Maggot Beginnings...............

[easyrdr]

Maggot Beginnings

This is my story of this place, I've wanted to share it for a while especially with all you old fuckers that were around in those days. Also good for the youngsters to learn how this place came to be.

It was 1998 when I found the powmag forum. Back then my time on a computer was at the computer lab on campus. For you young ones there was no wifi and I didn’t own a laptop, shit I didn’t even have a cell phone at that point, still rocking a land line. You can make fun, I never was a tech guy, always late to the party. It was a crazy concept to me that I could get on the computer and enter the ski world surrounded by like minded individuals from all over the planet. It was groundbreaking shit at the time.

Fast forward to December 2001. I graduate with a degree in Finance, job market was fucked, September 11th just happened. The whole thing made me question my very existence, what’s important, what’s not. So I did the only thing that made sense to me. I decided to not get a “real job.” I started a thread in Tech Talk called “heating truck bed.” My plan was to live in my truck for ski season, traveling the mountain west, hitting every resort I’d never seen. Go to all those places that I read for years about in Powder. I was finally going to ski them and in the process figure out what I am supposed to do with my life.

So I skipped my graduation (my parents are still pissed about it), told the university to send my diploma to my parents, packed up and headed west. I kept a journal for this trip and what follows comes straight from it. For you newbs, you want to know how this place got to be this place, read on.

A few things you need to know about me. I believe in Karma, do good things and good things will come to you. Everything happens for a reason. Also quotes/sayings have a way of finding me right when I need them most, the kind of motivational sign you are on the right path. With that said let us begin with this one.

“After we die, we may be set to write an essay on our life story. Fifty years on an office will be found shriveled up to a dot, and a few days in the wilds will expand into the story.” Stephen Graham
I cut this quote from Outside magazine, the clipping is in the first page of my trip journal. It was all I needed to read to justify what I was about to do.


12-30-01
I graduated December 8th, I am unemployed, $3000 in the bank and nothing better to do than be a bum. I insulated the bed of the truck and beginning tomorrow it will be my home. I’ve decided to head to Montana because I’ve never seen it. I’m both nervous and excited as it will be the first time I don’t have friends or family close by. I have enough money to get by and if need be I can get a job. The goal is ski as much as possible. Being a midwest kid I got to ski one week a year at Boyne Highlands in Northern Michigan. From 8 to 18 this was the total of my ski days combined with one spring break where my parents took us to Breckenridge, I was 14 at the time. That was the first time I ever saw mountains and I knew instantly it was where I wanted to be. So here we are, tomorrow the adventure begins.

1-1-02
Spent new years eve in a truck stop off of I-90 in Minnesota, balmy 6 degrees with a windchill of -20. I survived the night but holy fuck it was cold. My 20 degree bag was no match for that shit. Slept with all my gear on and kept P-Tex close for extra heat. (PTex was my lovable, pain in the ass Alaskan Malamute/wolf mix). All my fears are put to rest, I now know I can survive winter in my truck. Who the fuck would want to live in Minnesota, no mountains, cold as F winters with nothing to do. No thanks. (I no longer feel this way Minnesota actually has a lot to do which I discovered later on another trip). Arrive in Sheridan Wyoming.

1-2–02
Met some locals at the bar last night, they tell me of a little ski area about an hour away called Antelope Butte. Small hill but lots of fun terrain, best part about the place is Fat Tire is on draft at the base. They needed help so I traded labor for skiing/beers. Owner was super chill dude. After talking turns out his wife is from MI and knows my parents. Small world.

1-6-02
Made it to Bozeman two days ago. Hit Red Lodge on the way, thank you Powder for the Little Areas that Rock, makes it easy to move through the west. Drove straight to Bridger as it was absolutely dumping, management said I can live in the lot, showed me where to park so I’m not in the way. Early to bed, pow day tomorrow. Woke up at 4:30am to heavy artillery, the whole truck was shaking. 18inches of fresh fell overnight. Sleep was out of the questions between bombing and plow trucks. Note to self maybe resort parking lots are not the best place to park. Waist deep pow, storm day, I have no idea where the fuck I’m going, can’t see shit. The snow was amazing!

