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Twice. Lost a ski the first time so I went back again and stuck it. Funnest fucking thing I have ever done. For numerous other reasons today was possibly my best day of skiing ever, but Xover was there and his write-ups are the shiz so I'll let him fill in the rest.
DanTheMan...enough said.
Huge. Really huge. Not much more to be said.
YEAH!!! FKNA!
dantheman has to be one of the ballsiest rippers at alta. this is why he is the man, plain and simple.
Oh boy ... where to start. All I can say is that it has been a loooooooooong time since I have heard from long time Alta trollers and pros words like "all-time" and "legendary". From the bottom of my soul I ache that PoHo, Phunk, MD, Harpo and all others were not here today to partake. If anyone is within a day's drive; get here!! Alta is going off right now like days of old. 300 friggin inches and we're not even to January 1st yet - how sick is that?!?!
Today was the funnest resort day of skiing of my life!!!! Bar none!!! It blew the doors off of Summit Saturday here two years ago (for those here for that you know how gaooooood it was then)!!!
Day starts with an "Alta" 8" that was underestimated exponentially today!! First run down Jake's back to Germ was over the head!! DTM says he wants Rustler 4; so we go get that - he looked like a friggin' mole for 30' of the runout and then popped up flew outta there. Then we get off Germ and I chat with Grom about Ballroom opening; they'd been bombing the chit outta it all morning long as well as diggin' out the rope lines and signs that were no longer visible from the 80"+ since they last opened it. Grom says "you might want to follow Dan Collins", another troller. I look over at him and he is heading to the Backside. I am like NO WAY!! DTM and I literally skated right thru the rope drop on that and I had the deeeeeeeepest backside I have ever had. I only saw like every fourth turn; no friggin' lie!! DTM hit up a 30 footer and says to me at Sugarloaf that he needs bigger. I remind him of the 40-45 footer we scoped last year. We go over, I check the landing and he flies it.
Then made a quick run for Glo Hole after hooking up with Z, who btw got the scare of the day - he looked pretty rattled and understandably so. Cornice broke on him at the top of the Dog Leg and he took a ride; can't believe he still had clean pants. Anyway, we get over to the Dog Leg and it is soooooooooo good to go, so money, but we never got the vis for it and we waited for a solid 15 minutes.
Bail and head down to the 'Loaf to swing around back to the frontside. BALLROOM IS OPEN!!! I wasn't gonna huck but after hearing a couple "whoomps" from others landing I couldn't resist. I hit the bottom part of Minor Finder and felt the MCL stretch just a little upon landing so decided to just play it safe. But the landing, friggin A, pow exploded everywhere - I couldn't see for a solid 30' of skiiing - I was madly scraping it off me. Sick.
Then, OMFG then, DTM shows up nails the Point - solid 35 to 40 footer. We're going up Germ for next lap and he says he wants all of Bad News. I told him I'd help pack the in run. After about 45 mins of prep I head down below in case something really goes wrong. He is so far away from me that we had to have UTDave be the communication relay man. All clear?, clear?,clear; dropping, dropping. Then I see DTM float off the big mutha and throw the biggest, phattest mute grab I have ever seen in person or on film with a half exposed, fully round sun right behind him. SICK!!! He holds the grab for what seemed like for ever, lets go and just flies for a while so tightly and then rolls windows a just a little (I really secretly think he was trying to see if he could fly) for balance and he's still like 30' up. I am like Gaaaaaawd!! He hits and loses one shoe. I ask are ok. All I here is "that is the funnest thing I have ever done; I wanna do it again."
So, we head back. He floats it bigger and stomps it to huge pole clanking from the rest of the Crew that was up today and to the verbal applause of a couple old time trollers.
It is 3' o clock by now, so we resign to lapping up the best pow in the world till close. Our last run was the absolute most beautiful I have ever seen at Alta. Yellow Trail with orange alpenglow lighting up the whole slope and sky behind us over to bottom of eddies with a blazing orange light accross the top of all of the High Meadow to an untouched Suzies Trees. All the time, this amazing sucker whole is hanging over Devil's Castle; absolutely beautiful. I had to stop twice just to stare in wonder; simply took my breath away to see such a gnarly, jagged peak and chute pasted in the purest white ever with this orange, alpenglow light on it.
Back across the transfer tow to truck. Wait a minute; did I leave my lights on?? Can't be my truck. Oh, but there are my climbing stickers on it and why is exhaust coming out the tail pipe. Oh my God I left it sitting here running all day with the doors un-locked (in my mad rush for first chair) and nobody stole it - only at Alta baby!! Head to GMD for beers and then to 7-11 for gas; wasn't sure if I was gonna make it down the canyon. Thanks Mr. AG for following me down just to be sure and btw, huge friggin' props to you tagging the huck you have been eyeing for a looooooong time - guess your never to old to huck at Alta. ;)
I am not quite sure how to put a bow on today, except to say that today was like the ski-day that you have dreams about and want skiing to be like everyday; the greatest Crew in the world, the greatest mountain and by far the greatest snow. When you think about it, it brings a tingle to your nose and a joyous tear to your eye and causes you to praise God, Jah, Ullr or whomever you worship for being ALIVE!!!
Long live the buzzzzzzzzzzzz!! I saw a glow on DTM's face tonight when I dropped him off at the park-n-ride that pretty much was what I am sure he, along with everybody else that was up there today, is feeling deep down in their soul; we will be living off the stoke from today for a long time to come - thank once again Alta. :)
damn near best post i've ever read. period.
