The Adventure Capitalist

Back on the Road: Freeski World Tour, Revelstoke, BC, Canada

2011-01-12T12:21:00.008-07:00

Back on the road. Been a while since I've traveled for work to a fantastic location but here we go again. I'll be working the Subaru Freeski World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding Series this season and I just got back last night from the first trip of the winter; the Canadian Freeski Championships in Revelstoke, BC. I've made several trips to BC and fell in love with the area right off the bat, but I'd never been to Revy until now. Widely known as a sledneck, cat and heli skiing paradise, Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) came on the scene four years ago to take advantage of the endless mountain terrain. With only three lifts you'd think that RMR is a small operation, but you'd have a rude awakening when you got to the hill; RMR boasts the biggest vert in North America at 5620 feet. From high alpine terrain down through enormous pines and endless pillows, it will cook your legs in a single run. Believe me.

In the week we were there we received 55cm (that's 21 inches yankee) of blower pow, met heaps of the coolest Canadians and drank a shit ton of Old Style Pilsner, Lucky Lager and of course Kokanee. Despite the snow causing us to use up two of our weather days (and waking up before dawn after all those Kokanees), dealing with helicopters and snowcats, athletes and unexpected snags we managed to get the show off. It was so cold and snowy I didn't even get my camera out for the first few days but here's what I got.

This was practically our first glimpse of the mountain after days of snow, looking over to the Day 1 venue

The crew assessing the situation, it was damn cold

Pretty sure there's mountains out there somewhere but I couldn't be sure

Yup, it really was that cold

Oh, there is a town down there, first glimpse, 3 days in

Our ski patrol contact, Scott, took us on a late in the day excursion into Greely Bowl to scope the Day 2 venue. It was still closed and had been for 3 days while nearly 60 cm of cold smoke fell. They kept the lift running for 1 1/2 hours after close just for us...

Jason Eder, Bryan Barlow and RMR patroller Scott. These dudes made it happen.

Gnarly mountains up there man

Day 2 venue, The Mackenzie Face. Heli access only

Pick your line, sucker

Heli LZ is on the point in the middle of the ridge with the start in the open just to the lookers left. Send it.

RMR patroller Scott pointing out some lines

Time to bump the gear out to Greely Bowl

Move it, build it, break it down, move it again, and on, and on...

Morning commute out to Greely ahead of the patrol

Almost there

Ron Pankey celebrating another morning on the job

That's no cute little A-Star over there, the Bell 205 made me feel like I was back in the Nam.

Hey, this looks like a great spot for a comp, let's heli in a bunch of gear and make it happen!

The "short bus of the sky" rolls in again while the masses warm up by the fire

Terrain for days.....

Barlow handles business while the 205 chops some air

The contest venue with the moon overhead. Pick your line buddy.

Back to work as soon as the last rider crosses the line. The A-Star came back on scene to long line our gear back out

Load the truck and peel out to the next stop. See you at Snowbird next for the first stop of the Masters snowboard series

Argenta

2010-12-24T13:34:00.003-07:00

The 2010/11 shred season has gotten off to a blazing start with tons of days in the backcountry already logged. My touring partners have been carrying their big camera bags lately so I've been really bad about shooting photos and especially updating this site. Zach Clanton has been killing it with the shots so far, check out his site for the goods and be sure to bookmark. Went out last week just before this last major storm cycle hit with London, JP Gendron, Mike Craig and Tom Ghelli for a little walk and I remembered my camera this time. Check it out!

London is pretty pumped to go for a big walk

After a 2 hour walk we saw the objective, time to boot straight up that chute

London just kickin' it about halfway up our upper line

And pausing for a look around just before topping out on Kessler Peak

A different look at Mt Raymond from across the canyon

An overcast day makes for some pretty black and white imagery

Made it!

Me and London hamming it up with Superior and the top of Snowbird in the background

All those thousands of steps paying off for London

Air time!! Since she's only 5' tall that must be at least a 20 footer! Haha...

Mission accomplished and another line ticked off the list

My Mind is Going Through Them Changes...

2010-09-14T23:47:00.004-06:00

My same old seasonal conflict is upon me. I don't want to stop riding bikes yet but I know that the snow is just around the corner no matter how hard I deny it. Not that I have a problem with that, it just takes me a minute to get on board (so to speak). But seeing so many homey's so stoked on winter coming around kinda got me in the mood so when I got home form the bar tonight I threw this little edit together of a fun day of shredding with Ian Provo. Not the gnarliest terrain or the deepest snow, just a cool afternoon of backcountry fun.

Hot Fun in the Wintertime from Nathaniel Gauthier on Vimeo.

Dog Daze

2010-07-19T23:23:00.005-06:00

Well, looks like the hottest days of the year so far coincided with my busiest week of work. I know, the temps in Park City are nothing compared to Salt Lake but, it's still pretty hot up here. Finally got a day off and decided to head to the high country to get out of the heat. Fun day trying to find our way around an old trail I hadn't ridden in nearly 10 years, Tara Humarrah for some unreal human fuel, a dip in the hot springs and a nice sunset drive over Bonanza Flats back home. That was a nice day.

Still some wet spots out there up high, this guy was grabbin' a drink

Lots of this. No bike tracks anywhere.

London grinds it up

Surprised these girls and a bunch of their cousins. Definitely a bull lurking around somewhere by the number of little ones running with them

This guy was on the trail...

...and this girl too

A-May-Zing

2010-05-29T22:39:00.010-06:00

Wow. I've been bad-mouthing Mother Nature all season long but she sure has given me a double helping of shut the fuck up this Spring, especially in May. With my work schedule on "shoulder season" status I've been able to act on nearly every opportunity. Blessed.

Here's a little batch of photos from the month of May, click on 'em to get a better look.

It hasn't been just all backcountry this Spring, plenty of laps at the Bird thanks to LungieLand and his mom

Been cruising around Alta with London and Brant a lot, nice to have a tour guide in foreign territory

London has been charging it toughly this winter

Hmm... that's weird

These late storms have been making for some beautiful conditions

Silver Bullets are delicious

Gotta love it when your truck looks like this coming out of the bar after a full day of touring

Unreal how green it is down in the Valley

I've done countless runs down this but never with the entire Cirque untouched. Magic.

Took a trip to Idaho, the mountains there look like the teeth on a saw or something...

This is what your room ends up looking like when all you do is sleep and dry out gear there as you pass through

Back from Idaho one night and right back on it with Andrew Miller. There was no one around anywhere this day, people are over it.

London got this for her birthday... and a bunch of out of state beer

Hmm... guess they were bummed we tracked the Upper Cirque on that last cycle, hehe...

Happy Birthday London!

Gotta get it while the gettin' is good this time of year

Zach Clanton breaking trail across the Scary Traverse

Had to poach this shot of me that Clanton took, dropping in at 8 am, May 25, 2010

Yup, that's powder, and it's almost June

I love it up here

Our lines down the nose on the far right from the Black Knob and sneaking through the rocks down low

This slide happened just as we were driving away, a sign of how incredibly late in the season it really is!

Cinco de Shred

2010-05-13T11:48:00.002-06:00

With yet another late season storm in the Wasatch (7 feet in 4 days?!?!) it seemed appropriate to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a little "Cinco de Shred"! Ian and I went out with special guest London riding shotgun on my sled for a few thousand feet of mariachi goodness down a slide path as smooth as a Mexican brew. I wasn't planning on making an edit until about half way through the day but this is what I came up with. Odelay holmes!

Cinco de Shred from Nathaniel Gauthier on Vimeo.

April Foolz

2010-04-16T17:02:00.004-06:00

Back in the day April Fools used to be a big deal at the Bird. That all went south when word got out what a great party it was. Soon a once locals only event got overrun by valley dwellers with no respect for the mountain. After a few unfortunate events Snowbird banned all costumes on April 1 forever. However, there are a few die-hard old schoolers that still celebrate on the down low. Come take a couple runs with London, Grease, Deadlung, Danky, me and a whole bunch of other Bird Locs. Special thanks to Rebecca Wisot and Dick Bass! Hahaha!!!

