New snow has finally returned to the Washington Cascades just in time for New Year. Four inches overnight wasn’t much more than dust on crust but the snow was still falling as I arrived in the upper lot at Alpental just after 9:30 a.m. yesterday. I quickly threw on my gear and hit the Armstrong Express (aka Debbie’s Chair) for a warmup run. No lift lines and I quickly racked up three runs by 10:00 a.m. when Schatzy and L-Moller arrived in the upper lot.
We were celebrating Larry’s 40th birthday by shredding everything we could, and by Alpental standards there wasn’t much. The hardpack layer was scoured smooth on Upper Nash, so the drop-in was fairly brutal. Regardless, we found the best snow on Snakedance and kept to that section for the most part all day. We made top-to-bottom laps until noon then took a short break for water, after which we headed straight back to the top for more.
By the end of the day, there were a couple inches of new on my car, with more in the forecast for tonight. A short warmup tomorrow should help the new snow to bond with the icy layer, especially with the coming weekend, which will ensure that the crowds help the snowpack to settle and stabilize. Backcountry has remained closed due to low snow conditions, so it is hopeful that the storms coming the next few days will help to fill things in.
Looking ahead, I’ve now broken the last of my old boards, and I’ll be picking up a used Temple Cummins from L-Moller to use until the Nitros come in. Speaking of which, that reminds me of some upcoming topics. I’ll be dropping by the Seattle offices of Nitro this week to pick up the goods and also to preview the 2010/2011 proddy. As soon as I get my hands on it, I’ll be sharing the details here.
Also ahead for 2010, I’ll be covering several events from the grassroots to the mainstream. Mount Baker’s Legendary Banked Slalom is as grassroots as it gets, and has as much or more history than any event this side of the US Open. We’ll be there to bring you the debauchery and devastation that inevitably transpires. Later in the year, we’ll be making a pilgrimage to Donner Summit for another grassroots event, the Donner Classic, organized by Cali boys Mike Chantry and Don Bostick and literally overflowing with old-schoolers like myself sporting their antique steez.
On the other end of the spectrum, the 2010 Winter Olympics are just around the corner, both literally and figuratively since I’m here in Seattle. I spoke recently with Roger Kornmaier of Nussli, the company responsible for the infrastructure that supports many of the massive outdoor huckfests such as the Dew Tour and the Air+Style. Nussli has been tapped to provide support for the Olympics in Whistler and Vancouver, and Roger has kindly agreed to provide us with access to a project manager so we can get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put together one of these mega-events.
Now that I have some topics planned, stay tuned for the goods. I’ll keep it coming throughout the winter and I’ll have some surprises in store too. Let’s just say I met the man who really invented the snowboard, and he agreed to give an interview. If you’re interested–as I am–in the true history of snowboarding, I’ll try to give the man a forum to tell the story.
