Colorado (Breckenridge) Compared to Japan

[barok 0]

So I got home last Saturday after spending 6 days and nights in Breckenridge Colorado. This is my story. . .

 

Zwelgen flew into my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, USA after a long painful flight from New Zealand. As some of you know, she got a job this year in Breckenridge, CO as a cook. While it doesn't sound like a great job, they sponsored her (and alot of other international folks') visa, and by the end of the trip I was jealous of her lack of responsibility, and just the overall casualness of her work environment.

 

I had the death flu when she arrived, so I carted her over to my sister's appartment for the night, while me, my roommate, the roommate's 1-year old, and the roommates dog recovered from the plague. Zwelly spent the next week or so hanging out with my dysfunctional roommate, and said kid, and dog, whilst I studied, worked, schooled, and tried to get Zwelly her skis - long story short - we got the skis, but don't EVER order from www.getboards.com. We had to cancel our order after dicking around with this company for 2 weeks, but found her Trouble Makers local anyway.

 

but you don't really care about all that do you . . . we set out 2 Fridays ago - the 21st I think ihtwaz. The drive took us 17 hours with stops only for gas, and to change drivers. When we got to I-70 Denver, I was on the brink of 3am-9am driving shift insanity, so I let Zwelly take over once we got over Loveland Pass (11,900 ft.). The road to Breckenridge is hairy, with lot's of elevation change, runaway truck ramps, and people going 90mph, but she handled it well.

 

When we got to Breckenridge, it was cold, freezing ****ing cold, and it stayed that way all week. We went to a few company offices to sort out paperwork, and I picked up my season pass ($300 for Breck, A-Basin & Keystone - cheap!!)

We then proceeded to Zwelly's housing project, and after a few misassignments, arrived at the proper flat.

 

Her roommates were 2 Hungarian cuties, and we talked, had a bite, and caught a nap. I went out later that day for a few runs. It was freezing, and icy, but I was glad to be on the snow again.

 

The next day, Zwelly had naught to do, and of course neither did I, nor the Hungarians, so we all went up to the mountain to have some fun. It wasn't fun - it was fricken' freezing out there - I mean like -40 Wind Chill and death ice - We were all ridiculous bundled up, but fingers, toesez, and facia all froze up like right quick. The Hungry ones bailed after 2 runs to their lift shacks (they work as lifties), and Zwelly and I stayed out for 2 more before heading home. Aside from Zwelgen loving her new skiis on the piste, it was seriously not cool.

 

The next couple of days were pretty good. I checked out the board park, where the jumps were already huge, and people were goin' off bigtime. It is at this point that I must curse my new equipment - board: Option Kevin Sansalone - heavy, but otherwise good, bindings: junk-worthy Burton HD P1's - crappy ladders, crappy leather, already falling apart - after a broken board and falling apart bindings, I am starting to wonder whether anyone at this company has a brain, and my new boots: DC Phantom 2 or 3's?, which rule, but unable to work properly, cuz of my suck-ass bindings. So because of my gear, and the icey conditions, I was just feeling like Joe Beginner out on the slopes, and in the terrain park. not cool.

 

So I spent the next few days riding in the trees and in the park. The trees were not really ready for riding, yet. There were plenty of "snow snakes" that would bite my board and throw me to the ground. Not really cool, because the trees are very tight on the lower runs, and there are plenty of sharp pointies lurking just below the snow surface. I tried to get out of the trees after a few real close calls, but I just couldn't seem to do it.

 

As it was snowing on day 3 and 4, the piste was nice in the morning, but got hella chopped and iced in the afternoon - big glaring patches of ice, where you have close to zer0 control over where you are going, doesn't help when you are going fast. sliding fast over a patch of ice, then catching your edge when you get past the ice is no good, just no good. still solo, I ducked a few ropes, rode some more trees, and finally started getting 360's on the medium (8 meter) kicker in the terrain park, although I definately wasn't going as big as I wanted to, and often knuckled the lip.

 

In 6 days, I never really conquered the terrain park, and feel like I need a new board to cope with rails and jumps - something doesn't weigh a ton, and something that won't break like my crappy Burton Dragon did last year - any suggestions ? The Never Summer SL looks like a good choice, seeing as it has carbon beams, but I am worried about the weight.

 

Zwelly and I finally went out riding together last Thursday, Thanksgiving, and her birthday (all the same day). We hit up the trees, which I had exhaustively explored by this point, and were stoked on the 4 or so inches of powder that we found. But that's it folks, no more neck-deep days like last season, it's a thin layer of pow if yer lucky in Colorado. Zwelgen was having some problems of her own on her new skiis, as she has never really owned fat skiis before. I was still whining about my own gear, so we pissed and moaned, but rode together at Breck from 9 am till 1 pm.

 

We then took a quick break, ate some hummus sando's, and then drove the car to the famed backcountry area known as Loveland Pass (route 6 I think). The drive was hell on my car, which was already taking a beating from the cold, but we got to, and got up the crazy, snowy road full of switchbacks up the pass. We even managed to pick up a couple of hippies on the way up. People do a drive up, ride down kinda thing there, and have since I can remember.

