Company BLOG POSTS

I was hoping to get up the Grand again this spring, and maybe a few of its neighbors in the Tetons, but our interminably rainy weather is putting a stopper on those plans.  So, before heading to Alaska to guide another Denali climb I thought I’d look back at a highly varied but pretty successful season.  Take a gander…

Our early-season was unbelievable--I rode shin-deep powder with Bodie-the-dog on Peaked Mountain on October 7th.

After a dry November, the holidays brought fat powder back to the Tetons. Matt Lloyd goes deep near Teton Pass.

Laying our lines with nary a soul around. I spent 2 weeks in the Tetons in January with 5 NOLS instructors on snowboards, watching our tracks fill in every night as we received 1.5 meters of snowfall.

Dinnertime! Working the stoves by lamplight, turning out high backcountry cuisine.

My Winterstick Swallowtail made epic powder riding effortless.

The results of hip-checking on limestone...

Rappelling into the entrance of the Pinnochio Couloir on the Middle Teton. We had hoped to climb the North Ridge and make turns from the summit, but ended up riding this sweet line instead.

Digging the sun with Mark after a long, cold climb and descent on the north side of the Middle Teton.

Climbing out of The Handle of the Skillet Glacier on Mt. Moran. Evan Horn breaking trail.

Beautiful, firm powder riding on the Skillet Glacier with Jackson Lake below.

Summit photo with Jaime Musnicki on the Grand Teton. We took advantage of a short window of good weather and great conditions to make this 2-day trip up and down the Grand in late-March.

Approaching the anchors at the bottom of the Ford Couloir/top of the Chevy Couloir on the Grand. Thousands of feet of air beyond the edge to my right.

Rappelling past the ice bulges in the Chevy Couloir.

Zahan Billimoria leads Stephen Koch up the Chouinard Couloir on a blustery day in April. Middle Teton.

Zahan digs the chalky powder on our descent of the Chouinard Couloir.

Escaping a bit of mud-season with my wife in Belize.

There are always lines that I wish I had ridden in a given season, possibilities that never came to fruition, but overall it was a good season.  And it’s not so bad having dreams to fulfill next season.  For now, I’m moving on to mountain biking and trail running until the snow flies again.  My sincere thanks go to Wagner Custom for supporting my drive to climb and ride with the best backcountry/alpine snowboarding tools imaginable.

Hevenly 11's

Sometimes it’s hard to know what the day will bring?  following a few all time kant-mak-em’s, I loosely made a plan while soaking in the second to last apre ski of the Telluride ski area season. All we  had decided was to bring skins and go for a tour.  The afternoon turned to evening, and the skies had cleared for morning.

Excited to ski something a little bigger, I was sure to catch the first round of chairs in the morning. Standing in line I was fortunate to meet up with the right skiers. A few others had similar prospects for the day.  Making the pilgrimage up the lifts, it was apparent the wind had howled all night . Lines that appeared filled in the day before seemed a bit thinner.  I had high hopes of skiing the Grand Dad couloir however, anything on the little Wasatch face would do.

Making our way across the upper Bear Creek drainage there would be six of us who converged to ski the Little Wasatch face. All friends, all stoked to ski, it was easily decided to let Dylan and Dave go for the Grand Dad first. We would either wait for them to exit safely or choose to ski a different line. We settled for the 11’s.

It’s not all about the powder. Navigating through wind scoured snow was comforting, the snow did not feel like it wanted to move. Our first view down the chute revealed a narrow crux and a significant runnel.

Entering the chute we were greeted by a small down climb. grippy yet firm snow split by the runnel, with constant flow in the runnel, we made our way down one turn at a time to the exit.

Huge stoke factor, psyched to reach the ground floor!

Entering the Chute Photo Brad Foley

My View of Harold, Jon, and Ricky entering the Chute

Harold Ehnbom

Brother Jon

Looking down

After 22″ in 24 hours the the skiing in Telluride was fantastic, one of those big spring dumps to cap the end of the “ski season”.  I bumped into Cedar Palmer for a quick run in a little stash he likes to call the triple drops.

Cedar Palmer

After finding or landmarks and a quick laugh at how much snow had fallen over night it was time for a little fun.

Cedar sending the pillow line

Making it look easy

Skiing out out the bottom of the run we all new we be back for more.

Cedar and his custom rockered Wagners

Trenching in the Wasatch

Ski touring with your friends…. It is not always about getting the steep, deep, first tracks, or first D. It’s about doing what you love. It’s about being outside with your friends. Choosing the right terrain on the right days. Making good decisions. Taking memorable photos, and leaving nothing but sweet, sweet tracks. At the end of the day you and all your friends know the cold frothy beverage in your hand is well deserved!

Deep Turns in Mustang

Brad Foley on the Alta Ridge

This year the touring in the San Juan’s has been limited by sketchy conditions, though it ’s still possible to get out there. The big lines will be there later in the season. Conditions will change, new lines will fill in, when it happens we will be there. For more touring with friends photos, check out the web gallery at the following link: http://www.chasonphoto.com/SkiTouring/

Enjoy the journey, ski safely out there…..

Skiing Magazine just released a list of 28 people, products, and inventions that are revolutionizing skiing.  Wagner Custom showed up on the list.   Check out the article.

The Future of Skiing is... Wagner Custom

Thanks for the recognition, Skiing Mag.