TR: Living the dream in Whistler, BC.

**postman22** · 01-09-2011, 05:45 PM

Like many of you I work a pretty stressful job. Unlike many of you, I somehow managed to get 3 weeks off during the Christmas period, after somehow managing to get two weeks off only a few months back in October.

After spending a week of the holiday season at home eating this

3 times a day, I felt like a whale. Pretty much the only time I got my fat ass off the coach was to put more food or alcohol into my stomach.

I flew back up North on December the 27th, just missing what some have called the most epic storm to hit the Whistler region during the holiday season in a decade. My parents wanted me to bring sandwhiches for the flight. I politely declined saying that my body could use a 7 hour fasting. Upon getting back to Vancouver, I indulged on a large Dominos pizza. So much for that. Although my pants were feeling a bit tight, I was pretty sure I was going to lose it all and more over the coming two weeks.

December 28, 2010.
The lifts at Whistler didn't crack the day before. All of Blackcomb cracked, so Tim and I headed over to Whistler. The Peak Line up was more funny than ever as a snowboarder, most likely of a certain nationality, decided to try to hike up Peak while they were throwing bombs. I have stolen a pic off the Whistler thread for those who haven't seen it.

After the guy was caught he was dumb enough to walk pack to the Peak Chair lineup and get pelted with tons of snowballs and profanities that I probably shouldn't utter.

First run in a week and my legs were schmoo. The snow was a bit wind hammered but shit I had a week off. This was freaking ridiculous. I had literally turned into a fat bastard in a week. We proceeded to do a few more runs and then we headed OB. There was so much new unconsolidated snow that my pole couldn't hit the older layer. Here are a few from the afternoon:

Sean Steve loving life

Sunset that day

December 29 and 30th
We proceeded to ski in bounds for the next two days, something which I haven't done all year. It was great to ski top to bottom Falsies and Spanky's for the first time in a long time. My legs were burning, but shit I am living the dream so we skied till sundown everyday.

The 29th also marked the end of the snow and the beginning of the cold front. Wasn't cold the whole day, however on my way to my buddies my toe woke up and proceeded to burn for the next 7 hours. I probably should have stopped skiing for a while, but again I am living the dream and living the dream means I have to keep skiing, even if part of my toe clearly has frostbite.

December 31st
Chris and I decided to go for a slackcountry tour. The avi conditions were still pretty high (our snowpack is doing some weird things this year). This is evidenced by the Decker Slide

We skied our favourite line into Decker Lake and I got this shot of Chris. I'm pretty stoked on it.

We then met up with some other buddies and went on a really long walk. Was kind of sketched out by the run so pretty much walked 1.5 hour there and 1.5 hour back. Guys were hiking the Stairmaster for the first time in a week.

The sunset was nice though

Had a beer with some new friends named Sarah and Cloe who subsequently haven't seen since. My body was so utterly demoralized from the tour that I couldn't stop shivering. I proceeded to spend New Years in all my clothes in a down sleeping bag at my buddies place, drinking beers out of the sleeping bag and passing out at the ripe hour of 10PM. Yes I am a total loser and it marked another New Years to remember in Whistler.

Mccore also had a New Years which consisted of him passing out on the table at 10PM while his girlfriend and Sean Steve were getting shitfaced. We decided to meet up early on January 1.

January 1, 2011.
Another year. Resolutions are for losers so we decided that we should probably stop being losers.

We went out to what Mccore has now coined the scariest zone of all time.

On the way we saw this dream line. If anyone is stupid enough to ski this with me please speak up because it needs to get hit before the March sun arrives. It's so far out that I don't care if I mention it here because no one is going to hit it unless they are crazy, and if they are the latter they have probably already hit it.

I thank these 3 tracks for showing me that it is possible. Decker Avi Chutes to Fitz creek.

Back to our tour for the day. We witnessed some facets

The views were nice

And the skiing was a lot like this, although this was taken a few weeks prior

Being that we are hurting we proceeded to drink off our Singing pass miseries with copious amounts of booze. Although it got us through the night it didn't take the pain away.

January 2, 2011
Today was a lax day on the hill. Skied with some old friends. However, I have started to feel like James Fray in a Million Little Pieces. Not the drugged out type but I have his same need and want for as much food as humanely possible. My body can't devour enough calories and I want 50 of everything. I think James had a little more self control than I do, as I show no self control and just devour. This would begin the mega amounts of calories that I would need to get me through the next 7 days.

**postman22** · 01-09-2011, 05:47 PM

January 3, 2011
McCore, B-Rad, Simon and Copeland have gone sledding the day before. Brad invites me to go out with the crew to the Rutherford. I'm stoked. I've never been sledding before. My body at this point hates me, and I need a day off, but I am living the dream.

We get Brad's old ski-doo fired at around 7:45 in the morning

For the 30k in and the 30k back which takes about an hour, I feel like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber on his final stretch to Aspen. I've been hoe-mobiling the whole time (which means Brad is steering and has his legs and arms wrapped around me), and I can't feel my face, fingers or feet. I pretty much fall off when we finally get there and when we finally get back. Good times and yes I know I am hurting.

I tandem with Simon pretty much the whole day. The whole sledding thing never really kicked in as you get the top pretty much as fast as lifts. I think you appreciate the turns more touring, but shit these machines are awesome and I can't wait next year till I blow 10k on a truck and another 10k on a sled. I'm getting one of these puppies.

