Pre-Christmas Trip to Baker
Every year, I aim to make a trip down to Mt. Baker right before Christmas. For those of you that have never been, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. Baker is one of Washington State’s most legendary mountains. The inbounds ski area is HUGE, with so many lifts, that there are never lift lines longer than 2 minutes. On any given day, you’re always bound to find a playground of powder somewhere on the mountain. If the inbounds terrain bores you, which it shouldn’t, you can always hike into the backcountry, given that you have a beacon, a shovel, are avalanche safety certified and a bunch of other things.
We left Vancouver bright and early, at 5:30 in the morning. Usually too early to be alive, I came up with the genius idea that instead of sleeping and struggling to wake up, I’d just stay awake till 5 in the morning. Needless to say, the drive there was a challenge (the drive home had it’s own pleasant situation. Ask me about it if you see me on the mountain, it’s a great story). In any case, we got to Baker at 9 am, after making a quick pit stop in Bellingham for a hearty breakfast at McDonald’s, where a super size meal actually means a super size meal. My buddy Charlie and I met up with Duke and Jordan, a couple Washington locals and hit up the mountain. There were freshies on the ground and not a cloud in the sky. It made for a perfect day of riding and was a nice break from the local skating rinks we’ve been riding. My words won’t do it justice, so here are a couple pictures that sum everything up.
- Sunrise on Old Baker Highway
- View from the parking lot
- Looking back from the very top at Jordan
- Mostly untracked going down
- Short break when the legs started to feel like Jell-o
- The active volcano itself
- This is how close the backcountry is
I was riding a 150 Rome ArtifactSK 1985 the entire day. For those of you that haven’t tried reverse camber in powder yet, it’ll change your life. I’ve never had such a fun pow day in my life. That being said, if you getting into the deeper stuff, you probably don’t want a super soft jib board with reverse, but seriously, reverse camber is the beeeest. All in all, a great day with good friends and new friends. Get up there if you can, they still have midweek discount lift tickets, so try to get there between Monday and Friday.
Lastly, from all of us at Grouse Mountain Terrain Parks and Grousepark.com, we’d like to wish you and your families a super duper Merry Christmas. Hope you all had a good one!
Sam
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Red Bull Cold Rush!
Checklist for greatest back-country competition ever:
- Endless amounts of fresh powder? Check.
- World class terrain? Check.
- Copious amounts of Red Bull? Check.
- Top skiers in the world? Check.
Its Red Bull Cold Rush time baby!
So c-c-c-cold. Source: newschoolers.com
For the third year in a row, the Red Bull Cold Rush went off in a way that no other competition can. With more fresh snow than the average person sees in their lifetime, this past week at Retallak Lodge proved to be the ideal location for the top freeskiers in the world to gather and throw down. And throw down they did.
Kye gettin pillowed. Source: newschoolers.com
Although the three day event was first and foremost a competition, most riders acknowledged it felt more like a big session with friends and filmers. At the end of it all, Kye Petersen of Whistler BC was awarded the top spot, proving that the youngins out there are hungry and ready to show the old timers what they can do.
Flipping his way into second place was veteran freeskier and newschool legend, JP Auclair. JP showed the world that he is far from finished and still a strong force to be reckoned with. Rounding out the podium with a solid performance was none other than back-country heavy hitter, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa.
For offical videos, pictures, athlete testimonials, and more goodies, head over to newschoolers.com and see what it was all about. Also, check out the re-cut & re-count competition to win free stuff while supporting your favorite rider.
Anyone want to go to Retallak?
-cj
Elfin Lakes
We started just to the right of the white line. The first part was the road to the parking lot
So a couple weekends ago I decided to skip the regular park lapping and headed on a little backcountry adventure. The destination was Elfin Lakes, a short multi-day trek through Garibaldi Provincial Park in Squamish. Along with myself, my pop and 3 other gentlemen made the 13km round trip over a weekend of decent weather and some dandy fresh snow. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the area, Garibaldi Park is a 195,000 hectare provincial park. With over 90km of hiking trails (which cater to not only hikers, but bikers, snowshoers and skiers to name a few), it proves to be one of the most beautiful, explorable regions in the world. Our hike began from the Diamond Head trailhead parking lot, a short drive up the hill from the Sea to Sky highway.
The hike began with a fairly mellow incline. It took us roughly an hour and a half to surpass the initial climb, ending at the Red Heather Meadows warming hut, where we had a rest and ate some lunch.
Hiking truly shows how much we take our chairlifts for granted
Now to be honest, I haven’t really been around the block when it comes to this whole backcountry/ski touring deal, but I will tell you that it is hard! Hiking up a constant slope with 45lbs on your back does not rank in the easy/beginner category. Surely my stamina was put to the test this weekend, and as a direct result I am now informed of how out of shape I am.
So many hills. Gah.
The hike after our lunch break was on fairly flat terrain, however mother earth thought it would be real neato to throw in some hills. This is particularly annoying due to the fact that the skins on your skis are great at going up…but not down. So in turn you were required to hike down the hill. Unbelieveable…
Hurray for hills... not
After a considerable amount of time spent following the ups and downs of the earth, we arrived at the Elfin Lakes shelter, a small cabin built about 30 years ago to house hikers for the night.
The Crib
Usually the cabin can be occupied by about 34 people comfortably on bunks. We had 45 inside. Another 10 camped outside.
At capacity, or at least I hope so
As the night wound down we had a semi-substantial dinner and great mingling sesh with the other campers. I didn’t really favour the dehydrated Pad Thai that was served, so I enjoyed some Toblerone. Remember kids, chocolate is always a healthy alternative and is full of vitamins and superpowers.
Yum
My sleep was limited that night due to some of the loudest snoring I’ve ever encountered. I woke up with my earbuds still blaring in my ears; my attempt at droning out the noise. Clearly it was unsuccessful, as I was more tired than ever, however a Redbull later and some more chocolate, we were ready to go.
These are the only true turns I put in on this trip. Usually campers have the option of hiking towards the peak of Diamondhead Mountain, a small trek up from the cabin, and skiing down there. Our group was a little less motivated, so 2 of us took the initiative to hit a smaller slope adjacent to the cabin. It was over in about 5 turns. Nonetheless, it was much, much better than hiking.
And then I remembered I had to hike back up
Following my short downhill experience, we proceeded to hike out, making good time and encountering beautiful sunny skies.
Not too bad for a weekend of forecasted snow and clouds
By the time we reached the car, I was happy to take off my boots and enjoy some more chocolate. Overall the trip was a great experience. It really gave me some perspective on how easy we usually have it, taking a lift up. Not only that, but I learned I am really into chocolate. Good thing?
Happy and glad, despite blisters galore
The next attempt I would like to consider is a similar trek through Singing Pass. Until then I am off to get in shape… pfftt.
Payce
-CAM