It's better than bad, it's Good.

Summer Trip to Vegas - Freehub and Voke Tab to Interbike

2011-09-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

Riding shotgun in a large bus containing a couple dudes, some good tunes, and a mission. The goal is to make it to Vegas for Interbike 2K11. This morning I woke up at 615 to Brandon Watts at my bedroom door. Kalen Caughey was already outside with the Voke Bus and getting ready to go. We loaded up the boxes of Freehub Magazine into the back of the bus and hopped on the road. By noon we were entering Portland to pick up shirts and hats from Oregon Screen Impressions. A few more stops to drop off tabs and meet with Mark, the owner of West End Bikes. We grabbed some hot food to go and started our travel over to Hood River to store some cases of Voke for shipping. We are on the road again headed as far as we can get towards Boise before calling it a long day.

Some highlights of the day:

I forgot the Flag Pole and the American Flag for when we are camped out at the RV lots. (Not really)
Eating a gyro at the food carts in Portland.
Watching a 14 color screen printing press.
Hairpiece or Herpes
Sitting and watching the sunset on a deck overlooking Hood River in White Salmon, OR.

I've been doing a whole lot of thinking these past couple weeks. My life has become busy again and I have been behind the wheel. I picked up more work, went to the Gorge for the Dave Matthews Band Caravan to table for Protect Our Winters. The purpose of the tabling was to introduce Coal Kills Snow to the people of Washington and her surrounding areas. Also, to raise awareness for the organization. We were able to score over 200 names to support the opposition of a 1.5 mile coal train bringing 48 million metric tons of coal from Wyoming to Western Washington's proposed export terminal at Cherry Point, with the help of some great ladies at the Sierra Club. I have also been busy with the construction of the Freehub HQ. I will be in Vegas for the next week, and once I get back to Bellingham I am sure that we will have lots to do. Interbike follow-ups and the finishing touches on the HQ before Volume 2.2 of the magazine will be coming in from the presses. Then shipping begins!

Change is in the Air

2011-06-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Updates have been few and far between. Here is a list of things that have been happening:

I moved
Slowly hopped off the wagon (and I am OK with it)
Fell in love again - with life, sports, and people
Got a tan

Not much of a serious list. I have a serious itch to go out and do something radical. Next week I have a three day bike trip planned. My lady friend and I are headed to the Olympic Peninsula via bicycle. I feel this will be a good indicator of our ability to travel distance together. Ultimately it is still my dream to do the transcontinental ride but it has yet to be determined all of the specifics. The planning stages have been put on hold for now but I have a decent idea of what it will entail. The only serious question to be answered is whether or not I will be going that trek alone or with a riding buddy.

Summer is here, but it really doesn't feel like it. The Pacific Northwest has June-uary in effect to date. We have had a few scattered sunshiny days so far but the main summertime hit has yet to come. I pray soon so that all of the rock West of the passes will dry out and be prime for climb. Mountain biking is the sloppy, wet option and is going to keep me busy enough in the meantime.

Life These Days

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

So, I have been up to no good.

Just climbing.

Worried you for a sec? Nah. Actually, sobriety update: 72 days. I try not to count or even really think about it all that much but my cousin asked me how I was doing with it this afternoon. She is 34 days into her cleanse. Her deal is something more of a temporary one. I am going the distance with this one. When I counted up the days I was totally surprised. I have honestly only been this dry one other time in the past 10 or 15 years, and that was because we were underway and at War. When you can't drink it's one thing. When you CHOOSE not to, that's a whole other story. I have been hanging out with a lot more people lately and going out a bit more to hang out with friends and I have noticed that almost all of the social settings and event have some form of alcohol associated. Climbing - beers, music - beer/liquor, bars - duh. I am taking steps to remove myself from those environments as much as possible but sometimes it is unavoidable. I am just really getting tired of watching the people that I know and like loose control and act like fools, do things they normally wouldn't, and put themselves in precarious positions. I am not a Saint by any measure, but it is nice to know that no matter what I am doing what is best for me.

Yesterday I went climbing down at the beach with a couple homeys and we met some interesting guys. I pulled a few things but my head wasn't as clear as I had wished. I ended up monkeying around without putting my shoes on. I did have some 5-tennies on. They were decent, older model with little to no support, and don't do anything when you try to throw a heel-hook in. Climbing has been taking me back to the roots that I have been missing for a while. I found myself pulling about v3/4 off the couch. I chalk that up to muscle memory and Yoga. Not bad. I am super stoked to be getting back into it. Last Summer I barely climbed at all. Over the past couple of weeks I have been out to the local sandstone crag a pretty good bit doing some exploring and basic routes. Today we found a v7 cave that looks really sick and I am pretty sure that I will be able to link all of the moves once we get a few pads and a spotter or two down to it. I have a new project problem close to home.

On a bad note: I ate another bag of Cadbury Mini-eggs today. Easter please come sooner so that they go on sale. First, so that they are cheaper than 4-5 bucks a bag. Second, I want them off the shelves. I guess if I'm not drinking booze and eating a lot of chocolate things could be a whole lot worse!

I Suck at Mountain Biking

2011-03-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

For now, that is.

Last week I took a day off from snowboarding and ended up going on a bike ride instead. My homey has a Transition Bottlerocket in his possession that another friend won and put together last year and is cool with loaning it out. I haven't had too many opportunities to rally around the awesome trails that have been built here in Bellingham. For the longest time I was so busy with school that I had to make serious choices about which fun activities I would allow to consume my time. The majority of my free-time was used snowboarding. When the weather got better I would ride road bikes. The other major limiting factor was my fear of becoming injured. If I were to become seriously injured while taking classes my life would have been hell. Now that school is complete I have found that my snowboarding has improved and I have been increasing my skill level. The other reason that I wasn't too big into the biking scene is that it is an expensive habit. Bikes aren't cheap and to use a friend's bike and wreck it would have put me in a bind. Once again, I have a lot more time on my hands to take care of such issues. Here is the first of my soon to be many biking videos. In this video you can see my buddy take-off and leave me in the mud. The snow had only been gone for about a day or two and the trails were really sloppy. Towards the end of this video you will be pleasantly greeted by a tree.

A word of advice: trees are stronger than you. Go around them.

True to Myself

2011-03-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am super stoked. I just found out that my cousin is now 2 weeks without booze. She is doing a 6 month sobriety thing. I did the math, actually just counted a few days, and found that I am 53 days without booze. Cold turkey. That's pretty freaking awesome! I have tried to stop drinking in the past and never before was it something that I was really dead set on achieving. Now I am almost 2 rehab cycles into my life as an alcohol-free human. At first it was tough. I didn't know how I was going to be able to do it. It got a lot easier as the days passed. Everyday was just another day that I said I am not going to drink today. For someone like me that has spent over the past 15 years in a haze I am really proud. There have only been a few instances in which I found myself battling the urge to drink a beer or get loaded. I have had some really solid friends who support me and have been with me through this process. Thanks to you for sticking with me through my highs and lows over the years to see me come to this great place. My moods have become stable and tolerable, and my emotions have also become a lot easier to decipher and manage without having to use substances to block, avoid, or mask!

Important to note: "Physiology, not psychology, determines whether one drinker will become addicted to alcohol and another will not." "Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism", Milam and Ketcham. This means a liking of alcohol due to brain make-up, genetic predisposition (heredity), metabolism, and/or other factors are at play. There is no one variable that can be removed and the alcoholic will then be better. "The susceptible person must drink, of course, if he/she is to become addicted to alcohol. If he/she stops drinking for any reason - religious, cultural, social, or psychological - the disease is arrested." (Pretty bad-ass if you ask me!)

