Progress: A day in the life of MMP

Last Day W’04-5/23-Day One Hundred Fifty! (34 Whistler). Last days are always bittersweet and this is no different. The sun was out, and I ripped Peak till they gave me the boot. My tracks were still there from yesterday, so I just continued the trend. Of course, racking up a ton of great days was no small feat, but what a great journey. I can’t wait to get to work on the film and relive the powder of the boat, the steeps Timmy and I bagged at Jackson, The blazing sun Kramer, Murray and I got in Utah and of course, this trip. I’m signing off for now, I’ll have a few updates during the production process, but it’s time to surf. And with that, it’s a wrap.

W’04-5/22-Day Thirty Three-Whistler. Amazing. After a cold start, the sun came out and low and behold, it had snowed. The sun warmed up the pow to create a great soft base layer with a little fresh on top to make it look nice (as Max would say). In fact, it was so good on Peak, I ended up making seven laps down the same run, just farming my line run after run. Today is 149 or 150 depending on if you would count yesterday, but tomorrow will put a legit 150 in the bag! A successful season…

W’04-5/21-Day? Whistler. Debatable. The spring weather turned rainy today and after completing one run, the lifts closed to lightening, leaving us stranded at the Roundhouse for an hour. After three hot chocolates we then downloaded. I’m not counting this one yet, it’s not six laps, so the pressures on for to get those last two days in!

W’04-5/20-Day Thirty Two-Whistler. Happy Birthday Sammy! Old Red Sam turns 24 today, and the skiing remains fantastic. Sunny warm runs in killer spring conditions followed by afternoons at the lake and 70 degrees. You have to love this place. (148 total)

W’04-5/19-Day Thirty One-Whistler. Thick! The snow is super thick, due to the abnormal abundance of heat. I take the opportunity to make a trip to Flute, which is decent skiing but a long skate out. The view is always incredible, so it’s worth the trip. Many fast laps on the Peak complete this beautiful sunny day. (147 total)

W’04-5/18-Day Thirty-Whistler. Super sun! Derek, Sam and I make turns around the ski area, straightlining and generally messing around. The plans for one last trip are slipping, as the sun has baked all the exits of areas to the point where it’s not safe. Cornices are dropping like mad, making the Spearhead sketchy at best. We’ll have to see, but I’m not holding my breath. Thankfully the area is still great.

W’04-5/17-Day Twenty Nine-Whistler. Mush and Bears! The snow pack is going quickly, but Derek is back so plans are in the works. Sam, Juris, Lindsey and others take advantage of another nice day. Red chair has closed, which means its fair game on the Weekend chutes, though it also means a long walk out. Bears have been out on the lower trails and recently ripped my friends shed apart. Think I’ve got a milkbone!

W’04-5/16-Day Twenty Eight-Whistler. Sun! and clouds. A great of skiing Peak with slushy spring conditions with a mix of sun and clouds. Long laps down Doom and Gloom to the Red chair prevail throughout the afternoon. The final seven days of the season are about to begin! (144 total)

W’04-5/15-Day Twenty Seven-Whistler. Overcast. A cookie cutter day of Friday, but unfortunately the sun was no where to be found. Sam and I make turns on Harmony and Peak until the rain moves in. A call from Derek confirms plans are in the works for the Spearhead traverse this week!

W’04-5/14-Day Twenty Six-Whistler. Awesome. A spectacular day of spring conditions with my old buddies Sam and Juris. Skipping around on the Peak Chair, we hit all the goods and ripped it to the bitter end. Goofing off on jib hits, Sammy almost knocks himself out airing under the green chair. Anther epic Whistler day…

W’04-5/13-Day Twenty Five-Whistler. The final 10. With 10 days left to go this year, it’s a strange feeling. After skiing a ton this year, it’s weird to think it’s almost over. Closing in on 150, my goal for this season, Luke nailed excitation in the sun as another spring day yields good footage. Still putting forth the effort to get one last peak done…

W’04-5/12-Day Twenty Four-Whistler. Luke and I bag some turns with some local snowboarders under sunny skies. Looking forward to wrapping in one more bc trip before it’s all said in done. Sometimes you have to push…(140 total)

W’04-5/11-Day Twenty Three-Whistler. Sammy, Luke, Lindsey and I hit Whistler under sunny skies and new snow to do some shooting. Luke lays down some big lines in Sun Bowl and the Coffin. A sketchy entrance forced an exit on Elevator, and thus we called it a day.

W’04-5/10-Day off! After 22 days of skiing a row, I must rest. The weather is bad today and has me taking a day off for rest and research on upcoming trips.

