POW!

Here is Paul in the white room. It did not snow the entire time we were down there. We arrived on Saturday. Pete took this picture on either Wednesday or Thursday. We did not hike at all to get to this spot, just a couple minute traverse. Although you cannot see it, Paul was definitely smiling.

This Post is Just a Teaser

Thats right. You will get no goods in this post. Merely information about the goods to come.

Previously I told of how it is very difficult to take a bad picture. This is still true. Most of the pictures on the blog so far have come from my "el cheapo" camera. Pete had a kick ass, make pro photographers jealous, takes effort to ski with, camera. The pictures are exponentially better. I saw one actual poster size print that he made up and it is worthy of the Powder photo annual.

We are currently in negotiations with Senior Batin. However many massages we have to pay for, we will get some of his pics up here.

Tough To Take a Bad Shot

It is easy to take a wrong turn. You all of a sudden becom very comfortable on very exposed terrain at Portillo. This ridge is the beginning of the traverse off the Roca Jack.

From left to right - Mike, Ted, Paul.

Even thought it is tough to take a bad picture, I can still try. Here is a close up of Ted, Me, Pete, Mike, and Paul having lunch at Tio Bob's. Note how the Chilean flag is very similar to Texas. Stay tuned for how to get the "Don't Mess With Chile" t shirts.

More Pics From the Super C

Shane McConkey skiing at the bottom of the Super C. This was just before Ted and I skied the "madatory air chute" and asked Shane how it was. He is skiing his Pontoons.

Here is a pretty good look at the boot pack above the Roca Jack to the top of the Super C. The pic was taken from Tio Bob's, where we had our post "run of a lifetime lunch". The boot pack we took goes straight up the left side of the shadow, then traverses left about halfway up the picture just above the sunny ridge, then straight up again to the top of the C. Behind that sunny ridge and below the traverse is the exposed section where I damn near pooped em. For perspective, the tiny rock in the bottom left of the pic is what Mike, Ted, and Paul are standing on in the"Tough to Take a Bad Pic" post.

A special shout out to the official snack of the posse. We love you lil' Debbie. Also, the large piece of rock in the backround is Aconcagua (correct spelling). The summit towers above the 14,000 foot ridges in the foreground at 22,841 feet. It is actually in Argentina and is the biggest peek in the western hemisphere.

Watch That First Turn

Paul, Ted, and Mike, from bottom to top, hiking up above the Roca Jack to the top of the Super C. If you lean back, you might end up back at the bottom. The bottom of this top section of the hike was all exposed cliff. This is the section where I damn near pooped em.

View from the top of the Super C. The snow was firm and wind blown here. As soon as you dissapear the snow got real good. Davenport told us Saturday he thinks the elevation up here is between 13,500 and 14,000. Below the couloir you can make out "the road with 30 curves". That is where the Super C ends. 6000 feet below.

Paul skiing just below the top. Paul, Ted, Mike, and I all agree it is ridiculous just how big the Super C is.

Paul making a turn on that first face. I am not sure exactly what degree this slope is, so we will just go with pretty freakin' steep!

Holy Crap! I`m Skiing the Super C

We did it!

It was a brutal hike straight up the Roca Jack. Fortunately for us the pros beat in a good boot pack yesterday. The hike took just over 2 hours. Straight up!

I damn near pooped em on one very exposed traverse near the top. Fortunately everyone was able to KIT...Keep It Together.

We had some incredible views of Aconcagua (spelling is probably wrong but I`m too tired to look it up), the highest peek in the Americas. We don`t know the exact elevation at the top of the Super C yet, but we figure it`s right around 14000. The previously named peek towered over everything at 22000. It`s a big piece of rock.

Anyway, before we knew it we were skiing South America`s biggest couloir. All I could think after the first few turns was...It`s good! Several turns after that I thought...Wow, my quads are really tired. Then it hit me. Holy crap, I`m skiing the Super C.

Tune in around Tuesday for some sweet ass pics.

Yeah...It`s the Super C

Well, the interactive ski movie just keeps getting better and better.

After making a pretty gnarly and uber rad traverse to some of the chutes leading into the bottom of the Super C, we saw McConkey, Davenport, McConkey`s mom (who rips), and a couple others comming down the couloir. Paul snapped off a bunch of sweet ass pics of them, while Ted and I skiied a pretty gnarly, mandatory air chute down to say what`s up to Shane and see how the Super C was. Shane gave us the low down. The snow sounds like it is not the greatest on the planet for every turn of the 6000 foot couloir, but still ok. I asked if it was worth the 3 hour hike, to which he responded, Yeah...it`s the Super C.

We are going tomorrow!

On another interactive ski movie note. Davenport stopped by our table in the lounge this afternoon to say hello. He remembered Paul from last year and wanted to say what`s up.

That just happened!

Anybody want to come next year?

McConkey`s Mom is Here

Guess what. She kicks ass too. We heard rumor that she hiked up and skied the Super C with Shane. It`s about 3 - 4 hours straight up.

Someone did a ski base jump this afternoon.

The lines that the pros are skiing are insane. Although tough to do, those guys could be more uber rad than the posse. I know. That is pretty uber rad.

The week has turned into a real life ski movie that we have now become a part of. Some sort of ski twilight zone. I am not sure that we will make it out.

Condor`s Flying My Ass

It seems we may have had some misinformation on the sighting of a condor. The only birds we are seeing are blue. Today was total blubird again.

Bullshit!

It`s OK though. There is some kind of phenomenon here that overnight, somehow re-freshifies everthing. Yup, thats a word. I typed it.

The skiing is still rad, and things keep getting more and more interesting, even with all this bullshit sun. We started straightlining Garganta today. It is about as long as below the LC for those in the know. We pretty much figured we were the coolest people in South America. Then McConkey and Davenport showed up. Those guys are good. Real good. I mean, those guys are tight.

The posse will have to step up our raddness.

I Love This Place. I Really Do.

Somehow we cannot seem to stop saying this. We are not the only one`s either. We keep hearing it everywhere, but mostly we hear it up on the traverse off the Roca Jack.

The traverse opened up today, Augosto 14th, three days after the last storm, and we were sking fresh lines all morning. Fresh, untouched, steep, fast, uber rad lines until we had to stop for lunch. Oh, by the way, it was bluebird!

Yeah, we`re pretty much the coolest people we know.

Some people in the hottub told us they saw a condor flying. More pow on the way hopefully. it better get here quick.

fts.

We made it!

The terrorists may have been against this trip but the posse has persevered. It cost us many extra hours at the Denver airport, but all in all, it was smooth sailing. Apparently the road to the hotel has been closed from the Argentinian side for three days due to snow. We got to the Hotel Portillo today at noon and were skiing by one. There was about a foot of heavy, new snow.

That just happened!

Since we were all very tired today after much travel, it took a while to sink in that it is August 12th and here we are skiing pow again. The skies were preety gray so no pics. You`ll just have to stay tuned.

No Words Necessary

Well, they might not be necessary, but here they are anyway.

This just in from the fts weather center. Two new storms have been named just west of Chile. The first system is now being called domingo, and the second system has been named martes.

Hah!