Chill on the Hill - Tremblant for the slope challenged

2009-06-23 14:17:29

This weekend I experienced a new first: snowboarding in June. Normally in this part of the world, people don't think about snowboarding in the summer. This year is different, however, as Nestea has decided to put on the Chill on the Hill event at Mont Tremblant; so I, and a bunch of fellow winter enthusiasts, decided to attend.

Team Moose Tech left Ottawa early on Saturday morning, the day of Chill on the Hill, to head up to Mont Tremblant. The crew consisted of Zoe, Yeti, Scott, Dana, Clay, and myself in two car loads. Yeti followed Blue Balls in the Ski Mobile as we made our way north for some rare late spring shredding. The order of the day: no cunting. Cunting has never been specifically defined, but whatever it is we didn't want to have any of it on this trip. Unfortunately, we would soon find that we were victims of cunting very early on as someone had walked on Yeti's Ski Mobile during the night and dented to roof. Using his herculean strength, however, Dana undented the roof and we were on our way.

As we arrived at Tremblant, we decided that we would scope out the setup before grabbing all of our gear and suiting up. We made the short gondola ride to the base area only to be accosted by an over zealous security guard accusing us of spitting in the pool. We hadn't even made it to the event area and people were already cunting in a very dramatic way. After congratulating the security guard on his vast network of security cameras (no doubt to capture further acts of cunting). We made our way to the trucked in snow park to get the lay of the land.

The setup was quite small and consisted of three boxes, a jump, and a big air bag. Some snow had been trucked in and spread out on top of white cotton padding. I assume the padding had two purposes: 1) to make it look like there was much more snow than there was, and 2) to keep dark objects from showing up through the snow to make it melt faster in the sun. Even though the whole setup looked pretty "bush league", we decided to make the best of it and headed back to the cars to get our shred gear.

We soon discovered that the set up wasn't the only thing that was "bush league" at this event. The organization was pretty weak sauce too. There was a lot of time spent standing around waiting to ride 200 feet of snow which hardly seemed worth it at times.

It was free of charge to ride, however, everyone had to fill out a waiver before they were allowed on the course. We filled out and signed the waiver except for the section intended for the legal guardians of participants under the age of 18. When we got in line, however, the sexy girl managing the forms called us back so we could sign the last page of the form. We protested to this because we didn't feel that we should be our own parents. She insisted that it was to prove we read the entire form. Obviously she hadn't read the form or she would have known what it was for. Either that or she just couldn't let sexy guys such as ourselves out of her sight.

With all the paper work and waiting in line out of the way. It was finally time to get some shredding in. This is when we discovered the danger of the cotton padding which served as the base for the snow: it looks like snow but sticks like fly paper. One of the big challenges in navigating the course was avoiding the bare areas -- which were difficult to spot due to the white cotton -- because they would cause you to bleed all your speed. This was a serious problem considering that the second big challenge was the utter lack of slope in the setup. Nestea must have forgotten that snowboarding and skiing are downhill sports.

Undeterred by these challenges, we finally made it to the top of the drop in zone to yet again wait in line for our turn to go. Once riding, the wait hardly seemed worth it to me. It wasn't long before cravings for nachos and poutine overwhelmed Dana's and my desire to ride. Zoe was getting hungry too so we decided to hit up the Shack to see if the organizing crew would get their act together after lunch. Yeti, Scott, and Clay, however, persevered and decided to keep riding. I guess the Raunchy Ron's they ate on the drive up held up long enough to keep them satiated during the shred session.

After lunch, we went back only to find out that all riding had been suspended while the crew were working on the setup; basically moving snow around to maximize snow coverage. This took about 20 minutes which was long enough for Dana, Scott, and I to decide that we were done waiting around so we went back to the car to change into our beach wear.

We got back to the "slope" to find that they were letting the riders ride again. Yeti and Clay were still going at it with a purpose. Meanwhile the rest of us were chilling in our shorts. Zoe was taking photographs. The setup was getting smaller and smaller though as the snow melted and staff was moving it around fewer features to ensure good coverage. It didn't take long before Yeti and Clay had finally had their fill as well. We decided to call it a day and head back into town but not before making another stop and Raunchy Ron's for some food and a depanneur for some energy drinks (Marc Madness was sleepy and one near crash per day is enough).