W’04-5/9-Day Twenty Two-Whistler. Happy Mother’s Day! Cool temps and snow persist, which in retrospect means that only 2 of the last 8 days have had full sun. Sam, Lindsey, and I make laps on Red and Harmony with more snow falling. (138 total)

W’04-5/8-Day Twenty One-Whistler. Another odd day where sun and snow came together resulting in new snow, but a firm base layer. Supposedly the sun is coming out for good this week, so with some luck we might be flying…Also, I spotted a black bear today right in the middle of the mountain bike park.

W’04-5/7-Day Twenty-Whistler. A year ago this Friday, we skied Wedge, a year later it’s overcast and we’re making plans for Tantalus. With the weather cooperating, we should hopefully be making tracks this week!

W’04-5/6-Day Nineteen-Whistler. The sun makes a return and I grab the camera to shoot some local action. As the day comes to a wrap, I noticed a massive booter being built in the area just off the back off Peak. It’s so large, they had two cats building it and by around 4pm, the session began. I could make out Mark Abma and Tanner Hall, but fearing a walk to the village, I poached some quick shots and made a run for the Gondola at 430 to catch the last download.

W’04-5/5-Day Eighteen-Whistler. Cinco De Mayo! Well amazing it wasn’t as the snow has firmed up over night. It’s still snowing up top, so with some clear weather, the skiing will be fantastic. Until then…

W’04-5/4-Day Seventeen (133)-Whistler. I woke up this morning to rain in the valley and figured it would be a short day. As I road up the gondola, I passed through the rain to find it dumping up top! After about 2 hours of constant snow, the sky opened up and there was sunny pow to be had. As usual, most people had given up on going up today, so I shared my wealth with about 10 people skiing off Peak. Definitely one of the best days on the trip!

W’04-5/3-Day Sixteen-Whistler. The storm continues so I solo the day making wet, snowy/rain laps in the West bowl of Whistler. The skiing is better then yesterday, but visibility is really variable. As is usually the case, the clouds are at various elevations, allowing you to pass through them as you go up the lift. Most tourist avoid these days, making Whistler empty with great mid mountain skiing, a great Whistler trait.

W’04-5/2-Day Fifteen- Whistler. Alex Blais and I hit the Harmony bowl in Whistler all day today in hopes of capturing some footage for the new flick. He’s a talented skier and I can foresee a major segment with him in the future but today it’s not to be with a storm cloud hanging over the area. We shall try again tomorrow.

W’04-5/1-Day Fourteen-Fissile. Today the sun is a bit blocked by the high milk clouds and we set sail for home, forgoing another Fissile summit to ski the soft snow on Cowboy ridge. A few quick turns before we begin the journey down Singing pass. This trail is always unique as some years you can easily ski all the way down, some years it’s a mix of snow and dirt and this year was snow, then dirt. I tromp down like Stompy the elephant in my ski boots for about 4 miles. Thankfully the trail is good shape making the trek easy to negotiate, but hard on the back with skis being added to the pack weight. We return to Whistler under sunny skies but something is blowing in off in the distance…

W’04-4/30-Day Thirteen-Fissile! The journey begins as Nadio, Sam, and I venture off to the classic peak of Fissile in the backcountry of Whistler. Being an overnighter, our packs are fully loaded and not having a stove to cook water, we have to pack it. This obviously makes the weight of the packs a bit much. The sun is out and it’s hot! Blazing hot, actually. By days end, Sam will be a lobster. Making the hut in record time we head off for the ascent/descent. With the current state of snowmelt we are forced to take the scenic route around the back. This is a unique challenge as we schlog through heavy wet spring snow up the peak, but the views are worth it. Having never approached the peak from this angle, we can see the Overlord glacier and Pinnacle peak. I hope to heading around that area later in May. For now, we celebrate the summit with salmon jerky and spy our line. The Saddle chute will require us to down climb slightly and expose us to a massive cornice. After a super sketchy side step down, we make the entrance, which is a short straightline under the cornice and onto the 50-55 degree chute. For some reason this one seems a bit more freaky then usual and as I drop in, the snow changes from soft spring schmoo to hard frozen crust, to soft pow. Amazing what a difference the sun can make and as with most steep chutes, your turns are really just controlled free falls, which makes for interesting decent given the conditions. Getting to the bottom, I shoot Sammy coming down, who makes it look effortless. We cruise back to the hut where we proceed to a make a fire for warmth and settle in for a cool night in hut. Another epic Whistler adventure has begun.

W’04-4/29-Day Twelve-Whistler. Another great sunny day as I take long laps into West Bowl and Cirque. The sun is in the forecast for the next four days so Sam and I prep for a trip out to Fissile. Look for another update Sunday from this trip!

W’04-4/28-Day Eleven-Whistler. Even though it snowed yesterday, the cold temps have kept the base firm. Today was a constant struggle between the sun above and the cold wind that kept the snow from melting. If there is one benefit of this action, it’s that Fissile is going to be awesome.

