So its been awhile...

Ok so I'm slacking again with not keeping up with my blog..Ive been preparing and sending out my resume in search of guide work through the summer, and looking for a new place to move into. After a long couple weeks of searching on Craig's list everyday and doing interviews both for houses, and guide jobs, things have started turning around. I got hired at Avid4 Adventure as an Outdoor Education Instructor in both the Rock climbing and Mountain biking courses. I'll be teaching rock climbing and biking skills to elementary, middle, and high school aged kids. Seasonal employment from April through mid August. Last day at the couriers April 12th!! Although I feel I will miss riding It will be good to switch things up and work in the field at which I have applied myself toward in my AMGA training. As far as my living situation is concerned that's actually a funny story..I'm moving back into the Hamilton hood. This time though Ill be in the house to the left of the Ol' Gooney house. And this house has a bouldering cave in a shed in the backyard. Time to start training for the Diamond...Anyway Ive still been out climbing and skiing..Also made it back up to Loveland ski area with my good friends Cory, Liz, Kestrel, and El- Tedro ( Ted ), for a little in bounds skiing ... Here are some pics..







The crew on top of the divide after exiting lift 9





Cory Fleagle Gettin some wind blown pow turns...

West Side...Sucka!



Kestrel Hansen showing off some nice Tele turns.

Walking the ridge looking for the fattest corince to huck..

Ive also been getting out in the Backcountry with my boy Butters. Found these extra pics from skiing up at Caribou and the secret stash...Lots of good backcountry skiing this year..

The Anchor Mine near Caribou..

Butters seeing if anyone is home..

Caribou Backcountry runs in red..Where Ive found the best skiing over the past 6 years.

Very reactive snowpack...Glad I wasn't skiing anything over 35degrees..

Weather turning crappy..Time to head back to the truck...

On our way out we found this snowmobiler who somehow drove his sled into a tree well..I felt bad for the guy and his girlfriend as they didn't even have a shovel to dig there machine out. As the sun set I took out my avalanche shovel and helped dig this guys machine out and turn it back over..Oh yea when I arrived it was up side down..I looked at it as an opportunity to work on my strategic shoveling skills...Interesting end to a great day of skiing.

Well its finally getting spring like here and I think winter is coming to an end. Still holding out for that one last spring dump...This winter was pretty mild; at least from a couriers perspective...Hopefully some future climbing posts will emerge as the temps rise...

Peace,

Jason





































Backcountry Butters

I shot this short movie of Butters and I skiing the secret stash bowl last weekend...The quality of the video exposure isn't the greatest against the bright white of the snow...Trying to fix that issue with my camera....One of these days I'm going to get that GoPro helmet cam...Then it will be on!!
Hope you enjoy anyway... Its kinda funny watching Butters running next to me on the dsecent...

Peace,
Jason

The Alpinist Courier

So I filmed all of this on Monday...I have to say it was quite fun...Even riding one handed into work, and the high temps in Boulder were only going to peak at 10 degrees .... I guess I decided on alpinist courier because this is some good trainning for dealing with the cold in the mountains when your having REAL fun...Anyway, hope you enjoy!
Peace,
Jason

Wind Rivers slideshow 2010

Some extra footage from my Wind Rivers trip this past August...
Enjoy,
Jason

Petit Grepon Film

So I'm finally learning how to put together movies...Just downloaded this free video editing software...Not THAT bad for my first try..Footage is a little jumpy, belaying and filming at the same time, little tricky...Much better stuff to come...
Enjoy,
Jason

Jackal Hut Trip

I had so many great pic's from this past holiday hut trip that I felt a slide show was in order...
Enjoy!

Peace , Jason

Jackal Hut

Just returned  from a successful hut trip to one of the 10th Mountain Division Huts with my good friend Aaron .

Situated in an incredible position above treeline at 11,660 ft, Jackal Hut is one of the Highest of the 10th Mountain Huts. Able to accommodate 16 people this hut is super comfortable and has great views from almost any window..

We left South Camp Hale parking area 4 miles from the hut early Thursday morning...Arriving at the hut around 3 we were looking forward to getting in a little run before sundown....Jackie, John , and Greg, nice folks Aaron and myself met on the hike in were also down for a afternoon tour. Turns out we would get to know each other pretty good over the next day and a half of skiing and hanging out together.

Aaron leading the charge back to the hut after our first taste tree skiing the area had to offer..

Looking west from the deck of Jackal hut on a beautiful early morning sunrise..

Awesome mountain views in all directions..



Nice looking pillows on the north facing slopes...Hidden in all those" tight trees". Aaron and myself found that these slopes held  some of the softest powder, so we skied the hell out of this area. Running laps on day 2 ,just the two of us, like furry e-woks flying through the forest we logged an estimated 5,500 vertical...We just couldn't get enough...

Enjoying ourselves....

View back toward the hut and the North facing slopes we tracked out...Looking back from the south west facing slopes of Pearl Peak...This area held some nice above treeline skiing but would soon get punchy due to solar radiation...Blahhh!

Inspiring terrain..

Some incredible 1/2 inch surface hoar formed overnight that made our our second full day of skiing

even more enjoyable...

Yours Truly skiing some of that sweet surface hoar..

This is probably the tightest the trees ever got...Manageable...Especially with such great snow, turning through the trees came pretty effortlessly.

This was a great Christmas hut trip...No snow hole dug above treeline in a blizzard  this time.. Just splitter blue bird days, zero wind, soft powder, and good friends...Thanks Aaron, for making this trip happen, it was quite awesome.. Happy Holidays!

Peace, Jason