On the one hand, this event was somewhat disappointing. The organization of the whole thing left a little to be desired. I felt as though I spent an inordinate amount of time waiting and not enough time riding. This, and the over zealous security guard, really put a damper on my stoke. On the other hand, I wasn't really expecting much in terms of good riding since it was June 20th (the day before the first official day of summer). Plus in a cup half full kinda way, the over zealous security guard provided many opportunities for jokes and sarcasm. Perhaps the bards were right when the sang "Always look on the bright side of life" at the end of Monty Python's Life of Brian. So to stick with the cup half full theme, the next Chill on the Hill event is August 22nd at Glen Eden on southern Ontario. If I'm not surfing in Maine that weekend, you can be sure that I'll be there protecting the masses from further cunting like the vigilante that I am.

Categories: Snowboarding, Ride Journal | 3 Comments

Summer Shred Opportunities - Flip flops and goggle tans

2009-06-13 12:33:39

With the official beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere just a week away, it's time to consider focusing on activities other than snowboarding. However, this does not mean to ignore summer shred opportunities. For the truly dedicated (and/or independently wealthy) there are many opportunities to be had. Their exact nature is limited only by imagination and dedication.

Load it up and truck it

Snowboarding in the late spring in western Quebec and Ontario is normally unheard of. This year, however, Nestea is trying to change that by sponsoring Chill on the Hill. This series of events combines winter and summer fun and throws in some free tunes to top it all off. The first of the three events will be held at Mont Tremblant on June 20th, the second at Glen Eden in southern Ontario on July 18th, and the third at a yet to be determined location in western Canada. The date of the third event is not yet known.

If you happen to be lucky enough to live within a reasonable distance from Mont Tremblant, get your summer fix by heading up on June 20th. 300lbs blocks of ice will be trucked in and chipped over the course of two days to build a quarterpipe and rail setup for the day. Admission is free as well as the Sam Roberts concert going on in the evening. On top of that, pro shreds will be on hand to provide tips (Justin Lamoureux is rumoured to be in attendance). Keep your ears to the ground for more information on the time and location for the western Canada edition of Chill on the Hill.

Camper's Pampers

For the more dedicated, there are summer camps in select locations of North America. For example, Windell's goes down every summer in Oregon while Camp of Champions is held on the glacier at Blackcomb. Summer camps are awesome because not only do you have the opportunity to shred, skate, and maybe even surf on the same day, but there are pros on hand to give you tips on stomping those bad ass tricks come winter.

However, summer camps are not for the income challenged. Taking a whole week of summer and trekking out to a glacier is not an inexpensive endeavour. Fortunately Westbeach is looking out for you. They are currently giving away a free session at Camp of Champions in Whistler. All you have to do is send them a video, picture, or whatever showing how badly you want to go to COC. Hurry though the deadline is on Monday so you better get those entries in soon.

Due South

If you want the true snowboarding experience in the summer, south of the equator is your only option. Some truly dedicated riders will spend their entire summers either in New Zealand, Argentina, or Chile only to come back north of the equator to another beautiful winter. This is probably the most affordable way to continue shredding throughout the summer if you can land a job there (teaching snowboarding for example). It's not for the faint of heart, however, as most people can't handle the non-existence of summer. If you can afford the time off from your northern hemisphere job as well as the travel costs though, this just might be the ticket that will tide you over until the snow flies back home.

South America also provides opportunities for snowboarding camps. South American Snow Sessions in Argentina is one of the more well known camps. It's in the Andes mountain range in the winter so you can be sure that it will be epic.