W’04-4/27-Day Ten-Whistler. Overcast skies and firm conditions made for some crunchy laps on the peak chair. Harmony bowl was in good shape with no one around. We skied out in a full whiteout at 3 so tomorrow holds promise.

W’04-4/26/Day Nine(125 total)-Whistler. With Blackcomb shutting down, Kristi and I bag sunny slush turns on the Peak chair at Whistler. We venture over to Flute to get a glimpse of Checkamus lake and the turns in Pig Alley. Yet another sunny day, what a spring…

W’04-4/25-Day Eight-DOA. After getting Husume under the belt, the gang opts for one last prize before Doug, Paul, and Josh have to return home. Fortunately, the sun is out and the chute is in excellent shape. Topping out at 40-45 degrees, the hero slush snow makes for excellent turns to the bottom. With the prize in the bag, I take the crew over to Showcase for one last hurrah down the permanent closure before it melts away for the summer. With Blackcomb’s closing day upon us, the shelf is hammered so the drop is a bit bigger then normal, but it has to be done. So like lemmings to the sea, we jump in, butt checking down the drop and into the pow. A perfect end to a perfect day.

W’04-4/24 Day Seven-Husume. Under cloudy skies, we start up East Col for the big chute. With the sun being blocked, the climb is cool and fast and we enter Husume with great conditions and pow at the bottom. Should have some great shots for the new film…

W’04-4/23 Day Six-LaPlaca and crew arrive under snowy skies. Blackcomb picks up another 6 inches and then the sun rolled out. We take full advantage of new snow with no one out and ski Ruby bowl, making the first tracks at 2 pm!

W’04 4/22-Day Five-Kristi arrives and we take advantage of another sunny spring day ripping around the glacier and the Sudan Couloir. Jumping back into Showcase, we notice the snow has retreated on the entrance making for an ‘interesting’ run for Kristi, though the rest was pure butter…

W’04 4/21- Day four (120 total)- Blackcomb- Sun! Amazing day utilizing the new boundary line where Showcase and Christmas chute are considered out of bounds, thereby allowing one to poach freely in front of the patrol. 5 laps in Showcase and one sketchy entrance into the latter makes for a great day in the memory books. Looking back at Showcase at the end of the day, I notice that there are only 3 other tracks next to mine… Whistler 04- 4/18-4/20- Another amazing start to the trip. After a snowy start on Sunday, the clouds opened up and today I skied Spanky’s Ladder all day making fresh tracks with no one around (spankys/glacier is boundary right now). There is more snow in the forecast so tomorrow should be another epic day. Yesterday I hiked up and hit Corona bowl, which was quite lovely.

Closing thoughts- As Steamboat’s season winds down, I’m glad to say we made the most of the year and I think the boat footage will contradict the people who had written this one off. While it was not the banner year in comparison to years past, it still had a number of amazing days. With the end in sight, I’m packing for the next adventure in Whistler and I’ll have your next snow update when I arrive. Think snow!

4/1-4/10 a mix of sun and snow, the latter refreshing the mountain for the big finale tomorrow! The gates are fantastic, and there’s plenty to be had, though lower mountain is almost ready for biking season.

3/29 Sun comes back out, and the snow is thickening… Pony and the gates are still good so get some before the heat takes over.

3/28 13 new in 48 hours. After yesterday’s 6” dust on crust, another 6 fell and we return to fantastic snow with a cloudy morning followed by the sun. You gotta love March and this one is finally seeing some of those late season storms we’ve come to expect.

3/26 Gates, and more gates. A storm is blowing in and the gates are the ticket at the moment.

3/25 100. Everyone talks about it, few actually hit it. With a bit of luck and determination, I hit 100 days with 18 left at the boat and Whistler on the horizon. I’m setting the goal at 150 this year, so we’ll see. The upper mountain picked up a wet trace, which made 2 great skiing under sunny skies.

3/24 rain! It won’t stop. Today after a few runs on 2, the rain started falling at 1:30 shutting down the mountain. Sadly I had to retreat home and start taxes. What the?

3/23 Bumpin in the rain. The spring has sprung and the rain is falling. Thankfully Tim and I grabbed a couple of 3 at 3’s on the Pro Moguls. Bring on the bumps…

3/22 Point of Return. Searching for a secret zone housing a sweet couloir in the boat, we toured out and looked for 2 hours only to find it as we returned back to the area. Standing on the top of this beautiful couloir, we could not get cell reception and thus no ride out. After 20 minutes of deliberating we unanimously decided to bag it to return tomorrow. This seemed like a downer, but you have to follow your instincts and we couldn’t have been more right. That night, Brian Cataldo did a recon mission out there for us, which revealed a large, impassable boulder in the middle of the couloir, making it unskiable. Yet another situation where listening to your instinct pays off, the couloir will have to wait till next year…

3/19-20 The Race! I emailed this out, so I’ll spare everyone another round here.

