big jump line and make my way down to the jib features.

While I purchased my new camera a while before I made the trip over here, I hadn’t really had a decent time to play with the shutter speed capabilities of the EOS 1DX.

This skier, who’s name I am not aware of, made my day with this grabbed 900.

The shot was taken through the 8-15mm F4L Fisheye and put together on photoshop. I actually had to remove about 6 or 7 frames to make the sequence easier on the eye.

It’s stretches of weather like this that I really love getting out and making the absolute most of it and for me, that means lugging around many extra KGs (or pounds, for those north of the equator on a regular basis) of camera gear to get the right shot.

See, I don’t mind the sunny days. I can deal with the crowds as long as it’s just me getting to and from where I’m shooting, which is normally only a couple of runs a day. And when a rider or skier can come through a good sized booter and whip out something as impressive as this, I could shoot all day.

So thank you, unknown skier, and in return, I can share this with everyone.

Stoked!

Instagram: @grahamgee

Web: www.grahamgee.com

If there’s one thing that I still cannot wrap my head around about Tahoe is how much is at your doorstep.

We took a trip today on advice from one of Joel’s buddies back home and as it was, I was recommended to the same places by a member of an online forum.

A huge part of the reason I decided to forfeit the ease of a job on a hill in Canada and not work here in the states was because I’d always wanted to come to Tahoe, ever since I saw photos of Heavenly overlooking the lake when I was a lot younger.

This place has not disappointed me yet.

The trip today was literally fifteen or twenty minutes from our apartment.

Fallen Leaf Lake is a little higher that Lake Tahoe. A 3 mile long, 1 mile wide body of water, 400ft deep at it’s deepest point. The homes that line the shoreline are nothing short of impressive and the views they share are second to none. A really cool little hidden gem not far off the 89.

From there, we went around to Emerald Bay. A fairly enclosed body on the South West side of Lake Tahoe. Home to Tahoe’s only island, Fannette Island.

The views to be had on the 89 as well as the walk down to the shoreline are full of colour. On the way back up to the top lookout point we saw the result of a lucky couple getting engaged and a few elderly people trying to operate their ipad while they were crying to try and get a picture. It seems like it’s quite a popular place to do such a thing.

We’ve been pretty lucky in the sense that the weather here has been perfect for this kind of thing and I’m really happy we’ve got to see what we have in this light. It would be nice to get some snow but we’re not too worried just yet. Heavenly doesn’t open up for about 10 days so we’re taking off to Salt Lake City and Denver for a bit of a road trip before a few buddies make their way down to ride with us.

Yours truly. The 16-35mm working wonders on my arm.

The last week had been a lot of fun. Adam made is way over to Tahoe from Vegas to come ride for a few days and we were able to get out to Emerald Bay for him to see a bit of the scenery as well. We hadn’t had much snow so decided to get around to Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood while he was here and at least get a taste of what they all had on offer. Northstar was the pick as they’d had a little bit of snow and had enough park features set up along with a couple of kickers to help get back into the swing of things as far as jumps go.

The night before Adam left we decided to head out for a few drinks and a bit of shuffleboard at Whiskey Dicks. A favorite bar here of Joel and mine. Shuffleboard was on the house as the coin slot was broken. That set the tone for the rest of the night.

We tucked in to a few drinks sitting at the bar and had plenty of laughs. It was really cool to have another guy around to share the laughs with. The jukebox was fed and there was plenty of talk about the riding, expected snowfall (a particular favorite topic for Joel, as he’s constantly monitoring the snow reports and updating us on the changes made to the predictions online).

Adam awoke the next morning at 5:15 am to get ready for his shuttle off to Reno. To say he was feeling worse for wear would probably be an understatement. It kinda sucked as far as his luck went that we didn’t get much in the way of snow. Especially given what began happening Friday evening…

The stars disappeared and the flakes slowly started falling. Soon after you could barely see a thing for the snow. We’re living at around 6000 ft. Tahoe Level. In the space of about an hour we saw between 1 and 2 inches of snow just where we were. Needless to say I was excited. Heading to bed though, I guess I kind of figured it to stop at some stage overnight.

