Vacay at My PNW Home

After 105 days on snow in 10-11', a large percentage of them powder days, this year has started off slowly and unpowdery. With good reason: starting a new job, living in a new city, entertaining guests, inconsistent snowfall. Well excuses really. My last few weekends were mostly recon missions up to Baker to get the lay of the land and work the legs into shape in advance of a visit from some East Coast shreds. Nothing but groomers and the forecast didn't look much more optimistic as their arrival approached. But great company always trumps big snow, contrary to the overused "No friends on powder days" mantra. Make the most of what Mother Nature and auntie La Nina provide.

How bout a picture of me for once? Thanks Ben, there's no sitting for Baker folk (loc: Summer Road)

After 2 days of 2" new soft surfaces ("powder" to the East Coasties), she really came through with 2 feet of fresh on their last day in town. They got a taste of everything that Baker can be. The big snow, 30 minute sun hole, complete white-out soup, big crowds, no lines, Deathstar at its prime, hiking in to chair 5, refreshing slopes all day. Also interesting to see the powder virgins handle massive amounts of PNW's finest wet stuff. I was in those shoes last season and I've come a long long way. I'm not a strong rider by any means but pulling a baby switch 3 and being able to make big slashy turns puts a smile on my face. I'm also nowhere near being a weekend recreational snowboarder either. It never seems adequate enough to describe riding the fresh to friends, coworkers, outsiders really and how it makes all the 5:30am mornings, gearing up for snowmageddon, and nonstop days on seriously burnt out legs so worthwhile. The best way is to show them.

Yea, Baker will put that look on your face (loc: Chair 6)

Not wanting to leave after their big POW day (loc: Chair 7 base area)

Thanks Shuksan (photo credit: Min Kim)

Check out the whole album here.


On a serious note, 4 avalanche deaths were recorded in Washington state that same day (2/19). Avalanche danger was clearly very high but the allure of the untracked snow removed from the massive Seattle weekend crowds drove some to pursue their last turns. The entire snow rider community is saddened by these events and unfortunately, the only solace their families can take is that they followed their passions till the end.

I love Baker for taking the safety precautions necessary, trying to keep the wahoos from being stupidly dangerous, and teaching me to be cautious and throttle back when I may just be in that "Go Go" mood. Take it easy and fucking be safe people. There's so much more to experience.

Groomers

This is what a sunny groomer day looks like at Baker as interpreted by Runkeeper gps.
Max speed, 39.8 mph. Definitely faster than the drive down the hill.

Runkeeper

Sunshiney Day

Sent this pic to my mom:

2/4/12

Her reply:

Mt baker is beautiful. thank you.

Down Time

Somehow spent the weekend without snowboarding.
Took some time to go for a run and realized I started towards the Cascade mountain range, then turned up towards Baker, headed down to Rainier and then towards the Olympics. Finished with a loop around Green Lake and came home. Pretty amazing.

Some random photos perhaps?

Downtown Seattle Terra Cotta

Onn/Of Festival, Hanging Plant Balls

Central Library hanging over the side walk

Fake nature at Onn/Of

Residents seem none too please about...

all this Lunar New Year racket

Sorry I can't bring you images with nearly as much flair as this guy. That is unpossible.

Trading Places

Big news of the day, Jesus Montero (22) and Hector Noesi (24) from the Yankees to Seattle for Michael Pineda (23) and Jose Campos (19).

Funny that the Yanks and M's should pull off such a blockbuster move. Instant reactionary comments from the baseball blogosphere seem to be pretty uncomfortable from both fanbases. River Ave Blues vs. USS Mariner, LoHud Yankees vs. Lookout Landing. Everybody loves their homegrown prospects. Unadulterated potential without the opportunity to see those new green shoots prosper or fall by the way side. From the Yankee fans perspective, Montero is a can't miss bat being exchanged for a pitcher without the same "Best in Baseball" prospect love (hype?). The living in Seattle view, giving up an up-and-coming stud pitcher (and a plus-armed 19-yo) for an unproven DH and throw in middle reliever from the hated Big Money, 1% Yankees is painful. Emotionally, no one seems too sold on this deal (words like hate, fleeced and hosed pepper the comments on both sides).

Here's to hoping both Pineda and Montero fulfill their potential so I don't have to suffer through being in the wrong baseball town at the wrong time. Can't I have it all? Seattle renewing a passion for M's baseball and the Yanks coming to town and trouncing the local squad en route to a World Series championship?

On a side note, another particularly uncommon situation in Seattle this morning: Snow. The weird thing is that I figured the outdoorsy folk here in the PNW with all their 4WD Subi's (Subaru's for you NYers) would have driving in the winter figured out. Wrong. No snow experience. As a corollary, they assume that NY gets a ton of snow. Perhaps because the 2' storms that happens every once in awhile get such national media coverage that its painted their perception in the same way I had it wrong about the Seattleites. Alot of folk are surprised to hear I came from NY to Seattle to chase powder when they don't get any here in the city and thought the East Coast was the snow capital of the country. Go figure...

Rehabilitating Ernie's Public Perception

Ernie and Bert have really fallen off the map. My last foray into Party City with a friend looking for Bert and Ernie inflatables led to nothing. Zip. Hundreds and thousands of Elmo's, Big Bird and the Ugly Dolls. Nevermind the constant Family Guy bashing of the duo with the ambiguous living arrangement.

So here's the other side of the roommates.
Ernie and Bert... on fire!



Doesn't Ernie look alot darker in the old videos?
Did he have some kind of Michael Jackson action working on his skin tone?

Fo Shizzle!

Man, how awesome is this...