3/18 Getting ready for the race out on the Libs. After having a bad case of the ‘both ends’ Norwalk virus, I skied around the gates to check the Freerides out. That’s the only binding a bc skier needs…

3/15 Another 2 inches puts a fresh layer on the chutes as I do a late solo mission through the area. The snow is holding well despite much talk of the spring melt. Chute 2 and Z are the runs of the day (again).

3/14 Cool runs with Widmer as our assault on the chutes takes place. Skiing the various lines of 2 and 3, we utilize the Bar and Morningside because Z has the best snow on the mountain.

3/13 Big Air Saturday. The kids are hucking their meat outta the pipe and I captured the action for the upcoming Liberty Skis video. Some great airs and a few good crashes round out the day.

3/12 Superpipe practice. I head out with old Hanna and check out the current state of pipe skiing. Some kids are going big so tomorrow’s comp should be good.

3/11 Freeze/Melt. Spring is here and the snow is showing the effects. With temps rising steadily all week, the snow is only getting good at noon, but then it’s spring goodness. Checking Ben’s line for Brian Cataldos triumphant return…

3/10 Beta. Looking for the Walton Creek Couloir, I tour 7 miles off the back of Sunshine only to come up with a few turns and no entrance. Luke and I drive out later and find that I was actually standing on the top of the chute, but just needed to go a little left. Friday is the day! Happy Birthday Mr. Damore!

3/9 Kramer and I hit up Fun In Laws for some early pow, which can still be found. Areya and I then ski Nosebleed in rapidly warming conditions. The spring is in full effect.

3/8 3 Chips and an almost. The new 3-chip camera has arrived and Ben’s line takes precedence as we head back for round two. Sticking the top section well, he gets a little nervous and takes an alternate route around the big rock at the bottom; it’ll have to wait. Luke does a variation of Lucky Seven, a line I’d just as soon forget. A couple more gate runs for some “recon” on some old favorite spring lines…

3/7 Sun and 7 new! The gang goes out big with some sketchy lines. I start the day hanging from a tree (literally) in Hanging Tree. Kramer redeems his first run through Hanging by blasting the air at the bottom. This set the stage for Ben’s line on the right side of Hell’s Wall. A sketchy entrance gets him off track and he tumbles head first through a rock gully. Thankfully he’s fine and ready for another take tomorrow.

3/6 Wind. In addition to the cold weather, we got wind, which hit around 40 at the top of Storm. We cut a few lines in Bar trees and Weasel, which had good snow, when it wasn’t blowing past you. Fortunately it’s dumping.

3/5 Cold. Snow returns and the temp drops. Kristi, Sonya, and I ski around Chute 1 and Z, which have some great turns at the bottom.

3/3 Getting it done with Wids. The sun comes out for good and we nab the sunny pow turns sneaking into secret lines which can’t be mentioned. We then grabbed Terrets and Clothesline for first tracks followed with a Fun In Laws for good measure.

3/2 Sun! After 23” in 36 hours, the sun pops out and we grab the goods. Birds Beak and Keyhole still have the pow and the cameras were rolling on Luke, Kramer, and Carlson. More snow in the forecast for later this week and a new camera in route for Mr. Martin.

3/1-Eighty and the best month of the year begins! 15 new with Sonya (full frontal) and Jill ripping around St. Pats, the Golf Course, and nabbing first tracks into the Keyhole. The snow was so deep we could barely make the entrance, but once inside the snow was oh so nice…. Sonya hucks yet another front flip, securing a segment in the next film.

2/29 Happy Leap year! Leaping into the pow, with 11 new and dumping. Tim, Kramer, and I crush tree laps, gate D, and the Keyhole. The snow is fantastic and there’s more on the way!

2/28 The snow is killer as snow dumps from the sky. Quick laps through keyhole and bird bag with minor slough slides. It continues to dump, so tomorrow should be epic.

2/23 75. Half way to the goal of getting 150 in this season and even though the sun is shinning, it’s snowing up top. Surreal to see blue skies and have snow falling, but the snow is firm due to cold weather. More snow for the boat in the forecast! Recently finished work on a short best of MMP entitled “retreat” which will be on the upcoming 2004 DVD release.

2/22 Sunny spring weather brings spring snow to the gates. The upper mountain has great conditions and the crowds to match. Tim and I cruise through the usual C and 2.

2/20 Summit County pow! 4 inches on a crusty spring layer had us skiing C’s bone yard and bomb line. Big crowds got us off the mountain fast.