Wrong.

We got hammered with snow.

Ranger Stacey @ 8pm Friday night.

I came out to our complex car park to find our truck buried in snow. The tray in the back was filled past level, there was well over a foot of snow stacked on top of the roof and snow had swallowed the whole area.

It was bedlam heading to the gondola this morning. Cars had skidded into the snow dumps in the middle of the road formed by the tireless ploughing efforts which no doubt continued all through the night.

The Carpark, Saturday Morning.

Heavenly recorded a total of 24″-30″. Kirkwood was the recipient of a massive 36″ fall overnight.

The riding was super fun, plowing through some super fun lines in some of the softest snow I’ve ever ridden definitely brought the smile out and has me really excited to get out and do it again.

My brother turns up in a little over a week and I’m super excited to head out and strap in to ride with him again – it’s been far too long!

Download on the Heavenly Gondola, overlooking South Lake.

]]> http://spreadstoke.com/snow/tahoe-winter-storm-2013-calm-before-the-storm/feed/ 0 http://spreadstoke.com/snow/breckenridge-colorado-perfect-day/ http://spreadstoke.com/snow/breckenridge-colorado-perfect-day/#comments Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:49:26 +0000 http://spreadstoke.com/?p=875 As the Colorado Rockies have been seeing some early snow, Joel and I sat down and nutted out a trip to Denver to make use of the resorts on offer with the epic pass. Originally we had planned to drive, but the 16 hour drive there and back had us leaning towards flying, and fly we did. We arrived in Denver last Sunday after riding opening day at Heavenly. Tahoe hasn’t had a great deal of snow so only one run was open at Heavenly but to finally ride down that mountain looking over Lake Tahoe was really something else. There’s a lot of satisfaction involved in getting somewhere and doing something you’ve always wanted to do. That aside, we were psyched to be on the road and in the air and to get to Denver and ride some open terrain. Denver copped a few inches of snow the night before we got here and snowed steadily the first day we rode. It set us up for a super fun week, of which we’ve got a couple more days to get a few more good rides in before we head back to Tahoe, hopefully to more snow. By chance on the way out for a few beers we ran into an Australian couple in a store we were checking out. The accents really catch your ear when you’re around nothing but Americans and they gave us a few tips as to where to head for a cheap drink. We ended up catching them between rides the following day and we’ve spent a chill couple of days hanging out with them. Today, Dom and his girlfriend Adele came along to Keystone with us and it’s been nothing but good times with these two people. The snow they got here on those first couple of days set us up for a perfect week of nothing but clear blue skies and fast, fast riding. The T-Bar had opened and we got plenty of untracked lines through the glades close enough to the peak here at Breck, but not without a hiccup. As it was all fairly new snow, the third day of use I had on a brand new board resulted in a base puncture and a trip to the tune shop to get some P-Tex and a base grind to get her back to good as new. The fifty bucks was well worth the fresh turns we got on those few runs. Keystone today was super fun. Some of the longest runs I’ve ever ridden, Whistler aside. They really make the longer trips up the chairs and gondolas worthwhile. We were misled as far as how long the free bus trip to Keystone would take, in the end it was about an hour and a half. Under estimated by approximately an hour and ten minutes. Brilliant. The trip wasn’t without it’s characters though. We stopped at a hospital and met a skier who had just left after receiving a total of 84 stitches taking a tomahawk tumble down a cliff. An old guy, presumably drunk, handed him quite a decent amount of marijuana saying “My friend, you look like you’re in pain”. It’s very legal in Denver, but you can’t drink a beer anywhere but a bar. Go figure. It was a funny trip none the less. We’re looking forward to a chill last couple of days here in Breckenridge before heading back home. A buddy Adam will be at our place by the time we’re home and is staying for about a week then it’s not too long til my little brother heads down to spend Christmas with us. The next few months are shaping up to be super fun. Will be sure to keep updates coming. Cheers amigos! G]]>

As the Colorado Rockies have been seeing some early snow, Joel and I sat down and nutted out a trip to Denver to make use of the resorts on offer with the epic pass. Originally we had planned to drive, but the 16 hour drive there and back had us leaning towards flying, and fly we did.