Hall of Fame Post.Quote:
Originally posted by Xover
Oh boy...I saw a glow on DTM's face tonight when I dropped him off at the park-n-ride that pretty much was what I am sure he, along with everybody else that was up there today, is feeling deep down in their soul - thank once again Alta. :)
See ya Saturday X.:D
Wow, what a report, xover. sounds like a one in a million kind of day.
DTM, wish i coulda seen it. :D
if only Powmag could convince those fackers at Primedia to print copius stoke filled articles/write-ups like that in every friggin' issue they'd sell a whole lot more issues.Quote:
Originally posted by altachic
damn near best post i've ever read. period.
nice Xover, nice.
Name-dropper :D.Quote:
Originally posted by Xover
I saw a glow on DTM's face tonight...
Nice report. Like, really nice.
J-
I'm feeling the stoke brother Xover, nice post.
anyone have pics of bad news so I can stare in awe?
YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I looked through every alta pic on biglines but this is all I could findQuote:
Originally posted by flykdog
I'm feeling the stoke brother Xover, nice post.
anyone have pics of bad news so I can stare in awe?
Summer pic by GT40
http://www.biglines.com/photos/pbpic4182.jpg
Punani going big during the first summit, my takeoff and landing are both out of the frame
http://www.biglines.com/photos/pbpic4020.jpg
gorgeous stoke. thanks mang.
Ok, Alta JONG question:
Where exaclty is bad news? I have a couple spots coming to mind. GT's photo didn't really help. Looks like the shoulder. Could be near Glory Hole. Clarify please.
Yep, the cliff band on the shoulder.Quote:
Originally posted by powstash
Looks like the shoulder.
Wow. Now my pants arent clean anymore. Great write up, amazing day indeed.
wow Xover, awesome!
left your truck running all day??? bwahhahhahhha that's funny as hell dood. :D
there is a really cool shot of Bad News in one of the "shot of the day" Alta galleries; I will try and find it
Nice stoke X and DTM. Glad someone is getting it. I'm hoping to squeeze this ankle into a boot by Fri. Its cool your truck didn't get violated with the big FREE TRUCK, DRIVE ME HOME sign in the window.:eek:
wow great report that was..........TiTs!!!
I think I'm gonna change my name to TiTs!!!!!!!
Very cool. Way to get after it DTM. Nice write-up Xover.
I found sweet pic after a lot of searching through Alta's archives. Here it is, slightly modified.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16511.jpg
This thread has me grinning like an imbecile and I can't stop.
Totally without precedent 5 thumbs.
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Damn, dude, that is one hell of a big huck, now i can see what xover was talking about!!
Good thing you guys have xover, almost as good as video. ;)
Dude, they're supposed to be all on the same line! ;)Quote:
Originally posted by ArmchairExtreme
This thread has me grinning like an imbecile and I can't stop.
Totally without precedent 5 thumbs.
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Hey DTM nice pic of Bad News. I can see Vagina Finder on there to the left, and there's the chute that Punani biffed on last year in middle :D....but where's The Point? To lookers right?
christ, what do you figure the air was on your huck...75, 85, more? sick.
This should put any doubts aside as to whether Dan is, indeed, the man.
Xover: I can feel the stoke from here. Great TR. I miss the crew.
Sweet write up! Dan, that kicks a lot of ass! Huge stoke for all those gettin' at it @ Alta. Damn, I wish I didn't leave the AltaBird season pasture this year for a city job. At least the PacNW is also getting some. Keep that Utah stoke coming!
That's the pic I was thinking of; way to find it DTM - I was too tired last night to look for it.
Shoopy Shoe,
The Point (as we call it - have heard it called the Nose or Diving Board also) is just to looker's right of the middle chute about half way between where DTM took off and landed. Just for reference it is around a 40 footer.
Also, just for reference the Vagina Finder is approximately 1/2 of what DTM hucked on his 2nd hit. :eek:
:eek:
superlative writing xover. thanks for sharing your fantastic day with us!
word up. I got chills. Like if powder was flying in my jacket collar.
PEACE!
uh, yeah, thats siiick!!
way to go DTM!!
so whos going to be at Alta 2/6 and 7??
So far beyond "stepping up". Your on the top rung DTM!
Way to put some words to the madness X!
Let it be known that the only reason I don't live in Utah is because the paddlin' sucks!
Speechless! My heart is racing and the adrenilne is pumping and I'm stuck at work for another 7 hours...
X you have just turned my day into the longest ever! Seriously considering the 12 hour drive to utah tonight.
Happy facking new year Maggots!
I'm busting!
Wow. Xover, one of the best write-ups ever. Period. Thanks for helping us all live it through your words.
DTM, way to get it man. That's an even bigger line than the one I thought you were talking about. Here folks, is a man that backs up his talk. Seriously, siiiiiiiiiick.
I was just about to post the same pic with markings for the take- off and landing.Quote:
Originally posted by Dantheman
I found sweet pic after a lot of searching through Alta's archives. Here it is, slightly modified.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16511.jpg
Yesterday was why I moved here. I've lived all over the world but this is now home.
In a week of uncountable face shots, the 30th of December 03 will be stuck in my head forever. There is nothing better than feeling the snow hit your back as it cascaded over your head. Not seeing an entire face because you were under the snow the whole run, choking on snow like a new swimmer in big surf for the first time. I honestly had to concentrate on inhaling at the right time or I would have had serious problems.
DTM, is the man. The bad news hit was the best I have seen in person ever. I saw some guys go a bit bigger last year but they had no style in comparison and ate shit on the landing. Way to go!!!
I'm back for refills this afternoon, hope everyone on this board thinks about dropping whatever they are doing and get their asses to Alta. See you up there.