We got to play with this zone the entire day

Skiing top to bottom Spanky like terrain with no one is pretty epic

Mccore was shredding

Here are his helmet cam footies. Definitely worth watching for both the skiing and the comedy coming out of his mouth

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuCgf2thc9s"]YouTube - I've got a camera on my head[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb1sOObl2IA"]YouTube - F*** You Justy[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSK2YWIsdms"]YouTube - Round 2[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FtiCz1UAGk"]YouTube - Don't fall in the Serac[/nomedia]

After taking about a 20 foot air on one of these spines and tomahawking about 300 feet, my neck would hurt profusely for the next 3 days. Luckily, my water bottle absorbed most of the impact. If it hadn't I'm pretty sure I would have been in a lot more pain.

Views weren't too shabby

Who's mind skiing these right now?

January 4th - to January 7th
More shredding. January 6th, I have to shut her down at 12 because my body is destroyed after 11 days of skiing. I was about to leave but stuck around the village reading the Omnivore's Dilemma at Starbucks. While getting angry at how dramatic the author makes hunting food seem and how long it takes him to describe it (over 100 pages), the flakes start falling heavy. I figured it would take me 6 hours to drive home in the storm. Screw this I'm not leaving. I'm going to continue living the dream.

January 7th will go down as one of the deepest days I've ever skied at Whistler. The report's were that 20 fell but with windloading I anticipate that it was over a meter. Chris and I had skied 10 over the head blower runs by 10:30. I'm sure Whistler has some pics on their website from this.

January 8th
Spanky's open and we quickly do a few laps right off the bat. Tim and I head out to Corona shortly after.

My face has acquired a natural neckwarmer over the last two weeks.

Tracks down the Spearhead

Corona was the nicest I've skied it in a few years

On the next chairlift up, Tim and I were having a laugh at how we were freezing and what pussies we had become over the years. It was only like negative 5. Both of us have recently been to the doctors and they both told us that if we didn't exercise our low blood pressure would be a severe concern for passing out at all times. We decided that Lower Disease Ridge was probably the call, as it had sun and we were too cold to go anywhere else. Off we went.

On our way

The best Disease I have ever skied. Couldn't see a damn thing the whole way down

The lightshow started shortly afterwards

And Tim got his deepest turns in a long time

There was an Arc Teryx photo shoot going on with two really cute girls. They were working and looked like they got some pretty sweet photos, however if you are single we need to tour.

The lightshow continues

Couple last shots. I by accident focused on the snow above Tim's ski tips on this one (although I kind of like the effect).

Tim's new Twitter profile pic haha

Driving home took a 20oz coffee and some muscle relaxants. My legs were getting tired just hitting the gas peddle. I tried to convince a few guys to ski the Lions today. No one responded and I'm quite happy they didn't.

The dream has ended for a while, but it was damn good while it lasted. My toe is thanking me.

**rugbydave** · 01-09-2011, 06:01 PM

Stoked you got after it dude. Sick pics. Glad to see you finally realized what I've been telling ya for years, sleds are rad!

**PulverSchwein** · 01-09-2011, 06:07 PM

Awesome work! That is living the dream to the max, so many awesome photos

**JimLad** · 01-09-2011, 06:11 PM

I was living the dream once. And that brought a lot of it back. Great stuff.

**todug27** · 01-09-2011, 06:55 PM

well done.

**_Aaron_** · 01-09-2011, 07:02 PM

Nice. I was wondering how long the first page would be without a recent TR. This did not dissapoint.

**Cheesestoff** · 01-09-2011, 07:14 PM

Nice write-up phil, those blower photos are awesome.

**wicked_sick** · 01-09-2011, 07:31 PM

This thread does not suck.

Thanks for sharing with us. enjoy some rest.

**noparking** · 01-09-2011, 07:43 PM

looks amazing

**goldenboy** · 01-09-2011, 07:53 PM

Nice, looking really good up there. Getting pretty excited to head up there in a month or so.

**Atrain505** · 01-09-2011, 08:41 PM

Ya buddy!!!

Z · 01-09-2011, 08:46 PM

Killer pics.

**filthyfrenchbum** · 01-09-2011, 09:24 PM

Life is good, isn't it?

Excellent stoke.

**LeeLau** · 01-09-2011, 09:34 PM

Nice shots Phil. Its good to see there's life outside the cube

Originally Posted by goldenboy

Nice, looking really good up there. Getting pretty excited to head up there in a month or so.

Any plans for stuff without sleds. I'm allergic to sleds. Is B coming? I promise no more deathmarches. Maybe we can jump off some pillows

**robnow** · 01-09-2011, 09:43 PM

Sigh...three more weeks till I'm living the dream. Can't wait to get the sled firing and hook up with the crew. Great work Phil!!

**meatdrink9** · 01-09-2011, 09:59 PM

Great TR. Some quality photos, turns and snow in there.

**splat** · 01-09-2011, 10:11 PM

eggsellent tr. thanx.

**BFD** · 01-09-2011, 10:16 PM

some nice shots. Could of used a little more sarah and Cloe.

**roadgap** · 01-09-2011, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by postman22

Had a beer with some new friends named Sarah and Cloe who subsequently haven't seen since. My body was so utterly demoralized from the tour that I couldn't stop shivering. I proceeded to spend New Years in all my clothes in a down sleeping bag at my buddies place, drinking beers out of the sleeping bag and passing out at the ripe hour of 10PM. Yes I am a total loser and it marked another New Years to remember in Whistler.

Hahaha, Chloe is a good friend of my buddy, her and Sarah showed up at his place in alta vista on new year's eve and we all proceeded to consume much alcohol. Funny. Great TR.

**goldenboy** · 01-09-2011, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by LeeLau

Nice shots Phil. Its good to see there's life outside the cube

Any plans for stuff without sleds. I'm allergic to sleds. Is B coming? I promise no more deathmarches. Maybe we can jump off some pillows

Hopefully all sled all the time, plus some flying, maybe a Stewart roadtrip too. B is coming for a week, I'll be there for a month.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack, back to the stoke...