Yesterday I woke up at 6 AM, no alarm?! In getting my things ready to head up to the 16 inches that had fallen overnight, I realized that I didn't have my jacket at my house. After some thought about how to get it back from my homey I decided that I would be better off taking another down day, go to yoga, do some work from home, and just take care of business. Over the course of the day I heard from friends about some slides in-bounds and some sketchy snowpack. The ski area was open, but the upper part of the hill was only open to those riding with a partner and backcountry gear. Pretty smart for such a deep day and lots of terrain traps like tree-wells and slide danger. I ended up going to yoga and got my stretch on. Every time I get down with yoga I feel great. My mind becomes calm and my body feels refreshed. I even found myself in the my first controlled handstand.

After yoga I made my way to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the week. I saw some good friends and had some rad conversations about life, work, and the future. I made the mistake of picking up my guiltiest pleasure, Cadbury Mini-eggs. You candy people have got to give it a rest. Those things are way too addicting. Almost as bad as nicotine. Well, not that bad but you know what I mean. I got home from the grocery store, worked on some things, then had another long conversation with an old friend. As I was on the phone I ate the whole bag. I think that since I have stopped drinking my sweet-tooth has come back in full force. Luckily I am super active and have a pretty high metabolism that can offset that whole candy/sweets thing.

This morning I got up and got my things ready for the mountain. I was expecting to get up to the hill and have a great day in some really deep powder. Not the case. In fact, it was raining from Glacier all the way up to the lower parking lot. My buddy and I contemplated turning around right there, but decided against it and took some rain laps. The groomed runs were sticky and the snow was pretty slow. I found myself being jerked around and pulled into snow piles a few times . We tried to stick to the steeps to maintain speed through the muck. Even though the snow wasn't the best we had a lot of fun. I was able to take a couple fun drops and the snow at the upper part of the mountain was still pretty decent. Decent enough for some heavy slash action! We only made it about two hours before everything we were wearing was soaked through. Even the heavy-duty gore-tex wasn't enough to keep us dry. The forecast is calling for more snow and the freezing levels to drop over night. I won't be riding tomorrow due to business engagements, but hopefully it stays cold and the snowpack settles as more of La Nina comes through.

Addictions

2011-03-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Nicotine is the hardest thing in the world to quit.

I've tried for many years.

Now it is just a matter of sticking with it.

It's everywhere.

Readily accessable.

Habit.

Lifestyle.

Choices.

Relapse.

The wagon.

The cycle.

Fighting the Good Fight

2011-03-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I rode the mountain. We had about 11-15 inches of fresh. It was a banger day. I rode hard, hit some rad natural features, got some good hang-time, dropped a couple fun cliffs, and had a really great day. The ride home was a bit suspect because of the road conditions and the driver of the vehicle was drinking the whole ride home. Actually, he was drinking the drive up to the mountain, while we were up there, and then also pounding beers on the way home. I didn't really feel like it was my place to speak up and say that I would drive a Dude's truck that I had just met that morning. The other buddy that I was with is also a completely sober person that should have made that call.

Once I got home I showered up and got my things together to go to my brother's girlfriend's birthday party. I was picked up at my house and we headed out to the party. The friend that picked me up also picked up another good friend on the way. When we got to the party things were rad. We were the first people to get to the house and had some great conversation on a low-key level. People started showing up to the place and the party picked up. We sang, danced, hula-hooped, and had a lot of good times.

Over the course of the evening the driver that I was with had been drinking wine and beers so I decided, as the sober Dude, I would drive everyone back home. We didn't stay very late because one of the people had to be up early for work. On the way home things were Ok. We passed a couple police and everything was cool. At this point in my life and my sobriety I have been able to see a lot clearer when it comes to drinking, driving, and general care and concern for the actions of my friends and people that I care about.

Today I have been trying to wrap my head around the whole situation. I guess there is something to be said about the clarity of sobriety and making good decisions. Dealing with people that have been consuming alcohol and making snap judgments on my motives has become something that I am going to have to be able to process and deal with on a new level. Rational thought is not a part of the process when altering perspectives with substances. It seems like rational thought falls on deaf ears when drugs and alcohol are involved. I tried to be a good friend and do what I thought was right. I have been very willing and able to do for my friends that make the decision to drink. Last night was not the first time that I have made the wise decision in recent weeks in regard to drinking and driving. I am sober for me, but I can provide alternatives to the negative possibilities that could arise given the circumstances. Hanging out with people that are drinking is not an issue for me. I am very comfortable not drinking for myself and I don't preach sobriety to anyone. I just hope that as I continue to improve my own situation that my friends will continue to be respectful and understand that I am just a caring and loving Dude with nothing but the best intentions. If you have been drinking and someone offers to drive for you please be thankful and let them. It's the right thing to do, and don't forget to thank them for caring. It can save your life, someone elses life, or at least a couple thousand bucks in fines and fees.

One love.

Seneca Reis Mooney

2011-03-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Universe little Sister.

Born 2:16 AM March 7, 2011.

We are going to have some fun together!

Can't wait to see you!

Congratulations, Kathryn and Dad!

Warren Miller Photo Contest

2011-03-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/photo-contest/heli-contest/photos/all/18470

Check out this shot of me dropping the line on Mt. Herman Monday March 7, 2011. Please go to the linked page and click on the 'like' button to vote for us by May 1, 2011. We could win a trip to Alaska to go heli-snowboarding if our photo gets the most votes!

Thanks!

Big Monday Cliff Dropping

2011-03-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

Monday I went up to the mountain with a couple homeys to get some morning runs in. We found a couple of hits that we wanted to go for and did some major work on them. Carl and I hiked up to the drop spots and had our way with Mt. Herman. The first spot that we hit was pretty close to the ski area. Check out this video. I stomped the drop to the pillow, then it felt like my board grew a pair of wings.

After the first hit we went out and looked for some other things to ride. There wasn't much to get down on where we were at and the Sun was disappearing behind the storm clouds that were coming in. As we were searching for something fun to hit I saw a cliff band that looked pretty sweet. I decided on a line and went on a 45 minute hike up the mountain. The snow was getting pretty warm and setting the boot-pack was not very easy. At one point I thought that I was going to slip down the mountain backwards. The worst part about if that were to happen is that it would have been quite a ride, but a really bad spot to get pulled out of. I made my way up to the cliff band that I had wanted to ride and the guys mentioned that it didn't look as fun from where we had initially seen. They were able to guide me over to another spot to drop. The drop through the chute looked like it was about a 10-15 footer, but could have been rolled through without leaving the snow. As I started my turn down the chute I decided that I was going to pop an ollie. The jump ended up being about 30-40 feet from the point of my ollie to the landing. Check it out:

After that the clouds really came in and we headed back to town. It's beginning to look and feel a lot more like spring around here. Carl and I took a good walk through one of my favorite spots in town, Boulevard Park. The Sunset was pretty chill and made for decent conversation. Still a couple more weeks before the Ski Area at Baker goes to Weekends only. Then it will be time for hitting up the lakes and the bike trails on the regular!

Weekend Riding and an Acorn Project Free Show

2011-03-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I rode the mountain. Scooter picked me up from my house and we met up with T&A over at our friend Scotty's pad. We rallied up to the mountain in T&A's Pathfinder. Amazingly enough all of our gear fit in the truck and in the roof box. The Yakima box fit 4 boards, not exactly comfortably, but good enough for us. We parked in the back lot of the Upper Lodge. There was about 9 inches of fresh overnight and the lifts to the upper part of the mountain were on hold until about 10 or 1030. We decided to head to other parts of the mountain to get some powder. The trees were awesome and the snow was really deep. Scooter didn't have his backcountry gear, so he didn't get to play.