Back to Komo Kulshan

Or as we call it, Mt. Baker. Maybe I was a little too excited because I'm at the lodge an hour early. I arrived at sunrise if you could've seen it through the gray pall. Knowing it's under a 2.5 hour drive from my door is comforting though. I took a leap of faith driving up here with the a storm approaching but the prospect of  warm temps and sure enough, it's raining. But I'm happy to be here. Everything is familiar but looks so different. There isn't hundreds of inches of snow on the ground, the lifties and employees are new, there's a new lodge and I'm no longer a local. Back to weekend intruder status. (from the lodge at 8am)

(after shredding)
All kinds of weather that day. Sun, snow, rain. A day of riding in rubber fishing gear. Natural halfpipe was awesomely fun early on the day and got bumpier and scarier as it got tracked out. Lots of hits in there now and fun little slashy things. Terrain that used to be pretty flat last year after all that snow now has some character. Steeper pitches and bushes and tree limbs are poking out through the snow. How about an illustration of this year's snow level versus last year's epic totals?

Take a look...

That spraypainted line, it say's '10-'11. This is close to the base lodge where the snow is the lowest. That line is much closer to the bottom of the chairs overhead than my board standing at the base of the lift tower. There's also currently a 62" base being reported. Imagine seeing that in the summer 15-18 feet over your head.

Shuksan still hasn't been blanketed with snow giving it a foreboding and mean looking rocky face. The hanging glaciers are also quite visible down the center if only my iphone didn't make everything so blue.

See, I told you the sun came out.

I Just Can't Seem to Get Enough of

A snowboard video or some other type of web clip has gotten something embedded deep in far recesses of my brain and straight to the forefront of my desires. Nothing serious, just keeps me smiling lately. It's getting hotter, a burning love. A little obsessive, I'll be the first to admit.

Life has been more eventful lately with work starting, holiday parties to attend, and expecting visitors to my neck of the woods. Really excited to hang out here with my buddies. And when it rains you're shining down on me. No snow lately but Seattle's winter has been surprisingly sunny and clear. You ain't so tough!

I've resumed my running by joining a group making laps around the all too familiar lake nearby through meetup.com. Every time I think of you I know we need to meet. Attended their holiday party and had a grand old time. Running with the group count: 2, partying: 1. Good ratio. Turns out runners aren't all split times and sneaker talk.

Just like a rainbow you know you set me free. Returning to being a productive member of the community has been liberating. A little less worry but still thinking about the future and life in Seattle.

In any event, I just can't get enough.
I just can't get enough.
I just can't get enough x16

:)

Summer Harvest Moon over Green Lake

Way back when; funny that flannel is still the bees knees

and kinda now

Or how about from the fans

I'm singlehandedly pushing these vids to a million views.

Living In the Woods

Not much snowboarding related action except a trip up to Whistler for a weekend hanging out with Fong. Snow was terrible or I may have become a powder snob because it was still better than the East Coast in its prime. Hasn't snowed in the NW or BC in awhile, at least 10 days at that point. Basically for the enitre month of December. Ouch.

Everything from the length of the drive (4.5 hrs) to the lack of powder made me feel like I was taking a road trip to Vermont again. Sigh.

Met an awesome English couple living up there through Fong and they let me crash for the wknd. Very good peoples. Turned me onto a British tv show called an Idiot Abroad. Pretty damn funny with Ricky Gervais sending his idiot friend to some of the world's most desirable destinations and experiences against his will. And tea & biscuits. The English definitely got that right. Those HobNobs can withstand a serious amount of dipping.

Comparing they're experience living in Park City last year and Whistler this year to my winter holed away in the woods at Baker, I realize I was living in a different era. No tv, cell phone signal or wifi. My focus was exclusively snowboarding whereas other mountain towns have tons of other diversions, for better or for worse. It's a bit odd now being back in civilization and trying to figure out when, how and where I'll get to snowboard. I'm back to weekend warrior statis unfortunately.

Aside from the ability to ride some powder, living in the woods did breed something good in me. I've rediscovered the joy of reading, dormant since my childhood. I guess reading websites and online articles was always present but there's a different feel about getting lost in an interesting book. Reading off the page gives the ability to imagine in your mind's eye what the author is describing. Words on the screen somehow don't give me the same sensation whether its web content or ebooks on my iphone. Definitely more into nonfiction that has a story narrative like Born to Run by Chris McDougall or Four Fish by Paul Greenberg. The Seattle Public Library System is amazing; you can request items from any location or place holds on checked out items including DVDs and cds.

I'm currently reading Power & Beauty by T.I., you know, the rapper hahaha. Also The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee * and The Google Resume by Gayle Laakmann McDowell. That's alot going on at once. So here's the list of my summer and now winter reading (27 completed books! * are recommended):

Food
Born Round by Frank Bruni
The Ramen King and I by Andy Raskin
Four Fish by Paul Greenberg *
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain *
Shell Games by Craig Welch

Running
To Be a Runner by Martin Dugard
Runner's World Guide to Road Racing by Katie McDonald Neitz
Natural Running by Danny Abshire
The Looniness of the Long Distance Runner by Russell Taylor
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich
Born to Run by Chris McDougall *
Run Your First Marathon by Grete Waitz
Race Like No Other by Liz Robbins

Baseball
The Extra 2% by Jonah Keri *
The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst
Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Economy and other Serious Topics
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
Drive by Daniel Pink
Fault Lines by Raghuram Rajan
The Big Short by Michael Lewis *
Superfreakonomics by Steven Levitt

Bestsellers and Random Others
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (fiction)
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (fiction)
Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein
The Tiger by John Valliant *
The Third Wave by Alison Thompson