Snow Sports and/or Surfing

Discussion in 'Free Zone' started by herzalot, Mar 21, 2019.


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  1. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    The rental boards at Waikiki are beat to Sh!t and they get $20 an hour. I rented from Koa Board shop a couple of blocks away and got great boards for $20 a DAY. 10’ Robert August epoxy for me and 9’ Becker for daughter. One session in the books today. Crowded but that’s Waikiki. Everyone’s friendly. Intermittent rain to cool us off in the 80 degree air and 78 degree water. Drinking a Lahaina Town Brown at the moment. Heading out on a catamaran ride soon. Winter is harsh!
     
    bvader, Faust29, Walleye and 8 others like this.
  2. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I need to hit you up about Oahu, starting to plan my trip for the summer.
     
    Faust29, herzalot and Obsidian like this.
  3. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    First day on snow this season, and not a bad one at that! Easy drive to Mt. High. Left my house at 6:20, parked at 7:50. No traffic. Quick delicious egg, cheese and bacon croissant sandwich - consumed indoors this year (so far). Then suit up and boot up for some runs. About 30° sunny, and a little breezy.

    Ten runs on skis making use of 5 different runs (Chisholm, Vertigo, Calamity, Wyatt and Catch Ya Later). All in great shape with a nice packed powder surface. Then a quick change to the snowboard and - crap - fog. Whiteout conditions with fog (not snowing) for my first two runs on the snowboard. Cautious - near vertigo at times. Went to car to change my goggle lens to something lighter. That helped. Three more runs on the snowboard, but on my last two, my left quad was beginning to cramp, so it was time to call it a day. 15 runs. 15,000 vertical feet. By noon. It was spitting snow as I left. Home by 2:20 with a stop at Village Grinds for a dirty chai, followed by a stop for gas.

    The East Ski Area with its 1600 vertical foot high speed quad is opening tomorrow. :thumbsup: :cool:

    So Cal sucks. Get me out of this hell-hole!

    Oh - forgot to mention. My brother in Truckee is snowbound in his house. Neighborhood streets not plowed. I-80 closed in both directions. All Tahoe Ski Areas closed for too much snow and wind, and no access. Glad I didn't make the trip up there!
     
    bvader, mtnbikej, Obsidian and 6 others like this.
  4. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Summit was fun today, 10 runs with the wife before 11:30. The crowds were on their way when we left though…yikes. Heading back up with the daughter in a few hours.
     
    mtnbikej, Obsidian, herzalot and 3 others like this.
  5. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Where did you stop for gas? I’m working entitlements for a new station at SE corner of SR-138/I-15.
     
    Danmtchl and Faust29 like this.
  6. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    The Shell station at that very interchange...
     
    Danmtchl and DangerDirtyD like this.
  7. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    12-18” fresh and puking snow all day. Snow wasn’t exactly fluffy powder, but I’ll take it! Unfortunately, I tweaked my back on my second run and was foolish enough to take 4 more on skis and 4 on snowboard. I am paying for that today.

    76AC4C9B-0F90-4E80-BD35-9A3E558D93D0.jpeg
    Interesting drive up there as there was a chain law, but Google Maps sent me around the chain check station.
     
    DangerDirtyD, bvader, Robbie and 7 others like this.
  8. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    A friend at work heads for Costco and buys a Wavestorm immediately after arriving, and finds someone to hand it off to before leaving. Cheaper than renting, less nerve wracking than checking boards at the airport.
     
  9. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    That's not a bad idea but I didn't have a car, and Wavestorms are now $200 (and I think the max length is 8') if you can find one. My one-week rental of the 10' Robert August was $120, and helped keep the lights on for a local shop with a lot of soul and deep local roots (Koa Board Sports). Win win win!
     
    Danmtchl, DangerDirtyD and tick like this.
  10. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    I am surprised that every condo in the state doesn’t have a stack of lightly used wavestorms on the balcony.
     