2/18 Eleven. Starting at 8:45 and hitting Pony at 9, I embark on breaking the canyon lap record (7). The weather is perfect and I’m feeling good as the snow changes from firm crust to elephant snot throughout the day. The turns were nothing to brag about, but by 2pm I had 8 in, so 3 more sounded about right. To make it legit, I skied 5 uppers and 6 lowers, nothing below Birds Beak. Slightly sore, but crushing the old record confirms to me that I’m ready for the randonee rally. The laps in order-1] Granola Bowl (u], 2] Bowling Alley [u], 3] Clothesline [u route], 4] Keyhole [l] 5] Fun Bags [l] main line, 6] Bird Bag [l], 7] Bird’s Beak [l], 8] Fun In laws [l], 9] Nostrils [u], 10] Fun Bags left side [l], 11] Sloppy Seconds (Hells Wall Right Side] [u]. The first 10 laps averaged about 37 minutes so get out there and get some in the sunny spring weather!

2/17 The gates and sunshine. Fun fast laps with K-man and Timmy down C, 2, and Z. Preparing for the record tomorrow….

2/16- 70! President’s day crowds but the canyon is wide open. I started out with a clothesline and threw in a ‘old keyhole’ for good measure. The snow is still fast, though the line through the trees above the keyhole (from the arête) is fantastic. Finished with a Bird Bag and the rock pillows of Luke’s. The snowstorm is on hold until Wednesday.

2/15 69 and a straight-line. Found a small straight-line through the rocks of Luke’s meadow. Skiing the same lines with Timmy, we check out the far side of the bags and look back at Seth’s line. Amazing to think what a difference two feet makes, but his bomb hole shows the depth of the impact (nearly 4 feet). Snow is firming up due to warm days, but snow is in the forecast.

2/14 Sixty-eight, Vari-ate. Again, I worked the same lines as the past two days, but with slight changes grabbing the pockets. Upper Main line Fun Bags is sweet and you can make confident turns right down the middle with all of the new snow filling in the holes. Pony is on SPRING HOURS!! Late day canyon runs are in full effect.

2/13 Warmer, but still chilly. Sunny skies and cold smoke persist in the canyon. Skied the same lines as yesterday with a slight variation picking up the leftovers. The pillows of Birds and Luke’s are incredibly stable, so you can ski a little zainier line.

2/12 Cold! One of the coldest days of the year. So cold that even the cold wax (blue) on our skis stuck to the snow. Two runs with Kramer through Bird Bag and Fun in Laws made us run in for some coco. –9 at 9 am….

2/11 65 and ugly. Seth goes big and now we are wishing him a speedy recovery. He’s a charger and I have no doubt he’ll be killing it next season. Wishing him well and quick recovery.

2/10 The sun persists and Seth goes big! In honor of fallen local Gabe, Seth launches the same rock that took Gabe out. The snow is still good, though the air is out, leaving faster sunny pow turns. Locals have been getting after it and the canyon is seeing heavy traffic. Today, we hunted through Bird Bag twice, then Luke’s Meadow, with the topper being Seth’s Keyhole air. Patrol was doing orientation back there as more and more people are making the trek.

2/9 THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR? Amazingly light snow fell over night leaving 18 new on top of already amazing conditions. We kick off the day with the classics, Closets, 2:30, and D, which was unreal. The sun popped out just as we set up to shoot D and the footage is crazy! I look like a gopher cruising through the snow! Later I hooked up with Kramer who wanted to do something big. This led us to Terret’s crack where we found some light snow and a hairy entrance. Luckily the snow was stable and we tore through it. Should be a good shot for the film as we had two cameras going. The pow is deep, get out there!

2/8 Let it snow! The sky is dumping and the Keyhole was fan-tastic, there’s more snow on the way so tomorrow should be epic!

2/6 Back in the boat, hanging with Miller. The Warren Miller boys were in town and I got to help out by playing tour guide for Travis Mayer. Fun day doing Hollywood turns and watching the pros in action.

2/4-5 Aspen Highlands and the Trade Fair. Yes it’s that time again and after skiing great new skis from the manufacturers of the world, we snuck off to the Highlands to rip 15 inches new which happened to be bottomless in the Highland bowl.

2/2/04- Another 6 and sunny skies reign! I can get use to this, snow at night followed by sunny day powder skiing. The MMP crew took to the canyon, tearing through the Keyhole, Fun Bags, and the Beak. The powder is deep and it’s cold smoke light. I’m always amazed how fast bad conditions turn around in the boat. Get out there!!!!

2/1/04- Super bowl Sunday with 8 new and clear skis! The rain layer from Friday is all but gone and we laid some great tracks in Middle Rib and the Keyhole. Get yours!

1/31-The Mid point. Always weird to think that half the season is behind you. 71 days to go, with epic conditions in all areas. Reflect on your season thus far, then remember you’ve got another half to go!