We rode the whole mountain and at one point I took Scotty over to a line on the hill that is generally considered "Experts Only" and down a pretty steep cliff. As more people begin to figure out these lines and more people follow the tracks to these zones the more dangerous it gets. As you will see, it looks as though half a ski-bus is in the middle of this chute. Not the best place for a picnic, especially with cliffs that are loaded with powder hang above waiting for someone to cut across and send the snow down on top of you. A word to the wise, don't follow tracks that you aren't familiar with. Also, don't cross the rope lines unless you are totally prepared and able to make your way down the run. Not trying to be a jerk, but it becomes a lot less safe.
Check it:

I ended up driving the rig back to town. One of the perks of being sober all the time. I really like knowing that there will never be an issue with getting pulled over. I also really like knowing that if any of my friends ever need someone to get them home I will be able to help. Depending on the time of day and my schedule there might be a nominal fee, but it's a hell of a lot better than a DUI or an accident. I honestly don't think that everyone should be totally sober. Moderation is really the key. No booze works for me.

Last night I went to the Wild Buffalo for the Acorn Project show. It was a free show to welcome the newest member of the band to the Bellingham fan-base. Scott Vaillancourt - Bassist is the new blood and totally kills it. I had an excellent time dancing and kicking it with friends, new and old. My good friend Colleen was right there to back me up and get the wonk out. The energy was extreme and the vibes were plentiful. Another great show!

After the show I rode my bike home, stopping for a snack at the local Yorky's market. Once I got home I was able to fall asleep at approximately 230. I awoke in a pool of my own sweat at about 430. I mean it was a really huge amount of perspiration. I think that having been on this detox plan for over a month now my body is finally cleansing stuff that has been going into it for such a long time. I highly recommend the occasional cleanse.

This morning I got up, talked to my Dad on the phone and found out that they are having the baby today. They didn't want to know the sex until the birth, so I still don't know the status. Today is one of my best friends birthday, too. =)

As I was on the phone I saw that Carson and Carl were out front getting ready to head up to the mountain. I quickly got my things together and hopped in the car. We got up to the hill a little bit late but there was still some sunshine. We hiked out to Table Mountain and found some things that looked promising for some video/photo shots. We built a little kicker over a tree and hit it a couple of times before the storm rolled in and killed our visibility. Here's a shot from the session:

Tomorrow we are going to head back up and do it again. Not too sure if we are going to the same spot. Winter is still here, but it's looking a lot more like spring down here in town. Soon it will be time to retire the board and ride bikes all the time. I'm not really in a hurry. I am really enjoying it all!

Here is something for you to laugh about. This is what happens when you just go for it. =)

Snow at Mt. Baker

2011-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

Carson Artac Photo

It's not really good up there.

Don't come to ski at Mt. Baker right now.

I jumped off of stuff into snow.

I did that yesterday, too.

I shall do it again tomorrow.

There was actually an avalanche rescue up at the snowmobile zone.

Helicopter, too.

Hopefully no helicopter tomorrow.

And perhaps some blue skies.

That would be nice.

First Day of the Rest of My Life (Again)

2011-03-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today has been one hell of an emotional day. I quit smoking a little over a month ago and picked up chewing tobacco to ween myself off of the habit. I had tried this method before and it was mostly successful, until I started smoking again. While I was working on the flight deck of the USS Constellation I would get pissed off about having to go to the smoke pit and wait in line for half an hour to smoke a cigarette with 50+ other dudes. I made it almost 6 months before I picked up a smoke. I tried to quit a little over a year or so ago, too. That one didn't last as long. I went from factory smokes to hand-rolled with filters. I just ended up rolling a lot of my own smokes. Still felt like crap. My most recent girlfriend had asked me to quit for one of the sweetest reasons I had ever heard. She was worried about my health and what would happen when we got old and I got sick and died before she did from a preventable cancer. Apparently that wasn't enough to get me to quit at the time. I guess I finally figured it out and decided that I'm over it.

I woke up this morning to another horrible dream. My alarm was set to go off at about 630 so that I could get my things ready to head up to the mountain. I awoke at approximately 610. Not a huge deal, but there was no way that I was going to fall back to sleep after the dream that I was having. I got up, made coffee, got my things together, made breakfast, then read the paper while I waited for my buddy to get over to the house to pick me up. While I was waiting I spoke with another friend and they informed me that snow level was about 4500 feet and it was pouring rain at the lower lodge. That basically changed the course of my first day without nicotine right on the spot. Eric made it over and we shot the breeze, drank coffee, talked work stuff, then he took off.

I spent a few hours doing research and eating some snacks. I also did a little bit of a workout while in between some reading. Working out has been helping me with my sobriety, and now it will be a go to friend while I am battling the nicotine addiction, too. At one point in my day I felt a bit depressed about some things that had happened in my recent past so I decided that I had to get out of this house. I hopped on my bike and went for a ride. I stopped off at the post office, then headed over to a grocery store to get some goodies and fixin's for a shake. When I got home I was able to work for about another hour before I realized that I needed to ride some more. I put my rain gear back on and hopped right back onto my bike and headed downtown. I ran an errand, picked up a book, turned around and then headed back to the Bay. I felt a little bit lost today, so I just rode my bike wherever I felt like. I actually rode for quite a while, making my way up a killer hill that really gets me going every time. If you know Bellingham, you should really get down on the switchbacks up to Lake Padden from Fairhaven. Love that ride!

So, all in all today has been riddled with polarized feelings and a whole lot of bike riding. Once I get my hands on a sick mountain bike I will be able to fill the void with some other riding, too. Tomorrow I am heading up to the mountain. Hopefully it will be decent without the downpour. Being active snowboarding, doing yoga, riding my bike, or working out has really been what I needed to battle the depression that I was feeling for quite some time. For now, time to do some reading up on SEO stuff, or maybe just watch a flick before hitting the sack. Positivity and good dreams to all!

March 4th Marching Band

2011-02-28T03:31:00.000-08:00

Kills it every time. I wish I could end this post with "Nuff Said" right now. That wouldn't even begin to touch you in the way that I was felt up by the super sexy sounds of this group. First, I must say that Lynx was also very rad. Not exactly the way that I would have anticipated the lead in to March 4th, but still very good. The performance felt a bit slow but in hindsight I am glad that I was able to save my dancing feet and listen to some wicked beat-box action!

When I saw that Boogie Universal was putting on his show I knew it would be a blast. The last time that March 4th came through Bellingham I believe that I had prior engagements and was unable to attend the show. Either that or I had to do homework. One or the other, doesn't really matter. The last time that I DID see them was in Portland at the Hopworks Brewery Bike Fest. I had seen them once prior to that here in the Ham and just happened to be in town and we didn't even know that they were going to be playing before arriving at the bar. I also saw Acorn Project that same night at a totally different bar. Also without having knowledge of them being in Portland prior to showing up at the venue. Sometimes the stars line up like that. Funny situation, Acorn Project is playing a free show this coming Saturday March 5th at the Buffalo. (Free until 1030 that is.)

Tonight was one of the best performances that I have seen in a long time. The gang has serious style and quite a bit of panache. From the start of the first set my feet were moving to the grooves and didn't stop until the intermission. Local bad-ass, Joel Ricci of Lucky Brown, was with the band for the show tonight on a couple different instruments, too. The dancers on stilts are boss. The "High-Chair" dance by the ladies to start the second set was phenomenal. The grooves kept on coming and the dancing didn't stop until the final five miuntes before the bar HAD to be empty. Not last call, the last five. So rad. I danced my snow-tired legs off. If I didn't have to ride my bike back home after the show I don't know if I would have had any inclination that my legs were so beat. Look this band up. If they are coming to your town, DON'T MISS IT! Dance your butt off and love every second of it. Please, remember to hydrate before you go to the show or make sure to consume as much water at the show as possible. You are going to need it!

Time to hit the sack. Yoga in the morning. Such a great life.

