[Kenai]

Doesn’t seem to be an existing thread this year so I’ll start it. Crystal was off the hook today. 12ish overnight and puking snow much of the day. Last run crossing a “dropped” rope was some of the deepest snow I’ve had the pleasure to ride. The snow was decently light and stayed soft even as it got cut up. Heavy enough to give some substance on turns, though, so a fun consistency. Prior Fissile with Flux DM was the perfect ride - wife was on her Dupraz and equally stoked.

We rode Saturday and had nearly first tracks of the season in Powder Bowl ~15th chair and untracked in the bottom of the bowl. Sunday it rained and the upper mountain was closed so we bailed early after a few runs. Skipped Monday.

Today was about as good a lift served day as I’ve had. Hiked a couple short hikes to gain some pure untracked turns. Damn it was nice.

Snow level sounds like it will stay low enough so the vans is staying here for one more day.


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[drblast]

Nice! Heading to Stevens tomorrow and I'm stoked on the forecast. Went Saturday and Monday too and had a great time.

There was a thread about somebody who had booked a flight last month to Tahoe(?) leaving the PNW this past weekend because the early season wasn't promising. That person has been in my thoughts, but I'm so thankful somebody reverse jinxed this for us.

 

[MMSlasher]

Sounds great Kenai, so is this another one of those mountains that allows you to stay overnight in the parking lot in your van?

 

[Kenai]

Crystal does allow RVs but charges $40/night. I am happy/impressed they have taken that step. But, $40 is too steep for my blood when we don’t need any services (and electric is the only service anyway). We have been setting up in a dispersed (free with our parks pass) NF campground on 410 about 20 minutes away.


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[Kenai]

Nice! Heading to Stevens tomorrow and I'm stoked on the forecast. Went Saturday and Monday too and had a great time.



There was a thread about somebody who had booked a flight last month to Tahoe(?) leaving the PNW this past weekend because the early season wasn't promising. That person has been in my thoughts, but I'm so thankful somebody reverse jinxed this for us.

It’s amazing how much has changed in 7 days. Forecast for the next few days also looks solid as long as the freezing level stays high enough.


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[wrathfuldeity]

Bakes was damm fine, with 13 of fresh, snowing, flat/poor vis, goods could be found all day. Usual poo, day#1 and my legs are feeling it.

 

[wrathfuldeity]

Doesn’t seem to be an existing thread this year so I’ll start it. Crystal was off the hook today. 12ish overnight and puking snow much of the day. Last run crossing a “dropped” rope was some of the deepest snow I’ve had the pleasure to ride. The snow was decently light and stayed soft even as it got cut up. Heavy enough to give some substance on turns, though, so a fun consistency. Prior Fissile with Flux DM was the perfect ride - wife was on her Dupraz and equally stoked.

We rode Saturday and had nearly first tracks of the season in Powder Bowl ~15th chair and untracked in the bottom of the bowl. Sunday it rained and the upper mountain was closed so we bailed early after a few runs. Skipped Monday.

Today was about as good a lift served day as I’ve had. Hiked a couple short hikes to gain some pure untracked turns. Damn it was nice.

Snow level sounds like it will stay low enough so the vans is staying here for one more day.


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So ur in PNW, I thought you are an EC'er...welcome. Bakes doesn't charge, the lower lodge is more downtown RV'ing and the upper lodge is more of BC folks. Also Bakes BC is spooky in that near the bottom of the base there is a hoar frost layer and there is quite abit of weight (wet and heavy) on top.

 

[Kenai]

So ur in PNW, I thought you are an EC'er...welcome. Bakes doesn't charge, the lower lodge is more downtown RV'ing and the upper lodge is more of BC folks. Also Bakes BC is spooky in that near the bottom of the base there is a hoar frost layer and there is quite abit of weight (wet and heavy) on top.

Oh, don’t worry, Wrath, visiting you is high on the to-do list!

I haven’t posted a real update, but my wife and I quit our jobs, sold our house in NH, and are living in a van. I’m originally from NE OR so that is our home base, but we are just going to follow the snow.


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[MMSlasher]

I haven’t posted a real update, but my wife and I quit our jobs, sold our house in NH, and are living in a van. I’m originally from NE OR so that is our home base, but we are just going to follow the snow.

That is awesome. What kind of van are you living in? I'd love seeing vans that are rigged up for snowboard living.

 

[Kenai]

That is awesome. What kind of van are you living in? I'd love seeing vans that are rigged up for snowboard living.

High roof, extended Ford Transit. Blog is not up to date (will be by Xmas), but you can find last winter’s Alaska trip at www.powderhunds.com

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[chomps1211]

That is awesome. What kind of van are you living in? I'd love seeing vans that are rigged up for snowboard living.

He posted this in another thread. It had us a tad concerned that he was parking too close to schools & playgrounds!! :blink:

>

 

[Kenai]

He posted this in another thread. It had us a tad concerned that he was parking too close to schools & playgrounds!! :blink:

>

We are like the pied piper. All our friends’ kids want to come live in a van with us. Not sure why our friends haven’t invited us back.


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[chomps1211]

We are like the pied piper. All our friends’ kids want to come live in a van with us. Not sure why our friends haven’t invited us back.


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If I had only discovered snowboarding 10 years sooner... my retirement plan would have been very similar. :laugh:

It's awesome that your wife enjoys it as well!

 

[Argo]

If you're in bend let me know, you can driveway camp if the NF/blm is filled with snow. They charge 20 a night at bachelor, 5 a night for the snow park.

Im on an acre in sunriver....

 

[Kenai]

If you're in bend let me know, you can driveway camp if the NF/blm is filled with snow. They charge 20 a night at bachelor, 5 a night for the snow park.

Im on an acre in sunriver....

Thanks, Argo. You are on the list, too, though sucks for us Bachelor didn’t join Ikon. I grew up in OR and even worked at Anthony Lakes for a couple seasons but somehow I’ve never ridden Bachelor. I need to change that.


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[Kenai]

Back to PNW talk - I just had two of the best runs of my life. They opened Exterminator for the first time and it must have been at least two feet deep. Steep and deep. Second run we traversed the other way below the rope and I had 500’ish of completely untracked before I met some tracks toward the bottom. Couldn’t bring myself to stop in the middle for any pics.

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[stickz]

Stevens on Tuesday was the deepest day I've had there. Pillow lines for days. The mc wayfinder with nitro phantoms did a great job mitigating all the snow.

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[stickz]

@wrath what you doing on Xmas Eve?

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[drblast]

Stevens was great on Wednesday, and I didn't wimp out until 2pm this time. Knee and leg are getting stronger! It's taking a lot of willpower to stay out of the park.

Went with three other people and we swapped boards around a bit, so I got to ride my friend's Yes Optimistic with Now Drives goofy-footed. That board is a blast.

 

[Kenai]

Stevens was great on Wednesday, and I didn't wimp out until 2pm this time. Knee and leg are getting stronger! It's taking a lot of willpower to stay out of the park.



Went with three other people and we swapped boards around a bit, so I got to ride my friend's Yes Optimistic with Now Drives goofy-footed. That board is a blast.

Excellent. It sounds like the storms are continuing to roll through so hopefully the freezing levels stay low enough that it is mostly snow.


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