1/26-1/30 VEGAS BABY VEGAS! Cool new stuff for next year, get saving your nickels for the killer new gear from Helly Hansen!!

1/25/04-The snow begins to fall! I took some solo laps on the left side of pony, which was exceptional. Off to Vegas! Back in a few days…hopefully

1/22/04- Number 50, a nooner. With a couple of hours to spend and sunny skies, I take to the gates for some wind-buffed turns. The snow is holding incredibly well in St. Pats, C, and B. Z is fast, but easy and there’s no one skiing. Enjoy the freedom of skiing onto the lifts, it won’t last forever.

1/21/04- North Canyon! Today, Seth, Timmy, and I cross the creek to the North side of Fish Creek. We then skied the South side of North Fork Canyon, which has some great turns. A difficult hike back up made us think twice about another lap. So we then hit the North ridge for some spring conditions. If you’ve never made the trek, the view is amazing and the snow is better then you think…

1/20/04- With no new snow, we look to the upper, upper canyon. From 3rd pitch, we head over to the flat meadow, then down the upper mouth of the canyon. Short fun lines can be had and laps are quick with the skins.

1/19/04 Honoring the day-MLK. Overcast and firm, we ripped around C and B. Then a quick lap out to Nostrils confirms the snow pack is firm everywhere. A scouting mission is on the table for tomorrow unless there’s new snow…

1/18/04 Hello crowds! Yes, it’s a holiday weekend, but there’s a spot that is skiing phenomenal that the locals are overlooking. I won’t say where it is, but it is in bounds and the snow is perfect.

1/14/04 Groomer Galore! Firmer conditions have left the groomers in good shape. Arc trees and cornice are choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend sliding through.

1/13/04 Scopin’ lines with Timmy. Another run through Fun In-Laws confirms that it’s good to go and another route in the canyon is born. Of course, one has to watch the cliff (60 foot to flat) at the bottom… Nostrils for the second lap, which is tracked up, but still worth a ski. Grabbed a quick C to Z and then hooked up with the conservative skier on the groomers.

1/12/04 Poking through Fun Bags I discover a new line, which I’ll refer to as Fun In-Laws. It accesses some great terrain that I didn’t believe was possible without dealing with mandatory airs. Then it was a bit of conservative skiing with the rehabber himself, Max, who also illegally parks cars.

1/11/04-Doug and I scout the canyon for freshness. After a bit of a freeze-melt cycle, the snow is a bit more sugary then past days but there are plenty of pockets to be had. Obvious lines like Granola bowl have seen the most action, but happiness awaits anyone doing a little exploring… Luke’s Meadow/Bird Beak area still has some fresh lines and quality conditions.

1/10/04 Friedberg and the Keyhole. After years of talking about it, Mike Friedberg and I finally get some turns together in Fish Creek Canyon where fast, wind buff conditions persist. Later, Travis Mayer threw an amazing D-Spin in the Voodoo Bump course. I’m sure he’ll be killing it this week in Lake Placid, GO TRAVIS!

1/9/04 After yesterday, I had to go back to the goods of the canyon. A bit more tracked up, the b/c is seeing heavy traffic given the lack of new snow and nice weather. Fun Bags and Luke’s meadow still held some great lines and the snow is light and dry, despite the temps.

1/8/04 Killing it with Kramer! The K man and I nail Clothesline, Keyhole, and Terret’s Big Crack, getting first tracks in the latter two. Great day of ripping around the canyon under warm, sunny skies.

1/7/04 Say hello to the Beav! Weather delays gave me the freedom to attend the Nordica launch and wow, what a great collection of equipment! The new Beast is looking better then ever and the new Speed Machines are ripping the mountain. Great conditions for testing, but the boat still has the quality…

1/4/04 Happy Bday to me! 12 inches new, a gift from Uller. Cold smoke and cold powder, Widmer scores the nastiest case of frostbite I’ve seen. MMP was in the house with Widmer, Seth, Jameson, Kramer, Cody, Sonya, and Doug. Scoring first tracks in Keyhole, we quickly set out for round 2, which we had intended as a Terret’s Big Crack, but ended up getting split up and Seth, Kramer, and Cody get the scare of the day. Pinned in Hanging Tree, I shout directions from below as they ski through the cracks to make it out okay. With the team exhausted, I make a celebratory Birthday run through Bowling alley and Terret’s crack. I couldn’t let another day go without making it happen and it was well worth it. Get out there and find some adventure!

1/3/04 Gong Show Saturday! Another 6 new and the Canyon was incredible. Fun bags with Luke, Ben, and Chris followed by a Bird Bag and Keyhole with Tim, Cody, and Ben. The snow is in great shape, though the Canyon is seeing heavy traffic given that it’s a Saturday. Bong! (think Long Duck Dong from 16 Candles)

1/2/04-After 2 weeks of talking about, the Mele boys and I finally hook up for some great skiing in a snowstorm. The New Jersey boys were ripping around the mountain and showing me up!

