Eurotrash 2010 – Update 5

Greetings from Kitzbuhel, Austria!

After a great stay in Seedorf Switzerland, Steve and I headed out to meet up with some Bozeman friends in Hasliberg. Leif and Katie had spent the winter as Chalet hosts at an awesome ski in-ski out chalet. It was their last week in Switzerland and the weather was looking pretty bleak. The first day we arrived it was super foggy, the next day we went up for a half day and skied above a crazy inversion.

Crazy inversion at Meiringen-Hasliberg, not ideal for skiing.

The fog was so dense we couldn’t even see 50 feet. The same weather held for another day, so no skiing, but finally it broke on our last day there. A few cms of new snow had also fallen making the skiing pretty good.

The Wetterhorn and Eiger

Steve and Leif getting ready to shred.

Leif Routman shredding his home mountain for the last time before returning to the States.

Leif Routman showing off his Seth Morrison impression.

Leif even let me use his helmet cam for a run, which turned out pretty good.

After skiing, we said our goodbyes to Leif and Katie and hopped on the train to Innsbruck. We arrived late in Innsbruck, and had to hustle to catch the last bus to the hostel. We made it, then went for a little evening stroll. We took a rest day and explored the historic and beautiful town of Innsbruck and met up with a high school friend, Elena Sprick. She is teaching English in Prague and took us to a really cool restaurant that had great food at a decent price. Thanks Elena, this trip has been amazing by meeting up with friends, new and old. The next day we planned to go ski the Stubai Glacier, but our lack of German speaking and understanding skills we ended up on the wrong bus and ended up at Axam-Lizum. The ski area was pretty cool and had a wild train that went to the top. We lapped a ridge with a short hike to get to for most of the day.

Lizum Austria, near Innsbruck

Austrian Alps.

Steve Gilson finding the goods at Axam-Lizum, Austria.

The next day Steve and I hopped on the train to Kitzbuhel.

We spent two days skiing in Kitzbuhel and we timed it perfectly. We arrived to light snow, and met up with our friend Max Hoener, who was just returning from Gulmarg, India working with a non profit organization skis4kashmir. We woke up to the biggest storm Kitzbuhel has had this winter, it was probably around 30-45 cms of nice powder. We skied pillow lines in the trees all day and it was great.

Max Hoener getting the goods at Kitzbuhel.

Max learning that there is other stuff to do than chase gates at Kitzbuhel, like drop pillows.

All stomps for Max.

The next day, it got really warm and the snow turned to mank, we explored the mountain and drank some beer. We then went to the start gate of the famous Hammenkhan downhill. We took some pictures then practiced our racing starts out of the start gate.

Steve and Max, asian touristing the Hammankhan Start Gate.

Eurotrash Update 4 – And a couple huge thanks!!!

Sorry about not posting in so long, have had limited internet access which has made it difficult post.

Before I go any further I need to send a huge thank you the Steffy and Matthias Albert-Arnold in Seedorf, Switzerland. They showed us some great hospitality, fed us well, and let us sleep at their house for a week. So thank you Steffy and Matthias!!

The very gracious Arnold family, from left, Steve Gilson, Cory Arnold, Claudia Arnold, Steffy Albert-Arnold, Me, Matthias Albert-Arnold. Thank you guys so much!!

Also thanks to our friends Leif and Katie, they let us crash at the chalet they were watching all winter and showed us around Meiringen-Hasliberg. Leif even let me use his helmet cam for a run!! (I will post the video up when I make my Meiringen-Hasliberg post)

After a final day at Andermatt, we hopped on the train to go back to Disentis and stay at a cool Swedish hostel. We had an excellent day at Disentis before clouds moved in and the light got super flight. One drawback about skiing Europe is that so much of it is alpine that if the sun isn’t shining you can’t see anything.

