Missed opportunity…

Life is about seeing opportunities and taking them.

I headed up to Chatter Creek with the Arcteryx gang for some video testimonials and some photos. Chatter creek is an awesome cat skiing business just north of Golden, the terrain is endless and the lodge amazing. When we arrived the place was over run by 20 young canadian military, they were in the process of finishing a two week intensive course on skiing and avalanches. We headed out for some photos in the evening light and then skied back down to the lodge. Almost immediately I switched to my light setup and I went for 2 more hours of skinning/ tree skiing. It got quite dark and I ended up doing two runs with my little headlamp. When I got back to the lodge the military boys where showing off all their guns and equipment.  That’s when I realized that I had missed a huge opportunity.  To ski with Night Vision goggles. Damn.Double damn. That would have been one of the coolest ways to ski at night.

The military boys finished their course and partied pretty hard, I skipped out since I cannot stay up late and tire my body out. But I did sample a ceasar drink with double tequila instead of vodka, which was really good and something I will have more often.

Anyhow we were there for 3 more days and each day I would get out ahead of the cat and tour up to wherever we were skiing, and then I would lap it up in the alpine till then end of the day. The skiing was decent, but the light was not great so I don’t feel like we managed many good shots. But more importantly I skied 6200ft, the two ten thousand foot days, and a small 2500ft on our travel day.   Today is a day off and then hammer time.

Montana

photo by Joey Vosburgh

I have never skied in Montana. When Brad enticed me down to do a slide show in Whitefish, I could not refuse. Firstly because it was to help the Glacier Avalanche Center with a fundraiser as well as inspire people to get educated and out there.  I skied in the morning in Revy and drove to Kimberley. Around 11:30pm a deer ran onto the road,  I could see that I had him beat, and he was not going to come over the hood, so I didn’t swerve much. But as I blew by him at 120 km/hr I watched as his head hit my sideview mirror and broke it off. Poor deer.  My first deer kill ever, pity I couldn’t take the meat from her.

Anyhow I got to Whitefish, toured the hill the day before it opened and enjoyed some powder and then went and did my slide show.

Then on Saturday I went and toured with the locals. What a psyched and fit group of people. the nine of use did 6000 feet very efficiently. 6000 ft of great powder skiing, cold and settled powder. We were pumped. For my first tour in montana I was being rewarded with sun and powder. Wicked. I had to leave after summitting Tongue mt and skiing 3 wicked runs,  they then went back for another run or two.

And now I am heading off to Chatter Creek with Arcteryx for the next four days. 26 days left of this mission, still lots of vert and an average of 7250 per day till the end. It won’t be easy but I won’t give up.

also check out a decent article in the Globe and Mail.

And  a big thanks to Tony Girardin and Hans Bishop for their Donation.

The Final Month……

Well its been 11 months of hard work and now the final stretch is ahead of me. All year I had hopes that I would not need to push really hard the last month but the late snow season has left me with no options but to hammer it out till the last moment. In most races I have always had to pick it up and sprint the final 10%; so here we go.

Today was epic powder skiing, settled, cold and fast. Super fun turns that has left me tired and blinking with heavy eyelids, so I am off to bed.

But if anyone is around Whitefish this weekend, I will be doing a slide show at the rec center around 8 pm. Come by and help support the Glacier Avalanche Center.