    Danmtchl, herzalot and DangerDirtyD like this.
  11. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Went out to Sands beach and Rincon today, mostly flat but I was out in the water enjoying the new year so far. E3113CCE-F834-4542-BFA7-A3DA4555CD54.jpeg
     
    DangerDirtyD, Rumpled, tick and 2 others like this.
  12. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    My buddy Taylor (who used to post here - lots of videos of T and A) decided he wanted to get back into snowboarding after an 18 year hiatus. He bought all new gear and has been jonesin to see if he remembers how to ride.

    Well, I haven't been cleared to do anything as foolish as athletic activities, BUT, I can drive up there and slide alongside, right?

    Three turns in and my back said "you've got this" so I called on my substantial skiing background and pounded out some decent turns while Taylor went from timid to "oh yeah, I remember how to do this." We took 4 runs at Mt High West and 2 at Mt. High East (the longer hill). Burger and beer on the deck. Home by 2.

    Given that I haven't done any athletic activity since Dec. 30 (see above), my legs were toast after only 7200' of descending. But DAYUMM it felt good to be out there doing something. Could a bike ride be next?

    Taylor met his objective, and although the snow was a bit firm for his liking, he put down some confident turns and gave the thumbs up to his new board, bindings, boots, pants, gloves and goggles. Not so much for his new helmet, but that can be easily remedied.

    Taylor at Mr Hi 2-26-22.jpg

    Sunny, upper 30s. Moderate crowd at West and empty at East. Beeeyoootifulllll!
     
    blixet, MolarM, Redman and 11 others like this.
  13. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    Rad, good to see you getting back to normal. :thumbsup:
    Well Sh!t, time to get back on the bike. Aliso tomorrow ... you can follow me, which should guarantee your safety at my pace. Earlyish.
     
    DangerDirtyD, Danmtchl and herzalot like this.
  14. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I'm pretty sure I am going to be paying for today's indulgences with a sore back and legs. That and my wife and daughter return tonight from a week-long trip, so skipping out for a ride may be contraindicated. :confused: . Appreciate the offer and the encouragement. I think I will attempt to ride my bike in my neighborhood first.
     
    DangerDirtyD, Danmtchl and Obsidian like this.
  15. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    Oh, so when the wife is away the dude will play!
    Hopefully you will feel good tomorrow.
    Heal up
     
    DangerDirtyD, Danmtchl and herzalot like this.
  16. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I was going to try skiing alongside my daughter last Monday, but we all decided that might not be a great idea. But hey, today is nearly 6 days later! :thumbsup:
     
  17. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Holy Frijoles - my left leg is so filled with lactic acid that I can't climb stairs today. I hope it recovers by tomorrow. I don't want to be limping around work inviting questions.

    Since skiing is essentially repeated squats, I probably should have guessed that doing nothing for two months, then doing 3000 squats might not go so well. :eek:

    Still - very glad I did it! :thumbsup: :cool:
     
    Danmtchl, Voodoo Tom, CBone and 2 others like this.
  18. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Day 1 at Copper Mtn with the wife. I-70 closed between here and Vail right after we got in yesterday. The ~7” we got was fun for a minute, but the icy hard pack right below was coming out by the end of the day. No pics, there wasn’t much to see most of the day.

    We were thinking about uphilling tomorrow morning but the 1F low tonight is going to keep us inside until the lifts open.

    California license plates are rare here. Lots of midwesterners on top of the base of Texans. We were watching UCLA vs TX baseball at the bar last night. My Bruins won, I kept quiet.
     
    buggravy, Rumpled, herzalot and 2 others like this.
  19. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Copper was my go-to ski area for most of my CO life. Easy to get to with a nice variety of terrain neatly organized east to west. However, they don't get much powder. 7" is a banner day there! And yes - Texans love CO!

    Have fun out there! :thumbsup:
     
  20. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    Did you spend any time at Ski Cooper? Kinda flat and mellow, but I had a really awesome powder day there, and loved the vibe. Kind of the June Mountain of CO I thought.
     
    Danmtchl and herzalot like this.
  21. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    That's where I took my daughter for her first ski experience when she was 3. Still to this day the very best beginner area and lesson she has had. I better dig up the photo.
    Ruby at Ski Cooper.jpg
    But Ski Cooper is not easy to get too - at the summit of Tennessee Pass between Minturn (Vail) and Leadville.

