Finally, after sending 2 sets of bindings and a check to the
Karakorum dudes (thanks Tyler) like in late September, and having my Party Shark and Microscope sent out to be split, Nick at
Sick Splits finished the shit up on Wednesday. The day we were leaving for the cabin for a good 5 days of hick time. All we needed were some skins and poles and off we'd be going. So I thought.
So after Thanksgiving dinner with the Burchs, Josh jumped in as the experienced hippie and started getting our skins dialed to the boards. "What the fuck is a tail clip dude?" Yea he had spares. 2 hours later we had our shit looking tight, all we had to do was commit to walking vs. riding the chair.
Friday at Stevens was a mad house. Pow, good weather and people with days off equaled 4,500 people on the hill, that is half open. Lines galore. So, no better time than the present right?
Josh continued with his patient (kindbro'd) ass with Milo and I and took us for our first tour. It would of taken us a good half a dozen times or so just to figure out what he told us to do in the first 30 minutes. Lesson here, go with people who have done it before you.
A 45 minute climb to up the mountain across the street from the area was pretty easy. Lil guy was freaking me out too. "Dad, look at this view! Dad, this is awesome. Dad, can we do this again after we get to the bottom?" Hmmmm, hippie spawn?
We were still climbing to the top when we passed this touring skier who was coming down the hill in the same tracks he went up (why the fuck would you do that) when we asked him how much farther it was to the top. He said it was ten minutes up but if he were us, he'd just strap in and ride down from where we were because it was skin trail to come down on to get to the pow field we just passed. Milo said "uh, no way I'm climbing this far with out going to the top, let's go." So, off we continued.
We bolted all our shit together and moto'd the trail up, down slashing everything in site until we got the big ass slope that was track free. Then we proceeded to tattoo the shit out of it with our signature style down. Hands down, best pow runs of the season.
So for the maiden voyage, double thumbs up. Fairly easy to do, stuff rides like the resort goods we ride, and the untracked der is worth the hike. Thanks Burch for the patience in popping our cherrys. You were gentle. Fuck yea bro, gorps pretty tasty.
I'm so jealous! Brody and I were going to split a couple boards (random thing is, I was all prepped with a Party Shark as well... ha), but ended up with nasty vet bills when our dog got sick. Next season, we're so fucking there! =)
ReplyDeleteGORP_SKWAD!
ReplyDeleteYou're right about having someone more experienced give you tips (just the tips). We spent our first four or five times floundering. It was ridiculous. We had trouble with all of it, including route-finding and zone-choosing--that ridge you did is bomb. Took us a while to figure that out. One of my best moments in splitboarding so far was giving the Stevens parking lot attendant the good ol american bird as I drove past him and his motioning for us to pull into his crowded ass lot.
One day we ran into a couple of dudes who knew my friend from way back. They'd been splitting for ten years. Friend was stoked and said, "dude these are the dudes we've got to shadow--they're experts."
They were better at going up than we were for sure. They had the goofy switchbacks and transitions dialed. Helped us out on some little stuff. But, it turns out the dudes were boring, like most of the people we've seen in the BC. Maybe it's that we're not going to insane places, but the level of downhill shredding is weak. Even the people on snowboards just kind of S-turn wiggle. I do what I've always done--my poor imitation of Mark Gonzales--but I look like T.Rice out there. Makes it even better. Your little dude is already the U-17 Champion Splitboarder for sure.
It's rad though. Now, when we go to ride lifts, the splits are always in the car. If the resort's a ball-up, we'll start walking.
How was Kararakarokarum split changeover?
and Construction Note: your man goes with the ptex discs? I had them in my hand, but I didn't trust that I could get them to seal up the tbolt holes or stay put. They look good. But I was afraid.
Breakitdownrealkwik
You up-north fools... I gotta get on that program. I'm not partying with the sharks, but I'll cobble some twigs together or something.
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