There's a common saying that goes: "the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence." This usually serves as a way to comfort those who are not happy with where they currently are. In my case, the grass is pretty green on my side of the fence and I want to be where it is covered in snow (what can I say, the new season starts in less than 5 months but I'm impatient). I've come to realise, however, that if you look hard enough, there are summer shred opportunities to be found for just about every budget. I hope to be chasing a few of these this summer. Ideally I'll be able to ride at least one day in each of the twelve months of 2009. Maybe I'll see some of you out there. I'll be the wacky guy working on his goggle tan; don't be shy, come and say hi! I only bite on request. Have a happy summer!

Categories: Snowboarding, Travel | 2 Comments

Bond Outerwear - Because tomorrow never dies

2009-06-12 10:02:44

I first heard of Bond outerwear a few months ago. They got my attention by a) being an outerwear company that cares about the environment, and b) signing up T.J. Schneider to ride for them. If Bond is even half as down to earth as T.J. Schneider is, then I have faith that they will be able to live up to their goal of being a carbon neutral company.

I recently got a look at the Bond catalog for the 09/10 season. Front and center in the catalog is Bond's commitment to sustainability. They seem to be one of the few companies that are taking concrete and measurable steps to reduce their impact on mother nature. Some of the more ecological features of the outerwear line include:

• All of Bond's outer shells and inner liners use a blend of Recycled PET (which is made from plastic bottles), and virgin polyester. This makes the liners and shells 100% recyclable. Although, to the best of my knowledge, the facilities to do so don't currently exist in North America.
• Snaps and zippers are made from discarded plastic pellets from heavy industries. This is a good way to keep that material out of the waste stream.
• Use of discarded coconut shells to create a moisture wicking liner. This will not only wick sweat away from your hot body, but will make you smell like pina coladas at the same time.
• Bond also claims that their waterproofing is engineered to be as "environmentally friendly as it is durable", however, the catalog is sketchy on details of how this is achieved. 10K, 15K, and 20K waterproofing is available.

This is the first I ever hear of a company using coconut fibers as textiles, so the innovative qualities of the Bond lineup are unquestionable. The real question is: how does everything look? Counter to what I would expect, the lineup is quite colorful. Usually it seems to be expected that environmentally friendly clothing will predominantly be in earth tones. This is certainly not the case with Bond where bright orange, pastel blue, and yellow seem to be the most dominant colours.

In addition to outerwear, Bond also has a lineup of soft goods: t-shirts and hoodies made with 100% organic cotton, toques and base layers made of recycled polyester, and socks made with recycled polyester and bamboo fibers. So whatever you need to complete your attire next season, Bond should have you covered.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on some Bond outerwear this season. Not only will it inflate my sense of environmental responsibility (looking out for tomorrow), but if I choose wisely, the colourways are obnoxious enough to give the ski school director at my local mountain fits. Besides, with a brand name like Bond emblazoned on my clothes, the ladies will love me. I just need to figure out where to take my tattered outerwear to have it recycled (possibly into new Bond threads, cradle to cradle indeed). Check out Bond on Facebook for more information or download the premiere catalog from the Bond website.

Categories: Snowboarding, Gear, Environment | 1 Comments

Tuckerman Ravine Redux - Get a little east coast pride

2009-06-02 13:19:16

This season seems to have become the one that never ends. Even though I'd like to say that it's due to its shear epic nature, it probably has a lot more to do with my stubbornness in accepting that it is over. That very stubbornness has led me to chase winter for yet another weekend by going to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to earn some turns at Tuckerman Ravine.

In years past, I would have expected that I needed to be in the big boy mountains of the west coast in order to find snow to shred this late in the season. However, a loved one turned me on to Tuckerman's a couple of years ago which has changed my whole outlook on snowboarding in the east. I guess it was rather appropriate then that on the trip to Mount Washington, I was listening to the Bouncing Souls who are strong proponents of east coast pride.

I met up with Mark and Kathy in Gorham on Friday night. Just like the last time, we stayed at the Royalty Inn planning on getting an early start on Saturday morning. Even though it was hard to get a straight answer as to what the conditions were like in the ravine, we decided take a chance on finding some good snow to ride. We rolled out of Gorham at around 6AM to make our way to the base of Mount Washington.

