Copper Mountain / 12-17-09

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Ya gotta' have gear.

We snowboarded at Copper Mountain on Thursday with Steve and Jay, 2 fellow Ski Patrols. The plan had been to do some backcountry snowboarding and skiing, but with the avalanche prone snowpack ( Check the link to Colorado Avalanche ) we decided to stay in the resort. It was all good, with it snowing all morning and a chance to get in many runs.

Weez and Jay.

Top of the palma lift at Copper.

Steve and Jay, snowing and blowing pretty good at the top.

It was a good day on the snow. To get the feel for the board and work the muscles for snowboarding, it is good to ride the resort. One can get many runs together and work on the speed, along with working the edges of the board.

This vid was a little shaky, but I was trying to keep Weez in view and not end down on my face. This was on Thursday and it was at Copper Mountain, Colorado. First day of the trip able to spend some good time on the snowboards. We were staying at our buddy Steve's condo at the foot of the mountain.

Colorado / 12-16-09

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Digging an avalanche pit.

Isolate a block.

The new top layer of the past week-end snow is on top and is easily sluffed off.

A pull on the block and it easily breaks off at the fauceted snow near the ground.

It's all sugar faucet snow with no bonding at all. that is the problem with the snowpack right now. That is why we didn't get in much backcountry snowboarding the last 2 days. Weak snowpack.

All packed up and ready to head off the mountain. Rode some great powder on the top of Buff Pass with the sleds, stayed safe and learned more about the snowpack. GOOD TIMES on the mountain today.

Buff Pass, CO

Up Top, Buff Pass, Colorado

Colorado / 12-15-09

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Colorado / !2-14-09

Just throwing a few things on for now will update tonight, going up to Buffalo Pass to check out the conditions today, hopefully get on the snowboards. Avy is considerable.
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Ice Storm, 400 miles, snow storm, 350 miles. 1100 total miles to Steamboat, CO.

Leaving the mountains of Wyoming, entering the mountains of Colorado.

Trailhead Colorado.

Came down in the dark.

Colorado Tonight / All Night 1000 Mile Drive / Storming

Weez and I are leaving this afternoon for Colorado. Taking the sleds and snowboards to ride up Buffalo Pass and check it out. Then we will meet a couple friends on Wednesday evening to do some backcountry hiking and boarding near Copper Mountain area. It looks like it is a pretty good storm system has moved into the northern Colorado area ( check out the link to "National Weather Map" ). We are driving 1000 miles tonight so I slept in till 1:00 PM today. We will be driving into the storm so if we have to stop and sleep in the truck we will. We'll have the sleeping bags up front with us.

Larry and I slept in the truck the first morning last week because we arrived in Centennial, Wyoming at 3:00AM, on these trips you just do what you have to do. No reservations, get a place wherever we end up. Depends on the weather, we want snow, so just lock the truck into 4-wheel drive and keep moving. The great thing about the trailer, "Floe 14 ft. Double Axle Enclosed Trailer" is that the sleds and our gear is protected from the elements and the trailer tracks very good on snowy roads and when we arrive I can get dressed in it, yeah.

Have a good week, let it snow, GOOD TIMES!!