April Foolz from Nathaniel Gauthier on Vimeo.

Going For a Ride

2010-04-09T04:13:00.000-06:00

Man, winter finally decided to show up in the last week and I've been doing my best to take advantage of it while it lasts. The snow has been great but while out for a day of sled-n-shred with Porter and Jess I had a close call. I was riding a small wind loaded chute when the whole thing released and took me with it. I rode the whole way with the debris but managed to stay on top, got spit out the bottom, came to a stop uninjured and unburied but it definitely got my attention. I wanted to put an edit of the whole day together but haven't had a chance so check out a quick look at going for a ride in an avalanche. Be careful out there....

Close Call from Nathaniel Gauthier on Vimeo.

Wolverine Cirque Circus

2010-03-29T11:36:00.006-06:00

The other day, actually just after my 2nd lap in Wolverine Cirque, my friend Dudley Campbell called me. He asked me where I was and laughed when I told him. Apparently some of my friends have been getting a chuckle lately, joking that I am having a "mid-life mountaineering crisis". Haha, very funny, but not quite. I like to think of it more as a "mid-life mountaineering renaissance"!

Anyway, went for yet another dawn patrol on Sunday with Snowbird locs Forrest Gladding, Tyler Anderson and Travis Wade up to Wolverine Cirque. Four laps in the fantastic North facing bowl and one run out Patsy Marley back to the trucks was a damn full day... on the Plaza with a 12er by 2pm....

First rays of light peek over my shoulder and find the face of Mt. Superior

Tyler, Travis and Forrest topped out on Patsy Marley as the sun came up

Stayed nice and cold up high, the boys bundle up and scope our first line

Forrest Gladding earned his first turns before dawn

Forrest, Travis and Tyler, back up the boot-pack for Lap 2 and looking at some bigger lines

Forrest Gladding drops into lower Big Bang, Wolverine Cirque with Tyler Anderson waiting in the flats

Travis Wade slashes his own line down Big Bang, Wolverine Cirque

Boot-pack to paradise. This thing is way steeper and way longer than it looks from here and we stomped it 4 times

We had two laps done before the Alta hippies even started getting to upper Supreme

...and another lap. Tyler, Travis and Forrest push back up to the ridge.... again.

Little Cottonwood with the Salt Lake Valley below

Mt Superior looming over upper Little Cottonwood Canyon, we were there a week ago

I had a minor memory card issue with the GoPro on this adventure so no helmet cam shots. I did shoot some video with the G9 so check back for an edit soon and go peep Forrest's blog!

Mini Golf with Ziebert

2010-03-25T17:52:00.003-06:00

Yay!!! My snowmobile is back and running great! Super huge thanks going out to my boy Bunyan, the greasiest of monkeys!!! Well, after a shakedown ride on Monday it was time to get out and ride some lines. I had noticed this mini-golf zone last year riding with my sledneck homey's but just didn't get to it last season. With Neil broken and Ian in B.C. getting radical it was down to just me and Z-bert for the mission. So stoked to be back on the Kitty Kat.....

Our base camp under the mini-golf course

After a super quick skin up I was looking for the holes with windmills, clowns, castles and ships

We only found powder. Z-bert, hole in one!

Bert decided to get Johnny Airtime in ski mode. He sank in on the landing and smashed his balls.

Front rolling in

Pow in the trees was reeeal nice

It's hard to see cuz it started snowing pretty good but here's my last line, straight down past the big dead tree. 15 minute skin to get to this.

This was the back nine, but we got chased away by the weather. Next time....

Breakfast Jams

2010-03-25T17:36:00.005-06:00

Thankfully work has started to mellow out a little bit in the last few weeks and I've been able to get out and enjoy what remains of winter. After our pre-dawn adventure the other day I remembered how much I like the early missions and with a 12:00 noon start time for work and a little new snow I went for another sunrise solo sesh yesterday (3-24-10). Mmmm... two runs sunny side up, slashbrowns and plenty of wind whipped cream for my coffee, just what I needed.

First up to Powerline Pass for the 2nd time this week! First hints of dawn over Little Cottonwood

Here comes the sun just as I moved onto my line. Kinda looks like Indiana Jones discovering where the Ark was buried....

Early morning light on fresh snow, that's a hearty breakfast!

One down, time for seconds

Delicious. That should keep my soul going strong for the day

Done and out of the Canyon by 9:00 am...........

Superior Vid

2010-03-23T12:50:00.001-06:00

Here's a 5 hour-ish adventure compressed down to 2 minutes.

Vertical Ice Skating from Nathaniel Gauthier on Vimeo.

Vertical Ice Skating in Little Cottonwood

2010-03-20T23:38:00.005-06:00

Been a long time since I rode a line down the south face of Superior so earlier in the week when Forrest Gladding asked if I wanted to hit it on Saturday, I couldn't refuse. The forecast looked like it might work out just perfect, a little snow Thursday and Friday then clearing early on Saturday morning. Yeah, that would have been nice but it seems as though few of the storms this season have made good on their promises. We knew it was going to be like vertical ice skating but we went for it anyway. Check out Forrest's report on his blog here

Pre-dawn patrol

Headlampin'

Damn hard to hold the camera still for this long exposure when your hands are freezing. Looking out to Superior from Cardiff Peak before sunrise

The first rays of sun hit Lightning Bolt chute on Cardiac Ridge

Andy Earl and Forrest Gladding make their way up the Black Knob above Little Superior

Andy and Forrest negotiate the first knife-edge on the approach. This was the mellow one, I was so gripped when I got to the really gnarly one I couldn't even think about getting my camera out

Looking down the face of Superior at Snowbird's Cliff Lodge 3000' below

That little dot in the center of the picture is Andy Earl, 20 turns in, another couple thousand to go, praying his edges hold

Our run, from the little bump on the center of the high ridge, the highest point on Superior, 3000 vertical feet of rock hard ice down to the road. By the time I was half way down even the smallest bumps in the snow caused a pain that felt like an ice pick in my quads. Good times.

Skiin' With Ian

2010-03-02T15:04:00.003-07:00

With Neil Provo heading out at 3am on "official TGR business" to get the early morning sunrise light, big brother Ian Provo and I followed up later to get some turns of our own and survey the righteous lines put in by Neil and the TGR crew. Don't forget to click on any pic for a closer look...

Neil's line to the left and Todd Legere's psycho line on the right

A full view of Cardiac Ridge with lines from left to right by Neil Provo, Todd Legere, Julian Carr and Forrest Shearer

Superior Ridgeline with a couple guys climbing

Yesterday was a scorcher and this shot was taken pretty late to be up this far, these guys got away with one, a sweet line down Superior's face

Radiational heating was creating point releases by early afternoon

Julian Carr's line to the left and Forrest Shearer's to the right

Ian Provo, Superior Ridge, March 1, 2010

I've enjoyed tens of thousands of vertical feet of bliss over there, and almost as many drinks

The world famous Snowbird Plaza as seen from about 3000' feet above

With all that heating going on Ian and I opted for a Northeast facing slope for our exit, jackpot!

Hmmm.....

2010-02-18T08:54:00.003-07:00

So, after already making a push up to the Memorials and actually being able to get a run in, I borrowed my friend Alex's copy of Wasatch Tours, Volume 2. In it I came across this excellent photo of the Memorials and a couple interesting passages describing them... "a series of "Memorial Couloirs" along the northeast side of the mountain are described briefly at the end of this section for those carefree tourers who have no mortgages to pay and no mistresses to maintain" and "Since the first edition of Wasatch Tours" in 1976, the authors have been informed of only one descent of a Memorial Couloir. The feat was accomplished by Gary Gruvor and Ron Wilson in the early 1980's". Hmmm... well, I'm sure that there have been a few more runs put in there since 1995 but I wonder how many snowboard descents there have been?

