Yesterday morning I set out to my local backcountry mountain for some more fresh tracks. We received an additional 5" of really nice snow Saturday night into Sunday morning. When I went to step into my left ski I realized I had lost the heel clip. This made me so mad!!! So much fresh snow and with rain predicted for Monday this might be my last shot for some nice turns. I ended up getting one from the Mountain Goat in town(thank-you!!!). Problem solved but no time for turns as it was time for work. But wait, I ended up not having to work! I got a call from a friend of mine who was going out for some quick turns at the preserve.
When I arrived the parking lot was full and cars lined the access road. I forgot it was Sunday, beautiful out, and there was an abundance of snow. Everyone was on the same page. It was good to see people out taken advantage of the awesome wilderness we have around us. We were short on time so we took to the nearest ridge did some bushwacking and found some cool lines. The snow was epic once again.
Right now it is pissing rain. The snow seems to be holding up o.k. for now. The test will be to see how crusty is tomorrow when it gets cold again.

Freshie von Gnarlsberg.

Well after a week of warm weather old man winter came out swinging and hasn't stopped!! Friday I woke up to some really heavy wet snow falling and rather warm temps. It was supposed to start dumping around 3 am but didn't begin until around 5:30 in the morning. I decided to lay in bed, get some sleep and let the snow accumulate for a while.
I ended up slapping the planks on around 10:30 and heading out. When I headed into the woods I was pumped on the conditions. There was around 7" of fresh and still dumping!!! It was heavy and wet but it was nice!!!! I overdressed and ran through some clothing because everything was getting soaked.

The picture up top is a stock one from last month but it pretty much sums up today!!! I went back to the A.B.C. and my tracks from yesterday were covered!!! The skinning was tough for the first section then I hooked up with yesterday's tracks, although they were covered it did offer a little relief. I had to break some fresh track for quite awhile up a steep climb but then spotted a new gem around 2000'. Ohh yea!!!! The lines were so SICK!!!!!! I skinned up changed into some dry upper body clothing and dropped in. I ended up following that down to the bottom then skinning back up and skiing down to the truck. When I came home my legs were cooked!!! After 3.5 hours breaking trail and unbelievable East Coast conditions it was time to go home and fix the snowblower, snowblow the driveway, and then go to work.
When I left work at 9:30 tonight it just started snowing. We're expecting around 3-6".

LEATHERMAN TOOLS ROCK!

This is what happened to my beloved Leatherman Carbon Skeletool. The pliers shattered in half when I was trying to loosen a bolt on my snowboard. I was really upset and pretty pissed off!!
My wife shipped it back to Oregon for repairs. On Facebook people said to make a note about keeping the serrated blade as all the new blades are straight on this model. I made a note asking them to please return it with the same blade.
I was totally amazed when I went out to the mailbox this morning to get yesterday's mail. There was a padded envelope from Leatherman. When I opened the envelope it was my tool with a new plier!!!!!! Same exact tool, sharpened blade(super sharp!!!), and new pliers. I was really excited!!! It feels good to have an old friend back!!
In an age where customer service seems to be a thing of the past and companies taking pride in their product is no longer Leatherman still stands tall. I am truly impressed and grateful for their product. Thank-you again Leatherman!!!

Vermont Backcountry

I feel really lucky to live where I do. There are so many possibilities for outdoor recreation. In the summer trailrunning, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, and just general awesomeness. Winter has been presenting new opportunities to me this year. The snow this year has been SICK!!!!!
I started telemarketing last year after snowboarding for more the 16 or so years. Last year I skinned a bunch of local mountains like Bromley and Stratton but the backcountry never really presented itself it was usually just restricted to snowmobile trails. This year has been totally different. With the amount of snow we've been receiving especially down here in the valley I've been able to access a lot of local unknown mountains. The great thing about Vermont is that there is a lot of great skiing in the backcountry everywhere. If you take the time to explore you will find good lines and good times.

Bluebird Tuesday.

Today was a beautiful day here in Southern Vermont. Old man winter awoke after an almost springlike day yesterday. Unfortunately the thaw left snow that reminded me of the crust from week old Dominoes pizza. Gary and I headed out a little before noon literally skiing out his front door towards the base of the mountain. Our original goal was to do a traverse with two cars. Time has a funny way of slipping away especially when your a responsible adult. We ended up getting a late start and decided on a summit.
Below 3000' the snow was awful. Crusty and hard. As we worked our way up the mountain the conditions became better and better. When we hit the evergreens it was a whole different world!! Fresh pow abounded!!! I only ended up taking one run that didn't really work out the way I planned but it was still fun!! At around 2:30 just below the summit we decided not to stick around as it was getting late and we wanted to be descending by 3.
We kept our skins on beginning the descent which kind of messed us both up. The descent was super narrow, winding, and tracked out icy. This is when my day started to go "downhill". I couldn't make turns, or control my speed. To make a long story short this was pretty much how it was the rest of the way. I ended up bootpacking some spots and did end up getting one more powder run.
All in all it was a good day with good friend. Plenty of Sunshine, fresh air, and smiles.

2011 rando race start at MRG.MOV

I did this awesome race from MRG to Sugarbush. That's me off the back! Can't wait to do it again next year!