bonzo

3/17/12 Spring fling and last day of the season. When is the last time that happened? Most unusual conditions: 78F and boarding. Never have I been on skis or a board when it is in the 70's. Best way I can describe conditions is "summer glacier like." Slush and water on top of the semi-permafrost base. The opposite of hero snow (villain snow?). Not a day to work on eurocarving. Nonetheless, I left my temporary mark on 2, 3, 5 and 7 looking for the right snow. Best to just enjoy the moment There wasn't enough snow to set up a course for our annual toboggan race. For the water skip, I was in my swimsuit in case someone didn't surface. I was most comfortable with bare legs. For snowsports, Afton is now closed for the season. Despite the almost complete lack of natural snowfall, the snowguns made some wonderful white stuff. Kudos to the snowmaking team that despite a week of temperatures 20-30 degrees above normal, we were able to enjoy one last day. Thanks to everyone for another memorable season. See you next season in November or December.

3/11/12 Great day for crud busting. Very soft and lumpy on top with permafrost below. 2,7,16 were all fun given the weather. Not super carvolicious, but fun. Hoping this is not my final day of the season, but given the weather forecast for this week, not sure if there will be a Spring Fling. If the Thunderstorms next Saturday materialize, there may be no chair lifts running.

Starting Monday March 12th, Afton will close at 6 PM. The Spring Fling is scheduled for Saturday March 17th. The season beyond the Spring Fling depends on the weather. Go out and enjoy what is left before it is gone. The Warrior Dash is set for June 30 & July 1.

Sounds like you need a crud board. Do I have a deal for you...

2-21-12 Mardi Gras brought fast snow. It was well rutted by 6 PM. Groomers have a lot of work to do. Had to encourage a few soft booters to take their last run. Somehow the lack of running lifts or lights wasn't enough of a hint. Must have been a Mardi Gras thing.

2-18-12 & 2-19-12 On Saturday, saw Trent and chatted on 16. In his defense, snow was unstable for serious one planking. Loose on top, bulletproof below. Skis were a wise choice for me. Sunday, the conditions were similar. They were less than great for carving, but ideal for slide slipping. Perfect for the 13 Ski Patrol Candidates demonstrating their toboggan handling skills to the examiners. All passed. Snow is coming along with warmth. I predict the snow should improve this week. Or maybe I am optimistic since I get the last run at Afton on Tuesday.

2-16-12 Deep trenches were evident under 7 still at 6PM. Nice job Trent. This was the final night of practice with the ski patrol candidate before their big test on Sunday. That means you will have to waint until next year until we do some serious pushing of snow downhill. Also, there is a big USSA race at Afton on Sunday. Racers will be inspecting the course before 8 AM.

I was there for the races on Sunday. Do I ever appreciate the grooming at Afton. I had never experienced a vertical ice rink until I boarded the "double black" back bowl. My little 2 planker must love the ice since he took home the gold.

2/14/12 Total hero snow under 7 tonight.

Because the management of Afton Alps wants to ensure that the guest experience is beyond wonderful. Please come again soon.

Thanks for a memorable day. We had a difficult call that took a while. Looks like all of you left your signature on 16. I couldn't find any of you after 4PM, so I packed in in after 5PM. Same thing next year?

I'm in.

I was the last one down 2 to tonight. Will be the first one down tomorrow. With grooming, it will be an epic day tomorrow. Yes, I was in uniform while having fun with our "front stance snowboarders".

1994 Burton Stat 7. Not that I ride it much. It soft board that can't initiate a turn nor hold an edge. Not a good combination. The 1995 Burton FP 5.7 is the old reliable standby with hundreds of days on it. Small for me, but I love the 9.6 m sidecut radius.

Saw two members of the ski and ride school sporting the peculiar "sliding devices" Sunday at 4:30 PM on the top of 7. Following Trent's lead, I skated up to them and said "cool snowboards." I got a chuckle out of one, the other was not amused. This is a fun game that you invented, Trent.

Snow guns running everywhere except 1 and 2. Afton is making snow as fast as they can. Didn't wax with extreme polar, felt like I was boarding on sandpaper. Most disappointing.

I saw you. Oh, how I longed to join you. The way boards are constructed it's TGIF (Tip Goes In First). Every season, I probably sideslip 100,000 ft of vertical with training exercises. However, bringing a toboggan down hill is exercise braking the entire way down while steering the patient to safety. Contrary to popular belief, we do not scrape all the snow off the hill to "increase business." Look for us on 7, 12, or 16 Sundays at 9 AM or Thursdays at 6 PM. We will make sure give the hill special treatment.

Alas, I sold the Jeep a year ago, the racks shortly after that on Craigslist. After 18 winters, the rate of the electrochemical conversion of iron to a higher oxidation state was beginning to accelerate. I needed to sell it before it progressed too far. Sold well after the major dumps of snow last year. I've taken ownership if the wife's 98 Audi A4 quattro. She now has a a 07 A8. Don't ever drive an A8 unless you want every other car to feel substandard.

Been out working over a dozen days at Afton this season, and the only carver that I have seen is Trent one Sunday Morning before Christmas when I was teaching on 7. Where is everyone? Come on out, the conditions and grooming are fantastic. Full disclosure: I have spent 3 days two planking. Keep those sweet Stockli's away from me.

Can't tell from the one xray angle if you have any fractures. NSAIDs delay bone healing (prostaglandin inhibitor). I suggest that you consult your orthopedic surgeon if in doubt. I will agree strongly that oral opioids have a likelyhood of creating a dependency issue. Fortunately, they make me nauseated, so I only take them when nausea is the lesser of two evil.

I wanted to wait a little bit so you are hopefully feeling better, but that looks most uncomfortable. Start your physical therapy as soon as you are allowed. Regaining your range of motion in your ankle may take some time, but it will recover. Heal fast

Definitely a painful injury. You have three injuries at once. It's tough for the EMT's and medical control to judge how much juice to give you, too little and you are in agony, too much and you are so deeply snowed that the orthopedic surgeon can't perform a full exam. Take your pain meds as needed. Rest, ice, elevation. Eat healthy, try to get some sleep. Heal quickly, heal well. Start PT as soon as the doctor allows it.

It's 57 days post fibular fracture. Had x-rays taken, the break is healing well; the bone is up to approximately 80% of pre-fracture strength according to the doc. He said it would take a significant trauma to re-break the bone. Unfortunately the collateral damage done to the soft tissue (primarily tearing the gastrocnemius due to three weeks of crepitus) will keep me off the board for what is left for the rest of the season due to a fair amount of pain when stressed. The good news that I should be 95-99+% for the 2011-2012 season. To make sure that that I make a speedy recovery so that I don't miss much of the road or mountain bike season, the doctor gave a referral to enroll in a course of physical therapy. There is light at the end of the tunnel, hang in there my brothers.

Update: Afton is open one more weekend, weather permitting. Only chairs 3 and 4 will be running. I see the orthopedic surgeon on Friday, so I will see if my fibula is healed well enough to go boarding one last time this season.

Actually you are fortunate that it wasn't worse. Depending on the twisting forces on your ankle, ligaments could be disrupted and the force can propagate up the interosseus membrane resulting in a broken leg and an ankle that needs a couple of screws to hold everything together until everything heals. Nonetheless, I'm sure it's very painful. You never or rarely see these injuries on recreational skiers. Their boots release before the forces get high enough to do damage. This thread is full of alpine boarders who, at least in part, have been injured for precisely the opposite reason; their boots do not release from the board.