It’s fall in Seattle, with gray skies and rain pouring down this week… snow won’t be far behind. Checking through the news recently, we caught this newscast from Minnesota reporting on Karhu athlete Dave Watson’s ski tracks on K2 this summer.
Here’s a link to the article as well, and make sure to visit Dave’s new site with photos and stories: www.k2tracks.com.
We’ve turned the corner. That crisp feel is in the air, the wet chill early in the morning and evening. Daytime 70s are diving into the mid-30s in the mountains at night, and the frost is getting heavier. Feeling winter on the way? The first magazine issues are out for the season, films are making the opening rounds in another month or so, it’s all just around the corner. Here’s a little fall feel from Brian Mohr to drive those dreams in the meantime…
Waves and Winter
by Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson
Our thoughts often go to the deepest, fluffiest powder days when we watch the tops of breaking waves get blown back to sea by a strong offshore breeze. Maybe the wind reminds us of Old Man Winter’s legendary howl and roar. Or perhaps surfing among these waves – floating in that fluid ocean as the spray of peeling waves rains on our heads – gives us the same feelings we have when gliding in a snowstorm down a powder-coated mountainside.
Ultimately, it is the simple beauty witnessed on both occasions that makes the connection for us. Be it the the wind-blown spray of breaking waves or the billowing clouds of snow behind the descending skier/rider, there is something undeniably surreal and powerful and spectacular going on here…
Here’s to a fun fall surf season…and an snowy winter ahead!
Brian and Emily
Moretown, VT
www.EmberPhoto.com
Former Karhu athlete Josh Madsen (now editor of Telemark Skier Magazine) just posted up a trailer for the new ski movie that he put together over the last season. Titled “The Freeheel Life,” the movie showcases great turns, awesome pow and some of Madsen’s take on freeheel culture and travels. You’ll see Karhu athlete JT Robinson getting inverted a couple times in the trailer, along with a full cast of talented rippers. Oh, and kudos to the guy who takes a header at 00:46 into the trailer… if you’re going to throw it, might as well throw it hard!
From the depths of the Himalaya with Dave Watson, Karhu friend Brian Mohr switches gears for some more summer turns in the Rockies…
Skiing Elbert
by Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto
It’s been over a month now since we climbed and skied Colorado’s highest 14er, Mount Elbert, a peak Emily and I hadn’t skied since the late 90s when we still lived in Colorado. Elbert’s north facing drainage is a classic and relatively straight-forward descent, and it tends to hold a long, skiable line well into July. So back in late June, while traveling the scenic route from the Front Range to a wedding in Paonia, we couldn’t resist the idea of skiing Elbert again. Driving through Leadville at sunrise, we scouted Elbert’s north side from a distance. It appeared that there was just barely enough snow to string together a solid descent from the very summit, down along the summit ridge, and over into the depths of the mountain’s north facing drainage.
With sneakers on our feet and our skis on our backs, we cruised up the mountain via the well-worn trail that climbs away from Half Moon Creek, and by late morning, we were on the summit. We figured we had at least an hour to spare before thunderstorms would become a threat, so we soaked up the clear views across the heart of Colorado’s mountain country.
A sandwich and then a few passing rain drops had us swapping sneakers for ski boots, and for the next thirty minutes, we savored what would turn out to be our last ski descent of the season. Incredibly, the snow burned out along only one 50m stretch below the summit ridge, and we were able to ski a beautiful line nearly to treeline.
Think snow.
-Brian
The airwaves have been too quiet recently. Blame it on the heat wave that roared through the Pacific Northwest, whose 100+ temps made it hard to think about summer activities, much less winter fun. Thankfully it’s passed now, with moderate mixed weather more reminescent of fall. With the first rainfall in a long time coming today and tomorrow, it’s time for some Monday stoke with one of the summer trailers that just dropped.
Sweetgrass Productions – Signatures
Sweetgrass is coming off last year’s Hand Cut film, and looking good with Signatures. Karhu athletes JT Robinson and Lorenzo Worster traveled to Japan to film with Sweetgrass this winter, and the result looks amazing. Don’t miss out when Signatures comes through your mountain town this fall!
From Seattle to Boston, the summer heat wave is in effect, forcing us to log miles on the road and trails in the cooler weather of dawn or dusk. Time for a flashback to cool down…
A little lighthearted fun for Monday stoke from our friends at EmberPhoto in Vermont. We’re not that desperate yet, but we will be come September…
Fast grass in the Greens
The hot sun is melting away more and more snow heading into summer, but the uncovered trash left or lost on high-traffic areas like the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas won’t go away without a little hard work. Washington skiers can pitch in to keep their local mountains clean this Saturday with the Snowrider Project’s 7th Annual All-Mountain Cleanup. Hike around on a nice day, do a good deed, help pick up the trash, and enjoy the BBQ after:
Time seems to have slowed. Could it really be the dog days of summer in only the first week of June? It’s certainly felt like it recently, with temperatures spiking the high 80s and low 90s. Nevermind the snow melting, I’m melting.
The heat spiked at some point Thursday afternoon. By the evening a threatening bank of clouds cruised across the Olympics on a stiff wind. The rain never came, but the strong gusts of wind rattled the trees and carried cooler temperatures through the rain. A nice reprieve, a little reminder that we weren’t in the dog days yet. It was a welcome relief, like viewing a deep powder shot deep in the real dog days of summer.
Chris Barchet gets deep in the Valhallas. Aaaaaahhhhhhh...
Coming off a long weekend with beautiful weather, it’s fun to reflect on taking an adventure at a different pace. Wrapping up the ski season from the East, Brian Mohr sent us a great story on spring biking and skiing in the Green Mountains:
Pedal Powered Skiing
by Brian Mohr
Earlier this spring, with our options for skiing out the back door melting away, we loaded our skis, poles, day packs and boots into our bike trailers. About an hour later, we’d be stashing our bikes in the woods and skinning toward the base of our local Mad River Glen ski area. We’d spend several hours skiing a mix of lift-served and sidecountry terrain, catch up with a few friends, and when the shadows chased us off the mountain, we’d enjoy a bonus off-piste ski descent to our bikes in the woods. Back on the bikes, our soon-to-be-cycling-season legs appreciated the early spring warm up. We’d spot crocuses in the valley blooming along the edge of snow patches, hear our first peepers of the season and watch the sun dip behind the Green Mountain Divide along the final uphill approach to our home. More than anything, it just felt good to spend the afternoon out skiing in the big mountains, without having to drive.
On the bikes, the trip (60-70 minutes) takes approx. 45 minutes longer than it does by car (20 minutes)… no big deal. We once pulled off a 3-day pedal-powered ski trip in the Rockies, biking a little, skiing a lot. Now, with gas prices climbing (finally!), glaciers melting (not cool) and fossil fuel combustion causing all sorts of global problems (oil spills, air/water pollution, war), it’s time for something different…
Imagine… 2 weeks, countless peaks and a great variety of ski descents, pedalling bikes primarily to move to new trailheads and terrain every so often, or to roll into town for some supplies or a lil’ culture. A SKI trip, not a bike trip… starting and ending right here at our home in Vermont. It would be an epic, human-powered skiing adventure.
For now, here are a few images that might inspire you to get out on your own pedal powered skiing adventures…
Think snow!
Brian and Emily
EmberPhoto.com
Moretown, VT
Emily Johnson and Peter Wadsworth cycle through Vermont's Mad River Valley, en route to Mad River Glen.