Chad, Josh & Mike, Mammoth '11 Epic Adventures
If you’ve never plunged into 2 feet of dry champagne powder, you may want to realign your life plans to include an excursion heli-skiing in the Bugaboos in Canada or some other high elevation site. Or someday you may just be going to Mammoth over new years and catch the storm of the century…actually of a lifetime.
This winter marks a break in the 2 year hiatus I’ve taken from skiing or snowboarding. Previously I’ve made it up to the mountains in Colorado or California since I was 5 years old, but the last two had me swamped in work. What a way to break back in to my favorite pastime with 20 feet of snow in a record breaking snowstorm.
waiting for shuttle to heaven
A few buddies and I took the 6 hour drive from San Diego and woke up the next day to a blue bird morning with sunny skies and a ridiculous amount of snow. The snow was so high you could barely see the houses. Thats me on the right waiting for the shuttle to get my groove on in the pow pow.
Finally on the mountain I strapped up my Fat Bob K2 especially made for these conditions and glided into the trees near Eagle Lodge. To describe the feeling of gliding on top of 2 feet of fresh powder I’d have to equate it to gliding on clouds, its somewhat effortless yet provides a feeling of pure bliss from the adrenaline created as your speed picks up and you make flawless turns through the snow.
After hitting the same run 8 times in a row (it was untouched and no one found it but us) we headed off to grind chilly and cornbread with a little roughage to wash it down. After the day we headed over to a guy named Bob’s house and were transported into the 60’s. The guy was a family friend of one of our possy, about 60 something with grey beard, balding forehead with long hair beyond the bald. He was super cool and offered us wine to which I said no thanks. I don’t really drink, it just puts me to sleep.
I saw a guitar and asked if I could play it. Little did I know this would end up in a jam session that lasted for about 2 hours. I started playing and the guy said, “would you like to play my classic Gibson?” To which I replied, “sure.” The next thing I know this guy pulls out 4 guitars and a set of bongos and all five of us are jamming some improved song about “what you do on the mountain today”. We were in stiches as our buddy Josh rolled in with the harmony Adam Sandler style. An appropriate ending to a day that I’ll cherrish at least until my next 2 foot powder day. Hopefully next time in the Bugaboos in Canada accessed only from a helicopter.
Gigs are being planned right now for Three Waves A Day in SD and LA. Stay tuned my friends.
Peace and Love, Chad