Headed up to Jones Pass yesterday and got a great run in.

Here’s a short video I put together, I forgot the mount for my helmet cam so I tried holding the lens. I thought I had locked the recorder unit, but I guess I didn’t, so don’t expect much -

Loveland opened yesterday, Oct. 7th, earliest opening day in the last 40 years. Woooooo!

It was actually pretty good, more snow than last year’s opening day. 2 park features (they had 3 at the start of the day though I guess?) Last year

Parachute Center in Lodi, CA. Great DZ – $15 jumps from a Beech 99, friendly owner and staff

Brought my helmet cam with me to Betasso Preserve this morning. It’s a great 2.7mi fun, fast loop just outside of Boulder, easy to do multiple laps with a car break in between. No bikes on wed or sat.

Here’s an entertaining old school (from ‘95) freeride video.

Check out Taun Taun – great Denver metal band.

Update 9/21/09: Bunch of other snowboard trailers here.

31 ski and snowboard films to be released in 2009

Top 5 trailers:

TKB Films
Skipopow

This is it, this trailer will have you waxing your boards, searching for cheap lift tickets, putting your ski rack back on your car, and praying for snow. Almost all helmet cam footage – equal parts snowboard, ski, and speedflying. Second teaser here.

Teton Gravity Research
Swift. Silent, Deep. – The Story of the Jackson Hole Airforce

“A documentry of skiing’s rebel spirit” – Available now to purchase on DVD here

Sweetgrass Productions
Signatures

Every film can use more Japan powder segments, why doesn’t someone just make a film entirely shot in Hokkaido? Oh wait!

9/19 Aspen, CO WORLD PREMIERE Wheeler Opera House 7pm $10 Live deep-country blues from John-Alex Mason to follow
9/22 Carbonedale, CO The Crystal Theater 7pm $8
9/23 Vail, CO Vail Mountain School 7pm $9
9/24 Dillon, CO Dillon Dam Brewery 8pm $7
9/26 Breckenridge, CO TBA
9/29 Leadville, CO Provin Grounds Coffee Shop 7pm $7
9/30 Crested Butte, CO The Majestic Theater 7pm $9
10/1 Salida, CO Benson’s Tavern 7:30pm $9
10/3 Colorado Springs, CO Colorado College Armstrong Hall 8pm $6 for students / $10Â Â Â Â Live music and bbq to follow on the CC quad
10/6 Fort Collins, CO TBA
10/7 Boulder, CO The Dark Horse 7:30pm $910/8 Denver, CO The Denver Civic Center 7pm $9 After party at the Icelantic Gallery to follow
10/10 Telluride, CO The Nugget Theatre 8:30pm $9
10/13 Durango, CO The Abbey Theatre 7pm and 9pm $8
10/14 Golden, CO Bent Gate Community Night 8pm
12/4 Silverton, CO The Steam and Steel Café 7:30pm $6

Matchstick Productions
In Deep

9/19 Boulder (Boulder Theater)
9/24 Denver (Gothic)
9/25 Crested Butte (Center for the Arts)
9/26 Aspen (Wheeler Opera House)
10/1 Durango (Abbey)
10/2 Vail (Vilar Center)
10/3 Keystone (Pavilion @ River Run)
10/24 Steamboat Springs (Grand Ball Room)
11/4 Breckenridge (Three 20th St.)

Absinthe Films
Neverland

Also check out the Dan Brisse road gap webisode.

9/24 Ft Collins (Lincoln Center)
9/25 Vail/BC (Vilar Center)
9/26 Denver (Starz Theater)

The rest:

Meathead Productions
Wild Stallions

Greg Stump Productions
Legend of Aahhh’s: A True Story

The history of ski film, looks like old clips with new interviews from Dick Barrymore, Mike Hattrup, Jeremy Nobis, Klaus Obermeyer, Ben Smith, Glen Plake, Scot Schmidt, and of course, Greg Stump.

Field Productions
Eyes Wide Open

Poor Boys Productions
Everyday is a Saturday

HUGE booter about 40sec in, big list of names, creative urban skiing and bc lines.

10/3 Breckenridge (Three20South.com)
10/6 Boulder (Boulder Theatre)
10/7 Denver (Gothic)

Standard Films
Black Winter

\m/____\m/

9/18 Keystone
9/18 Crested Butte
10/22 Breckenridge
10/24 Steamboat Springs

Storm Show
Magic Moments

Speedflying!

Teton Gravity Research
Re Session

Lotta talk at the beginning, followed by lot’s of handplants, some bc booters, and a ski-base segment. No snowboarding clips in the trailer.

