Ski 33 - Saturday Feb 21 - Boulder, CO

Where: Berthoud Pass, CO

With Whom: Jer

Time: We left his place at 6, got back around 1

Ski Conditions: Surprisingly good.  I was prepared for bad snow conditions - I mean, c'mon, this is Colorado - but we had nice new snow on a soft base making for some good turns in a new area.

Jer tried to swerve around a rock in the road... instead, he totally nailed it.  He was pretty quick with the tire change, though.

I can't decide which of these photos I like the best, so I am posted a couple of them.  He is such a good ski model because he does what I tell him and he looks good while doing it.

Horizon is a little off in this one.

In black and white.

Up close and personal with Jer.

I loved this one.  The tree in the foreground gives it that much more interestingness.

A tree.

Snow, trees, rocks, and sky.

Jer sings as he walks, and walks, and walks, and walks.

I was skiing down on my third line and fell.  My ABS backpack trigger was activated as I hit the snow and my airbags deployed.  I felt like a total goober.  Ph: Jer Valentiner

We ran into a dude named James while out skiing.  He told us about different areas to ski.  I then shot him getting a little air.

The river on the drive out looked really cool.  It was frozen, but still flowing strongly.

Ski 32 - Thursday Feb 19 - SUPERIOR

Where: South Face of Superior... and Silverfork

With Whom: John Evans and Alden

Time: 8am to 4pm

Ski Conditions: Bluebird

John (my boss) took the week off to do some skiing with a friend.  He invited me to join them today.  I took the day off and the rest is history.  We made our way up to the peak of Mt Superior first thing.  It was a very warm and sunshiny day so we knew our window to ski the south face was going to be short.  We got up there just in time.  We made to decision to go ahead and ski it.  This is a line I have been eyeing (and photographing - as those of you who have been paying attention may have noticed) for a long time.  It is such a classic line.  Ever since I started skiing in Little Cottonwood, I have looked over at Superior, seen the ski lines coming down it, and told myself I would do that someday.  Well, that someday was today.  The skiing was understandably classic.  It is a nice 3,000' line at a pitch of about 40 degrees.  It is a pretty wide shot with the exception of two or three choke sections that feed you down a skinny little chute.  As we were descending, I saw a few small point-release slides coming off the rocks around us and we promptly made our way off the slope.  I would not have skied it even one half hour later as the sun was really warming it up quickly.  Oh, man, that was awesome.  I was getting face shots all the way down.  That is the way classic lines should be.  

We then had lunch at the car then made another approach back into Silverfork.  We would have gone back into Cardiff, but the Wasatch Powderbird Guides were back there destroying everything they possibly could.  I am glad that some dentists from Texas were able to fulfill their lifetime dream of heli-skiing some of the most accessible backcountry areas known to man while dropping in right on top of tourers (like myself) hiking below them and working for their turns (that last sentence was sarcastic).  Silver was pretty awesome, though.  We only had time for one line down and in, and there our south facing exit.  

I know that 3 ski lines in 8 hours may sound ridiculous to some of you.  But if you had any of the three lines I had today you would understand completely.  Yes, it is worth it.  No, I won't be paying $1,000 for a day of skiing this same stuff via helicopter.  I will do that when I make it up to the Chugach in Alaska.

The heli drops high-paying clients off on top of Superior as we make our way there the old-fashioned way.  Luckily, for us, they skied the north facing stuff.

A classic Wasatch photo, a shot of the Monte Cristo headwall taken from the summit of Superior.  I just need those ski lines to not be there and just a single skier to be headed down... maybe next time.

Alden approaches the first choke of the Superior descent with all of Snowbird watching.

Just a shot I took.  That is part of the Superior ridge.  I liked the sky in this photo.

John drops a knee amidst some of the sluff debris.

For the first time of my life... one of those tracks are mine.

Our final ascent our of Silverfork.

What's that behind them?  Oh, yeah, we skied that earlier.

Alden makes his final descent down the afternoon corn.

John showing that even warm snow can be fun.

Ski 31 - Wednesday Feb 18 - Sleep Is For Suckers

Too dark to ski?  Nah.  

Tom and Jason on the summit.

Where: Mill D
With Whom: Tom and Jason
Time: 5am and at work around 8:10ish
Ski Conditions: I guess this is just that time of year.  The snow reports were coming in at around 30” for this storm.  We didn’t ski quite 30” this morning, but it was plenty deep and made for some great skiing.  No instabilities noticed in the trees, but open slopes will be a different story.

