Mashed Potatoes

A collection of random things I've seen since September on.

Hat says, "Carson Ranger District, We do it Right the First Time".
Don't know who's hat it was... 

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.

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...

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?

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!

The Past 3 Days (not counting the Biathlon)

Great Thing About Living Here: Is there is always more ice cream in there (Jen, like my desktop?)

Our Ink is out at Work, so I can get artistic (right...hmm...) and draw in the danger rose

Lunchtime Nordork Sessions

The beauty of living close to a trail.  The beauty of new fluffy snow.  The beauty of skiing back to work.
1 hour lunches are pretty great.  It's hard to go back to work...

 I definitely need some wider waxless skis someday. Took out the Fischer S-Bounds 112.  Couldn't really turn on the downhills. Got 4 solid tele turns down and sank, BUT it was super.

I love Visitors

Chantrelle came to visit on her road trip back East to Maine. It was great to see a Maine Outing Club friend!!! We did a lot of adventuring. 

XC skied to Mineret Vista

Look What I Saw At Work

Sometimes it is fun to take in skis at work for repairs and such.  Last week I got to see the Bomber Tele binding, the Bishop, which is no longer produced.  It was pretty sweet.

I also got to help Glen Plake try on black softshell pants, but we don't have the photo. You'll just have to confirm with Jon and Mr. Evers.

YaR! Wooden Planks and Saddles!

My co-worker is very handy in metal arts, and wood carving... and free climbing and coffee roasting.... and I'm sure there's more.  So I couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable looking, yet amazing work of art his commuter bike has on it. 

It even has a "comfort channel" but he says it's still pretty uncomfortable. It is wood afterall.

Seen and Heard on the Hill

Sasquatch? 

I apologize. These are all taken with my phone or a low quality digital H20 proof camera

Attempt at Tele...alone...in powderrrrrr

So Friday was a good day...

I borrowed some Got Back's with BD 01s from work.  I did miss the sun from the morning, and caught the weather in between storm systems.  I decided to create my own skin track and avoid the snowmachines (yes snowmachines, Philp) that were going up the right side of the Tele Bowls and Punta Bardini.   I went to the left and toured through the MotoX track and then tucked in up through the trees.

Oh just leaving from my house 

View near MotoX Track

What I was looking at when T called. Kind of looks like Vermont. Part of the Sherwin Range.

 Oh! And Tristan called me from Vermont on my skin out! See the Tele Bowls in the middle?  It was good to catch up quickly.  I miss home everyday.  As far as skiing, I didn't do any high aspects or anything, as I was by myself. The 01s are more fun to use than my non-tourable BD 03s.  My Avi gear arrives Friday! Woo! Avalanches? What are those? 

Eastside Blogs

Here's some great new posts from some of the Eastside's best:

• Christian Pondella's Spray On Ice
• Dave McCoy himself Travels Along The Eastern Sierras and Tahoe

And oh man, Simon Rex was/is in Mammoth and guess who else? Gwen and Gavin.  Although I don't know who Lady GaGa is, I at least want to have someone famous (and nice) come into my work this week just for S & Giggles.  Why not, right?




Photos Property of Christian Pondella

Vermonty Times Had on the Eastside

At least I still am on the Eastside of something. The Eastside of the Sierras is a great place. There's at least 3 publications about it... Eastside Magazine, Eastern Sierra something... there's more, but I'm typing this in my car and my feet are cold. Wi-fi at home soon? A luxury or a necessity? Necessity when applying to grad school.  That aside. Let me ramble.

My roomate, Don, is gone to Peru (hope you're having fun!!!) and I decided why not finally host a couchsurfer.  Couchsurfing.com is a great resource. You just have to have a sense of adventure and trust. Both of which I seem to have a majority of the time.

Well, let me tell you as fate would have it, I was contacted by someone who grew up about 60 miles north of me in Vermont.  Right now he's stone's throw away in summer on the other side of Yosemite in El Portal doing outdoor education.  A career I dabble in from time to time.  In winter Tioga Pass is closed, so he's 8 hours away.

We haven't had the best snow after the Snowpowcolypse of 15+ feet of snow- but it doesn't mean there isn't any skiing. It just means you have to wait for the snow to corn up. There's not much avalanche danger at the moment either.

Let's just say I couldn't have had a better time skiing and talking about CA and VT.  It made me a little homesick, but it also made me realize HOW MUCH stuff is out there that I still have to do and see.

New Year's Eve-ski

Us hearty New Englanders (and those not- sorry NY doesn't count, and neither does CA)  skied from Main Lodge to the Mineret Vista. Here are the photos.

Where is the Vista Booth? 

01.01.2011: That's a lot of 1's

In reflection, I had a wonderfully blessed December 2010.  I got to go home and see most, but not all, of my favorite people ever.  I got to see Family  and friends and I am making this list mainly for my memory, but also to thank you so much for being a part of my life. Without you all I would not be who I am today.  To those I didn’t see, I miss you terribly. 

Of course no visit home is complete without seeing my family: the parental units Poppa and Momma Cassano, Grandma, Sonny, Martha, Beverly, Mike (you and Chris are the brothers I never had), Pamela and Everett, Great Aunt Palma, Aunt Tina and Uncle Meatball, my favorite uncle ever, Curt, and his kids McKenna and Canaan, and Kait’s parents (basically my 2^nd parents aside).

Bestest Friends I got to see: Ms. Meaney (duh), Katherine M, Michelle J, Kathryn W., Phil, Tristan, Sarah, Kip, Jen, lil’ Indie, Paul, Kate, Andrew and his wife that hold the whole ORS crew together and I didn’t name all of you cause there are WAY too many- but who else was naughty on the ORS Santa List? haha). Amanda and Ava, Amanda and Miles and James, almost saw Mike Lincoln (way to ski at Killingtron Mike!), Heather M. and Chris. 

But Last Sunday was a good day

Must listen it this song while viewing photos. Thanks Sarah for enjoying Ice Cube and our adventures this summer! 

Mammoth bluebird day. November 28th, 2010. 

 

off of Chair 14. Santiago Bowl.

So I was in biking mode

but I went xc skiing yesterday.

The road to Lake Mary is being cleared of snow, but not allowing traffic, so I parked near the Tamarack Lodge and skied up the road and tucked into their trails at the Pack Station.

Came across a guy from Hunter, NY whom I had take my photo.

I was able to breathe. The snow was pretty heavy and hard to really turn in with rental Rossi skis ($6 for USFS employee!). It was a pretty great day.

Miss you all!