More Killington Antics

Its been busy up here in Vermont. I still can't believe that its the end of March. Springtime is in full force up here. We've had alternatley freezing cold days with 60 degree days- bright sunshine mixed with the rain that is eating the rest of the snow up here, turning the once frozen ground into mud, turning the snow into run-off, flooding the rivers and creeks in the area.

In other words- its kayak season, and I don't have a kayak or people to paddle with. Boo. I did in fact just purchase a new playboat from a friend- a cherry red Project 45 that I will pick up in a few weeks. Other than that, not much has been happening on the paddling front- besides some vague plans for the following two months to be detailed in my next blog post.

Despite not paddling, i've managed to get some good quality time in on the hill. Spring is fun up at Killington- practically every weekend hosts some sort of event. In the past month Killington has hosted the US snowboarding grand prix and a spring loaded pipe/slopestyle/rail jam comp. Next weekend is the Annual Bear Mountain Mogul challenge- which should also be tons of fun.

The grand prix was a qualifier of sorts for the Olympics, meaning that several of snowboardings best were on hand competeing in the Half pipe and in the park for slopestyle. I was fortunate enough to get to go and watch the womens competition from the bottom of the pipe.

Spectators watch as the women take their first runs

I was struck by how young the majority of the competitors were- and how talented they were. Its amazing to watch someone who really knows how to utilize the halfpipe- not to mention their acrobatic abilities. Both Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark threw down huge runs for the ladies, coming in first and second, respectively.

Here is video of Gretchen Bleiler on her first run down the pipe.





I had all the more respect for the women as I have spent a good portion of this season on my snowboard in the "baby park" located on the Timberline trail at Killington. I've been pushing myself more- starting to not only go off the jumps, but try for some rotation as well. I landed my first successful 360' last week!!! (And crashed on at least 6 others. ) Ive also started hitting some smaller and medium sized boxes, but i will admit to being too much of a wimp to hit the rails. I even went in the half pipe for the first time this past week- on telemark skis and on a snowboard- The only way I can describe my experience is that I was completely disoriented.


Gretchen hikes the pipe for her next run

The pipe has 20 foot walls, and once you drop in, they are all you can see. You need to work to ride up along the walls- yet- at the same time they pull you into them. I rode through a couple of times, trying to feel out the timing, and figure out how to ride up the walls and transition off them- and was left with an entirely new respect for these athletes.

A competitor airs out on a practice run

Riding in the park can be a lot of fun- it has completely changed the way i view the terrain and features of the mountain, inside and outside the park. Ive started riding more creatively, and having fun on a snowboard for the first time in ages. I had a mini photoshoot with some friends in two of the bigger parks at Killington- the dreammaker park and the stash. We had a great day- and tons of fun. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Rodney hits a tree-stall in The Stash

Sliding down a barrel

Barrel - with a few altercations


Dream Maker- Second Jump

Thats about all for now- updates on my summer and upcomming return to water sports soon- i swear!

Well, i've been informed by a precious few that they do actually still check my blog- which means that i have been sorely lacking in updates these past few months. Its astounding, really, how fast time goes, how quickly one gets established into a pattern of daily life.


Since arriving back in the states in December, i have moved up to Killington, VT where i am working in a ski shop. It was a pretty whirlwind tour- I flew into JFK on December 22nd, promptly drove up to Long Island to have bagels and lox with the jewish grandmother, drove down to Swarthmore for a Hannukah party (on Christmas Eve), celebrated Christmas with my dads family, and then drove up to Vermont on the 26th of December to be at my first day of work on the 27th.


I wish i could blame my lack of blogging on this whirlwind adventure- but somehow it is already three months later!


Its been pretty bizarre to have a "real job", as much as working retail and setting up rental skis can be considered as such. Im working 40+ hours a week in the shop- but still managing to get at least 2-3 days a week on the hill. ( I think im just over 30 days on snow this year- not bad considering.... some of my friends here have 100+!)

I will admit to being pretty slack on the photography front- busy at work, cold hands, etc... here are a few scenic shots from this winter.

Sunset driving home

Icicles

Snow covered field

Skiing here felt "fake" at first- especially after all my time kayaking on rather remote rivers, and hiking in the mountains of Nepal. The mountains here in vermont don't quite compare to the Himalayas, and to ski with chairlifts and so many other people around feels like an amusment park for grown-ups. It took some time to get used to how confined I feel up here- pretty much all the time, even when skiing. Im hoping to get out and do some more back-country skiing this spring- maybe a trip to Tuckermans Gorge in New Hampshire- to get a different feel for the sport. It has been a good winter up here snowwise, and i feel pretty lucky to be able to take a break from work and get out on the hill- even if it is just for a few hours.

Retail can be exhausting, in that you must always be polite, upbeat and friendly- even when you have worked a 12 hour day, are tired, and wish that the person trying on the coat you zipped 13 times that day would either buy the jacket or leave the store. It isn't unlike guideing a raft or a kayak trip in that you become a public persona. Every job i have ever had has dealt heavily with customer satisfaction and service- never a bad thing, but it can be a relief to walk away at the end of the day. With retail, you don't necessarily recieve the same rewards as when you are coaching. We have had a few customers that have purchased goods- and come back to experss their satisfaction with the product, or our advice. At the end of the day, if someone walks away happy with their purchase, i suppose it is a success. However, i miss the fun of seeing someone progress that i had with coaching.

I've met a few fun people up here- and fortunatley for me, i enjoy everyone i work with. We have a pretty good crew going- and generally tend to hang out together after work as well. That said, my social circle here feels pretty small at times. In reality, i know a handfull of people reasonably well. I suppose it was the same in Uganda and Nepal, but becuase the situation was so much smaller, those few people felt like a much bigger network. Getting used to the cold up here was a whole other challenge- i feel like i am constantly overdressed!

Some of the highlights of this season so far for me were being able to see my cousins-
Hannah, Sophie and Max. The three of them are gifted skiers, and compete for Mount Snow and Waterville Valley in freestyle (moguls), slopestyle and big air. In short, they huck themselves off jumps and down mogul courses- trying to go as big and as fast as they can. Its been a lot of fun to get to see them on and off the slopes.

Sophie charges down the freestyle course

Sophie with a Huge Spread

Sophie with her friends

and showing me how to do a "Daffy"

Sophie had an awesome weekend, placing 3rd overall in her last championship weekend. Its been nice to be able to witness what they are up to.

And of course, America has its other perks- like the internet and soymilk! Thats about all for now- ill be sure and update sooner with my plans to get back to paddling, not to mention some Ugandan/Nepali updates.

cheers!