Mt. Baker on another Pow Day, and Church

2011-02-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Church with my friends T&A. The sermon wrapped up a series on “Clarity”. It was a very nice sermon about making wise decisions and having the ability to understand that we are not all knowing and that sometimes it is in our best interest to seek out the advice and counsel of others. I have been pretty guilty in the past of thinking that I know all the answers and that my perception of the World is right. It may have been right in my mind, but perhaps not the case for everyone. One of the key takeaways from the sermon was that when choosing our advocate(s) on serious issues in our lives we should be mindful of who it is exactly that we are looking to for the advice. Three keys to that decision are to make sure that the person or people that we go to be objective and don’t have an interest in the decision we make. Secondly, look for expertise and truthfulness. Anyone may have an answer but it might not be the right answer for us in the current situation in our lives. Pastor Bob used an example of going to a friend that has had several divorces for relationship advice. Seems like that would be a big “duh”, but I have definitely gone to some people recently for the answers that I wanted to hear based on their past experiences and not objective expertise. The third point that was made is that we should also look to people for advice with intentions of leading us toward a path that is Godly. I know that not everyone believes in the Christian faith, but this is something that can be relatable to all religious and spiritual beliefs. I have taken many large steps to understanding this over the past couple of months. In all honesty as I was graduating from college I was in a pretty rough spot and didn’t think that I had any answers. I was slowly driving myself crazy trying to figure out what to do next and where to go. They have slowly but surely been coming to light with a lot of inner searching and sobriety. The sobriety thing is quite huge. As I have become more in tune with who I am and not using substances to mask my inner-self and the emotions that come with uncertainty I have realized that I do need to be able to utilize those people with the knowledge that will help me make better choices on my path.

After Church we went to the grocery store and picked up some items to make dinner at the house. As we were walking into the store we passed a display that made me super happy. Even though it isn’t quite March yet Cadbury Mini-Eggs are on sale. Probably my favorite of all seasonal candies that you can purchase. Over the course of last night and this morning I ate an entire bag.

Now, some might say that was a poor decision. I say, “Nay.” Those things are delicious. I did the math and I consumed 1149 calories of candy shelled chocolate goodness in approximately 12 hours. I think they gave me really bad gas, too. If I were sedentary it may have been a bad call. Instead I rode sweet, sweet powder all day at Mt. Baker. That and I will more than likely hit up the weights and do some other exercise this evening. Working out and being active has been a big savior in my life lately. This decision to quit smoking and drinking but adding in the exercise has really helped my outlook on things and has also been a great substitute for all of the time in the day that I would have spent either drinking or the cumulative time that I have spent smoking cigarettes. Tuesday is the day that I set for my totally tobacco-free life. That means a whole lot more candy, chewing gum, nail-biting, and for a while I will be on the nicotine gum to offset the mood shifts that are certain to come with the cessation.

Baker received over 10 inches last night and it kept coming down all day. This is a shot of Mike on his Patrol rig. He is giving the "We love Powder" Metal-Hand!

The light was mostly flat and the terrain was pretty difficult to make out in some places on the mountain. I have come to a realization that I need to get a different set of goggle lenses for riding snowy days. The Oakley Crowbars that I picked up a couple of seasons ago have mirrored lenses. While they are pretty awesome on sunny days they are not the best choice for the conditions that are the norm at my home mountain. Here are a few runs that we took today that I enjoyed.

Baker Trees

Elbow Love

7 trees. (Notice the nice turtle spin I get toward the bottom of the hill. That was fun!)

Here is a bit of silliness just for giggles:

Winter All Over Again!

2011-02-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

The past couple of days have been absolutely stellar. Snow has been falling not only on the mountain but also in Bellingham. It is currently snowing in town and I had a great day up on the hill today. Yesterday I rode Mt. Baker with my homey, Avi. He is from the Ham and has been living in Hawaii for the past year and a half. We met a couple of years ago and he was my riding buddy. He leaves in four days so I have been trying to get as much time in with him as I can. This is a picture of Avi setting up his board in the back of his rig:


Mr. Avi Schwartz

We rode from about 10 until the final bell of the day. The snow was great and deep, but still very unstable. Baker had received over 8 inches and it was cold and fluffy. The pow turns were plentiful. At one point we had considered going for a hike but as we were heading out onto Upper Elbow we witnessed two slides. The first slide came from above onto the hiking path. There was a crew ahead of us and as they continued through the sluff another skier/snowboarder traveled above them and set off another slide. The second slide came down and almost buried the crew as they stood there watching. As two of the guys dug out a third we turned downhill. That was the end of our thoughts on hiking for the afternoon.

We lapped a couple choice lines and had a really great day. Here's a little bit of a run that we took through some deep trees:

Later on in the day we rode some other fun lines. Here's a wreck for your enjoyment: (please feel free to laugh)

After riding all day we decided that it would be a good idea that if I were to catch a ride back up with him in the morning I should crash at his rent's pad. It would cut off a bit of the morning commute and make for a much easier travel day. I came home, packed up all of my things for the day, and put together the things that we needed to be able to wax our boards. We hit the sack while watching a snow-porn. Over the course of the night it got pretty cold in the basement and I was lacking in the blanket department. On top of trying to solve problems and waking from very busy dreams several times through the night I was also a bit chilled. I awoke this morning a bit sore from riding, yoga on Monday, and a great workout Sunday night. It has all been adding up over the past few days and my body is ready for a rest. But not until after we rode today!

As I was getting ready to head up to the mountain this morning I unpacked my clothes and realized that I had forgot to put a key ingredient into the bag: MY THERMAL PANTS! As I told Avi of this fact he mentioned that he had an extra pair that I could borrow for the day. I am 5'9" 1/2 (the 1/2 matters) and Avi is about 6'Large". I have a 28" waist and assume that Avi's is not in the same area code. This was proven by the amount of times I had to roll the waist of the thermals like a teenage girl rolls her booty shorts before going to the swimming pool. It was actually quite humorous.

We got up to the mountain after a very long drive. The roads were icy and people were having a lot of trouble getting up the hill at a decent traveling speed. At one point we were driving 25 mph before we even hit Glacier. Once we got to the hill we scraped our boards and headed out to the hill. I honestly believe that having on Avi's "Big-Boy Pants" helped me do this:

Did you notice the skier crash? Stop laughing. It's not nice to laugh at skiers. They know not the error of their ways. =)

The day was a success and riding with Avi was a blast. It will be sad to see the homey take off in a couple of days, but hopefully we get to ride again before he bounces back to the islands. As for now, I am beat and need to get some much needed sleep before a long day of work, webinars, and business meetings tomorrow. Life is pretty great when you think about it. I am blessed to be in this wonderful place and have so many great people to share it with. Thank you for reading and enjoying my life as I put it out there.

A Great Week

2011-02-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been. A lot of snowboarding. A little bit of business. A whole lot of growth.

Monday was the Del show, and also Valentine's Day. Bummed we couldn't get into the Bellingham Circus Guild performance, then heading to Del for a less than stellar performance started the week of to an interesting foot. By the end of the week Del had announced that he felt super bad about the show and is going to make it up to Bellingham by throwing a free show on March 18th. What a guy?!

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were awesome days up on Mt. Baker. There was fresh snow everyday and nothing was sliding. The visibility on Tuesday wasn't good enough for any real killer hiking, but the snow in the ski area was great for shredding all day long. Wednesday the weather got a little bit better as far as visibility. I was riding with some good friends and we managed to take a couple of sketchy lines down some fun stuff. Here is a little bit of a run from that day:

Thursday was by far the best day on the mountain for me. Visibility was great and got better as the day moved on. I hiked around and got fresh tracks all day long. In morning my friend Jessica and I rode mostly in-bounds, but by the afternoon it was all backcountry riding. The snow was mostly stable with only a few surface slides in steep places. I saw a few friends taking some pretty aggressive lines, but it was in my best interest to just have fun riding the lines that I was comfortable with. My knee has been giving me some problems lately, so I took it pretty easy. On my way out the Arm the third or fourth time I hiked up a little bit higher and took the back way down. This is probably my favorite hit on the mountain right now:

Here is a bit of a line that I took Thursday afternoon with Stone Malone and JP:

Friday I spent the morning trying to clear my head of some negativity and irrational thoughts. I went to Yoga with Guy at the La Vida Dance studio on State Street in Bellingham. When I arrived Guy was the only person there. Shortly after I had changed out of my gear into the proper attire another lady came to the class. Guy kept a really good pace and tried very hard to keep me in the mix. He could sense that my mind was troubled and that I was not as present as I could/should have been. Sometimes it's hard to compartmentalize all of the things that I have going on in my mind. I am working on it and sobriety is helping.