The ascent went much faster this time than the last. Being familiar with the trail makes it easier to judge how much distance is left to your destination. This makes the task of rationing energy reserves much easier. We made it to the Hermit Lake shelter area in less than two hours. Once there, we took a quick break to shoot the breeze with the caretaker Anthony who was kind enough to give us a few tips. The most useful tip was what to do when staring at a falling ice chunk. He recommended we stay still, which is counter to my initial instinct, since falling ice is usually not uniformly shaped so chances are it will change direction before it gets to you. So basically trying to evade it may in fact put you in greater danger.

After the brief safety tutorial, we made our way toward Tuckerman bowl. The decision to head to the bowl was predicated on two things: 1) we wanted to try some different terrain, and 2) Hillman's Highway was reportedly pretty bare since the last time we were up.

We made it to the base of the bowl in good time where we were greeted by the relatively vast snow fields of Tuckerman bowl. There were already a few skiers who were hiking up Right Gully so at least we weren't the only crazy people on the mountain.

The first order of the day was not to fall into any crevasses. This agenda had to be amended rather quickly, however, as no sooner had I dropped into my first run that I encountered a crevasse that I had not seen on the way up. Fortunately it wasn't very big and it just bounced me a little with no ill effects. We quickly gathered into a committee to amend the order of the day to be "not to fall into any crevasses and die."

We managed to get three runs in by noon, the first on Left Gully, the second beneath The Chute, and the last from part way up Right Gully. I attempted to do a full run down the Chute, however, my ascent was impeded by a rather large crevasse so I had to settle with dropping in just below the narrow part of the chute. Our last run on Right Gully was also cut a bit short because storm clouds were forming. The weather forecast was calling for thunderstorms and we didn't want to get caught in it so we only hiked part-way up Right Gully.

Even though it was only mid-day, we decided to make our way back to Pinkham Notch so as not to get caught in the extreme Tuckerman weather. We were most of the way down when we started hearing thunder. It was only a matter of minutes before the skies opened up and dropped rain and hail on us. Fortunately it wasn't far to the visitor center where we could find shelter.

Tips for Tux

If the fancy ever hits you to check out Tuckerman Ravine, here are a few useful tips, things I've learned in my recent visits. Before you leave:

• Check the weather forecast. The Mt. Washington observatory is a good place for weather information. In spite of knowing the weather, be prepared for anything. The weather can change in a hurry. We went from bluebird skies to thunder, lightning, rain, and hail in a matter of minutes.
• Check out the forums on the Time for Tuckerman website for information on the conditions. This seems to be updated by Tux visitors on a semi-regular basis.
• Pack crampons that fit over your snowboard boots. The Headwall is pretty steep, if the snow gets too hard, upward progress becomes very difficult.

Once you're there:

• Bring beer for the caretakers (great idea Mark). They are super helpful, it's a good gesture of appreciation, and they will be super stoked. Make sure the beer is in cans though, since all trash has to be packed out and crushed cans are much lighter to carry than bottles.
• Try to avoid riding over the boot-pack. This just pisses people off and makes it more difficult to go up for more runs.
• Be courteous to the other riders and hikers. Everyone is super friendly, leave attitudes at home.
• Always sign in and sign out at the visitor center before starting your journey up the mountain. This is a good precaution if ever you need to be rescued.
• Tuckerman is not a resort, don't be lulled into a false sense of security. Avalanches, falling ice, and crevasses are very real dangers when riding here. Cavalier attitudes will get you into trouble.

The most important tip when you go to Tuckerman's of course is to make sure you have fun. It's a very rewarding experience and I would recommend that any dedicated snowboarder should try it once. Especially if you're an east coaster, it will give you a sense of pride in knowing that you don't have to be out west to ride this late into the season -- May 30th is now officially the latest in the season I've ever been snowboarding. If you're not keen on hiking 3+ miles to go snowboarding, however, you may live vicariously through me by checking out my photos from the trip. EAST COAST...

Categories: Snowboarding, Travel, Ride Journal | 1 Comments