10/2 Steamboat Springs (Shearton Ballroom)
10/9 Breckenridge (Three 20 South)
10/14 Ft Collins (Aggie Theatre)
10/15 Denver (Gothic)
10/15 Boulder (Boulder Theater)
11/5 Telluride (Sheridan Opera House)
11/7 Loveland (Rialto Theater)
11/13 Aspen (Wheeler Opera House)
11/13 Golden (CSM – Coolbaugh Hall rm 209)
11/14 Golden (CSM – Coolbaugh Hall rm 209)
11/19 Dillon (Dillon Dam Brewery)
12/3 Glenwood Springs (Hotel Colorado)
TBA Durango (Abbey Theatre)

Level 1
Refresh

9/11 Denver Premiere (Bluebird)
9/23 Boulder (Boulder Theater)
9/24-27 Aspen
9/25 Keystone

DOS Media
Too Real For TV

Snowboarding and skiing

Voleurz
Outdoor Graduation

Later this fall the film will be available to download for free at voleurz.com, bunch of other clips here.

Rage Films
Pretty Good

NSFproductions
Brand New Day

Eon Productions
The Edge of Never

“In 1996 extreme-skiing legend Trevor Petersen was killed in Chamonix, France. Nine years later, skiing icon Glen Plake decides it’s time for Trevor’s 15-year-old son, Kye, to ski the route that killed his father and join the tribe of big-mountain skiers.”

Powderwhore
Flakes

11/2 Denver (Oriental Theater) FRIENDS OF BERTHOUD PASS FUNDRAISER adv. tickets here

Assassin Entertainment
Gravity Assist

What the hell is this? A bunch of shots of Denver and some so-so skiing..

Ride the Planets Productions
Can’t Stop

Looks like it will have X-Games footage of Tanner and Simon battling it out on the superpipe.

Warren Miller
Dynasty

I’m looking forward to the sitski and China segments.

Nimbus Independent
Contrast

Art school dropout tours europe/russia with buddies, and maybe some skis (?), and makes short film set to the Pixies. Not much skiing at all in this 5min trailer, but will probably be a good film none-the-less with names like Pep Fujas, Andy Mahre, Chris Benchetler, Blake Nyman and Eric Pollard.

SVP Productions
Mad in France

Looks reaaal good

The Freeheel Life

10/1/2009 Breckenridge, CO @ 320 South Main 21+
10/2/2009 Steamboat, CO @ Olympian Hall / Howelsen Hill ALL AGES $8
10/3/2009 Carbondale, CO @ Colorado Rocky Mtn School Barn All Ages
10/5/2009 Boulder, CO @ The Dark Horse Bar 21+ $8
11/18/2009 – Crested Butte, CO @ The Majestic $8
11/19/2009 – Grand Junction, CO @ The Radio Room

New Intelligent Group
Metropolis

4bi9 Media
So Far So Hood

ESK Media
The Affiliates

Chaoz Productions
Shoot Me

Cool triple front @ 1:50. Full movie will be free to download later this fall.

Stept Productions
How We Livin

Skiing and snowboarding, mostly jibbing. Really nice line @ 1:18

Broken Radio Films
Aestiviation: Part II

“A european ski movie”

First Tracks Productions
Droppin’

No screen capture yet, all snowboarding. Great related article from NYTimes about a Burton-sponsored 8 year old girl throwing 5’s (shown dropping into a chute at the end of the trailer).

9/26 Lake Tahoe (Montbleu Resort)

I headed west from the Teton Pass parking lot outside of Jackson into Idaho. I stopped by at Grand Teton Brewing just down from the pass, unfortunatly their fridge bonked earlier in the day and I wasn’t able to taste any beers.

Jackson Hole, WY

Tram at Jackson Hole, WY

Teton Pass parking

Teton Pass parking lot down below

Grand Teton Brewing Co.

I headed north through West Yellowstone towards Bozeman and slept in my car at a national forest trailhead outside of Big Sky, Montana.

Somewhere in that car I've been sleeping

The next morning I woke up and drove into Bozeman to find internet. Some other TGR posters (Sam, Allen, and Ben) were arriving in town that night, the plan was to car camp then wake up the next morning and ski Bridger Bowl. I had nothing to do all day, so I checked out some breweries (surprise surprise). Montana has some of the most interesting alcohol laws I’ve encountered. Brewery tasting rooms must close by 8pm, and you are limited to 48 ounces of beer per day. Also, up until 2005, you were allowed to have open containers in your vehicle (i.e. could legally drink and drive). (I actually didn’t know this open container law ban went into effect until just now, so the majority of the time I was driving in Montana over the four days I was thereI had a beer cracked) After visiting Madison River Brewing in Belgrade and Bozeman Brewing in Bozeman I met up with another TGR poster. Thanks for the beers Marc! Eventually the other Pathfinder of unemployed ski bums showed up in town and we camped at a trailhead just outside of Bozeman.