We arrived in Denver last Sunday after riding opening day at Heavenly. Tahoe hasn’t had a great deal of snow so only one run was open at Heavenly but to finally ride down that mountain looking over Lake Tahoe was really something else. There’s a lot of satisfaction involved in getting somewhere and doing something you’ve always wanted to do. That aside, we were psyched to be on the road and in the air and to get to Denver and ride some open terrain.

Joel lining up at the Rocky Mountain Express.

Denver copped a few inches of snow the night before we got here and snowed steadily the first day we rode. It set us up for a super fun week, of which we’ve got a couple more days to get a few more good rides in before we head back to Tahoe, hopefully to more snow.

By chance on the way out for a few beers we ran into an Australian couple in a store we were checking out. The accents really catch your ear when you’re around nothing but Americans and they gave us a few tips as to where to head for a cheap drink. We ended up catching them between rides the following day and we’ve spent a chill couple of days hanging out with them. Today, Dom and his girlfriend Adele came along to Keystone with us and it’s been nothing but good times with these two people.

Yours Truly, Top of the World at Breck.

The snow they got here on those first couple of days set us up for a perfect week of nothing but clear blue skies and fast, fast riding. The T-Bar had opened and we got plenty of untracked lines through the glades close enough to the peak here at Breck, but not without a hiccup. As it was all fairly new snow, the third day of use I had on a brand new board resulted in a base puncture and a trip to the tune shop to get some P-Tex and a base grind to get her back to good as new. The fifty bucks was well worth the fresh turns we got on those few runs.

Keystone today was super fun. Some of the longest runs I’ve ever ridden, Whistler aside. They really make the longer trips up the chairs and gondolas worthwhile. We were misled as far as how long the free bus trip to Keystone would take, in the end it was about an hour and a half. Under estimated by approximately an hour and ten minutes. Brilliant. The trip wasn’t without it’s characters though. We stopped at a hospital and met a skier who had just left after receiving a total of 84 stitches taking a tomahawk tumble down a cliff. An old guy, presumably drunk, handed him quite a decent amount of marijuana saying “My friend, you look like you’re in pain”. It’s very legal in Denver, but you can’t drink a beer anywhere but a bar. Go figure. It was a funny trip none the less.

We’re looking forward to a chill last couple of days here in Breckenridge before heading back home. A buddy Adam will be at our place by the time we’re home and is staying for about a week then it’s not too long til my little brother heads down to spend Christmas with us.

The next few months are shaping up to be super fun. Will be sure to keep updates coming.

Cheers amigos!

G

Everything so far with regards to planning for this trip has gone absolutely seamlessly. It’s almost as if Joel and I are waiting for something to go absolutely HORRIBLY wrong.

It’s a good thing, we had a great trip over from Sydney right through to San Francisco where we met the couple that we have leased the apartment off for the season. Two super nice people who have done a lot to make this apartment so comfortable to live in. They’re the same people who have let us use their truck for the season, which has proved to be such a help, especially on a day like today. Our trip to Reno.

Before we left I’d arranged a supply of beer from PBR. Today, we went to pick it up. 20 cartons of 24 16oz (473ml) cans.

480 cans of beer.  227 Litres.

We drove out to Reno in our truck, a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT. Aptly named ‘Ranger Stacey’. The drives around here are absolutely stunning. The mountains drop off on the North Eastern side of Lake Tahoe and the decline opens up to the dry desert area of Carson City, Nevada. A perfect day for a great road trip.

This was also the first time I had properly been able to give my filter set a good go and see some results I’m reasonably happy with. I’ve got more coming and really looking forward to having those for this trip.

I’d also like to thank everyone for the birthday love from back home. They’re a day ahead and the flood of messages and well wishes from friends and family was really nice to come home to see. None more so, than the message I received from my girlfriend.

So cheers to free beers!

G