Hidden Gems in the Backyard

2010-02-09T17:53:00.006-07:00

I was finally able to get out with the Provo Bros this weekend. We went off the beaten path and had a look at a spot really close to Salt Lake. Luckily, we found a pretty stable snowpack in the isolated couloir we eventually chose, but after hearing about some of the intense situations that developed this weekend I feel pretty fortunate that everything went well.

First trip out with the new Voile Light Rail bindings, full report coming soon

Even young Jedi lose their balance sometimes... haha

Couloir #5, next time

We moved up slope to Couloir #1

I got my board waxed here on the drive up. Not.

We found a pretty consolidated snowpack

Although there was a weak layer around 18" deep producing relatively non-planar shears we felt it was a go

Down deep the pack seemed to be healing well

Up we go

Working our way up one by one, stopping in "safe spots" to regroup

Gotta say, this was a pretty sick run

Here's Ian, getting SOME!!

Touring with Cowboy

2009-12-16T20:57:00.008-07:00

Got to roll out with my old friend, UAC avalanche forecaster and father of the splitboard Brett "Cowboy" Kobernik. Cowboy witnessed a couple pretty major slides yesterday (check out the UAC site for pics and details here) so he was ready to just get some floaty pow turns today... fine by me!

Small release in Silverfork shot yesterday from Guardsman Pass

Ran into Mrs. Moose and Jr. Moose right off the bat

My view for most of the day

Cowboy is a wealth of knowledge and experience and a non-stop comedy routine

Time for a hasty pit to check out the situation

Things are still pretty thin out there

Block release with little effort

Cowboy insisted that you need to taste the facets to confirm that they are bad... haha

Artsy status

Found a little zone with some surface cracks

Closer up shot of the surface cracking

CowMan gives our first line a thumbs up

That was nice

Soooo artsy

CowMan found a safe spot to try to get some collapsing

The zone seemed like it had already dropped so we dug a pit to check it out

Here's a quick video of the release we got in our last pit

Winter?

2009-12-01T11:52:00.006-07:00

As hard as I've been trying to make it happen, it just doesn't seem like winter yet

Alta looking pretty bleak

Since it's so summer-like out there I figured I'd post up a vid of bike riding.... here on my Vimeo page

I'm Back

2009-10-27T13:32:00.003-06:00

Yes, it has been a long time since I remembered the password to this Blog, but now I'm back. Suck it.

1st Snowboarder Mag Post

2008-06-09T21:40:00.004-06:00

Now that homey Evan has moved over to Snowboarder Magazine their website has gotten way more legit. Got some photos and a little write up on there so check it out here. Some of the photos you've already seen, maybe some you haven't. More to come soon...

Chain Gang Steez

2008-06-06T13:08:00.005-06:00

Ever seen The Shawshank Redemption? You know how the warden has this army of inmate workers doing all kinds of construction projects? Camp Improvement week is a lot like that. Everyone's got a shovel or a hammer or something in their hands pitching in to make Camp what it is; pretty sick. But all work and no play... you know how the saying goes, well, it's kind of appropriate seeing as some of The Shining was filmed up the road at Timberline. So to stay sane the staff has been throwing down mega skate sessions in the indoor park and cutting a little loose around The Ark. The other night after an early, rowdy start the party slowly moved to the back of The Ark for a bonfire. A few of us stragglers were still out front rolling some C-Lo later on around midnight when a procession of cop cars (the whole Sandy PD as it turns out) led by Tim himself rolled up. Nice. Sounds like they don't want the shenanigans to get too out of hand this year. We finally got the rails up to the zone the other day and got the first load of campers in today and it's dumping on the hill. Should be an interesting summer, at least it's still raining....

Here's a fun project, change a sled track on a crushed stone driveway with a raggety-assed half tool set. At least it stopped raining for like 23 minutes

If you look, even places like The Ark can be beautiful. My bathroom window view

This one is out my bedroom window a couple days later

Legge and Grinch holdin' down #10 at The Ark

Getting closer, load em up, ship em

Hood peeks out over Timberline Lodge

Seriously? This guy's in charge?

Anybody want a print? Support me homey, Diggers don't make shit!!! (notice the piff hit floating off in the lower right corner...)

John John and Borland lurking like stoney Ewoks in the forest

When we brought the rails up we broke through the clouds to some unfamiliar sun. This is the ski camp park

Siebs celebrates the sunlight under the peak of Hood

Some more art for your ass

Just another brick in the wall.....

"Total infinity bro, I'm tripping out..."

Ark Life

2008-05-26T17:14:00.006-06:00

So my first week as a Windell's Snowboard Camp digger has been quite an initiation. All the employees live in a quaint little old motorcourt style motel Known as "The Ark" located about a mile down Oregon Highway 26 from the main Windell's campus area..Years of camp workers have left their mark on The Ark adding to the "flavor" of our living experience. Pretty funny stuff.... There is a flurry of activity around the camp lately as everyone pitches in to make the camp ready for the first session of the summer, coming up quick on June 6.

The fabulous Ark Motel in all it's splendor

Here's some cute graffiti I found on the outside of the Ark. No thanks, I'm good...

The Ark gets it's name from the replica of Noah's Ark out front. The giraffe seems to be giving me a look of, "Haha, if you only knew what you were in for!"

This is my boss.

First order of business, haul all the rail features out of the field, get them out of the rain, strip off all the winter crap that has accumulated along with the paint from last summer and get them repaired and repainted

Luckily we've got B.O.B. (Building out Back), home of Windell's indoor skatepark to get out of the rain and clean up the rails

Boss man, head digger Jason Legge leading by example, grinding rails, but not in the way you would normally think. Note the OSHA approved particle mask....

Jamie Weller and his skate crew have been hard at work too pouring concrete for some awesome new skate features. Nice work homies

Our first night in the Ark, with a few cold ones of course. Young Max aka "Roy" was easily talked into shaving a mohawk

Looking really good there Roy...

Man of many talents, Jason Legge. Double-blind thumb trick shotguns. Nice steez

The Grinch found a good place to hide while we wild out

Legge again, boredom at the Ark leads to Travis Pastrana emulation

Z Siebs finally showed up, after all the work was done, and pounded out this rainy twilight boardslide right out the front door of the Ark

See you next time....

The (almost) 40 Year Old (snowboard camp) Virgin

2008-05-20T14:18:00.006-06:00

It's interesting how it seems like paths that you take in your life can repeat themselves or maybe it's just that you tend to take the same path again and again. Many years ago, when I lived in Maine, there came a time when I had not much money, no plan and no responsibilities. My homey, Chef Al, suggested I try out a winter in Utah at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. Well, 15 years of epic winter seasons and hot desert summers later I'm finding myself in a similar situation. Not much money, no plan, no responsibilities... Well, I happened to run into a friend of mine a short time ago, Jason Legge, who had just gotten the job of Head Digger at Windell's Snowboard Camp on Oregon's Mt. Hood. He suggested that I give being a digger a try for a season. Hmm... Well, I'm not the typical fresh-out-of-high-school aspiring pro-shred but, what the hell? Why not. And who knows where this path may lead me? Check back in another 15 years and I'll tell ya all about it.

A great stopping point on the way to OR, my friend Cory Smith and his wife Jen's rad home in Sun Valley, ID

A new edition to the Smith Family, Miss Sophie Smith...

...and an old friend, Indy Smith, aka: The Angry Badger

These are their neighbors, The Foxes. Indy actually plays with one of these fox parents, nature is funny... Here's Mrs. Fox with one of the kids

I got to break in my new Kona Unit 29er with Cory, check out the fire damage on the hillside. I was in Sun Valley last summer while these fires were burning, gnarly....

