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posts tagged "Green Mountain Freeride"
Photos: Freeskiing World Tour / Keith Carlsen
Words: Erme Catino
The second stop of the Freeskiing World Tour just wrapped up yesterday at Ski Arpa, Chile. Skiershop rider Ashley Maxfield finished 5th, narrowly missing the top three by a few tenths of a point. Above is a photo of the top 5 women with Sole Diaz, Angel Collinson, and Crystal Wright taking the top three spots respectively. Congrats Ashley!
In addition Lars Chickering-Ayers of Green Mountain Freeride won the men’s event!
For a full recap, check out the article at ESPN Freeskiing.
In case you missed it, last week Ski The East posted an edit of our boys at Green Mountain Freeride and the late Ryan Hawks hitting a huge kicker in Targhee’s BC! Here’s the edit, shout out to Send It Studios for the video. – Erme
Banger photos keep coming in from Green Mountain Freeride. Here is the latest recap from Louis Erickson, their endless powder season continues… – Erme
Words: Louis Erickson
Photo: Derek DiLuzio
I wake to the sound of my alarm and look over, 3:30a.m…The house is cold. I fire up the stove and throw on some bacon as I grab ZOI Greek yogurt from the nearly empty fridge.
Walking back up the stairs I hear Holly fumbling for her things. Shae is still sleeping; I flip on her lights, “wake up kid!” I hear a grown and I go back to tending bacon. Within minutes we are cruising towards Victor, Idaho. Brady Johnston is leading the way in his white Chevy pickup. We are on time and waiting for the photographers, 5:02 a.m. The stars are still shining brightly as we put on our boots and strap our skis to our packs.
We are on the boot pack shortly with photographers in tow. The sky slowly turns beautiful hues of purple and pink. Two ravens fly above as the sun begins to shoot rays of orange light over Jackson peak. The rising sun slowly filling Jackson Valley, illuminating the sleepy town, waking its residents for another work day 4,000 feet below. As the sun began to rise it illuminated the limestone rock we wanted to jump over, “it’s time,” Derek says.
I line up my drop and jump into the abyss…
Editors Note: While the East has been baking under the April sun, skiers in the West have been plundering pow in full on winter conditions. Here is the latest update from Green Mountain Freeride. – Erme
Words and Photos By Ben Blakely
It’s the morning of April 27, cowboy coffee in the pot and bacon in the pan. Dreaming my way through surfline.com while the lovely bacon aroma is filling the house, moving up the stairs and into Louie’s room…Louie wakes up. The weather is beautifully sunny, but not too warm and we want to make turns…TO THE PASS!
This time of year the mountains have been closed for weeks, there are no more avalanche reports and the majority of skis in the Tetons hibernate, not to be taken out again until October. This is a great and wondrous thing! The skiing is still so awesome from spring corn to mid-winter pow conditions, and every skier has taken off to the desert.
In the truck on the pass road, a last minute decision parks us in the Taylor lot. In short order the four of us are on our way up the skinner. Sussing out the conditions, loving the sunshine and talking about our tribulations, I follow Louie’s straight up skinner he put in two days ago. Thoughts of our best friend Ryan Hawks lay heavy on my mind, I remember that last time I skied Taylor with him, it was last season.
Hmm...Looks Tasty
Hitting the South East ridge of Taylor Mt. Louie and I utilize the Backcountry Bomb, if you don’t have one get one. The Bomb makes quick work of one thirty foot section of a North East facing cornice. We see a 12-18 inch deep by 70 feet wide break moving slow but running at least 1,500 feet, finding out later it had propagated below a line of small trees running at least another 70 feet to the right, consistent with the 24-30 inch crown in the East bowl. Making our way up the ridge Louis and I eye up a cornice North of the peak, and we cut one more on the East ridge with no result. “Brady and I got this one to go two days ago,” Louie informs. At the peak we abandon our intensions to cut the other cornice; the west face has blown in strangely.
The East face of Taylor is just gorgeous and demands respect. With a total lack of vegetation, minus the exception of the few rock bands down the face, it runs with a sustained pitch for over 3,000 feet and possesses proven potential to slide HUGE! Untracked, it calls to you, “just ski the SHIT out of me, NOW!” Not feeling good about the stability, the East face was looking scary…and incredibly temping. We decide to ski the left of the South East ridge.
Assessing the snow
Lou is the first to ski laying down some phat turns! Holly pushes onto her heel edge throwing up a wall. Jess turned it up like water. I like watching my friends shred, it’s almost as good as shredding yourself. Doing our best Warren Miller skiing we drain the second half of the ridge to Cold Creek and take a minute looking over our run. Tracing our tracks, picking our own from the others, each one is a signature.
Schralping!
Surfin Pow in April
GMF Freeride member Louis Erickson and Ben Blakely have been getting it good in Jackson, WY. Here is their latest update and perspective on late season pow sniping. – Erme
Words and Photos by Ben Blakely
This time of season, the word ‘jaded’ is thrown around. Definition: Jade – (1) noun, a worn-out, broken-down, worthless or vicious horse (2) a disreputable or ill-tempered woman. Jaded – verb, dulled or satiated by overindulgence, worn out or wearied as by overuse.
I do not work with horses, and aside from that one liftie that continues religiously checking tickets, I believe the later usage pertains most to the late season tendency for days off, late nights and late mornings, or scoffing at the 12 inches last night when there was so much hope for 28.