Yesterday I went back up to the mountain with my married friends and we went for a nice hike out towards Table Mountain. T is about ready to quit smoking cigs and it showed. He was having some trouble with his breathing as we were hiking. I have noticed that my hiking and overall energy level and endurance has skyrocketed since I quit the cigs. I set my completely tobacco-free date and have all of the supplies that I need handy to help with the transition. The power of positive thinking is going to help me out with this one. That and the fact that I know how good I feel right now! It was a beautiful day and here's proof:

Look at the love-birds hiking together. So stoked on these two marvelous friends!

This is me smiling!

Today is a mental health day for me. I am going to head down to the waterfront and get some much more needed vitamin D and read a book for a while. I have some work things to accomplish this evening, but today is just way too nice to sit inside. =)

Banked Slalom Weekend Wrap-Up

2011-02-15T02:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the 26th running of the Mount Baker Legendary Banked Slalom. Every year it is expected that there will be a grand party and friends, old and new, will shred the majestic and world renouned ski area. This weekend was just that.

Friday I rode with my friend and we were able to take some pretty fun runs. The weather turned out to be pretty cold and wet, which made for less people than I had expected. There were still quite a few people up on the hill taking their best shot at the course. The course has had a new twist this year. In years past there had been a loop or a full turn, but this year the trick was that you had to pick either a right line or a left line about halfway through the course. It didn't seem as though too many people had issues with indecision. I think that might have been an issue if I were to have been in the running.

The day ended pretty early due to the weather and the sheer discomfort of riding in really warm, wet snow. The runs that I did take were fun, but the cold and snowy conditions weren't the most optimal. We met up with a crew at Chair 9 for some food before heading back to the cabin in the rim. That evening I took some time to get my stretching and yoga in while the rest of the house partied. I was even able to read a couple of chapters in a book that I have been enjoying. A few of the people that were staying in the house headed over to another cabin to party down and I stayed behind. It is pretty rad knowing that I can do whatever I want to even if people are doing their own thing. I tried to go to sleep at 11 but the party was making it pretty difficult. At points people would walk into the bedroom, turn on lights, have conversations, kick my feet and legs. At 2 AM the guy that was sleeping in the bed was kicked out so that two people could do their version of the drunken horizontal mambo. They actually tried to do their business with me in the room but I wasn't about to just lay there and TRY to sleep through it. The gall of some people really surprises me sometimes. I spent the rest of the evening trying to fall back to sleep in the livingroom with several other people snoring and one guy had the best teeth-grind noise that I have ever heard. The best was when the dude that had taken over the bed came down and on his way to the bathroom kicked me in the head. Drunk people.

Saturday was a little bit better for weather, but it was still pretty cold. The morning runs were good and I took a few laps on the side-country for powder sake. We considered hiking around but made the determination that it was a no-go. I felt really good about that decision based on the low-light, fog rolling in, high winds, and ultimately nowhere near enough sleep. Apparently the course conditions weren't as good as they had been Friday, but some of the riders still managed to lay down pretty good times. I met some pretty cool people in the lodge while I was eating and waiting for one of the Wildcard / Mountain Militia riders to finish his run for the day. I saw some old friends, made some new ones, and tried to make the best of it. As I left the mountain I had a feeling the conditions on Sunday were going to be much better.

I hit up one of the beds in the cabin for an afternoon nap, then headed over to Chair 9 to hang out, get some food, and do the socialization thing. It was the night of the Frequency / Mervin (Lib-Tech, Gnu) party. There were a lot of people and it turned out to be a really rad time. The music was a lot of fun and the vibe in the house was pretty upbeat. I noticed at one point that being at bars sober you tend to notice a lot of shenanigans that go on. More so than when you are partaking in the shenanigans, too! The Tea-Baggin Bandits played a mean rockabilly set and it was pretty cool to see a lot of dancing. There was actually a rockabilly mosh-pit for a few of the songs. I met a few new people and had some good conversations with other people. Throughout the night the sheriffs came through the restaurant and made sure that things were staying moderately sane. I took off at about Midnight to head back to the cabin and rest up for the coming day.

Sunday was the best day of the weekend for snow conditions. The sky was blue and the powder had stacked up pretty nicely. There was about 8 inches to two feet in spots. The morning runs were great and as the day progressed we tried to avoid the masses. At one point I counted 35 people hiking up the bootpack up Hemispheres and out the Shucksan Arm. The snow got pummeled, the people kept hiking, and some really dumb moves were made by a lot of people. I also saw some of the most unsafe backcountry practices that I have ever witnessed. Overall the snowpack was variable and a few slides were set off by backcountry travelers. I got a couple good runs in and had a very good day. Also ended up picking up some schwag from a couple of the vendors and booths. I drove my friends truck back to town, stopping for a bite to eat at one of the restaurants along highway 542.

Another banked slalom weekend in the books. Congratulations to the riders that took home the golden duct tape. Next year I will be better suited to have my way with the mountain.

Tonight I tried to catch the Bellingham Circus Guild's special Valentine's Day show. The show had sold out and we ended up heading to the Green Frog to hang out with a couple other disappointed friends. I made a list of some things that I want to accomplish over the next year or so. On that list is the prospect of getting a dog. I have been avoiding the responsibility of owning an animal for a few years. I had been telling myself that school took first priority and to be able to do it with an animal wouldn't have been fair. I think that since I have made this shift in my outlook about the necessity of being able to go out every night and my decision to stop drinking I have a lot more time and energy to put into taking care of another living being. I had also thought that to have an animal would limit the amount of travel that I can do. Now that I think about it deeper it seems as though it has all been a cop-out and that I just wasn't ready to grow up and be that responsible. That and it really isn't too difficult to have a friend or a family member take care of an animal if you make it happen. We met up with one of our friends that had performed at the Circus after the show ended and had some dinner with her. We hadn't hung out in months due to her travels and my busy school schedule. It was really great to reconnect with her and I soon hope to be able to visit her in Hawaii!

I then made my way over to the Wild Buffalo to catch the Del show. Del the Funkee Homosapien has played Bellingham a few times since I have lived here and I caught one show a couple years ago. At that show he seemed a bit unenthusiastic. Tonight was no different. At least tonight his hype-man was claiming that Del was sick but still wanted to do his best for the fans.

Take-aways from the weekend:
1. 10 year-old children should not be subjected to the party that went down in the cabin.
2. I still love to party.
3. I can do it sober and have just as much fun.
4. I want my own cabin.
5. Del is overrated
6. I'm ready for a Dog.

26th Annual Legendary Banked Slalom

2011-02-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, boys and girls. The time when some of snowboarding's most talented riders descend on Mt. Baker Ski Area and take to the Natural Halfpipe to race in the longest running snowboard competition in North America. I have had the opportunity to be present at the past three or four of these events and I must say it is a really good time.

The events begin on Friday and go through til Sunday when the final race is held. There are two qualifying days in which the top 25% will go on to the actual race on Sunday. It is a one shot, one kill kind of race so there is a lot of pressure to do well on your one or two runs of the weekend. Each day ends with a bonfire in the parking lot. Saturday there is a party of sorts and a Baked Salmon BBQ, maybe a little bit of debauchery, too. This Saturday will also hold the 10th Anniversary Party for Frequency, The Snowboarders Journal at Chair 9 Woodfire Pizza. Tickets are $3 and there will be music and raffle prizes, and don't forget all of your favorite people.