Onward to Portland and another couple of awesome friends, Tony Pereira and (his soon to be wife) Lucy. Tony is one of my first friends that I met when I moved to SLC, we go way back. He now lives in Portland and makes some of the most beautiful custom built bike frames

Next stop, Mt Hood, this is where I'm going to be spending my summer suckers...

Stayed tuned to The Adventure Capitalist as this should be an "interesting" summer. I'm also going to be writing blogs for Windell's Snowboard Camp, I'll post a link when I start them up in a couple weeks so you can waste some more time at work reading them too.

Keeping Out of the ER

2008-05-14T17:59:00.006-06:00

After our last backcountry mission on May 1st I figured I'd been out on the sleds for the last time this season. But no, the season that just won't quit decided to give us yet another taste of winter weather before summer takes over. We didn't get the full foot that Colorado received but it was good enough to rally the troops, assemble the machines and snow toys and hit up the Snake Farm. The amount of dirt you have to ride to get to the goods is growing everyday but we pressed on and no one even went to the ER this time.... nice.

We drove right past the normal parking zone and went a good ways up the trail, but we still had to shred some dirt on the sleds

Just to make sure we weren't playing it too safe we decided to bring a giant bow saw

And put it to good use

This spot is so sick for a jump, long steep landing. I'll just drive a couple spikes into this log-jam...

This thing was so sick. Big, smooth, great landing, the sled tow-in was even nice and easy

Siebs killed it again, peep this shot on Transworld's home page

After we seshed the log for a while it was pow skate time again!

Check the looks on Pash and Sieb's faces... classic

Siebs, bindingless surf style layback

May-ry Xmas or May-Day, May-Day!

2008-05-02T12:26:00.012-06:00

Do April showers really bring May flowers? Hard to tell this year because the showers in April were snow, not rain, and the May flowers so far have been buried by fresh powder. With BBQ season on hold, what better thing to do than load up the sleds, boards and the pow snow skate and hit one of our favorite zones, the Snake Farm. We rallied at Pashley's house, went over our "safety procedures" and went for it. It was a little dry on the ride out to the zone but it was so worth it. Awesome pow, a fun wishbone tree slide and crazy tricks on the snow skate. Epic May-Day!

Highway to Heber, May 1st? Seriously?

Pash hauls up the pow snow skate, this thing is SO FUN

Siebs feels 10 lbs lighter after chunking a backcountry deuce

High alpine safety meeting

It must have been really cold up there, look at Siebs "breath"!

This was the most perfect pow snow skate run I've seen, and we milked it

My line, no big deal

Me making my line photo: Pashley

Snow surfing? Pash goes off the top like Andy Irons...

...and very nearly rode away from this airwalk. Check back for a link some dope sequences

Siebs was getting so x-treme, snow skate cliff drop photo: Pashley

Siebs handling some May pow photo: Pashley

Seclusion Blaze keeping it safe

Siebs makes a take off and sizes up his snow skate cliff line

Click to enlarge this pic and check my line up high

Heber looking pretty green down there

Well, I guess we didn't keep it safe enough cuz Pash wiped out and I ran over him... with his own sled

Next stop: Heber Valley Medical Center! Yeah!

I think Pash was more upset that I ruined his favorite beanie with blood stains

With friends like me, who needs enemies?

After a stop at the best Mex in UT, Tarahumarrah, Pash's head started bleeding a little again so we went to the hospital and left with a half-dozen staples. Awesome.

Siebs, wishbone tree-slide

Siebs absolutely killing some pow... in May

First of five tries on the extreme snow skate cliff line

If you're squeamish, don't watch this vid. Pash with a smiley face on the back of his head. I suck.

Powder (Poach) Mountain

2008-04-29T12:26:00.009-06:00

Man, it sure is nice to know that there are still some real resorts out there that keep it so real. Powder Mountain is just such a place. I've posted a couple of our Pow-Mow expeditions from this season on here, but this one is different. Even though it's still been dumping here in UT Pow-Mow has been closed for 2 weeks so right now the resort is untouched pow and since the folks there are so down (especially Caroline, big ups to you!) they were kind enough to let us roop our sleds around and do whatever the fuck we wanted all day last Friday. No waivers, no supervision, just a "check in with us when you leave so we'll know you didn't die, ok?". So awesome. Pow-Mow rules....

Siebs says Hi from the top of the Paradise lift, paradise indeed

Siebs and Pashley survey the situation, it's nice to have high friends in places....

Just posting up, smelling 2-stroke fumes where a liftie would normally check your ticket

Built this kick to get over a huge tree stump, think there's enough boost on it? Haha!

All that boost was needed to get over this crotch slasher

Hey! Check my moody ass art!

Legge and Siebs wait for Pash to bring the powder snow skate up, let the shit show begin!

More art steez fool, it ain't all fun and games

So pretty. Untracked lift line runs for the snow skate

Thanks Pash, yes, I would love a drag of that tobacco cigarette...

Pash crashed here....

....and here. Yeah, I know, forgot how to rotate my vert images, whatever. Pash was on a Big Mountain snow skate mission, notice the 4 back flip crash marks? Hahaha!

Jeep commercial? Epic day....again

Thanks Pow Mow, you truly are the coolest resort in UT

Siebs with a dope stale fish, Pashley's shots form this are incredible

Siebs again with a smooth natty front 360

Siebs boosting over the stump and almost landing on me

So I've got tons of hilarious powder snow skate footy but the files are all kinda big. Here's a taste for ya, Pashley eating donuts before he decided to go Big Mountain on us. Check out Puff Puff Pass Productions upcoming video for all the rest

Alta Sux

2008-04-23T14:44:00.006-06:00

With spring approaching and more and more resorts closing there are some fun things to do in the Wasatch. Alta, Snowbird's not-so-board-friendly neighbor, has taken to closing during the week up until their last day so technically, if you hike Baldy formt he Bird and cut over.... it's not illegal on a snowboard! Hahahaha! Suck on that hippies!! With that in mind a few of us made the walk up Baldy and crossed the rope line with impunity. Although not as much fun as if there were a bunch of stinky, granola eating, tree hugging, free heel skiers to bitch at us, it was pretty fun. We dropped in, hiked back up to the top of the Wildcat lift (I think) and traversed our way back around to Blackjack and the Tram. Nice. After that it was back to mobbing Chips with the crew. Get it while you can everybody, the warm weather is coming and even Snowbird's gonna close soon....

Wu leads the charge up Baldy

Not so "Welcome to Alta"! Haha!

After a little hot pow it was back to walking Photo: Mike Eichorn

It's interesting to see Mt Superior from another perspective

Yeah, that's me, double fingers to Alta with the Tram in back

"For those about to rock.. FIRE! ....we salute you!"

Mike Eichorn gets some pow, on a board, in Alta...haha!

Ran into this fool on the tram "Please do not smoke"

Deadlung loves spring riding so much it makes him jump for joy...weeeee!

Dubs too

Nuthin' like sunshine, a chairlift and a grit. Deadlung is like the Marlboro Man for a new millenium

Superior is pretty damn superior

Still a lot of snow up there, how long will it last?

Fore, Lung and Dubs mobbing Chips

Deadlung, half-cab over the rope in, fs180 over the rope out

Snowbird: Stuntin' is a Habit

2008-04-15T17:05:00.011-06:00

Well, the yearly sadness of Utah resorts closing for the season is upon us. Most of them sit on National Forrest land and are required by their permits to close at a certain date. However, with all the snow that's falling this "spring" it sure makes it a bitter pill to swallow. The one saving grace of this heartbreak is Snowbird, that's right, private land bitches! So since my Canyons pass is not even worth the plastic it's printed on any longer it was time to hit Little Cottonwood Canyon with Biittner, Deadlung, DJ Knucklz and the rest of the crew at a place I like to call "home": Snowbird.