The first night we had no problems camping here, second night we got woken up by sheriffs at 2am

Hiking the ridge at Bridger Bowl

Imagine this terrain on a powder day

Sam, Ben, and Allen picking out their line from the ridge

Break for lunch

Back out there

Ben showing there's no better time for a beer then when you're cliffed out

2009.01.14: Posting from Montana State’s library in Bozeman. I found a nice trailhead to camp at last night just outside of Big Sky. I was able to get 11 hours of sleep and could hear the Gallatin River. Today I’m going to check out some breweries around Bozeman and Belgrade then meet up some some other TGR posters tonight. Big Sky backcountry tomorrow.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to -

Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)

Best Track: “Stop!”
Best listened to when you’re looking for something to turn up uncomfortably loud
Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street (1972)

Best Track: “Sweet Virginia” (“Thank you, for your wine, California”)
Best listened to when you want to lean your seat back and kick your left foot up on the gauge cluster

The Magnetic Fields – Charm of the Highway Strip (1994)

After Stephin Merritt’s romantic Holiday, and before his 3-disc lo-fi pop 69 Love Songs, he realeased this country-influenced album. Almost every track mentions traveling or trains.
Best Track: “Born on a Train”
Best listened to when driving I-80 through Wyoming

Bad Brains – I & I Survived (2002)

Best Track: “Ghetto”
D.C. hardcore gone dub.
Best listened to when driving through the mountains of Western Wyoming after 9 hours behind the wheel, beer cracked, nobody on the road, an hour away from your destination

Thelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Vol 1 (1947)

I’m not even going to pretend to know anything about jazz.
Best listened to at 6 in the morning heading into town after camping in the mountains alone the night before, ready to see people again

Leftöver Crack – Mediocre Generica (2001)

Take their name with a grain of salt, because that’s how they take life.

Best Track: Nazi White Trash (no disrespect to the state of Wyoming)
Best listened to when getting passed by hundreds of Ford F-150 farm trucks on a two-lane Wyoming highway slowing gaining elevation up to the mountains

Spacemen 3 – Recurring (1991)

Before Jason Pierce formed Spiritualied he co-fronted Spacemen 3 with Pete Kember. Recurring takes a step away from Spacemen 3’s earlier shoegaze/noise releases and begins to show the haunting side Spiritualized took on (listen how similar Spacemen 3’s “Billy Whiz/Blue 1″ is to Spiritualized’s “Cop Shoot Cop”).
Best Track: “When Tomorrow Hits”
Best listened to when driving through Yellowstone National Park at dusk and can’t see 100 feet in front of you due to blowing snow

Why? – Alopecia (2008)

Hip hop lyricist fused with almost Postal Service-style indie music – “Today after lunch I got sick and blew chunks /
all over my new shoes / in the lot behind Whole Foods / this is a new kind of blues” – “..or are you giving me a dirty look in the rear view / clicking the button on your U-Haul pen / don’t pretend you didn’t see me / coming round the bend / on my fixie with the chopped horns turned in / trailing behind your biodiesel benz.” Oakland based Why? is on Anticon, a label most commonly associated with underground hip hop artists such as Doseone and Odd Nosdam. “Wolf [Why?] often approaches his words from a hip-hop standpoint, concentrating on internal rhyme and enjambment, but his intonation and delivery are pure indie rock. As is the band, who layer keyboards, guitars, and electric and organic percussion into something simultaneously melodic and distant, tuneful and difficult, songs that you want to sing along to but then have trouble enunciating the hook to “The Hollows,” the first single (“This goes out to all my underdone, other-tongued lung-long frontmen/And all us Earth-growths; some planted, some pulled”). But that, in fact, is what makes Alopecia successful: it displays both crypticness and honesty, intellectualism and vulgarity in equal measure, challenging and placating its audience in the same drawn-out, undefined, nasally breath.” – allmusic.com

Morning before leaving for Jackson

Stoked for my first Wyoming turns

Teton Pass

I woke up yesterday morning at 6:30 to find 2-3″ of new snow on my car. The drive out to Jackson was fairly uneventful, I seriously think I saw at least 20 cars that have spun off the road and were stuck in ditches though. I found a place to park my car and fall asleep around 9pm about 20 miles outside of Jackson. I woke up this morning and went to check out Jackson Hole Mountain Resort but decided not to pay the $87 lift ticket price due to so-so spring conditions. Instead, I drove up to Teton pass, geared up, and started asking random people if I could join their group. Thanks Nate and Frank for letting me tag along! We hiked 1,800′ of vert and the run down was well worth it! Right now I’m posting from Snake River Brewing in Jackson. Tonight I’m heading to Driggs or Victor, Idaho to check out the towns. I’ll get back up on Teton Pass tomorrow (with a working helmet-cam this time!), then head on to Bozeman if the forecast is still looking dry.

Poor visibilty and high winds let to closure of several passes this morning, too bad, so sad. Denver.. it was good.

The Vancouver Sun put together a shopping guide for avalanche survival. Now any weekened warrior can be safe in the backcountry! Funny, the article doesn’t mention SNOWPACK KNOWLEDGE! Here’s an online avalanche refresher course, a link to a TGR thread about what avy gear people carry with them in the backcountry, and Telemarktips’ Avalanche Safety Awareness Forum .

Last sunday I was able to fit in my 12th jump. It was a nice 50 degree day in Longmont on the ground with no winds. My mom and sister came along to watch and took a few pictures.