bumpyride

The best part of snowboarding (IMO) is floating through un-tracked powder. I don't find many older skiers or boarders that don't talk about "The" powder day. If you want to capture the demographic that has the money to invest, you're going to have to appeal to the beauty of boarding, not the hucking, shucking, tucking and any other ucking of the freestyle crowd. Laying down carves often times feels like work and a for me it requires a self-critique that doesn't impart a smile on my face. I get much more out of being in the gladed runs than being on the groomers.

Telemarkers can get up hills with the same equipment they can go down. They can use their equipment without extraneous gear to get into the back-country (split boarders and randonee -French for can't Telemark-pretty much same thing). Resorts are just training grounds. Also they make better maids because they're so used to being on their knees.

Was a fabulous morning start. Got several untouched runs first thing off of Ram Charger. Big Horn skiers right on the bottom in the trees stayed fresh track for several runs. Ambush meadows was good at the bottom, but crispy on the top after a couple of runs. Tango Trees was a pleasure also. Glades off Southern Comfort were the fastest I've seen this year. El Dorado dictated No sharp turns or you were scraping bottom even with the 4" of light. Had to pretty much scream down the hill with careful weight shifts to get that real float feeling. Bumps were in great shape. Very very fast. T-boned a tree, but no damage. Had to end at noon for business, but with more snow expected tonight am looking forward to first tracks again.

Good find Art, thanks for posting that. I have to believe it's yellowstone management not the individual owners. Management usually goes for low bid to pump up profits. I have to believe that the property value has plummeted near the holding pond. Penny wise.

I'm a lightweight-140 lbs. I pretty much ride bumps at a relatively high speed, with lots of impact. I use F2s only with Intec, and a plastic base. I ride at least 40 to 60+ days a year, and have used the same group of bindings for the last 10+ years, and never had a failure. They flex enough to absorb most of the chatter and impact I had with stiffer bindings.

I can relate. I love my Raichle 122's and 123's and would never trade them for any boot. Luckily the last new pair I bought was $70.00 shipped, so I hope there's enough not to get into the crisis mode.

I was on the Chair lift at Big Sky, chatting up the other riders. Turns out there was a big Cardiac convention going on. I asked what was the new thing that they were promoting. Much to my surprise the big thing was Lifestyle/diet and not so much drugs, but they were also talking about putting everyone on a statin ($ca-ching).

Hope the best for you. Been there with a triple by-pass with no warning signs. I'm one of the many that can't handle statin drugs, so I pretty much try to follow this: http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Reverse-Heart-Disease-Nutrition-Based/dp/1583333002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457304260&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+prevent+and+reverse+heart+disease Even if you don't agree, it's well worth looking into.

A couple of things. We're too old to inspire the droopy pants crowd. I'm sure people think it's an on piste sport only. The boards and boots don't look like they're park friendly. Kind of like using a Nakiri knife on a PB&J sandwich. It's too much of a PIA for people to try and hook up with you to try your equipment (I always have an open invitation to anyone who queries about my board). Note: Short attention span No races for snowboards. No rentals, no tents, no demo days showing the wares. Mono-skis, Skawls, short little skis suffer the same fate, only worse. Reticence to try any weird sport (you guys may not be weird, but it does apply to me). Lack of Red Bull/Mountain Dew commercials with hardbooters hucking off cliffs. As a side note: I will try and carve only when the off-piste is too miserable, and I'm not that good at it. I'm good for 4 or 5 runs down a carving slope and then it's back to the barn. (Owning up to my short attention span.) I will carve with fellow carvers when the opportunity presents itself, (which has only happened in Duluth when I'm there, and once in Big Sky) but I usually have only the company of skiers or floppy pants snowboarders off-piste.

Finally got to ride with fellow Hardbooters. Art, Ron, and the Hawaiians, although not everyone is Hawaiian. Garrett and Alberta are in Hawaii, and I hope I heard this right Max is from Idaho. If that's not correct blame my bad ear (which happens to be both of them). Anyway, great fun and it was unfortunate that I missed them the last 4 days. Next year I hope.

Hopefully will be out tomorrow. Bruised a rib on Monday going faster than I should have. All was going well until I hit the wind scoured bumps at the last little headwall on skiers right at Elk Horn. Landed on my stupid smartphone which was in my breast pocket. Luckily the ribs aren't moving around.

