Its good to be king - 92" in 5 days

[FreakofSnow]

Alarm clock. There is no snoozing that puppy today. My knee creaks to life as I step out of bed, I head directly for the phone. Snow phone at Bridger reports 12” new overnight for a total of 92” since Christmas. That was the icing on the cake, I definitely was not going to work today.

I would only have to put on my digital handcuffs for a few minutes this morning. I fire an email to the boss that my ugly face would not be seen anywhere near the office today. My mug was going to be iced over & red from cold smoke friction.

Phone calls. Buds ringin in to make sure we would all be in the line up. Start the LandCruiser. Coffee. Road. Smile.

It’s a mailbox buster of a storm. The carnage on the side of the road is hilarious. Mailboxes have taken the wrath of the snowplows fury. You think people would learn, and build'em tough but they don't.

Parking lot. Massive snow banks. Snowing heavily, at least 2 inches an hour. Hurry the boots on. Huff up to the lift. Huge grins on eveyone in line, same faces as always.

“You single?” My buddy chirps. He snatches my skis. Following him into the line, he throws them down 5 chairs back. Ah, its good to be king in your own little town. Giddy, we make the usual chat, frantically going over possibilities.

Click in.

Go time.

Skate.

Sit on the 10th chair back on Bridger.

Choke, gasp down Bronco into the John. Pow fury.

The December flower has bloomed at Bridger. Its another truly deep day. Hucked DRCS, a solid 25 footer. Hottubbed into my buddies bombhole. High T is insane. Phone Booth’s sluff scares the shit out of me. A pillow looms in front of me as I try to pick my way between the trees on the side. Whirlpools are deepest ever. The snow from yesterday has settled a little. White rooms everywhere.

Highlight. Scoping a tree run from the lift that had not been touched. I bust a trail in on one run. Bring the posse down in on the next. Cliffs are hucked down into the frothy abyss. In spots its over head, can’t see, but don’t care. We session the run for 2 hours, leaving much untouched.

deep under cover of darkness
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ke%20cloud.jpg

MT the day before under 71 new
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...%20in%20it.jpg

random shot from the lift
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ace%20shot.jpg



Scares. Saw a few buddies flail in the deep after dropping cliffs, gone momentarily. Wildly thrashing for air. Choking up to the top finally.

Back to work tomorrow. Then another 4 day weekend. Ridge may open. And when it does, oh my fucking god, look out.

additonal details

[FreakofSnow]

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ormal_brad.jpg
bump the stoke, 6 more new today. Sorry inches not feet this time

[altachic]

Yum.

[The Reverend Floater]

Fuck yeah, Freako! Come git sum!

[truth]

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...%20in%20it.jpg


Pic of the storm! That's Awwwwwwesome!

[Midwestmetalman]

That just looks epic, man I wish I could have been there.

[Mountainman]

Redbull is a good thing. Maybe even a great thing. This is what starts my morning off.
Promptly checking the board and seeing the MC post at bridger instantly makes you stop and think about what you are about to do during the day. You know the risks and hazards but it takes something like this to make you stop and think just what is really going on out there.

Head up, get in line at 8:30 and board the chair in a few quick minutes. The whole chair ride up is filled with talk of the opening of the ridge to the north how sick it shall be. Arrive at da' top and see the closed sign. Shit! Mr. Hardcore 1 and Mr. Hardcore 2 decide they are gonna wait there until it opens. I would say i had to disagree with them. I quickly go straight for the High T.

STOP

I stand there for a few seconds realizing the tragedy that has just befallen us. I'm usually not one to do this and especially if i do not know the person. But that moment, i said in my head i was going to ski this line for MC.

START

The bumps were small, the pitch was steep and snow was still soft. The Atomics ripped it up.

Head up and hear the ridge is about to open. Meet up with the Mr. Hardcore's and start hiking. They opt to take Madman's down the first time so i follow. Second time up the ridge we traverse over and drop straight down to the O's. Long story short...Gonna air a cliff, clipped a rock on takeoff, took my speed and knocked me off balance. Landed on a patch of rocks. Very swollen elbow and back. Not the smartest decision i have ever done. Air another little cliff at the bottom and it's all good. Rest of the day just mess around finding little hidden stuff being as i have no one to hike with.


Oh yea, Ridge=faceshots the whole way down

[Benny Profane]

Originally posted by FreakofSnow

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ace%20shot.jpg

Holy shit!

[FreakofSnow]

wtf, one more TR bump

[freshie247]

Days like that are too far in between!

[ak_powder_monkey]

good time for a bump damn I might be going to school at MSU the chances are incresing

[Blurred]

I'm never going to Bridger, why don't they groom there? How in the hell are you supposed to turn in that deep snow?

[DaveTV]

And what if you get stuck? Then what? Do they have good cell-phone coverage so you can call for help?

[FreakofSnow]

Couple more photos from that week that I know are in other posts, but the wtf, stoke on

me on one of my deepest runs of my life
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall..._Dec_29_03.jpg

patrol on the morning after the dumpage
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...wovernight.jpg

LAD kicking his way towards a groomer
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...6/LADskier.JPG

random dude, shot from the lift
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...dom%20deep.jpg

painfully in line at Bridger after 60" overnight. The resort did not open that day.
http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ormal_line.jpg

[meatdrink9]

This thread gives me a powder boner. I would drive through the night, and pay random strangers large sums of money if they could guarantee me a day like that. I'd jump off everything in site and pray somebody nearby would dig me out of my bombhole.

[Sphinx]

I'd ski with a fuckin' Avalung in my mouth.

Got Iggy?

[meatdrink9]

92 inches is like having an 8 foot thick stunt pad placed all over the mountain. So insane.

[HyRUPz]

Okay . . . that is some serious fuckin' pow.

Thanks for the reminder. I'm on purpose once again

______________________________________________

Chundered: tumbling like a ragdoll

Chugached: chundering down the cookie ladend slopeside, trauma, fear, humility . . . 2+ feet of pow down 4k+ of steep vert, sluff, so much, so little time, ramble, yum

MD9z, sorry I mised your party - we'll make the next one.

[FreakofSnow]

Spinx and md9 - you are exactly right, both of ya. It was good and it was bad. Hucking was difficult believe it or not, because on the take offs it was hard to get enough speed and in the landing zone you were going to get buried, no questions asked. I got scared a few times over that week when snow covered over me and i had to thrash to get free.

And don't forget that is was not all joy that week - RIP MIKE CAVANNA, 34 years old -

Sobering reminder >>> http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=4546 <<< that not all powder days are good

I heard multiple other stories of buddies getting buried for minutes in tree wells, low spots etc.