If You Don't Believe Me

You know your in the right spot when big timers keep showing up.

POWDER

Powder Mag Video

This was from the worst ski day of the week. Only because the viz was so bad. They only had on small lift open. Even though it was the worst day, Powder thought it was worthy of putting up some video. No one cam in without a smile.

Portillo Promo Video

Another Killer Week

Sking fresh POW every day does not suck.

Ok. The visability was not perfect today, cause it's snowing again, 5 new as I type and counting, but the Roca Jack opened and it was sick.

The nature of the super dump down here has them open terrain in stages. Leading to absolutely untouched fresh tracks all week. I am spent.

We got the word last night from Zak, a Chicago Ridge guide/ portillo ski patroler, that the new motor had been installed and the Roca would open 1st thing. That's 1st thing Portillo time. Me and Ben were over there waiting at nine. The scene was interesting to say the least. The lift mechanics had already boot packed the 1500 or so vert up to adjust the tension on the lift. Patrol was waiting on them to be able to go do their thing so that we could go do ours. Two french guides were above the Roca lift hiking up to the Super C. We were all standing around looking up the slope when a peice of cornice must have broke from the 13500ft ridge up above. It wasn't too huge, as far as huge goes down here, but it was big and sent the guides scurrying for cover behind some rocks. The slide didn't get too close to them or the mechanics, but talk about a morning wake up.

Shortly after this, an avalanche of Dav's ski campers showed up in full force. 40 of em. We scurried for cover in the front of the line, which didn't real exist yet. Dav was told that it would probably be a while, even though they had actually been running the lift. Might even be an hour. He led his crew away for some warm up runs. He's an incredible ski mountaineer, but he doesn't know how to speak ski area employee. We didn't budge. We just resumed chillin now that we didn't have to hold down a spot in line. Within 2 slingshots of ski patrolers, aka under 10 minutes, they gave us the nod. We got first Roca and three more quick ones right back down the Roca face before the camper's returned, filling the maze. A full maze ain't bad, but we won.

After a few more laps, ski patrol opened the Roca traverse. More fresh. All day. Sure, the viz wasn't perfect, but I was hitting fresh lines right up until they shut it down.

Everything's being reloaded right now with another storm. They don't really expect the road to close. Who knows about that. All I know is that I'm getting up early and once again, skiing more fresh POW!

Protillo

That's whats going on down here.

The usual camp coaches, Dav, the Godfather (who when he leaves here is going to Hawaii to work on big wave tow in skiing!), Wendy, Ingrid, Chris Anthony. As per years past, it's pretty great to see those guys skiing around, but there's more.

Brad Holmes and a photographer are here. Working. Out looking under every nook and cranny(cliffs) for some sweet shots.

Some Powder mag editor, (who knows about Sweeney and Dave) is down here with Adam Clark, a pro photog. I chatted with AC breifly about how tough it must be to have down weeks in AK, as opposed down days at Protillo. He said he doesn't look at it as a missed week, but a lifetime investment, with killed payoff when it's good. He thinks I'd love it.

Grant Gunderson is here. Apparently one of the best protogs. Everyone seems to go to him with shutter questions, and the pros hop to it when he's got an idea for a shot.

The Austrians ski team is here. Get those guys some fat skiis and they'll rule the world. They couldn't race yesterday, so I swear they were practicing crashing. They come rippin into garganta mach schell and bomb in until they hit the real deep, eat shit, jump up, and keep jamming, all on skinny race skis.

And then there's the posse. Of one. I got hooked up with a ton of Oakley gear before coming down, so, aside from being rad, I look pretty rad too. Some high school girl in the camp asked me if I was here filming. I said no, just skiing, but turns out that's not all together true.

Today. Blubird. Heli crashed yesterday. They can't fix the Caracara without the bird. Roca Jack waiting on a new motor. Road closed. Blubird.