Bird locs are straight up bad ass. Matt "Jr." Jelm gets one last lazy front flip over some not so soft landings before heading to AK and "Man Camp"

Jr again, roast beef three, just riding, no big deal

See way over there? Yeah, that's where we been hiking, check the posts son

Just some Budda Monks giving The Adventure Capitalist thumbs up from the tram dock. Blessed homey, blessed.

Bev and Stacey are down with the Adventure Cap too

Dusty Kilbourne, "The Southern Gentleman", mean Indy off the Chips cat. Check for some more guest photos from Dusty later in this post

Look! A gangster snow thug with Superior and Stacey in the backdrop! Photo: Dusty

Yeah, my old knees can still take a tough landing, fool. Photo: Dusty

This is what happens when you don't totally clear a rope ollie, nice Knucklz

Monday was a little breezy, almost got blown off the chair, check the vid below, whatevs

Here's another Bird loc badass, Dave Surrey over the Mini-Moto WAY before it softened up. One run and done....

Fun on the tram, nice locks Biittner

Dealung decided he doesn't like hip hop anymore, he's starting a Misfits cover band

Monday, the day after almost every resort in UT closed, Biittner, Lung and Knux rule the empty Snowbird tram

Not just another couple of pretty faces, Deadlung and Knux

There was a fun fly-out jump at the bottom of Blackjack Gulley. It boosted you WAY up there and you landed on flat, glue-like slush but is was goodtimes! Biittner boosting

Deadlung with a big 'ol Japan fly-out to flat

Hi! I'm The Adventure Capitalist! If you saw this guy on the Plaza, would you run?

On the way home Knux thought he saw some fools frontin' on us so he drew his piece

Three fine sons of Snowbird and their take on "slow skiing zones"

Deadlung, smooth tail tap, bs 180 over the slow sign....STEEZ!

It was only a little breezy on Monday, the chair is stopped in this vid and we almost got blown out

Misty Guerillas

2008-04-15T13:54:00.008-06:00

The season that just won't end continues. After stomping out the Canyons for a couple weeks the crew decided to take a little field trip to Powder Mountain. With only a couple days before closing for the season, Pashley needed to shoot some photos for the resort to use (like I needed an excuse to go to Pow-Mow) so Siebs, Lil-est, Pash and I loaded up the Rossi Bro-mander and off we went last Friday. Unfortunately, Pash's big camera took a shit on the very first run so my trusty Canon SD850 jumped into action giving The Adventure Capitalist our first guest blogger/brotographer (some of these are my shots, check the credits). Check out Pashley's report on Snowboard Mag here

Utah ain't so shabby on the scenery tip

Lil-est should prolly be on this bus, heading to PC High, but instead he was giving a lesson on busting airs and slashing pow today
Gotta love Pow Mow

Haha, how's that camera pack Pashley?

This was our first zone, yeah, we destroyed it

Lil-est throwing some Misty smoke... Photo: Pashley

Damn, so busy at Pow Mow

Lil-est is a growing boy

Check the "rustic" lifts they got at Pow Mow!! Photo: Pashley

The snow cat ain't so rustic! Photo: Pashley

That's my arm... haha! Photo: Pashley

Ah, there's the rest of my shoulder... Photo: Pashley

Lil-est was hitting this gnarly rock into space, so sick Photo: Pashley

Old dog, old tricks. Pouch with the method, Pashley with the shot

Siebs hitting Lil-est's boost rock Photo: Pashley

Again, prints available if you got $$$$!! Photo: Pouch

Siebs was sending it all day Photo: Pashley

Aw, after a hard day shredding Lil Buddies need naps Photo: Pouch

Backcountry Barney

2008-04-09T20:34:00.008-06:00

Riding in the backcountry is a special thing, especially when it's been snowing for going on two weeks straight. It can be dangerous out there and you need to take responsibility for yourself and be respectful of others. For the most part hippy backcountry types are pretty mellow and just want to enjoy some nature, but today we met... Backcountry Barney. What a douche. This guy and his buddy followed us out a boot path that we broke trail for, walked past us without even saying hi and moved on to drop into a completely different aspect 100+ yards away from us. But not before telling us not to drop in on top of them. Well, ok, since our crews were shredding two totally different areas, shouldn't be a problem. We caught our breath for a minute and then dropped into what could have been one of the dopest pow runs of the year, a pretty safe line through some trees, no big deal.
Well, apparently it was a big deal to Backcountry Barney, who, after riding so slow that we had passed him somewhere during our run, decided he wanted to chastise our crew for "dropping in above him". Right. The kook just wouldn't shut up about it either and nearly got himself a 1st class backcountry beatdown. Well Barney, just because we're not wearing a helmet, Voile and LifeLink head to toe doesn't mean we don't know what we're doing so eat a dick.
The best part about it was the very next run, in nearly the very same spot, we met some totally cool skiers dudes! They even joined us for a little sacrifice to the snow gods that have been so kind to us recently. I guess the point of story is yes, safety in the backcountry is paramount, but so is a good attitude. Peace brother..... or I'll choke your ass out.

A new member of the Januapril pow crew joined us today, Scotty Arnold, aka "SCO-Dubs" aka "Arnie 5000", from the wilds of Newfoundland straight to some epic late season Canyons pow

Lil-est karate chopped a stick in half over the now dead-end log jam, this thing is fun

Here we go again, this walk is getting to be 2nd nature for me...

....which is good because after a late night and a bottle of $2 Buck Chuck (that's Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's for those of you that don't know) this is what I looked like. Yes, I know, I'm pretty

We were so worked up after our altercation with Backcountry Barney we needed to have a double dolce break to cool down, surprising, eh?

Rossi TM Pashley leading by example.... nice line homey!

Unfortunately the landing didn't go so hot and Pash had to ride it out gogg-less. Those are them in his hand... Haha! ouch.

Lil-est busting... and slashing out

Z-Siebs, so rasta...buck!

And after building up a rasta appetite what's better than Tara Humara treats? Nothing. Sorry Lil-est! Haha!

Arnie 5000 is an artist, obviously. What you drawing Arnie?

Oh right, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...

...on a skateboard, jumping over a pit of hell-fire. Nice.
More snow on the way tonight. It blows my mind to realize the resort is closing for the season in just 4 more days while we're having some of the most epic conditions possible. Check back tomorrow for some more Adventure Capitalist attacking radical Januapril pow....

Welcome to "Januapril"

2008-04-07T20:26:00.009-06:00

It just keeps going and going and going..... As a matter of fact, they've had to add a new month to the calendar, I give you: Januapril. You know, when the April showers are dumping January style pow... that's Januapril. Another day at The Can, taking care of business, making sure all the boot paths off of 9990 are kicked in and cleaning up all that icky powder. Haha!

Yup, woke up to this. Again.

When the village at The Can looks like this, oh yeah, it's on

I love it when the family apres is just steps away from the ganja

Pashley and Lil-est have a "special" relationship

Usual suspects on the chair; Ghostface Killah, Tim, Ian, Lil-est and Pashley

Artsy shot of Junior (Lil-est) popping off a pole jam log

Business as usual on Square Top, we kill shit

Just a mellow couple hikes in sick pow... no big deal

Earn it fools. Siebs, Lil-est and Pash summiting Square Top

Tim is the man. He's a super Canyons loc and does some serious work on the logs around the resort in the off-season. Here he is, getting a shit sandwich from one of his creations

Meanwhile, at the Bird, Deadlung was handling Baldy and filming it

Pinebrook Traffic Jam- No Big Deal

2008-04-06T08:53:00.005-06:00

Man, the mean Streets of Pinebrook are getting pretty hectic these days. Looking out the living room window this morning the traffic was backed up 3 deep at the stop sign. I hear the Park City planning board are considering changing the name from Pinebrook to Moose Knuckle Junction.

