Window Shopping - 2.9.13

Patiently waiting for this one.

It's been a great week to get out and stretch the legs, but good riding has been very elusive. The strong crust layer from our last warm spell is only covered by a dusting of new snow, and in many places, the old crust formed runnels, got tracked out, and then refroze. So the mission has been to find the spots with the smoothest crust underneath and ride them. On a positive note, we have bomber stability.

A friend and I planned to go up and do a little tour today under sunny skies, but that weather window has yet to materialize. While we did get a few turns, none were worth mentioning, and we spent the better part of the day gathering beta for better snow conditions, practicing low-visibility navigating, and building character with some challenging side hilling. Some days, the mountain is better looked at than touched.

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Keep Mt. Hood Weird - Tele Tuesday Rando Race - Deeluxe Spark XV - 2.5.13

Pure pow!!! First 1", then rocks and ice.

The results of tonight's Tele Tuesday Rando Race at Ski Bowl were...weird. I showed up for the race and was told that they weren't doing the usual uphill-downhill race, but had changed it to a judged telemark expression session, and that you could only compete if you had retro gear and straight skis. Bonus points for leather boots. No joke. I couldn't make this up.

So I saved myself a few dollars and went snowboarding instead. Earlier in the day, UPS had brought me some new Xavier De Le Rue pro model boots. I have been waiting for these boots for a long time, and was excited to give them a try.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS

FRESH LINES

AFTER THE JUMP