1-8-02
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. My Tranny blew up on my truck! Truck died on the road to Big Sky. Given where I was I made the executive decision to hitchhike to Big Sky and ski, deal with the truck later. Get the truck towed back to Bozeman. Shop pulls apart my truck, need a new transmission, a used rebuilt one runs $2000. They need my truck for a few days, so I book a room at a dive motel for $45 a night, I am on foot, no truck, no skiing, living by the interstate. Going broke one week in was not part of the plan, though I am sure my parents would welcome me home, it would come with a giant fucking I told you so. I don’t know what to do.

1-12-02
Holy shit a lot has happened the last few days. I was ready to give up, ready to go home, I essentially I had enough money to make it back. A soul crushing moment. Then two things happened. First I bump into a girl I went to school with back in MI. She is a server at Applebees, I was able to bail on the motel, crash on her couch and use her boyfriends pass to ski while he was at work. The second is the powmag forum guys. They want to help, I’m not sure how at the moment but they are trying to figure it out. I have no phone, no mailing address etc. so I don’t really know what they can do but they are encouraging me to continue. I read somewhere once that the real fun begins once you run out of money. Well I’m out of money and it’s not very fun. Am I nuts? Taking the advice of internet strangers maybe not my best idea but it sounds better than living with my parents.


...........to be continued

[subtle plague]

So these powmag guys. You think they can help me too?

[SirVicSmasher]

I want to hear more qbout the Applebee's waitress and the artillery

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[Rideski]

Subscribed

[jmedslc]

gonna need a delivery of some high test weed and a solid 10min timeslot to read this one.

[mcski]

Subscribed

[phatty]

The crazy thing is that I think I remember when this was happening. Eager to hear the rest. Hopefully it can inspire more stories.

[skiJ]

easy -
I had your whole TR printed from ,,, I thought it was on pmag ( still do ) ;

A great Inspiration ! Thank You !

( my Print was lost in 2006 ; I will look forward to re-reading your adventure as you retell it )

skiJ

[2FUNKY]

Most excellent read and can’t wait for more episodes.


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[romeo tango]

dear Jebuzz,
I hope it snows soon ....

.

[Buzzworthy]

dear Jebuzz,
I hope it snows soon ....

.

Exactly.

And why can’t y’all figure out where to put new threads??? It’s not rocket surgery.

[PNWbrit]

Sweet blog.

[Flatlander#3]

I was an old Powmagger. My knees felt mo better then.

[alpinevibes]

Yes


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[Danno]

Are we gonna get Rick Rolled? Or maybe this turns into a long "Dear Penthouse" story?

[up an down]

The crazy thing is that I think I remember when this was happening. Eager to hear the rest. Hopefully it can inspire more stories.

Ditto... This is bringing back good memories.. Thanks easyrdr

[Core Shot]

Wow

So cool you had a journal.

My journey is in my head. And it’s fading.

Subscribed for part deux

[halliday]

I want to hear more qbout the Applebee's waitress and the artillery

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Hear, hear!!

[stapes]

Keep it coming! Thx for sharing.

[xyz]

Wow. Your first couple of paragraphs were eerily the same as my mag beginnings.

1998, computer lab at uni, pow mag forum. No lap top, no cell phone. I didn’t even own a desktop. Graduate to zero job prospects so I go full time ski bum.

Only difference was in uni in MT, was is said computer lab in goretex, heading the to ski hill after class. But more likely skipping my next class to ski.

[easyrdr]

1-13-02
Got my truck back, it is shifting all sorts of fucked up but at least it is drivable. Made the decision to continue the trip. I got enough cash to get to Whitefish and survive for a week or two, I’ll get a job once I get there and get back on track.