Looking down and Andermatt line

Steve G drops into a chute in Disentis, Switzerland

After the second day of skiing we returned to the hostel to be told there had been a misunderstanding and we didn’t have a room. Not sure what to do, we called Steffy and Matthias who graciously let us stay last minute at their place. The next day it was raining in Seedorf, so Steve and I took a rest day and checked out Seedorf. The next day, Steffy’s dad Cory arranged for Steve and I to go on a gravel barge across Lake Luzern, it was an early morning, we were up at 4 am but a great crew and plenty of coffee, led Steve and I on a awesome personal tour of beautiful Lake Luzern. The next day Steffy and Matthias took us to Lugano, in southern Switzerland to do some Via Ferrata (it was still stormy in the Alps so no skiing to be had).

Via Ferrata in Lugano Switzerland... a fun down day activity.

The next day the storm broke and there was 40 cms of blower pow to be skied. Steffy and her parents took Steve and I up our first Swiss peak, The Rossstock, and then we lapped deep snow the rest of the day.

Matthias Albert-Arnold shreds some Swiss pow at Chappelsiberg

Cory Arnold getting deep

Steffy Albert-Arnold showing us Americans how to ski pow

Steffy and Matthias working it

Steve and I lingered on more day to ski more powder at Chappelsiberg, which is a funky tiny 4 person tram that Steffy’s uncle built in 1964, but for 7 swiss francs takes you to a touring paradise. Steve and I explored a new drainage which led to some really fun faces to ski, and all of them untracked.

Steve skinning in Chappelsiberg

Steve slashing above an alpine hut in Chappelsiberg

Mountainman Steve

Untouched Pow, Steve Shredding

It was tough to leave Chappelsiberg after so many runs like this

After two days in Chappelsiberg we headed to see Leif and Katie in Hasliberg, which I will post about soon.

Colorado Bound!

Well not really, as I am in a haunted hotel room in the “hungry, unkept, white trash, kickass! Mountain Town!” of Silverton, Colorado (thanks Southpark), prepping for day two of some ultimate powder slayage at Silverton Mountain Resort. But more about that later. I booked it out of the avalanche prone snowpack of Montucky and headed for Jackson, WY for a day on Teton Pass with two good friends and skiers.

The top of Jackson Hole Ski Area peeks out of a sucker hole

Hiking up the bootpack to Glory Bowl, on Teton Pass.

Zack McHugh telemarking down Teton Pass

Pat Owen dodging rocks on a very shallow Teton Pass

After skiing Teton Pass I busted down to Salt Lake City to do some skiing with my friend Max at Alta.

The only picture I got at Alta

After skiing lots of laps on Alta, I headed back to my hometown of Glenwood Springs, Colorado to ski the Elk Mountains.

The Western Elk Mountains

My little bro, Jon, catching a little air on Williams Peak

The Alley's, very sick skiing if you can find them...

Interesting snowpack up on Marble Mountain. A very thick consolidated wind slab that was extremely difficult get to break, but it was on some nasty deep facets, so when it did pop it had a lot of energy. We decided to be pretty careful.

However, we did have the required beverage for extended column tests.

Reilly Anderson scoping the Elk Range in Colorado

Reilly Anderson demonstrating the proper way to rip powder.

Powder day at Ajax, Nick Devore spins near Walsh's

Panaroma from the top of Ajax, not a shabby place by any means.

For my Grandfather

Just a quick post for my granddad who passed away last weekend at the ripe old age of 89. I missed the funeral due to too much snow and my flight being canceled. I went and made some turns for him since the snow kept me from the funeral.

Yours truly doing some early season nighttime shredding up at Bridger. Mad photo props to Steve Gilson for this one.

It’s Coming…

I can’t wait!!!!
My new Garmont Radiums came in the mail last night!
Last season’s highlights…

Sending it early season style Photo: Evan Johnson

Early season deepness Photo: Evan Johnson

Early Season N. Bridgers Photo: Evan Johnson

No Name Bowl

The Crazy Mountains

North Bridger Mountains

Evan getting some North Bridger action

Alpenglow on the Crazies

Absaroka Mountains

Alpenglow on the Absaroka Mountains

Teton Pass

Approaching the top of Edelweiss Bowl

Pat Owen gets some Teton Pass blower

Sketchy early season avi conditions...