Is it bad when the dog isn’t even getting off the couch? What’s wrong with getting my pants on at 12 noon and my jacket at 2 o’clock in the afternoon? Or pre-gaming before Glory lap number two? There is nothing wrong with these things; it has been a great season of early mornings filled with blower face-shots from bell-to-bell. There is no shame in taking some time to recover and restock your reserves with plenty of bacon. As long as you get it good, stay happy, and keep that 5pm powder stash hush-hush.
Bell-to-bell days are satisfying and anyone can get it early, but the real pride is in the waiting game. It’s still snowing and blowing and only getting deeper…so you wait…get well rested and over-fed. You check the Facebook once more and zap the coffee in the microwave. When you are ready, you know it and you go. Grab your buddy, hop on the lift, stick your skins or get to the boot pack…you know where to go and you are sure it will be good. When you’re a jaded local, you can afford it.
You say ‘jaded…’I hear ‘smarter, wiser’ and say, “Thanks!”
Below: Louis taking his time and getting it good.
Louis Stoked!
We’ve been profiling Green Mountain Freeride’s adventures this winter as well as the tragic accident to their member and friend Ryan Hawks. Green Mountain Freeride is a collection of VT born and raised rippers who are traveling the globe shredding. Here is an update we received earlier this season from member Louis Erickson and his rare descent of the East Ridge of the Grand Teton. – Erme
Words and Photos: Louis Erickson
The February high pressure period was full of sunny days and sub-zero temperatures, so with our sights set on some big lines, we decided to head up to Teton National Park.
By 6:30 am, I was bumping down the road in Brady’s white pick-up to get our third climbing partner. With our crew assembled, we switched cars and drove from Teton Valley to the park. Upon arrival, we decided to climb and ski the East Ridge of the Grand Teton.
After skinning for two hours up Garnet Canyon and into Surprise Lake we stopped to take a food break and look at the objective ahead. Half an hour later we were under the East Ridge of the Grand putting on crampons and fueling up with the last of the home-made cookies. Our ascent was carefully planned as we began up a small choke which led us onto the Eastern ridge, and once we were on the face we began to pick our way through the rock bans. As we began to get higher on the route snow conditions quickly deteriorated and we encountered rotten snow along with a four inch wind slab.
After some debate we decided to head down from roughly two thirds of the way up the face. While skiing we triggered pockets of wind slab on the steepest pitches of the run…the line definitely had my full and undivided attention.
This ski mountaineering route is a classic and was first pioneered by Rick Hunt and Hans Johnstone in 2006 on their second attempt. Since then only a handful of skiers have attempted this route. It is probably the longest run off the Grand Teton, and is a very technical climbing route never the less a ski descent. I cannot wait to get back on this again!
Words: Erme Catino
Skier: Louis Erickson
Photos: Derek DiLuzio – www.DEREKDILUZIO.com
Louis Erickson of Green Mountain Freeride just came up for air in Grand Targhee, WY. These pictures were taken from the last storm cycle…looked tasty!
This past week Green Mountain Freeride members along with other members of the freeski community gathered in Vermont for the passing of Ryan Hawks. It only seems fitting that everyone scored pow West to East.
Lastly, MSI (Mountain Sports International) has organized a Memorial Fund for Ryan Hawks. Proceeds to the fund will go to athletes who demonstrate Ryan’s leadership and sense of adventure, and will support their journey in wilderness education, mountain exploration, or contributions to the freeskiing community.
Visit the Ryan Hawks Memorial Fund Site
Enjoy these photos from Louis and Derek DiLuzio, and as Louis says;
Peace, Love, and The Spirit of Skiing.
Video: Green Mountain Freeride
Words: Erme Catino
Yesterday the skiing community once again lost one of their own. Ryan Hawks – of South Burlington, VT and Green Mountain Freeride passed away from injuries sustained during the North American Freeskiing Championships in Kirkwood, CA.
Ryan was a great skier with a great attitude while also being a top skier among the big mountain competition circuit. I’ve known Ryan from the earlier days – when I was a freestyle coach at Sugarbush and he a young ripper with a ton of potential. This season I was lucky enough to have made some laps with him at Stowe, and I’m really grateful for those two days. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, we’ll miss you.
For a full story visit ESPN Freesking
In the whiteroom it doesn't matter if it's night or day - Louis in Deep!
Green Mountain Freeride is a collection of local rippers from VT who are now out west charging everything from big mountain competitions to ski mountaineering. Here is Raise The Bar’s first update from my buddies out west – Erme.
Words: Louis Erickson
Photos: Derek DiLuzio – www.DEREKDILUZIO.com
Video: Green Mountain Freeride
Since we arrived in the Tetons it has been nothing but snow!
Locals from Jackson Hole to Grand Targhee have been claiming that this has been the best start to a season in recent memory. With pow for the pillaging we have been taking full advantage and have been skiing non-stop in the delectable Teton cream cheese.
I’ve been skiing and touring on Teton pass and riding at Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, while other members of our crew have been tearing up the competition scene – Lars Ayers Wins Revelstoke FWT Comp. Here is a vid of Lars and Ryan Hawkes shredding Jackson and their runs from Revelstoke, BC.
This week I headed to Teton National Park to ski the Grand Teton (weather permitting). However, as I passed Taggart Lake my toe piece pulled out of my ski and I was forced to post-hole back to the car. With my gear in the shop I plan on heading back up to the Lower Saddle early Friday morning in hopes of skiing the Grand!