The part that is not in the journal - For those that need to know details, yes, I hooked up with the Applebees girl in college, no I don’t have pics, typical drunk party night. Problem was I think she told her boyfriend at some point during my stay because it was clear I needed to get the fuck out of there asap. To Whitefish I went.

1-15-02
I got a PO Box and a cell phone, had to do both just to be able to apply for a job, apparently no phone or address on a job application is frowned upon. Not sure why I didn’t think of that one sooner. I am an idiot.

1-17-02
Had a job interview at Subway today. Apparently I’m the third person this week that holds a college degree looking for a job. The interview went great until it didn’t. Either the job market totally sucks a big one or the universe is trying to tell me something. Maybe both.

1-18-02
At this point logical reasoning isn’t working. The truth is there are no jobs, no prospects of jobs and fuck me this is a ski trip not a job hunt. Shit went sideways with the truck, yet I’m still here. Fuck spending money, it’s been snowing for two days, 8 inches today, hooked up with some locals, skiing was good. Storm cycle moving through next few days, word is 2-3ft when all said and done.

1-19-02
Best ski day of my life! First chair, 16" fell overnight with another 6” today, puts the storm total at 30” over the last two days.

1-21-02
I stand corrected today was the best ski day of my life. Woke up to another 10”, with another 8” today, storm now sits at 48”, chest deep in places, dropped my first 10 footer and it was fucking great! Last two days been skiing with this ripping tele chick I met on the chair. She is on her way to Fernie but stopped because the snow was so good. Maybe I should head to Fernie.

1-26-02
Well holy shit I got a letter today from a dude I do not know with $50 cash. Thanks to Armchair Extreme. I’ve been posting my whereabouts and happenings on the Powmag website since I started. So all these guys start responding, wanting to help out. I get all these requests for an address so I post the PO Box and people that don’t even know me are sending me cash. I am humbled and amazed. I had no idea people like this still exist. They are sending it, expecting nothing in return, wanting nothing more than for me to continue on my trip.

As for skiing today the mountain was fogged in. Apparently a common thing here. Spent the day skiing east rim mostly since you can’t see shit you got to know where you’re going. So I didn’t know where I was going and end up on top of this cliff band, I’m to far down to traverse off of it and I spot a narrow chute between the rocks, yes, my ticket off the cliff without having to jump. At this point visibility is about 25ft. I drop into the chute, make about 4 turns and stop on a platform of snow ski length long and about 4ft wide. below me is a 20ft drop, some snow, another drop into the fog abyss. I managed to ski to the end of earth, it’s like when the dude throws the coke bottle in the God’s Must Be Crazy. Not knowing what is below left me no option but to climb back up what I add already skied. Breaking trail is chest deep snow is not the most fun I’ve ever had. Took me an hour to retrace me steps. I decided to ski around to the bottom of the cliffs to see if there was a way through. The first drop was 20ft which put you on a chunk of snow for a hot second before a 35ft drop right into trees. I’m glad there was fog there, or I probably would have froze with fear of falling off that thing while climbing out. Whoever the hell is watching over me thanks dude.

Heading to Fernie in the AM for a few days. I want to go to B.C. so bad I don’t give a shit where I ski, I just want to go! As for getting a job I’ve given it a lot of thought and realized it’s not meant to be, I am on a mission, there are to many places to ski the next few months and I’ve waited my whole to do this, I got a pile of strangers that will help if I just get to where they are. The trip continues.

One last thing from the forum today, the new mantra for my trip posted on the powmag forum by Reverend Floater

“Snow is holy water, face shots are communion, the wind is your preacher, and lord knows that the mountains is the best church ever built!"

[GiantManta]

Waiting for Part 3 and the Fernie chronicles!

[skiJ]

Thank you, easy-

loved this twenty years ago ,
love it again, twenty years later...


skiJ

[VTskibum]

Blast from the past, right around the time I joined as well and remember reading this in during my first 9-5 after graduating college same year! Around same time Superstar Punani was on his fun-employment season(s?) as well. Lots of really good stoke then.

[huckbucket]

sub'd