What's a one man posse to do? Caught up with Nick(UVM front desk guy) skiied a couple laps on the train tunnel run. It's sick, and now I know just how to get there. We then cought up with Chris Purcell, grandson of the founder of Hotel Protillo. He's here for a couple days break from running their resort up north. Hiked the bootpack up the Caracara line twice. It was sick. Plenty of fresh. They got the motor in for the Roca . It's open tomorrow. Had lunch. Cought up with Ben, a part time basin patroller/law student and hiked a few laps above the lake. Chatted with Dav. Dav's all like "You work at Vail right, I`m having Deja Vu" I'm all, "yah". He`s all " where's your buddy with the gotee", I`m all "getting hitched", Dav's all, "that`s great". I'm all " Well, see ya."

So, it's been pretty good so far.

The Fury of a Gazillion Snowflakes

That`s what is burning my legs today. And as if that wasn't enough snow to destroy someone on their first ski day of the summer, reinforcements have come in triple.

We got about 4 inches of oragraphic snow during the day yesterday, making for poor visability, but great skiing. I was pretty much on Garganta all day, as it was really the only place to get any depth perception. For those who don't know, Garganta is a steep, 10 minute looper off the plateau. Visability got better after lunch, but they were still not able to open any of the slingshots. Garganta, over and over and over. Not boring when it's loaded up. Put's a hurt on the legs though. Good pain.

Today's pain is the waiting kind. The real storm got here about 3:30 yesterday. 2 feet outside at 7 am and closing in on 3 feet at noon as I type. Supposed to snow all day. There is one lift open. Not much terrain. I'm gunna hit it up after lunch. Been gettin my sit on all morning, gunna get my lil' kid on for a few runs this afternoon.

When it breaks, I expect my cheeks to burn with the fury of infinite smiling.

The Santiago Side of a Storm Sucks Ass

Well, now I know what it`s like. Not cool. Not the end of the world, but definitely not cool.

Sorry no posts, too depressed. Being in Santiago Saturday night was ok because you knew no one was skiing. Going to sleep however, was bittersweet. The skies began clearing at sunset, which meant the road with 30 curves would likely open sometime Sunday, which meant that everyone up on the Portillo side of the closed road got one of those epic, 2 - 3 foot bluebird pow days. If you know what that`s like, you might not want to read the rest of the posts. You know who you are. No one got up to the resort until just minutes before 5pm. When the lifts close. Oh well.

Nick, the UVM front desk guy, said it has been a pretty good winter, but just got great. He`s the one I got the 2 - 3 report from. His discription of the recent snow was that it was not the ussual Portillo pow. Much more light and fluffy than normal. Then he put his hand to his stomach, held his breath, motioned over his shoulders, and puffed his cheeks, followed by a head nod with a "Yah. And there`s another one coming on Monday"

Now on the resort side of the storm, tomorrow should be cool, definitely cool.

Keepin' the Scene Alive

I can't believe it's been almost a year since the last post. Well, I guess I can, looking back at the history of the blog. Nothing boosts the ski stoke like the annual Augusto pilgrimage down to Portillo. Vail seems so ordinary and unblogworthy compared to the summer POW in the southern hemi. They're having a low snow year down south so far, but I believe in averages, have been staring at the radars, and am hoping for a big snow report tomorrow morning. I need just enough to fill up the slopes but not close the road until I get up there. I only got one week this year. That's all Tim thought he was gunna get last year. I just need to get there. Greed is good.

It has been quite a year for the posse. Tim and Woody (pictured above) both had blown acl's early in the season. Rehab is going well. Paul is getting hitched on 9/9/9er to Lynsey. "Was there a niner in there?" They kept that secret more guarded than a noon POW stash. Congrats also go out to the Minnesota chapter OG Big Pappesh, who is getting hitched the end of this month. Turk is living in China, and may have just shredded up Ski Dubai, but he's so censored we may never know.

As for me, not much going on, so I get to go back down. Got some new gear and a cheap plane ticket. Hoping that the condors are flying. Keepin' the scene alive!