All My Free Time

So when you are injured... or when I am injured... I go online and imagine the things I want to do, could be doing, and will be doing. In case you have free time, and are interested in what I am... this is what I did tonight instead of watching the Wings game, and after putting bike trays on my car, cleaning my bike, installing a new front brake caliper and cables, and hot tubbing.  I have a bum knee- results of MRI are Tuesday- so humor me.

What I learned today was that a famous ski mountaineer, Kip Garre, and his partner died on the Eastside recently on this same run that Christian Pondella and others did earlier this April. Here is the Powder Magazine article and the Backcountry Magazine article about the incident.

Split Couloir was the Couloir of the Year in Backcountry Magazine. It was featured in Chris Davenport's new book, "50 Classic Ski Decents of North America".  The night Davenport was in Mammoth for his movie "Austrails", this winter, I looked around the room and it was filled with people far more skilled than I in the ski mountaineering and backcountry world.  It was intimidating, yet , amazing to sit there and absorb it all. It is such a sad day when someone in the ski community dies.  The SAR in the Eastern Sierra's is very connected to everyone here, and do such important work and depend upon each other so much. Kudos to them.

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Photo: Brennan Lagasse collection, and from Powdermag.com.
The Couloir is he one under the word "mag"

Another couloir, East Couloir, was featured in Powder earlier this month.  I think it'll be years and years before or IF I do anything of the Split Mountain level. Years! Before these two people died below Split Couloir there were a series of blogs detailing it. I read these things and just am in awe. Always. Blog of the guys that ran into Pondella and John Morrison. Morrison's blog.

Then I came across other posts on Unofficial Squaw and this post about a mono skier, and it got me looking back at my winter volunteering with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra and how volunteers that work with sit skiers are just amazing people-- and of course the person skiing is amazing.
  It also kind of makes me want to go to Alpine Meadows a ton. It's on the other side of Squaw.  I hope that my knee heals and I can help people who are healing or are learning to ski and ride.  I sure do miss the BART Center too.   The video is bigger if you go to the actual Unofficial Squaw link above.

 

And then I started dreaming of the EPIC Mammoth Winter I did get to play in.

And finally... I drifted off to powdery dreams, and dreams of drivetrains shifting smoothly and tires somehow grabbing the pumice, and of new leg armor so my knees never hurt again.

Sidenote: This blog was a draft for sometime. So please when speaking of amazing, look up my friend, Jeremy McGhee's ascent and decent of Bloody Couloir this May 2012 in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Ski Touring and the Chronicles of my Left Knee

Hello Out There.

A week ago I was going to go ski with Jon from work. I had no one to ski tour with Saturday, and he was kind enough to be like, "You know what, let's go do McGee". Wee in the AM Saturday, Jon calls, and says something like, "Please forgive me, but I can't move my legs, I have to cancel".  Jon does insane things in tight spandex and when he's not doing the so-called "Rando Races", he is still doing crazy things. I'm just flattered he was willing to go with me.

I ended up just going out my front door to the Sherwins. Simple and when by yourself, sticking to trees is great, especially for someone like me with minimal avalanche training.  I still took my beacon, but there was not a soul in sight, until the parking lot at 12:30 when I finished.

The "Tele Bowls"- my line is there somewhere

All Stars

Thinking back to the Mammoth Biathlon Weekend and the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra/Wounded Warrior Project that weekend puts a big smile on my face.

Having people with such big hearts around you, really makes life enjoyable. It was such a memorable weekend of cross country skiing and just playing in the snow.  Finishing the race with a smile on everyone's face is always the best part.

Devon and RickyD! Love these guys.

Amy's Moving!

My USFS Mammoth gals are moving away it seems. Amy worked in Lee Vining this summer. She was the only girl living in the barracks with Steven and I when I moved here.  She was here this winter and her, Mary and I played outside a lot.  Goodluck in Wyoming Amy!!!!

After staying up rather late the night before, we thought we'd skin or boot up Earthquake Dome...

First 20 Miler of the year

Went up 168 out of Bishop up toward Lake Sabrina.  Gradual climb, probably 1000' at least. Check out the map. I didn't finish the ride to the lake, but maybe next week.  Whew! First Ride o the year! 

I just need some sweet pants

Whoops, what was I thinking?

There will be no grilling going on for a few days...

 But there will be more skinning... Where'd Barrett go?

Steak anyone?

My snow is melting.  Someone teach me how to use this grill!

Squaw on April Fools!

Thanks to numerous people, Amy, Mary and I were able to make our last ski trip together of the season happen.

We adventured to South Lake Tahoe, but didn't ski. We almost did get some vouchers from Juanito or Tati... whoever they are.

89 North was open through Emerald Bay and we got some great shots and wished we had just skiied up and down Mt. Tallac.

Yeah Emerald Bay the only day is was open!