    I had a Super G race there in Masters. Waaaaaay too flat. It was purely a wax race, and I missed the wax that day (that means I selected the wrong blend for the temperature, texture and humidity of the snow). I think I just now finished that run. :confused:
     
    Danmtchl, Old&InTheWay, tick and 3 others like this.
  22. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Today was uphill day.

    B3ECE3A4-6F4A-4780-ABA9-9C2DD52CBCC3.jpeg
     
    Walleye, Danmtchl, Danimal and 5 others like this.
  23. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    WHYYYY!! Please tell me you had some epic descents for your efforts.
     
    Danmtchl likes this.
  24. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    You need some e-skis. All the cool kids have them now.
     
    Danmtchl, Rumpled, tick and 2 others like this.
  25. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Because that’s what the wife wanted to do today. :thumbsup:Some lovely blue groomers were our reward.

    We had a few flurries last night but not enough to mask the hockey rink underneath. I have to thank my SoCal upbringing for knowing how to tolerate those conditions. But tonight it’s a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie out there, looking forward to some fluffy stuff before aiming the car towards home tomorrow.
     
    Danmtchl, Rumpled, herzalot and 2 others like this.
  26. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Here’s a shot from the drive out last Saturday, Bryce in winter:A1535FDE-6B8E-4752-BF9C-D79B815D3516.jpeg Thursday is Copper’s $99 lift ticket day. And it was a pow day. So we encountered the first real lift line of the trip. Since it was our getaway day, and I was not excited about white knuckling it over mountain passes in night/snow, we packed up at the first sign that the reasonably accessible pow was getting tracked out, and the lines started growing.

    My review: As a mountain, Copper is solid. Our condo was 50 yards from a nearly new 6-person chair with a wind bubble. The bubble seemed kinda “soft” until you realize that you sit on that chair for 10 minutes and 2000’ of vert, in 5F plus wind chill. When the conditions were good they were very good, and having that much vert right outside the door was quite the luxury.

    More snowboarders than I’m used to seeing outside of Big Bear. :thumbsup: But on the down side (for me), way more bump runs than I’d expect for such a board-friendly vibe. Whether it’s this year’s conditions, or the pandemic staffing shortages, or just the local expectations, i never determined.

    Still, as a day on the snow, Copper is awesome. As a resort destination, I’m going to concur with what I’d read online: it’s dead after the chairs stop spinning. Many of the folks we met were with extended families from points east, and it was obvious that folks were eating in and enjoying board games together or something. We ended up driving in to Breck or Frisco when we didn’t want to cook or eat at the one pizza place that stays open past 4. On the plus side, the only noises we heard while trying to sleep were the groomers.

    Happy wife…
    2FF0224E-366E-499C-B9DB-10C212513919.jpeg
     
    Walleye, CBone, Danmtchl and 5 others like this.
  27. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Breckenridge and Frisco for night life.

    Is there still a bar called Farleys at Copper? Or maybe it was Barkley's. Over at the B-Lift base. Both were named after the dogs of owner Mike Meindl. Good food. Good dude.

    Did some research. Looks like Farley's is still operating in Frisco, and Barkley's at Copper is gone.
     
  28. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    I don’t recall anything like that, though we never walked around the east village.

    Ate at Silverheels in Frisco, and Gold Pan Saloon in Breck. The only place we ate at twice this trip was Sandi‘s Drive Inn in Richfield, Ut.
     
    Danmtchl and herzalot like this.
  29. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Hitting Mt. High tomorrow with daughter and @tbarnesarc
     
  30. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Sweet…

    I’m debating what to do for next year. We’re planning a warm weather trip for next March, so the wife wants to skip a year on her pass and plan for a trip next April on the following year’s pass.

    Pass renewal season hitting right as you get back from a 4 day trip is like when the dessert cart rolls by at Claim Jumper— Looks great but I’m full.

    The math might work out for Wrightwood next season. I have 5 big bear days on this year’s pass. if I skipped Ikon for the season and went to Wrightwood, the pass would break even at 5 days…
     
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