Marching Powder, Pts. 4 & 5

2008-04-04T17:44:00.009-06:00

It just keeps going.... Snow most of this week, now some sun, and more snow on the way. Oh yeah, don't forget some outdoor free concerts at the Can. Yikes. So no hikes on Thursday but I went for a shred anyway, you know, just to keep the legs loose...haha! After shred apparently Utah's own Slightly Stoopid played and every underage drinker in 15 miles showed up to have some brews and hit the mosh pit dude.

This is where I would have been riding on Thursday if I was as badass as the day before. Check our lines

Nice "Jager Bear" dude, way to keep the dream alive...Slightly Stoopid?

This chick was there, nice can baby

Oh yeah, and this guy. Ryan "Milf Hunter" Field. Work trip homey? Right....

You know it's a party when Dig It Dave is there

So after ignoring the concert, drinking a flat of beer (that's 24 in Canada son) and watching all kinds of people fall in the mud we decided some sake and more beer would be a great idea. You know, it would really help us out with our mission to Powder Mt. in the morning. Awesome. No pics from that portion of the night but suffice it to say, we didn't make it Pow Mow. So shocking. I think somebody put some Colombian Devils Breath in my drink. So back to the Can for some more sunny slashes and and another underage fiesta with Metal Gods.... which we didn't stick around for.

Littlest couldn't make it today cuz he was getting himself an ID. Here it is. I guess "McLovin" was already taken

The crew for today was solid. Thanks to Luke Edgar from Rossi for hooking us up with some hangover fighting burger-fuel for the hikes...yes, I said hikes, plural

This guy was there today, apparently he's been bringing it toughly with tight pants and samurai steez since 1943

Now this is good times. Ow, my lung.

Don't worry bro, apparently it happens to men your age all the time

Siebs throwing some shit up

Pash, sporting sunnies and the latest in technical hoodies, covered up

See the tram over there? Well click on the pic and look closer!

Yes, Luke comes through again. Who else would carry icy Tecates up here?

Siebs getting live on some windlips

It looks like this through my goggles a lot lately

Marching Powder, Pt. 3-You call this Spring?

2008-04-02T17:19:00.008-06:00

Wow, this is supposed to be springtime? Man it seems like every morning I wake up to more powder! The legs were definitely feeling it for Day Three of stomping out hike laps at the Canyons with the homies, but we pushed through and it was epic.... again.

After missing day Two for "school" (pffft) Littlest was back on the roster

Misty morning rolling from Kimball towards The Can

Pashley handles business while Littlest handles durty biznazz

Seriously dude? Did you not notice the pow the last three days? You really think shorts are a good call today?

Wow, sick day to break out the carve board bro....

Um, yeah, skiing looks like a barrel of laughs

Tim leads the way again today. Nothing like chasing a clean living shred that likes to ride with Cat 2 road cyclists for fun. Ouch, my lungs...

"Big Mountain Littlest" and Pash kick it

Pash flashes the vagine sign while "Kip Dynamite" feeds the pony

Tim getting some windlip boost

Skiers get ready to attack our zone

Tim contemplates runnin' em down

Littlest and Tim

"Tim, we're over here!"

"Yeah, let me know when you guys are done"

On the menu for today: some trees, powder slashes and rock bands

Marching Powder, Pt. 2- April Fools

2008-04-01T19:42:00.010-06:00

Spring? March went out like a lion and the April Showers have so far brought some damn fine pow turns. Back to The Canyons again for another day of 9990 hikes under blue skies. Littlest had to go to school (for a change) but Pashley was in and we met up with Zach Siebert and Tim and his homey from the Hotel at Canyons. I've got a couple rad little movies at the bottom of the post so check 'em and the photos.

No April Fools here, Square Top looking good first thing April 1

Top of the hike first run with Tim checking the view to the Salt Lake Valley

First run Tuesday we went right back to our last run from yesterday, still looking nice

Here's a little art steez for ya, prints are available if you got the $$$$, hehe...

Tim digs deep into his first run

Siebs takes a look back at our lines, nice work dudes

Team photo op/dolce roll-up after some epic April pow turns

Pash takes a look at some guy throwing a method into the pow (click to enlarge)

Littlest's practice tree, check the boobs and vagine, sheep herder style

My new favorite Mex, Tarahumara in Midway, DEF worth the drive

Pash and Siebs attack the salsa bar, so legit

Pork loin braised in chile verde served burrito style? Are you kidding me?

Hellados Michoachana holmes....

Epic pow turns: check, stuffed to capacity with all-time Mex: check, Kujo attack: oh hell yeah that's a check!

Siebs brings it home and Tim opens it up

Marching Powder

2008-03-31T19:53:00.005-06:00

"In like a lion, out like a lamb..." so the saying goes about the month of March. Well, I guess this year March didn't get the memo because when I woke up on the 31st I was greeted with a sight I hadn't seen in a while; fresh pow! Only a few days ago the Canyons was a spring riding paradise; sunshine, soft snow, fun park features, concerts and pond skimming, but today was another story. My homies Pashley and Littlest hit me up first thing and we hit it. There was a bit of a crust underneath but overall it was pretty epic, especially when they got the control work done and the gates open.

Yup, that's where we're headed, Square Top. Click on the shot to enlarge it, that's a control blast near the peak on the right

Littlest loves candy. Except when his sour patch gummy worms blow out of the bag and fill his pocket with sugar.... and cover his phone. Yeah, he licked some of it off

Pash sez "We're goin over there"

Littlest using all the sugar energy he can muster on the hike

It was windy as hell and it was filling it in right where we were headed

More rime than a rap concert

This is what all the work was for, and it was damn worth it

In case you were wondering what your XXXL Tall-tee would look like if it hung out from your jacket on a pow day, here you go. Nice steez Littlest

Soul-o Sesh

2008-03-27T19:45:00.004-06:00

A little tough to snap shots of yourself getting radical so here's the next best thing. Guess which line is mine.....

High Times Cover

2008-03-25T11:29:00.002-06:00

Um, yeah, so, I guess I'm a model now....

Wow.... pretty funny shot right hurr

2008-03-19T11:00:00.000-06:00

Lizard King + SLC Homies

2008-03-18T15:27:00.003-06:00

These have got to be some of the dirtiest, smelliest, gnarliest humans in the Great State of Utah. But damn these boys know how to roll on 4 wheels...

Danky is my Friend

2008-03-17T08:57:00.001-06:00

Hello, my name is Dan. I love confections, designer greens and snow shredding

Big Dan throwing the method off a lil dropper

Biittner Takes Care of Biznazz

2008-03-14T15:12:00.011-06:00

Aaron Biittner is a shredder, and he's a good kid. Being a top pro shred these days is not just all first class plane seats and groupies. He takes care of biznazz when it needs to get done. The other night I got to sit in on just such a TCB occasion, a photo shoot for Onboard Digital Snowboard Mag. The idea is basically a "Pro Kits" piece but in a video format, with a female model stripping out of the rider's gear down to a bikini, nice. Get the idea, check out Stevie Bell's "Set Ups" here, (the video is in the lower left corner)

So I posted up and got a couple shots, check back soon and hopefully I'll have part 2 with some bikini girl shots!

Set it up fool

"Yeah, that's it, make love to the camera!"

"Whoa, not that much love..."

Nice work Biittner, have a smoke

See what else Biittner has been up to here

Man Day Friday, March 14

2008-03-13T13:15:00.004-06:00

Finally. A day for all us MEN to enjoy. Fuck Valentines, I'll take a filet and some fellatio anytime.....