We've had a lack of snow out here for a week or so. Peak was icy and chunks. Decided to take out the 1998 Ultra Prime 162 and do some groomers. Wasn't going to hit the bumps, but couldn't resist. Slices and Dices. Anyway hit Mr. K. on the way down and ran into the paparazzi.

Hey Bryan. Took that 165 Coil out that I picked up from you the other day. It had a really good edge set on the groomers and carved quite well, but with the extra length with my 140lbs, it was a bit much for bumps. We haven't had snow for a while so I wasn't able to check it out in the pow. Rode 4 boards in the last couple of days. Nothing newer than 2000, but I love em. Finally found my coil 156 back-up board on ebay after looking for the better part of 2 years. Was riding an Ultra Prime 162 for the above shot, and surprisingly it worked well in the bumps. How's things going? You ever going to make it out this way?

Being 66 and not what you would call a candidate for an IT professional, so far this is the best I've been able to do. Thanks for the tips Art, still have a ways to go for just cropping what I need.

Went up today with the Debster. Decided that I wasn't going to do anything but groomers. That lasted exactly 1 run. Did the Bowl, skiers right bumps with the 162 Ultra Prime. Excellent time. Fast and furious, and conditions were great. Next was Andesite and ran down the bumps down Elk Horn. Firm at the top, but squish at the bottom. Guess I got in another photo session of Mr. K.. Hey art, how do you isolate the photos from the chaff?

likewise Art. Nice shots. I was trying out a Burton Coil 165 which is way big for me on the slopes to see how it would perform on a powder day. Sucks big time in the bumps, but held surprisingly well on the groomers. The shot was on Mr. K, as I was heading back into the barn to change boards. I try to avoid the photographers, just so I don't waste their time or get embarrassed, but there was one yellow jacket at the top of the hill skiers left, so I went skiers right and got photoed. Went up to the tram yesterday, and it was pretty ugly. Top entry was bad enough so I stepped out to lift my board over rocks for about a half a block to Liberty Bowl entrance. Ski patrol said it was firm, firm like a billiard table and chunked up to boot, and they said it was better to boot down to the entrance. If I had been on the Coil 165 I'm pretty sure I would have been going down in a sled when I stopped sliding. As it turns out I was on my Ultra Prime 156 and it was definitely the right tool. Jump turns were de rigueur, and a hard set edge was a necessity. Had frozen chunks following me down the hill. Lots of people sitting on the slope trying to figure out how to get down. No more trips to the peak until snow. Will be out tomorrow for awhile on a carving board. Probably stay on Andesite for the morning.

http://www.photoreflect.com/store/photocard.aspx?pc=A4F75A5F958026C9C6FE9F5CC369EB71

Light was flat, and conditions so-so. Bumps were well delineated even in the flat light, so those were fast and fun. 1pm and going down Mr. K. to put our boards in the barn was really quite good for carving even with the flat light. Saving the legs for snow, so short days maybe 10 runs in total. May be on the Fatbike shortly, perfect conditions for it.

Got out today at 11am. A little soft, but a lot of hold. First day out with the knee and it went well. Bumps were really fun. The groomer were in pretty good shape. Walking the neighbor's dog at 6pm and street was a little icy. Will probably head out at 10am tomorrow/

Bunged up from overuse on a replaced partial knee. Don't want to screw up the total season by getting back on it too soon. No trauma, just overworking it and the knee didn't appreciate it. Didn't manifest itself until 12 hours later.

Have bunged up my knee so I haven't been out since I got back. Son is coming in tonight around midnight and may test the knee out tomorrow if it feels right. Will text you the schedule, but it won't be early as it's probably pretty hard.

Soft boots, but carving all the same. Wish I could find runs like this.

My heartfelt condolences.

3 strap Burton Bindings were what I started out on. Plenty stiff compared to any 2 straps. Still have a couple of pair that I was going to use in strictly Alpine environments.

Art. Will be back in Big Sky around the 1st of Feb.. Would be glad to see if I have a board that might make powder and plates an enjoyable experience for you. Not sure what I have to fit you, and would have to know if you're on intecs and what your weight is approx. You can PM if you're under 100 lbs or over 200lbs. I sold most of my larger boards to a guy named Ron last year, so I may be short on those. Bryan might have something in his stock that would work, if I don't.