The little bro is getting deep in Aspen

Aspen pow day. Skier Jon Jay

Inverted in CO. Skier: Jon Jay

Nighttime at Big Sky

Reilly Anderson, Beehive Basin

Simon Peterson ripping Beehive

Steve Gilson getting some

Beehive Basin

The crew

Reilly Anderson ripping

Charlie Noone getting deep at Snowbird

Eric Newman, Snowbird

Snowbird Sunset

Dylan Brown, Snowbird

Kirkwood California from Carson Pass

Mark Welgos on Carson Pass

Lake Tahoe

Sonja Lercher on Carson Pass

Sonja Lercher skiing Carson Pass, California

Nick Devore scouts his finals run at the North American Freeskiing Championships in Kirkwood

Mike Reveal at Bridger Bowl

Reveal shredding

Steve Geiger skiing Saddle Peak

Steve Geiger powder skiing on Saddle Peak

I have to include downtown Bozeman exploding on a powder day

Explosion aftermath

Steve Gilson convinced that the explosion seeded the clouds

Ben Kinsella wheelies through 'Sometimes' at Bridger

Sequence of Eric Newmans front off of Papa Bear... ballsy

Late season epic up Black Mountain

Pine Creek Lake Basin, Absaroka Mountains, Montana

Climbing Black Mountain

Ryan Walters slashin' and dashin'

Scoping our tracks

Another late season challenge, The Hanging Garden

Climbing Beehive Peak in the Spanish Peaks, Montana

About to drop into the Hanging Garden

Steve Gilson dropping into the Hanging Garden

Steve G. shredding

Rob Woodlich climbs Gallatin Peak

Ready to ski Gallatin Peak

Rob rips Gallatin Peak

Leverich Canyon Mountain Biking

The Leverich Canyon trail just south of Bozeman has been a popular mountain biking spot for some time. However, it was often crowded and scary riding downhill because of uphill hikers. But last fall a bunch of trail building happened and created at least two new trails to ride. This created much safer downhilling as there is a downhill only trail that is really fun and fast with berms on the corners and several small but fun jumps built. I’ve been up riding it a few times with Eric Bee and we’ve been having a blast as we start to memorize the trail and ride it really fast.

Eric Bee lining up a jump

Bee ripping

Berms on the corners means really fast riding... as Bee shows here

Bee catching some air

Me, testing Bee's downhill bike

Bee showing how to properly fly around a corner

Bee catching more air

Adventures on Hwy 212 – Beartooth Pass

The last few years it has become a bit of a tradition to head to Red Lodge and ski Beartooth Pass when it opens. Had great weather this year as well as some really good skiing.

Airing the top of Gardiner Headwall - Photo: Pat Owen

A little pig ripping... Bearcreek Saloon Pig Races

mmm... bacon

Davis skiing the crux

Pat Owen skiing in Gardiner Headwall

Steve Gilson and Zack on the top of Gardiner Headwall

Pat Owen dropping in

Enjoying the scene on the Hwy 212

Camping up Rock Creek

Getting Closer… Black Mountain

I have had a bit of an obsession with Black Mountain in the Northern Absarokas since I saw a sweet winter picture of it. While there are plenty of hearty lines that are particularly steep (e.g. Y-couloirs) they get skied fairly often, and I’m always looking for the way most people don’t go. Thus enters my affair with the North Face Direct route. The line was first climbed by Alex Lowe and Hans Saari, but they couldn’t ski it due to poor snow conditions. The first recorded climb and ski was done by Bobby Downs and Anjin Herndon in 2005. I spied this line hoping that it was a first decent but I was directed to a trip report on Tom Turiano’s website that proved that Herndon and Downs were the first down it.