The Kids are Alright

2008-03-11T11:17:00.009-06:00

I love to snowboard. Ask anybody. But sometimes people lose sight of what it's really all about, they start to take themselves a little too seriously on the hill. This season I've been shredding with my friend "Littlest", he lives around the corner from me in the Streets of Pinebrook. Littlest loves to snowboard too. Sunday I went riding with him and his friend Tyler. Both of these kids absolutely SHRED, but they don't take it too seriously, they love fun. When I rolled up to the parking lot to meet them I could tell it was going to be a good day.

Harry Potter wizard hat: check. 70's style shades: check. Shotgunning Natty Lights? Pre spun "Dolce Rolls"?: check and check.

Oh boy....

These two proceeded to flow through the park with beers in hand and total steez (that's "style" to you square), spray tons of people and nearly get into a fight by pissing from the chairlift. I almost had to jump into My Bodyguard character...

Nice work boys.

Free Bird/Father's Day

2008-03-10T21:30:00.008-06:00

So for those of you who don't know, my friends Chris and Aprille had a baby girl last week, Isabella Marie. She was a BIG baby but she's damn cute. The first week at home for a baby is a big challenge for new parents and Chris decided it would be a good time to be sick too. He dropped a few pounds, missed a bunch of sleep but made it through. By Saturday, with Grandma in town, it was time to get out of the house, so up to the Bird with Pouch (aka. Chef Al-For-a-Day).

Proud Papa with Miss Izzy

Peace, Sistah Izzy

Gotta love it when the Bird looks like this

It turned out to be way more fun than we thought it was going to be and after a few runs we ran into these clowns
Hey Jodie, what you listening to?
Solitaire? Never heard of that band...
Straight to the House

Jodie kills it over the sign by the Porch. Wasn't ready for this one and just clicked one off, nice shot though

Misty Mountain Hop
Blue Car into the clouds
Fart box

J-Dubz, slash to stump bonk

Metal Family Tree

2008-03-05T21:36:00.001-07:00

Now you know......

Found this at the LDS Genealogy research center....NOT!

Click on the Metal Family Tree to see who your grandpa banged his head to.

Moonlighting with Cory Smith

2008-03-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've been good friends with Cory Smith for more than few years now. Cory is the Snow Team Manager for a major eyewear brand and we traveled together for a few years to several snowboard events around the country and even to Canada for an incredible trip to Baldface Lodge with Snowboarder Magazine. We split hotel rooms, condos and rental cars saving dollars on both of our budgets to be put to more constructive uses... you know, like expensive dinners and booze. Some of the stunts we pulled on tour are better left unsaid here and God only knows how our brains and livers have survived.

Cory has always been an Art Fag, filming, editing and producing numerous team videos, sales meeting presentations and commercials for Smith. Recently Cory and his super cool wife, Jen, have become parents to a beautiful daughter, Sophie, and being a good Dad/Art Fag, Cory decided to get himself a digital SLR camera. The idea was to document his daughter growing up and maybe take a few shots of his team riders and travels around the globe. When Cory sent me some samples of his new "hobby" I was not surprised to see magazine quality shots right off the bat. What a goldbricking moonlighter! Here's a few samples....

It's amazing that Sophie can be so cute and still kinda look like her Dad

Here's Cory putting in yet another hard day of "work"

Travis Kennedy boosts one over the sleds

This is the one that really caught my eye, Wyatt Caldwell on the Moon

Miller Time after another hard day at the "office"

Eat a Dick Hippy...

2008-03-03T13:25:00.001-07:00

I know that some of you reading this are probably loyal Alta lovers, but I've got a bone to pick with some of your fellow skiers "over there". What the fuck is their problem with snowboarders? I mean seriously, in my opinion, it doesn't matter what you ride, you can still be a douchebag.

You may or may not be familiar with the rope line separating Alta and Snowbird on the Baldy shoulder. If you hike baldy from the Bird and traverse all the way out to the line there is a super fun series of windlips that gets formed right along the rope line. When you ride these windlips sometimes you're on Bird ground, sometimes you're on Alta ground. Now, just because I might happen to be over that line for minute doesn't mean I'm there to plunder all your precious powder, I'm gonna drop back into the Bird. So that being said, why do my friends have to hear it from crusty, elitist skiers every time a snowboard happens to poke over the line? Relax. Smoke a doobie brother. Get some patchouli aroma therapy going. I don't care what it is, just do something and shut the fuck up.

I think it may be time for our Little Cottonwood neighbors to wake up and smell the 21st century. I mean are you really that insecure with your ability to have fun that you need to clamp down on mine?

Eat a dick hippy.

Photo by Saydah

iChatting With the Homies, Pt. 2- Aaron Biittner

2008-03-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, damn, it's looking like this is actually going to be a weekly feature! Episode 2 of iChatting with the Homies is with Aaron Biittner. Biittner is a pro shred from right here in good 'ol SLC! Biittner's pops has worked at the Bird for a long time and consequently Aaron and his sister Libby (who is a bad ass freeskier BTW) grew up shredding there. It's no wonder they both shred, I mean what a place to learn your snow skills. These days Biittner is one of the marquis head-to-toe riders for DC Shoes (although now they are DC shoes, boots, threads and boards) and travels the world filming with the top snow vid production company, Mack Dawg Productions, and doing select contests here and there. It's great to see the homeboys doing it up big and Biittner deserves it, styles for miles. Biittner just got back from a van tour of Europe and went straight to Northstar-at-Tahoe for the annual Vans Cup rail jam. I caught up with him Monday morning right after he got back, here's the chat.

As always, if you click on the dialogue boxes they will enlarge so you can read 'em better...

Aaron Biittner, fresh off the plane from Europe, Vans Cup Rail Jam, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Feb 29, 2008. Andy Wright photo, sorry andy I stole it off TWS

Circle the Wagons

2008-03-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

So, I've been hiding out most of this winter, lurking in the suburbs of Park City and tromping around in the backcountry. Not much going out to the bars for me. But all things must change, even if it means going back to the routines that are familiar. I've been camping out in the Valley for the last couple weeks, and going out and seeing all the homies again was right up at the top of my list. Friday nights at the Circle Lounge are good times. DJ Harry Furburger (aka J2) and DJ Bennee Blanco (aka Justin Bennee) usually spin records and you can usually count on Knucklz to take a turn on the wheels, maybe even a freestyle from Concise Kilgore or whoever wants to step to the mic. You never know for sure what you're gonna get....other than really wasted.

Hit up Knucklz place to fukk around in the studio and get our pre-party on

Mad musical scientist DJ Knucklz at work in his lab
Get to the Circle and run into these fools
Yeah, thanks for the love Knux
Bennee, Saydah and Arthur, shred bro from France
Bromance was in the air
See what I mean? PlumbBob and Knux get loose

Nothing like triple fisting to really get the party started

E Stone, Ethan Fortier, snowboard industry kingpin and old school Vermont shred. Think he's not? Check the vid of this freestyle after the bar was empty. I can just hear him and Brushie battling on the mic like it was 1993 all over again....

Oh look! It's the new Bud LIght promo girl! Smile Bev, you know you rock

Melissa lining up the after party

Dawn and Bev, I like this shot, so artsy

We got back to Knucklz place and there were cops parked out front. Luckily they were busting some crack heads in the apartments across the street. Is that egg on the roof of this cruiser?

Hmm.... Looks like somebody doesn't like cops

Thank god Knucklz got a bunch of liquor store beers and a bottle of Wild Turkey....NOT!

The home stretch, it was daylight out when I left

Melissa, put this drunken fool to bed. Goodnight Salt Lake, or should I say good morning?

So here's a little follow up, I spent most of Saturday in bed until about 4:30 om when I had to get up and start puking. I figured I'd spare you, my loyal reader, the puke pics. Just another day in the life. Old enough to know better, too dumb to do anything about it....

iChatting With the Homies, Pt. 1- Josh Sherman

2008-02-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new feature here at The Adventure Capitalist, a little thing I'm gonna call "iChatting With the Homies" where from time to time I'll post up some conversations with, well, yeah, you guessed it, the homies. For part one we've got Josh Sherman, aka Big Sherm. Sherm is a young shred from the snowboarding mecca of Wisconsin who after honing his skills took 'em to the Big Leagues of Summit County, Colorado, Breckenridge to be exact. There he fell in with the rest of the Mid-Westerners that have made Breck their base of operations. Guys like Mike Casanova and the GrandDaddy, Chad Otterstrom. Here's what Sherm has been up to lately....