After the last rider has sent the course on Sunday and a little bit of down time the awards are bestowed on the top riders. It wouldn't be fair or just to leave out the most important part of the competition - The Golden Duct Tape! The golden duct tape is the highly coveted award that goes out to the winner and most highly regarded snowboarder in all of the land, perhaps even the WORLD! There also happens to be a little bit of an underground thing we like to call, "The Banked Sleddem." That one is a little bit more difficult to locate. It is kind of an annual cap to the event, but we shall see how that goes down this year, too.

I am finally getting back to life after my three week escapade. The Super-Vaca followed by SIA, then the long drive back put a toll on my mind, soul, and body and I am just now getting back to reality. This week I picked up a little bit of work and have been busy staying focused. I took some time last night to head over to Mountain Militia HQ and helped out while the boys cranked out gear for the weekend. They will be up on the hill taking donations in return for T-Shirts and will also have games for the kids. Make sure to stop by the booth and say what up, check out the gear, and trade in a suggested $10 donation for a T!

The parking lot is going to be crazy and I highly recommend carpooling with your 27 closest friends in that clown car Subaru. The weather outlook is pretty sweet and there might be a snow storm on the way for the Finals, too. Make sure to remember that drinking and driving is a serious deal, especially on 542! The cops will be out in full force and they don't mess around. Designate a driver, or invite a friend that doesn't drink and pay for their lift pass. It's a lot cheaper than a DUI! Also, drinking in the parking lot is illegal, so do your best to fly under the radar if you must.

See you up on the Mountain and hopefully shredding the gnar. I might just take a little walk up on top of the mountain and catch the race from a little perch up on top of Hemispheres!

Post SIA11 Brief Re-Cap

2011-02-03T00:28:00.000-08:00

SIA was a great time. For my first experience at the trade show it was almost overwhelming but got a lot easier to manage as the days passed. Some of the booths at the show were set up for just having fun while doing your business. Who is this hippy?

I met so many radical people and had some awesome friendships develop. I also had some really interesting things happen on the journey. First off, I lost my wallet. I went out to a couple of parties after the Transworld Rider's Poll Awards and ended up at a strip club. I have never really enjoyed strip clubs. I have been to my share over the years and to tell you the truth I find them to be quite depressing. Nothing that I want to spend a whole lot of time doing. I managed to stay longer than I had intended because I was hanging with a couple people that I found to be full of information about the industry and chose to talk to them about some of my ideas and gain further insight. By the time that I got back the hotel that I was staying in I noticed that my wallet had gone MIA. I honestly think it fell out of my pocket while I was sitting having a conversation, but it could have fallen out getting out of the cab, too. Losing a wallet sucks, but the worst is when you are trying to be good and sober only to end up with a very important part of your life has disappeared.

That was on Friday night/ Saturday morning. The following two days at SIA were cool, but I was finding it hard to focus on my goals due to the fact that I had a very serious dilemma. I hung out with the Mervin crew for a while those days and got to know the Mervin family pretty well. I say family in the strongest sense of the word. Those guys and gals are a riot and have one hell of a culture. Lots of fun and lots of business. It was a lot of fun helping out breakdown the booths and I made a couple of t-shirts in the process. I did manage to make some new connections during the last two days of the show and that was pretty sweet, too.

Monday and Tuesday were the On Snow Demo days at Winter Park. I ended up riding with the Wildcard and having a whole lot of fun. I tested out a few different boards and have to say that my favorite of the two days has to be the 11/12 Attack Banana (2010/11 Specs). It has the EC2 camber set-up and holds an edge like a dream. I didn't particularly enjoy the lack of pop, but it was still a lot of fun on the Colorado hardpack while also very maneuverable in the park. I tested a couple other LibTech and Gnu boards and they were just as enjoyable. The only board that I didn't ride from Mervin was the 11/12 YESnowboard Basic w/ CamRock. It was a lot more playful than the Attack Banana in the park and had really good pop. I would have to say that I would choose the Banana over the YES board in Baker Pow due to the stiffness, but they both have great qualities and excellent construction.

I will add more pictures and videos of the show and the demo later on.

Today I took advantage of the free lift tickets to other Colorado resorts that came with the SIA package. I rode Copper Mountain with a couple of friends, old and new. The weather was really good as far as clear blue skies, however, the temperature left a lot to be desired. At one point the temp dropped to -22. It was really tough going back to my Nitro Team that I picked up last year, especially after really enjoying riding the GNU Mutant bindings for two days. I still hauled ass all over the mountain and was having a ton of fun getting brainfreeze while keeping up and racing my skiier friends down the smooth, fast groomers. I think my eyelids froze shut during one of the mach 10 descents. It would have been a totally different day had there been some fresh pow but I still had a great time racing the tracks, throwing up slash plumes, and hitting the park. I even hit up the ice pipe a couple of times. The last run down I took a pretty sweet fall from the lip of the pipe down to flat on my noggin. I also slammed my knee during the same fall and it is already bruised and kinda painful to walk on.

After we left the mountain we got some grub and headed over to the local Breckenridge airport for some fly time with a new friend. He owns his own plane and took us up. We flew over the Rockies and buzzed some mountain tops and ski areas.

We also played with gravity. Check out my nasty snag in this video. This is how you catch a clipboard whilst it flies weightlessly through the air!

All in all I have had one hell of a ride. Tomorrow we begin our journey back home on the road. I am very excited to sleep in my own bed for the first time in two weeks. The only thing standing in my way at this point is a good nights sleep and a 25 hour drive with Matarik!

SIA Pre-Show: Part Duex (Mostly About the Jones Line)

2011-01-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

I spent last evening working on the Jones, YES, and Nidecker booth with the crews. I intended on just saying hi, but ended up working all night with the guys. I met Jeremy Jones and Forrest Shearer while helping these guys out with the arrangement and management of their booths. This was around 6 PM, so I was already feeling quite out of it and not much of a conversationalist. I had the opportunity to go and check out the Big Air Competition that was held outside of the Convention Center but: A) I didn't want to pay to see dudes snowboarding downtown and listen to crappy music, B) This is the industry that I want to operate in and to be able to be behind the scenes working on the setup of a booth for a company and people that I really admire was awesome. Jeremy has a passion for this sport that I have always held a very high regard for. It was a real treat to check out the line super early and see what the company has in-store for the consumer 2011-2012 season.

This year Jeremy has been working with a new company called KarakoramBC. They are based out of Colorado and Washington and have created a proprietary splitboard binding system. Last night the dudes were at the booth setting up the Jones Split line with their technology to be on display. I talked with the guys and found out that the system is completely different than the Voile and Spark systems in that it actually creates a base that does not require moving pins and feeling like a glorified Tele or AT Ski. This year the Hovercraft comes in either a solid or split, and the artwork was done by Mike Ennen. The split will retail at $649. The Mountain Twin split will retail at $749, while the "business" of the line, The Solution is going to be priced at $799.

Here is a look at the Jones' Booth from last night:

Wall of 2012 Boards to Touch

Boards with Descriptions and Inspirations

I also worked on the YESnowboard booth, too. I have a shot from the pre-set and will have more to come.

On an amusing note: the Nidecker guys are crazy and made a board with tons of QR codes all over it. Have you ever heard of a site called WickedWeasel.com? Well, sorry to spoil the fun but that is only one of the QR codes. You have to get over to your shop that carries Nidecker to use your smart phone to see the rest!

Nidecker THU

We got out of the convention center at about 1130, then went to the hotel. Dropped off our bags. Went across the street. The dudes got some beers. I got a coke. We all had perogies. I finally passed out at about 145 AM. Another crazy long day running on almost fumes for half of it!