Black Mountain North Face Direct route, we climbed and skied the green line the red line is the full route

Last winter Dave Repnik, Ryan Walters and I headed out to make an attempt on the line. Unfortunately about half a mile from the bottom of the route my Naxo binding exploded into a million parts. Obviously, we had to turn around. Since then I have wanted to go back and make another attempt. Today Ryan and I made that attempt.

Ryan and I headed out of Bozeman Saturday night and camped at the Pine Creek Campground. Once again the 4 a.m. alarm clock came much too early and Ryan and I whipped up some breakfast and coffee and hit the trail shortly after 5 a.m. The first 2 miles or so we had to hike as the snow level has climbed substantially with the recent warmth and rain. Struggling to climb the refrozen snow with our skins we made slow progress up the drainage. Passing where we had to turn around last year, Ryan and I scrambled up a small ridge and caught our first glimpse of the peak.

Our first view of Black Mountain.

With the temps warming up we were able to skin a little more quickly and made good time to the bottom of the climb. We started booting up the exit couloir but ended up just wallowing in weird grapple-like snow. We put our skis back on and skinned up to a shaded area that provided better boot packing snow. We then trudged upward hoping the snow wouldn’t warm up too much.

Ryan booting up the exit couloir

The chute topped out to a nearly sheer 400 foot cliff. We traversed the top of the couloir to our decision point where we had planned to decide whether to continue or not.

Ryan traversing the top of the exit couloir with the summit of Black Mountain looming above.

We were on a wind lip that split the face, one side the fall line went down the exit couloir, the other side the fall line fell straight down a huge cliff. Here we had to decide to leave the safety of the chute and get out on the steep face that was an absolute no fall zone. Temperatures were warming very quickly and we watched small snowballs roll down and off the cliff. The snow was mashpotatoey and getting rotten. Because of the extreme exposure and quickly deteriorating snow we played it safe and stopped there. Right when we were making this decision we got a shower of slushballs releasing from the rocks above and this just confirmed our fears about climbing higher on the face. We down climbed a short distance to a less steep slope and geared up for the ski. The snow was chalky and responsive, very fun skiing. Ryan went first and threw a sweet slasher right on the edge of the giant cliff.

Ryan tempting the void with a slasher on the edge of a 400' cliff

... and making it look like it's all in a days work

Not feeling as ballsy as Ryan, I opted to ski the gut of the line and had a blast making solid, big, arcing turns. Both of us were amped on the run and felt like we had made the right decision not to climb higher.

Looking back at our mountain graffiti

We then had to traverse out and cross Pine Creek Lake. We took our time enjoying the gorgeous mountains that surrounded us.

Ryan scoping our tracks

Plenty of options above Pine Creek Lake. Makes me wish I had a helicopter

One of the most beautiful drainages I have ever been in.

Ryan and I continued the slog out and soon we were crossing creeks with our skis on and linking tiny slushy snow patch to tiny slush patch.

Ryan fighting willows on the ski out.

While we did not reach the peak nor ski the entire line we were happy with our decision. It’s better to play it safe and come back when snow conditions are better, the mountain isn’t going anywhere soon….

Ghetto Promo Vid

So as some of my friends may know I am sort of half-ass looking for spansers next winter so I can compete in the complete Freeskiing World Tour. I don’t think I will be able to afford the whole thing without finding a few spansers. So like the million other skiers out there who are trying to do the same here is my first entry. Sorry the footage sucks, I had to mostly steal it from youtube posts because I can never get the original footage myself. Thanks to Newman with Bonfire Films for shooting the bulk of the footage. Enjoy!

The Hanging Garden

In my last post I had a picture of a line called the Hanging Garden on the backside of Beehive Peak. This last weekend Steve Gilson and I went and made an attempt for the line.

The Hanging Garden seen from Gallatin Peak

The line is north facing so we did not need too early of a start. We left the trailhead around 9:30 and made good time up Beehive Basin.

