Snowboarder Trip 3/6/08

TAHOE BACKCOUNTRY

Wow! What a trip. We started out in the Tahoe backcountry with riders Markku Koski, Nate Farrell, Stacy Thomas, Ben Lynch and Forrest Shearer. On hand to document the ordeal was Snowboarder writer Tom Monterosso, photographer Aaron Dodds, photographer Terren Gomez, and Leeward filmers Chris Edmands, Jason Hogan and Kyle Schwartz. Also joining us was a good friend from VHoldr; Shawn Harstad.  The staff has been running around all year, so the three mile hike in wasn't much to them, but to the newbies it was a bit harsh. We had a beautiful camp around 8,000 feet overlooking Lake Tahoe and the weather was great. 

We found good powder on north aspects and everyone found a little something to do. Stacy, who'd been riding really well all season, found a nice pack-down drop and promptly tore her ACL. Shitty. What a bummer man. We had five more days to go with her and one new location. She was a great sport though and chilled around camp, cheering everyone on, until it was time to go. Koski, Lynch and Farrell all found good drops near camp while Forrest found a cliff a little higher up. Later everyone congregated around a Volcom Stone shaped rock jump and TORE IT UP!  T-Bird from the mag even got in on the session. Spins, one-footers, flips and straight airs were the topic of the sesh. By the time we were done it was dinner time so we headed back to camp.

Koski is no stranger to winter camping. In the Finnish army he had the most miserable camping experience of his life. So when he agreed to come out with us I was elated. He found comfort this time in a North Face tent and a -20 degree sleeping bag. Everyone slept well and dreamt of pow.

The next morning we headed west to a spot I saw through the trees the day prior. It was a little lower in elevation than where we were yesterday, but the snow was better. Again, everyone found something to make them smile. Especially T-Bird. I could hear him giggling through his pow turns from 2,000 feet away. Lynch tested his toe edge on a traverse across a cliff face to a sweet drop. Farrell, Forrest, and Koski all made nice pow turns. Shawn even got to follow cam a bit and I could hear him hooting and hollering as well.

The next morning we decided to ride out. Even Stacy, in her pained state, opted to ride rather than walk. Directly below camp we came to yet another virgin snowfield. Because it hadn't snowed in weeks, and the snowpack had ample time to settle, I asked the riders to all shred together for a shot. It worked out and we got to ride 2 miles to the road.

BISHOP BACKCOUNTRY

Normally, after three days in the woods, you get to go home and rest for a few days. Not this time. We all slept about five hours and headed to Bishop - the southern Sierras. Markku had to leave and Stacy returned home to heal. Next up: Erik Leines. For this trip we called him Ular, a name that's been in his family for some time. Ular has a long beard and a deep connection with the mountains. He was quite welcome on our crew. 

The first day was just a travel day. We encountered some rather lengthy lag and didn't get to the trailhead until 1:30pm. We had five miles to go and we all new we'd be setting up camp in the dark. Considering we were 2,000 feet higher than the last trip and already tired, everyone moved well. By headlamp we set up camp and toasted the night with a little wine. The gang awoke around sun-up and met for breakfast. Over yerba-mate and oatmeal we made a plan and went off to find pleasure in sliding sideways down a hill. Just up from camp we found a couple of cliffs that Ular and Farrell dropped. Forrest and Ben went off to build a jump and T-bird, again, giggled as he made pow turns. Dodds, somehow able to resist the pull of the pow, made sweet images. We did a little more searching after lunch, rode some fresh for fun, and retired to camp.

This night was a special one. Not only did I get to eat Cous-cous again, but we were treated to some real musical talent. Nate Farrell has a well known gift for voices and singing, so we weren't surprised when he busted into his new BANANA-CHIP-A-FARI song. Someone beat-boxed, and everyone moved. I haven't heard a group laugh like that EVER! Good times.

Day three was short. We had a long hike to a new zone in the morning that yielded long lines and some fun features. Ular, Forrest and Ben all picked some wind-packed lines above a lake while Nate dropped some cliffs and flipped a wind-lip. The wind at this new spot was unreal. Gusts up to 50 mph maybe, and gnarly blowing snow. It made walking difficult. On the way back to camp to pack up we hit a really cool natural double wind-lip. Nothing really lined up on it but it was fun to ride anyway. You know, I love these riders. Even if conditions aren't right they still shred. They love snowboarding, and it shows.

After packing up we went to the damn. Forrest and Ben had seen it on a previous trip and wanted to ride it, but we lost light. This time we made it there in time and Ben and Forrest both made easy work of it. It was great to get a cool jib shot in the backcountry, and a good ending to the trip. A four mile ride back to the car was the ender-ender and we slid right into the relaxation only a car seat could afford. Thanks guys.