1/1/2004! Happy New Year!

12/30-31/03- 5 and 6 new respectively accumulate on the mountain. Brian Cataldo rolled into to town and threw down the last big lines of the season. After a monster huck off the Arête, he split his chin and needed some work done. We wish him a speedy recovery and we can’t wait to film with him again. Tim Widmer stepped up to the plate on the 31st and ended a three saga in the canyon. What is now known as Timmy’s Big Crack, a line that seemed next to impossible to get to is finally tamed. Thankfully the initial run went really well and we’ve got the beta on the newest addition to our collection of favorite routes in the canyon.

12/28/03- Another 9! Thicker and fuller then yesterday’s storm, the scratchy snow underneath is now covered with a bomber layer up top. Slower, but lots of fun in the Keyhole with the snow settling.

12/27/03 9 new! Super light and dry snow. The trees and D are happening and it’s still snowing. Timmy skied Luke’s Meadow and said its O-tay!

12/26/03-Wind! The gondola shuts down as the Martin family takes to the slopes. Fun groomers with the next storm approaching…

12/25/03 Merry Christmas! It’s snowing and cold and I’m loving it! Snowed all day, to the point where most people had bagged it, but in the spirit of Christmas, I skied till the buzzer on Morningside and Storm. C to Z’s with great wind buffed conditions.

12/23 Sunny days persist. The last storm didn’t bring anything to report, but with the skies clearing the snow dried out and we scored some great sugar snow back in the canyon. Skied the Keyhole first thing with Timmy, which is skiing well on the left side. Kramer and I skied Bird Bag, exceptionally good, and the Bowling Alley. All North facing terrain seems to be holding well and there’s 10 days of snow in the forecast! Happy Birthday to Liz and Mark!

12/22 Keyhole is good to go! Kramer, Luke, and I skied the first run (for us) down the boulder field. Great conditions, given the early date…

12/21 Another wave of snowstorms begins to hit the area. I skied solo this morning down Bird Bag (between the Beak and Fun Bags) and Fun Bags (left line) checking conditions. Both lines have set up a bit from the previous storm. With Pony Express open, the canyon is now a daily adventure. Stay tuned for the morning update.

12/16 The sun is out and the powder abounds! Picture perfect blue skies and new snow, Santa has come early. Happy Birthday Gullotti!

12/15 The snow continues! 25” new inside 12 hours! One of the lightest snowfalls I have ever experienced here in the boat. The MMP crew was on a mission and we got the goods. Let’s just say we’ve got some “shots” for the new film….

12/8-12/9/03- With stats like these, it’s hard to say more, but what a day. Monday was a great base layer with heavy, thick snow. The temperature dropped and it kept snowing through the night. Max, Tim, Sonya (aka “full frontal”), and I shot some film this morning in bounds. The ferret convinced me to make a lap through the canyon, which was overhead the whole way. More snow is in the forecast and we’re on our way with another great season. New Snow 24 hrs mid: 12.5 inches, 24 hrs summit: 17 inches 48 hrs mid: 26.5 inches 72 hrs mid: 31.5 inches

Snow Depth Base mid: 48 inches summit: 54 inches

Cumulative Snowfall 101 inches

(Since 10/31/03) 101 inches 11/26/03 Opening day? Wow. That’s about all you can say. I’ve lived here 9 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an opening that great. The snow keeps coming down as I write this and I think we are poised to have another killer season. Broke out the new Liberty skis, which rip! The 175 Litespeed was tearing up the hill and if you haven’t checked these out go to www.libertyskis.com now! The cameras were rolling and another film begins…. 11/21/03 The Big Event! The day finally arrived and the result was fantastic. 250 people viewed the first ever Steamboat Springs Outdoor Film Festival! Everyone seemed excited about this new venue for art, photography, and film. I cannot tell you how exciting this was for me to watch the film with the audience and if you missed it I hope to see you there next year. Here’s a article written about the event, which I think is quite good: WARREN WHO?? MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF SNOW FILMMAKERS By Megan “Money” Murphy

Friday, November 21, 2003 at the Sheraton Ballroom: The First Annual Outdoor Art and Film Festival. If you weren’t there YOU MISSED OUT! A hefty crowd of around 250 Steamboat snow worshippers witnessed the birth of a new generation of local filmmakers. The festival was a dream realized for filmmaker and organizer Mike Martin. Martin has been making amateur ski movies featuring local powder hounds since his days as a student in the CMC Ski Business program. Now Martin manages Surefoot in Ski Time Square and has started his own production company, Michael Martin Productions. Seven years ago, Martin debuted his first film, “Movement,” to an audience of five in his basement. This year’s production, “Wedge,” premiered on a 14-foot movie screen in the Sheraton Ballroom to a nearly full house.