The sheer south face of Beehive Peak, the Hanging Garden is off the backside

Arriving at the bottom of the Southwest Couloir around eleven, we cached lunch and crampons and rested up for the climb up the West Ridge of the peak. While resting we watched several wetslides release off Southeast facing slopes as the day warmed. We climbed quickly keeping a close eye on the snow conditions and watching out for wetslides.

Steve Gilson climbs the Southwest Coulior.

I had climbed Beehive Peak in the summer a while back and I thought I remembered the West Ridge of the peak not being terribly technical but when we topped out of the couloir there were two possible routes to get to the top of the Hanging Garden. One was a tight slot that was sort of technical up top, the other was a larger chute but with lots of exposure and windloading. We opted for the tighter and more technical slot that was out of avie and exposure danger.

Steve Gilson gets technical on the West Ridge of Beehive Peak

This decision ended up putting us above some large cliffs on very thin, unsupportive snow. We traversed a ways out on the face where we had to make a decision whether to turn around, attempt to keep traversing a very steep face with only a couple inches of snow on loose rock, or down climb to an exposed ledge, put our skis on and traverse into the large chute we were nervous with at the bottom. Making matters worse was a fog was beginning to drift in and we could see a weather change was coming. We decided that down climbing and skiing across the thin snow was the best option. I down climbed first and carefully put my skis on (I was on a thin rock ledge above a 50 foot cliff to run out rocks to a 2000 foot vertical tumble down a tight rocky chute… I was a little nervous) and traversed across a breakable crust to a less steep spot. After watching me, Steve decided he could down climb and traverse without putting his skis on. We climbed the 100 feet or so to the top of the face where we could see the bottom half of the line. But we were still unsure we were in the right spot on the mountain.

Gallatin Peak from the top of the Hanging Garden

We scouted around the top of the ridge and even tried calling my friend Patrick, who had skied the line before, to see if we were in fact above the line. I knew there were only two possible entrances into The Garden, a lower one which is the skiable entrance, and an upper entrance which ends in a large cliff. I was about 85% sure we were in the right spot, so I skied down the entrance a ways to see if the line went all the way through. It did. Steve skied down to the safe spot next to me and we got ready for the line. There was one more blind rollover to worry about, but I was now about 95% sure we were on the right line, so I dropped first.

Getting ready to drop into The Hanging Garden

The first turn was extremely exposed, it was a 10-20 foot wide hanging snowfield that went over a sheer 500 foot cliff, the line then went into the main chute where exposure was much less severe but still present. The snow was amazing, my first two turns were over the head pow, it was hard to enjoy though because I still wasn’t sure the line went all the way through and I was extremely wary of my slough carrying me over the edge. After, getting past the first exposed section the gut of the line was really fun, powder skiing, at the bottom of the line, it opens up again over smaller but still dangerous cliffs. Skiing carefully and taking my time I made it out the bottom of the line extremely stoked. I pulled out my camera and watched Steve drop in.

Steve Gilson drops into the upper section of the Hanging Garden

Steve Gilson in the gut of the Hanging Garden.

Steve skied the line carefully as well, but in the lower section above some large cliffs he fell. He felt his slough starting to push him towards the cliff so he quickly recovered and straightlined out. When he finally got to the bottom he realized he had skied the entire line with his boots in walk mode. Glad we had made it out we began the climb back into Beehive Basin.

Looking back at our line

As we skinned up a fairly steep wide open face I looked up and saw a wetslide coming down the same face we were skinning. Because we were switchbacking I was in a safe spot but I yelled down to Steve who was almost directly below where the slide was coming from. Since it was a wetslide it was moving fairly slowly and Steve easily avoided it. We topped out and dropped back into Beehive Basin and made the slog back to the car.

Steve getting to the top of the East Ridge of Beehive after almost getting taken out by a small avalanche

Me with the summit of Beehive Peak in the background.