PS- Click on the pics to enlarge, makes 'em easier to read.

Josh Sherman getting it done for the Pirate Movie, Heber, UT, February 26, 2008

The Southern Gentleman

2008-02-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

So I noticed that of all the pics I put up from the Butt Slut Hut Tour I neglected to include one of DustNap. So here you go, the Flying Dust Pan, in the air and nearly touching his board. Nice one Dusty....

Hut Tour at the Bird

2008-02-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, the Dirty Mutha Fukin Bird.... Over the years some of the more industrious and motivated locals have built various safety huts around the mountain. Some are nothing more than a piece of visquine plastic draped over some upright tree limbs making a teepee-like structure. Some are very elaborate featuring bench seating, views, extra papers if you need 'em, lost single skis in the ceiling, etc.... Anyway, on Sunday, as a really spring-like storm raged around us we decided to embark on a tour of as many of these huts as we could. Here is our story....

Danky getting live on a cute little cat track enroute to our first stop

First stop on the Tour de Hut was one that I had never been to. There used to be another one nearby but this one was new to me. Teepee steez....

After a quick stop at the first teepee hut we ripped up to Mach Schnell to go to one of the biggest and best huts on the hill. Here's Gorga gapping at the top of Schnell

Welcome to the HH Hut, you can take off your blindfold now

The HH Hut. This place has been around for a few seasons, not sure who put it together but damn, nice work buddy!

Valet parking at the HH

Stadium style bench seating in the HH. Enough room for all your homies and their homies too, and we were the only ones there. I took a girl here once and when she saw it she said "Wow, you could totally have sex in here!" Huh, really? I hadn't thought of that....

Meeting of the Mindless, HH Hut

Blaze one Gorgs

Wow, it must have been cold, look at all that "condensation" in my breath

Peruvian Gulch is closed bitch, ya heard?

My first season out here I only had a chair pass so I rode the Gad Valley a lot. These days I'm not a big fan of that zone, too many beaters. But sometimes you gotta sacrifice. Chair ride to the next stop on the tour with Al and Danky

Next stop on the tour, the Black Forest Snow Cave Hut. Another one I've never been to but looks like whoever put this one together put in some major off-season work as well

Subterranean Black Forrest Hut. Nice to get out of the storm and get your mind right. This hut actually had empty explosives boxes for seating, pretty dope

Pick up your trash fuckface.

After a sketchy shred back to the plaza (there was lightning flashing overhead as we rode) we found out the lifts we shut down. Makes sense I guess, I mean who wants to get zapped on a chairlift? So, what better place to hang out than in front of the women's rest room?

If it wasn't for the lightning sending us into the Center I would have never glimpsed the elusive Greater Wasatch Purple Yeti. Uh, yeah, nice Uggs grandpa

After giving up and buying a 12er, we learned that Peruvian was running again. Fuck it, stash the beers and lets get a couple more runs! Danky

Huh, weird. I thought I was Shawn Boyle? Oh wait, that's right, I forgot I was Greasy today! Coiler in line, loving the graupel

Of course when we got done the dicks that drove their 2-wheel drive rigs up the canyon were fucking up the road. Oh well, circle the wagons, crack a beer and pass the puff. Danky camped out

If you see these two behind the wheel coming your direction, get the fuck out the way! I snaked Al and Coiler in line when the traffic started moving. I made it out pretty unscathed, they got stuck behind a plow truck that slid back down the hill, various 2-wheel stunt drivers and a crashed bus. Sorry bros!

Ah the wonderful spectacle of pussy drivers, creeping down the hill at less than 10 mph. Get a clue douchebags.

Well, overall the Butt Slut Hut Tour of '08 was pretty fun. Collectively I think we lost enough brain cells to make a whole new brain, but that was kinda the point. I mean, that's what sprin graupel storm days are for, right? There were a couple more huts that we knew of but hadn't been to in a long time. Nobody knew for sure if they still stood and we ran out of time to check them out on this day. Maybe next time....

Old Fukkas on Shred

2008-02-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

This could be fun but my back started screaming in protest when I read the word "mogul". I've got a board ready to go, anybody else for a trip to Donner?

Slasher Surf Club

2008-02-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Check out this little vid of me slashing. DustNap shot it the other day at the Bird. This was a pretty nice day of short-Baldy hikes with Danky and DustNap, there's a couple photos from that day below....

BirdShot

2008-02-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

So I've been lucky enough to get up to the Bird a few times in the last couple weeks (props to the "Bad Lieutenant", you know who you are), I sure have missed that place. Did I mention I'm a Weekend Warrior now? Very interesting after all these years of doing whatever the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want to be limited to standing in line with people looking at trail maps. There are a lot of familiar faces still running around up there too though, I guess old habits are hard to break, especially when they're as fun as shredding the Bird. Too bad the powers that be up there are a bunch of fuckin hippies that love skiing.

Got to shred with DankDan and DustNap a couple weeks ago, good thing the Umbrella Tree is still standing

Free Bird....
Superior is pretty much superior...
See what I'm talking about?
Hello, my name is Shawn Boyle....hahaha! Fuck you! Thank god for gangsta masks
Duckworth regulating on the crowd of weekend warriors
A familiar sight. Gee DustNap, you sure have a lot of "condensation" in your breath
Danky soul carving above the the Masses of Beaters
DustNap too
Look out for that rock Dusty (check out Shreddisasters post below)

Earning My Keep

2008-02-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Grease Family has been kind enough to let me stay at Le Maison de Grease for the last little while. Little did I know Chris had some "chores" in mind for me while I was there. Breaking up the concrete stairs in their driveway for instance... Oh well, good thing I like to swing the sledgehammer.

Hello, my name is "SnowPatch", but you can call me Homer

Chris thought he was going to be able to drill holes in this thing and would fall apart. Um, no.

This is what it's all about, hammer that bitch.
You call that a swing?

Oh sweet! Re-bar! Did I mention that the former owner of this home also owned a concrete cutting company? Suffice to say these steps were built to last...and I mean outlast a like a nuclear assault.

So anyway, Chris had to end up renting an electric jackhammer and finishing on Monday. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there but it sure looked like a lot of fun!

Shredisaters

2008-02-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Shit happens on the snow. Recently, in the course of 4 short days, I witnessed the destruction of two snowboards and a tib/fib fracture by a complete ran-dumb stranger.

Lib Tech has been killing it with Banana Technology this season. In response Burton has developed "Reverse Banana Technology". Tim has been doing some R&D for them...

This guy decided he wanted a couple extra joints in his leg so he threw himself into a tree. This nice ski patrol wanted to check it out so he cut the guys pant leg off.
Dusty mounted his brand new CAPiTA Black Snowboard of Death for a pow day at the Bird. One and 1/4 runs into it it was a Dead Black Snowboard of Death....

Evolution

2008-02-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

A new look for a new year? Yeah, I know I'm a month and a half late, so what?

Welcome Bitches

2008-02-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's a whole new world of shit spewing forth from what's left of my mind for you to enjoy. Maybe some words, probably a lot of photos, maybe some video...who knows what you're going to get. Kind of a lot like me, a loose cannon but in a digital format. Anyway, here's a link to some other stuff that I've put up in the past at a different address:

http://web.mac.com/pouch99/iWeb/Site/Oct19Shred.html

Have fun looking at that crap for a minute and then enjoy some new stuff from the life of The Adventure Capitalist, Pouch.