One of the driving reasons that Martin wanted to start a film festival was to create a venue for any local filmmakers that wanted to show their perspective of Steamboat. Local high school students put the opening film, “A Cure for Boredom,” together in one week before the entry deadline. Erik Thomsen, Kyle Wellman, Rory Kriz, Kyle Wilson, and Bret Lickteig introduced the film by saying, ”This is just what we do on the weekends.” It was a film filled with youthful daring and shenanigans, perfect for kicking off the night with high energy and anticipation for more. If “Cure” is what these guys can do in a week, I can’t wait to see what we’ll get from them next year. On the very same day as the festival, Dan Gilchrist got in touch with Martin asking if there was room for one more film. Simply named, “Late Entry” on the program, this movie featured skiing, mountain biking, a close-up shot of a Guinness cascading, and a couple of aspiring canine actors.

Intermission allowed moviegoers to peruse artwork and photography by Steamboat locals. Colorful and lucid oil paintings of trees, lovers entwined, bottles, and blorbs by artist Max Damore hung around the perimeter of the ballroom. Areyh Copa, recently featured in Skiing Magazine, was enthusiastically showing off his prints of snow-frosted trees, skiers suspended mid-air above the tree line, and Storm Peak Express in the mists of winter. “City Limits,” a snowboard feature with sick terrain park footage started the second half of the evening. The film, by Third Eye Productions, had previously been screened at Lupo’s. The highlight of this film was an eclectic soundtrack featuring Pink Floyd, Rick Springfield’s “Jesse’s Girl,” and some hip hop from a Colorado group, The Acoustic MC’s. An impressive effort for a first film, but the lengthy running time lost the attention of today’s A.D.D. generation.

Martin’s moment, his first big screen premiere, had arrived. “Wedge” told a story of the season leading up to the expedition to Whistler’s Wedge peak. Each segment chronicled a day in the life of Steamboat and Whistler skiers, each one different from the one before it, promising to make it to Wedge by winter’s end. The footage, editing, music and storyline of “Wedge” kept the audience going until the last frame—which cut to black and said “See you next year” in larger than life letters on the screen. Some viewers screamed and yelled in good-natured frustration. We didn’t get to see what Wedge was really like, but it was all part of a larger plan for Martin. He stood up and addressed the motley crew: “Get out there and make your own movies!” Inspiration was cemented in the minds of viewers as they walked out of the Sheraton and into a snowstorm the week before opening day. I can only imagine that the 2004 Outdoor Art and Film Festival will be bigger and better and highly anticipated by many Steamboat locals.

For more info or to purchase a movie visit: www.michaelmartinproductions.com.

Hats off to the sponsors who fueled the dream: Wells Fargo, Liberty Skis, Surefoot, Powder Pursuits, Blue Sage Bakery, Black Tie Ski Rentals, Tugboat, BAP!, Big Agnes, Honey Stinger, Backcountry Provisions, Steamboat Fishing Company, Straightline Sports. And thanks to all the locals who came and bought tickets despite being mudseason broke.

11/16/03 Timmy and I bag our first turns of the season! Waking up this morning, it was sunny and I couldn’t let a great day like this go to waste. So a phone call later, Tim and I skin up the mountain to the summit of Storm Peak. Took us 2 hours and 10 minutes, which had us there around 4:15. As you will see in the photos (check the gallery soon), the day was coming to an end as we made tracks down the face/Twister and then Whiteout. The upper mountain is in great shape and there is snow to be had. If the snow keeps coming it should be a great opening!

11/13/03- It keeps coming! The snow has been falling on and off all day, picking up tonight. I am in the duplicating phase for the new movie “Wedge”. As the front page says, mark your calendars for November 21, (Friday) 2003 for the World Premiere. Festival Order – Sheraton Ballroom, Steamboat Springs 7 PM-Doors Open 7:30- First Films-”Future Proof” -MMP “Cure for Boredom” 8:00 Intermission 1 8:15 Second Film-”City Limits” -Third Eye Documentaries 9:00 Intermission 2 9:15 WEDGE WORLD PREMIERE!-Don’t miss it! 10:00 Door Prize Awards/ Conclusion $5.00 gets you in and a chance to win skis from Liberty, a Dakine roller bag, gift certificates, and more! See you there!

11/1/03 From Here to There orders are shipping! Order yourself a copy today!

10/30/03- It’s that time again! At 7PM tonight, the first snow of the year began to fall. I happened to be walking and the sleet had just turned to snow. It caught me by surprise, almost “what the heck is this?” but a smile and a sudden urge to grab my skis quickly came over. Game on! [home]