Ski 30 - Saturday Feb 14 - I Choo Choo Choose You

Where: Emigration Canyon

With Whom: Bowie and Samwise

Time: 10ish to 1ish

Ski Conditions: I am glad to have found this new area to ski with the dogs.  I actually get to ski.  We made two laps today.  There was a bit more snow this time than last.  The dogs were totally wallowing in it... and loving it.  I did my best to hurry down the slope so I could shoot them coming down, but they kept up pretty well.  I will have to have someone hold on to them when I ski down if I plan to get any super cool action shots in the future.  The snow over here was solid.  The more southern facing stuff had less of the good stuff on it due to yesterday's warming and sunshine.  Up top, the wind had blown a bit and there was some isolated cracking around my skis.

David Bowie

Samwise Gamgee the Brave

So much energy

Bowie shows what a face shot really is.

Ski 29 - Friday Feb 13 - Dusk Patrol

Where: Wolverine - Grizzly Gulch

Time: 1pm to 6ish

With Whom: Tom

Ski Conditions: The snow keeps coming and being awesome.  We skied Bombay chute in Wolverine.  The snow at the base of the chute was really heavy due to sloughing and the bowl had super low light conditions making the descent a little more interesting, but it was still way fun.  We climbed out and skied Patsy Marley bowl and another line of the PM ridge.  The snow feels nice and stable out there.  A lot of people are getting out and doing big lines right now.  I can only hope this trend keeps up.

Alta in the shadows.

Tom skis Bombay.

Ski 28 - Friday Feb 13 - It's All Been A Lie, This Is Actually A Lucky Day

Where: Butler Fork - North and South aspects

With Whom: Tom, Nazz, and Ryan?

Time: 5am and home (for work) by 8:30

Ski Conditions: I keep expecting the snow to be not as good as the day before, but I keep being wrong.  Nazz and I hurried up the hill and got one run in the North-facing trees - which was awesome.  Then we caught up with Tom and Ryan (they were moving a little slower) and made a run down the South-facing bowl.  I had never skied that bowl before.  Who knew it was so great?  Not I.  The snow was stable and made for great skiing.  I just may have to get out this afternoon.

Nazz with the whole world in his hands.

Big Cottonwood Canyon at dawn.

Yeah, I would say it was worth getting out this morning.

Snowboarders.

No, he hasn't fallen.  That is just the amount of snow we were skiing.

This one's for my homies.

Ski 27 - Thursday Feb 12 - Argenta

Where: Argenta

With Whom: Tom, Jon, and Ryan

Time: 5am and at work right at 9

Ski Conditions: Excellent.  What a week!  Argenta was great this morning.  We were not able to make it all the way to the top so I am not going to mark it off in the guidebook, but I still had a great morning.  The snow is bomber and the skiing is great.  I think I will just have to get out tomorrow.

Tom, meet Argenta.  Argenta, meet Tom.

Ryan seems to be enjoying himself...

I wonder why.

Jon enjoys his new hobby.

Why is it the snowboard photos that I keep doing in black and white (or close to it)?

Ski 26 - Wednesday Feb 11 - Splitboard 101

Where: USA Bowl

With Whom: Jon

Time: 5am to 8:15am

Ski Conditions: This is the way USA Bowl is supposed to be.

Jon got a splitboard yesterday.  We had to get him out and on it as soon as possible.  My ski partner for today bailed last night.  Everything worked out for a nice early morning tour.  I had some issues with one of my skins.  What's up with that?  Perhaps I should get around to getting a tail kit for those skis.  I just figured the zombies would protect me.  By the way, have you seen this: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Yeah, that is just about as awesome as it gets.

John makes his first transition... ever.

Run number one with the sun trying to peak in.

Run number two in black and white.

Oh yeah, this is why I backcountry ski.

Ski 25 - Tuesday Feb 10 - Happy Birthday, Haley

Where: Butler Fork

With Whom: Cody

Time: 5:30 and at work by 9

Ski Conditions:  Sick [point] Sick

In an effort to celebrate the birth of my little sister the best way I know how, I went skiing this morning.  Code-man and I headed up to Circle Awl and it was great.  That place was my standby last year.  This is only like my second time up there this year.  We skied at least two feet of new snow and it was blowing overhead.  What a week to get out and ski!  Happy Birthday, Hay!

I climbed a tree to try to get some cool shots.

It is difficult to climb a tree in ski boots.

I probably should have climbed a little higher to get the shot from above, but it still turned out kinda cool.

Ski 24 - Saturday Feb 7 - Jackson Hole

Where: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

With Whom: Jon and Matt

Time: 9:30ish to 4ish

Ski Conditions: Hard.  Fast.  Long.

Did you know that I have never skied outside of Utah in my entire life?  Until now.  I skied Jackson today and it was a good time.  The price tag was hefty ($87), but it was fun to ski new terrain and new lines.  I am glad I did the resort thing this once, but next time I go up I will definitely be hiking - it's just so much cheaper that way.

Matt with the valley below... what, no inversion?

Jon with teton-like rocks above.

Prayer flags - those count as church for tomorrow, right?

A severed deer leg that we came across on a ski run.  Really?  A severed leg?  Cool.