OK, so here's a little bit more of an in-depth look at why I am really here. I am looking for a job. Not so much a job, but a career in the action sports industry. Ultimately I would like to stay on the snowboarding side of the house, but at this point I know that I can make my skills kill it in any industry. I don't want to just sell someone's widgets, I want to sell something that I know, use, can get behind, and promote with a passion. So, there you have it. Tomorrow is the job fair and I will be doing the rounds for my search, but I would really like to get down with a company on a deeper level. I am also kind of picky about where it is that I am going to end up. I would like to have my home base somewhere near. . . wait for it. . . a Mountain (or three!)

Time to get back to the show and see some more things. Today is the actual day one. I don't have any appointments, and I like that!

SIA 2K11 Pre-show

2011-01-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

We got in to Denver this afternoon after a very, very long drive. Evan and Justine picked me up in Bend last night at approximately 5 PM and we hopped on the road. After about four hours of driving we decided that we were going to head straight on til morning. We switched off and on all night and drank about a million cups of coffee, each. Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, to Colorado. There was fog, snow, ice, large animals (both on and off the road). To be quite honest with you it was a very crazy night.

We finally arrived in Denver this afternoon. I was able to catch about an hour of sleep, and it was not the most comfortable and bad dreams plagued me, as Evan drove on. Justine also caught a little bit of shuteye while we were trekking across the land. Once we got into Denver we parked on the street and decided that we were going to try and catch a bit of time with a speaker presenting about Increasing International Social Media Presence. By the time we made it to the convention center they had canceled the presentation, so we took a couple laps around the exhibition floor.

Right now I am about to head back up to the exhibition area and check out what has transpired while I checked my emails and made some phone calls. I am planning on checking in with some of the guys that I know setting up a couple of booths and get some info on what is happening later this evening. I am almost totally drained and need to find out what I am going to do about my sleep situation, too. The Denver Big Air Competition is starting and goes until about 10 or so this evening. I would really like to catch some of that. Perhaps a little nap is in order first!?

Super-Vaca 2011, Elk Lake and Bend, OR

2011-01-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

For the past three or four years a few friends and I have been trying to arrange a meeting of greatness. A couple of years ago two out of four made the trip. This year we finally managed to pull it off. We started planning in Summer of 2010 and got the plan of attack down. Chris, Johnnie, Phil and I were all to meet in Bend, OR and spend a few days out at the Elk Lake Resort. Phil has a buddy from work that is good friends with one of the owners and arranged the lodging.

As the time to head to Bend was closing in I was unsure of how I would be able to make the trip. I tried to figure out my travel arrangements with some other friends to Bend, but we couldn't manage. I ended up cashing in some air-miles and got a flight out of Seattle for pretty cheap. Phil and Chris were scheduled to get into Redmond at 8 PM on Thursday, so I made my flight plans to arrive at 630. I told my old friend Evan when I would be getting in so he picked me up at the airport and we went to his place in Bend for some dinner with his lady, Gena (pronounced Jenna.) She owns a cute place right near 14th/Century which made it quite easy for Phil and Chris to scoop me up when they arrived.

From Gena and Evan's place we took the cab the rest of the way out to the Deschutes National Forest around Mount Bachelor. We were dropped off at approximately 9 PM at the Dutchman Flat parking lot to await our chariot. Phil, Chris and I hung out and watched the snowmobiles get loaded onto the trucks and trailers as the riders came back from their moonlight rides.

After about thirty minutes at the snowpark we saw the floodlights and the headlights of the Snow-Burban. What's a "Snow-Burban" you ask? It is a fully tricked out, lifted Suburban with Quad-Track designed to carry passengers and gear on snowy roads. Pretty much as bad-ass as it gets. The drive into Elk Lake took about an hour and we still had no idea what we were really getting into as the website hardly covers what to expect.

View Larger Map

We arrived at the cabin and unloaded the gear. As we walked into the pad we were greeted by six or seven of the already drunk dudes that had been at the site since earlier in the day. The other guys had already been out snowmobiling, had dinner, and started on their binge. Actually, a couple of the guys were already to the point of passed out. We went to one of the other cabins to say hi and meet the guys that were still up. Chris, Phil, Mike and I hung out for a while and finally retired at around 1 or 2, after going down to the lake and doing the 7 second echo. It is pretty sweet. You can actually shout from a point at the side of the lake and the echo will travel all around the lake bouncing off of the mountains 7 times.

The next morning we woke up and got on our snow gear for the day ahead. We walked down to the Lodge for some breakfast before our day of fun in the snow. The menu is pretty decent for being a one-man kitchen show. I had an order of biscuits and gravy that was excellent. A bit spicy and very hearty. The other guys were drinking fresh squeezed citrus juices with a splash of soda and vodka. I opted for the juice and soda. I loved how they had a real juicer on the bar! After breakfast Chris, Phil and I had to fill out the necessary rental paperwork for the sleds, just in case we wrecked them or killed ourselves in the name of fun. Apparently there is a $7,500 replacement cost for any of the rental sleds. Probably a little bit more than the actual cost. Phil took a single sled and Chris and I rode the Two-Up out to the snowpark and recreation area with the other 10 dudes. We did a little bit of hill climbing, trail riding, played a little bit of high-mark, and got some air. We tried to get up to the top of one of the mountains in the area for a view of the surrounding mountains, but as we climbed higher fog rolled in and the sleeting rain killed all hopes of seeing the range. We rocked the sleds back to a small glen half way down the mountain. We ripped around the area and took turns jumping the sleds over a small roller. A couple of the guys had been drinking and one of the dudes lost control of his sled and took it straight into a tree. The sled wasn't damaged but it was pretty nice to have that reminder of why I don't drink. About six of us dug the sled out of the tree well and everyone was ready to get out of the rain. We hopped back on the sleds and went back to the lodge.

Chris and I hung out at the cabin reading while the other guys hung out at the bar and drank for a while. I read some more of the book that I have been reading, "A Million Little Pieces." It is a great story about a man that had hit rock bottom and decided to quit drugs and alcohol. I can see a few similarities in the main character and myself in how he tried to avoid his emotions and run from his feelings. Johnnie's flight got in at 315 and Phil, Mike, and I hopped back on the snowmobiles to pick him up. We rode out to the Dutchman and waited for his taxi to arrive. On the way to the parking lot the extra helmet that we had brought for Jay fell off of Mike's sled and I ran it over. It was ok, but the visor didn't make it. We got to the parking lot and this is the greeting:

I drove Johnnie back to the cabin while Mike carried his bag on the back of his sled. We raced back in the sleeting rain and made some pretty good time. I actually got the sled up to 70 with Johnnie on the back. At one point he said that he thought he was going to fly off the thing. I'm glad he didn't, but it would have been pretty funny!

We got Johnnie settled into the cabin we all went over to the lodge for dinner and some socialization. The rest of the crew was already there and pretty saucy. I actually decided to take a night off the wagon to hang with the bros and drink a couple beers. The night was going pretty well until Mitch (The Owner) and Rob were playing a game called "Root" in the snowy parking lot in front of the lodge. The game is played by trying to knock the other person off balance to the point that they raise a leg and set it back down or take a step. Mitch was in the process of falling down and there was a loud pop in his knee. We weren't sure how bad it was but the way that he laid on the snow for almost half an hour it couldn't have been good. We all tried to get the big guy up off the ground but he wasn't having it. I pulled his sled around so that he could get back up to his cabin. Mitch got up off the snow using a shovel and my shoulder. I helped him board his sled and he went back to the cabin. Mike walked and brought the sled back after he got him into the cabin and settled into his recliner.