 

When we got to the top, I opened the trunk, and it shot up immediately, I thought it was going to fly off. I opened the car door, and the handle flew out of my hand. I got out of the car, and walked towards the drop-in point, and the wind was so strong that it felt like a sandblaster on my face. It straight-up scared me, so we got back in the car, and drove down to a place out of the wind, and built and hit a kicker until the sun went down.

 

Anyway, we went home and went out to Breckenridge's various drinking establishments to cap off a relaxing week. Drove home the next day, and just lemme say, 17 hour drive by yourself is not cool.

 

Some overviews: Despite all the whining, while I was there, and in this story, I had a good time. The highlight was the fact that although Breckenridge's male to female ratio is something like 3:1, I spent all my time in the company of cuties. Breckenridge is a small town, but the nightlife is lively. Every night of the week there is kindov' a night for the locals, and people party down. Everybody knows each other, and everyone is really there just to be a bum, party, and snowboard or ski, so it's a good vibe. Colorado's conditions really threw me. Super icy, again, not at all like Japan. And every day there was colder than my coldest day in Japan as well. The terrain was pretty flat, but steeper than Japan, and when they open up the chutes, I will definately be back to claim them. The altitude was a kick in the ass, and I never experienced any problems with it in Japan. And my car was not happy at all, whereas my car in Japan never gave me any flak, 'cept when I crashed it into a snowbank. I saw people getting hassled for riding off course in CO, and was kinda surprised to see it, but they had valid safety reasons for it (A rider died the week before I was there by smacking into a water pipe after ducking a rope). Not as many people rode the trees as I expected in CO, but maybe that was because It was so early. The runs were much longer and wider in Colorado, so the runs never seemed crowded, although the liftlines did suck from time to time, and the lifts seemed much more strategically placed in Breck, than what I saw in Japan. As far as people's levels are concerned, In Japan I always saw 2 kinds of riders - beginners and experts, very few people in between. In Colorado, there are tons of athletic college kids, and businessmen, who have surpassed that beginner stage, but just don't have enough time to really excell past the intermediate level. And oh yeah, almost everyone speaks English.

 

Anyways, I am going back in December for a few weeks, and I'll give the full report.

 

peace.

[snowboard_freak 0]

Nice little story there barok. It's always good to hear about other people at the snow when you aren't there yourself.

 

As for a light board - Palmer's are pretty light boards. I've got a Gap that I use when I attempt some park stuff. But they are thinnner than normal boards so they get chattery a bit more easily.

[scoobydoo 0]

What a read, we're all jealous dude.

[danz 0]

hey barok...

nice story...but come on, give CO a chance...its only the first week in december!!!!! please dont base your opinions on CO skiing on that...

 

wait until jan. feb. for the real snow...march is for blue-bird powder days...

 

we are all going through hell now here in japan, but we all know it will pick up...

 

say hi to zwelly when you see her again...

 

danz

[mikazooki 0]

checked my trusty map, and see that was quite a drive u did thar!! (excuse the odd pirate slip, just watched a moofie)

 

can't relate to the chilling tale tho' as it is still in the high teens (celsius) here.

 

do keep keepin us informed.

[Teledude 0]

Good story there. I'm from WI originally too and have done that drive more times than I care to remember. But I've lived in CO for the past 9 years. Favorite place close to home-A-Basin, Loveland. Breck is OK but you gotta remember this is only Dec! It's still pretty crappy there. And windy and icy and cold! That's normal for this time of year there. If you plan on taking a trip to CO again head there in late feb or March. I had the best in bounds powder day of my life closing day at Vail a few years ago. It was pretty epic. The police actually came to the top to get people to come down...most of us took of to find our own way down. But I know Colorado's conditions very well and will be excited to ski there again someday. But I haven't yet skied in Japan. All I know is it'll be a huge difference. I haven't skied ice in years in Colorado but that's only because I don't go down the major runs in the major resorts. There's always good snow somewhere. I'm stoked to get back on the snow soon but damn! Isn't is supposed to have snowed here already??!!!!!

[Fattwins 0]

Barok thats why you shouldve gone to Canada.

 

The kids back home are pushing it more than they are here dont hurt yourself tring to keep up.

Enjoy the winter break.

[rach 1]

I really want to go there one day. Maybe I could take over from Zwelgen there next season. Put in a good word!

[nekobi 0]

thanks for the update barok. zwellie said she has limited internet access so its nice to hear about yalls trip. i'm def jealous yall have already been riding this season.

[crazyski 0]

My fam was in Vail for the Thanksgiving Holiday, and not very much of the terrain was open, but the snow was decent, they said. I'm from the MN, and I had a friend that drove back home from Park City, UT alone and he didn't start 'til like 10pm. But this was the same guy who made a winter road trip from MN to Seattle via Fernie over three weeks, and this year, from April to October, he was hiking the Continental Divide Trail, just for fun. The CDT is the one from Mexico to Canada, approximately 4500 km. He was the only one to do it in full from south to north this year.

 

Anyways, you'd have to be nuts, I guess.

 

My bud in Alaska just mentioned how he was tele-ing in nearly a meter of fresh this past weekend. Doh! Where's our love?

[OUfreeski2 0]

Let us know how the Superpipes differ in N.A.

[Goemon 0]

Just watch your speeding while you're in Colorado, barok...

[slow 0]

Finally, I got the air ticket to Denver!

I'll take my boots and clothes for skiing. I hope it's not so icy and too cold.