TR: Crested Butte and Tri-Ungulate winning the Tele Extremes!!
So as some of you may know, i have been out this ski season due to ankle surgery. With the season winding down, i knew i couldn't let the whole season go by, so i booked a week out in CO after getting clearance from my doctor. If i hadn't skied this season it would have been my first completely blown season in 19 years.....aka the first blown season ever for me.
I flew out to Denver and stayed with some friends downtown for a night to do a little partying and then drove up to Vail for a day to rail some groomers. As with any injury, the first day or so coming back is a weird experience. I'm not used to having a speed limit etc... but i started to get the feeling back.
After a marginal day at Vail, i hitched a ride to Crested Butte where some friends had a house and spent the rest of the week there. Let me start off by saying that CB is a sweet ski town. Some great people and some gnarly terrain. Too bad the weather was crappy but i did get to explore enough to make me want to come back when the snow is better. And the 5 or so inches we got when we were there were enough to temp me into some dust on crust chute lines......
Anyway, i happened to be at CB for the weekend of the telemark extreme championships (the only tele extreme comp in the world this year). Turns out Tri-Ungulate decided to enter the Master men category so i met up with him. The conditions as i mentioned were very marginal so there was not a lot of hucking, but everyone ripped it up out there. I was also super impressed with the juniors. Those 14 year olds can rip!
So back to Tri-U. He slayed it all weekend. He was in first after the first day and although the Masters men wasn't as competitive as the open men, he picked much harder lines and skied faster than the rest of em. Going into his final run on the last day he had a big lead. Instead of taking it easy and coasting to victory, he went for it all and ended up blowing his knee. Despite what we assume was a torn ACL, he skied through the finish and ended up taking 1st place in the Masters men. So congrats to Tri-U, you are one tough dude and i hope you recover quickly. Great getting beers with you that night as well.
Then on Sunday was the famous Al Johnson Uphill/ Downhill tele race......the pictures tell the story......some crazy ass costumes.....
All in all, it was just good getting back on skis and by the end i was back to my old self......can't wait till next season and definately enjoyed the whole CB experience.......
Congrats again to Tri-U.....
here are some pics......
Nice little sunrise leaving my beloved city.......
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198209
This drive is much better......
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198209
Some boozin at the Cracker concert......haha mid 90s rock!
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198671
At least we got some new snow....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198671
Location for the Tele Extremes - The Headwall looking pretty bare....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198671
Tri-U standing above his line.....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198893
Tri-U landing and just holding on......
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198893
Sorry for the quality.....but Tri-U chargin.....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198893
Finish line....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175198893
Blown knee, but still pumped at competing....
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1175199063
to be continued......