Here's where things got really silly. Johnnie doesn't drink very much anymore and we had been bought shots to accompany the beers. When Mike returned with the sled Johnnie hopped on it and took off. He hadn't ever driven a sled before and bounced sans helmet. At first I thought he was just going to the cabin to crash out due to sleep deprivation and alcohol. Not the case. He actually took the sled out to the main road and hauled down the snowy road. I guess he hit the kill switch on it and not knowing how to start it back up was stranded. We sent a search party out to find him. They got to him after about half an hour of being out in the cold with no lighting or idea where he was. The two guys that went after him got the sled started and as he tried to get the sled back to the resort he rolled the damn thing onto himself when he drove it up the embankment. Luckily he is a big dude and it didn't do any damage other than a bit of a scratch on his back from the ice. They got to him and pulled the sled off and when they tried to start it back up the plugs were wet. They towed the sled back to the resort and Johnnie crashed out in the cabin. No one was hurt but after that I decided that there really isn't any reason for me to consume booze. Too many friends have been destroyed by the stuff and I have had too many close calls myself. I had been 18 days sober, had a few drinks, then swore it off altogether once again. This was pretty much the end of day two of Super-Vaca. Stay tuned for more to come!

Near Death Experience

2011-01-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was riding my bike home from my friends' place after hanging out for the afternoon. They made a nice dinner and I had to come home to get my things in order for my trip out of the Hammy (aka Bellingham.) I have been riding my bike all over town a lot lately and it is pretty sweet, minus the fact that I broke the front fender last Summer and still have yet to get the part that I need. The taste of the sandy pavement spray is comforting for the first couple minutes. The crunch can get a bit annoying, especially when chewing gum.

Anyway, tonight I was hauling at a pretty good clip. I like to go fast. I think I end up going really fast even when I start out just taking it easy. Since I quit smoking cigarettes my lungs have had a really solid capacity and if I get into my breathing I just get lost in the ride, which in turn gets me up to a decent speed. As I was riding tonight I saw a car pull up to the intersection of 32nd Street and Taylor Avenue about 150 feet in front of me.
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I have flashing Cateye lights on the front and the back of my bike that I assume are bright enough to be seen from that distance. I kept my speed and as I closed in on the intersection I saw that the girl driving wasn't paying any attention and started to pull out in front of me. I grabbed my brake handles the hardest that ever have had to. My wheels locked up and I skidded sideways for about 20 feet. I shouted at the top of my lungs (which are pretty strong these days) and the girl stopped. I slid up to the driver-side front fender and bumped it lightly with my front tire. The two girls looked at each other, looked at me, looked at each other and knowing how to read lips I saw them say "That was close. Where did he come from?" Just goes to show you how much attention you need to pay when driving.

I usually try to wear bright clothing but all of my rain gear is black. The Ortleib bags that I carry on my Surly Cross-Check also have reflective spots on the sides. I am seriously considering getting a much brighter light for the handlebars. I am also seriously thinking about picking up a bright yellow rain jacket. If you ride bikes in the Northwest or anytime at night always have flashing lights and wear a helmet. My little brother was in the hospital after a collision with a car this past year for four days. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet. He is still going through the motions with the legal proceedings. The driver only had $10,000 in personal injury and the bills amounted to over 20. If he hadn't been wearing a helmet he would not be with us today.

Ride hard, but ride safe!

Mount Baker Lengendary Banked Slalom Locals Qualifier

2011-01-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today, January 17, 2011 was the Martin Luther King Jr. Local's Qualifier for this year's Legendary Banked Slalom at Mount Baker Ski Area. The last few days have been pretty wet and in a bad way. It has been really warm and rainy up on the Mountain and I was half expecting to need a snorkel to ride. I carpooled up to the hill with my friends Brandon and Maggie in his Subaru station-wagon. I arranged the ride last night after not being able to confirm one with some other people over the course of the evening. Thankfully he was willing and able to come and swoop me up from my house even though they both live on the other side of town.

Brandon and Maggie arrived at my house at about 730 and we made the trek up to the mountain with two stops on the way. The first one was at Maple Fuels so they could get some breakfast and gas. I highly recommend calling ahead if you plan on grabbing a sandwich on your way. They make a pretty mean breakfast croissant. I like to get sausage, egg, pepper-jack, green peppers, and onion. I snagged a Clif Bar and some juice. Since I have quit drinking I don't buy beer but it is a good stop to grab yourself a sixer of tallboys if you want to save some cash on beer at the lodge. If you do plan on drinking in the parking lot, which is illegal and you could get a fine if the troopers and park police catch you, the law is that you must be inside your vehicle. Remember: keys out of the ignition! The second stop was to drop Maggie's little dog off at a friend's house in Glacier.

We got to the parking lot at White Salmon Lodge at approximately 9. Brandon and I went up to the third floor to sign the necessary paperwork (waivers). We were both given our bibs that were to be taped to our front leg and headed back to the lot to get on our gear. Once suited up we hopped on Chair 7 and rode down to Chair 5. The course is set-up in the Natural Halfpipe with red gates on the right bank and blue gates on the left. All of the riders were allowed to side-slip the course one time prior to the event beginning of the race. Brandon had signed up for the Pro Men category and I the Older Amateurs. The Pro Men raced at 1050 and Older Ams were supposed to begin at 1230, which meant after we slipped the course we had some time to kill.

We decided that we were going to take some turns in the meantime so we headed back up Chair 5 and rode back down Sam's Ridge to a fun descent through the trees. The snow was pretty soft and there were some open spots with water rushing below the snowpack. It was a little bit disconcerting, but all in all still a lot of fun. Once we got to the bottom of the run we went over and took some runs down Chair 6 in the trees in an area called "Hidden Wave". I'd tell you exactly where that is, but that takes the fun out of the name "Hidden." The snow was still pretty fun and there was a lot of the hill that had some untouched terrain and good-ish powder.

Brandon made it up to the start of the course in time to watch some of the other guys take their runs and see what was and was not working. We waited around for a bit before deciding to take a couple more laps to keep our legs warm. Brandon was the second to last racer in his group which meant we were all hanging around and cheering on the other riders for quite sometime. It was a lot of fun to watch on as the other guys were trying to stay on the course and make their way down to the finish. Maggie and I moved down the side of the course to watch as he left the gate and she was able to set up to take a photo as he rode the course. Brandon did really well and made every gate in pretty good time.

There were a lot of categories that went before I was able to go. I saw a bunch of friends and was able to root them on from the sidelines! After Brandon's run we took a little break and I got a cup of coffee in the lodge. I met up with a couple friends that were up to cheer me and the other riders on and we hung out while I thawed out and let my gear dry from the rain/sleet/snow. It wasn't as miserable as I was expecting, but was still pretty wet.

I took a couple more runs before heading up to the start area while the youngsters and the ladies took their runs. I was able to get my legs warm again and had a lot of fun pushing the snow around the mountain. I made it up to the start and since there had been some delays for the patrol to smooth out the course I had a bit of time to stand around and wait for my turn.

The first time that I tried to race the qualifier two years ago I had been drinking beers and smoking some greens the whole day. As you can probably assume I didn't do that well. I finished the course and didn't miss any gates but I came in DFL. I think it was not only due to the substances that I had taken in, but also because I was pretty new to the sport. This time was a bit different. The course was a lot less icy, however as the day went on the temperature had been dropping and the snow was falling a lot more than in the morning. I have been feeling pretty good about my riding ability since quitting the booze and herbs which played out rather nicely. I was really in tune with my body and breathing. I stayed low, powered through the rutted turns, and made it through every gate. This is my run:

Overall the day was a success, but since Brandon had to be at work by 5 we took off before the awards. I don't know exactly how I did in the very large and competitive division that I had signed up for. It is pretty tough to figure based on the amount of guys that have been riding for two to three times as many years and in the age group of 20-29. Next year I will be able to race in the Masters or Pro Masters division. I think I will shoot for the Pro Masters. As for now I will be checking the Mt. Baker website to see how I did over the next few days. If you raced today or know someone that did you can also see the results when they are posted. I am not super competitive when it comes right down to it but this event was a lot of fun and there was definitely a lot of cheering and camaraderie for all of the racers. I love the vibes at Baker!

Great job to all the people that showed up to race today. Thanks to all the friends that didn't race but were still present to cheer on the homeys! A huge thanks to all of the people that made the course and maintained it during the day!