The Mongolia Chronicles

Tour De-Tritus

Gusts to 85mph. When I pee'd at 2:25am it was 42 degrees. At dawn - it was 26. The wind was full on today - just raging and whipping and polishing and ruining everything in it's path. I forced myself to ski here - rather than brave the area and possible lift closures (yes) and the gapers and flatlanders. Tomorrow will be great - as everyone will be hung over and trying to remember what they promised who tonight at some loud party. We will do noisemakers in the yurt at 8, and drive home sober to chill. The polish and debris out there in the woods are second to none. Layers of dirt and pine needles and sticks and just shit that is blowing in from all over. Well, Jed, this is what keeps this place 'real', or in this case - inhospitable. As it ever was. 2012 - here we come.

Wintah

It is settling in. 3hours to break down the wall in the driveway (3rd shot); rallied to the top of the FP yesterday for a cold, solo sign-in...JUNE seems a hella long way off. And - due to the 9am opening, and the fact that Elod has the best snow in the state right now - the crowds are pretty nutty at the home hill. This is the parking lot at first chair - on a Friday. Chaos reigns. A few nice turns, but ironically - we need some snow.

The Swell Arriveth

Verified backdoor head-dip on a shallow left. Can't say I made it out - as there was only dry sand at the other end of the barrel. But, it felt good to get in some waves with at least a little push. We bid a fond farewell to the shores and sands of Flah-rida, and head home to the high country to resume life as we know it, plan the March surf excursion to Nicaragua and have a few more don days until the machine cranks up all over again.

NOOOOOOOOOONAN

surf. turf. same as it ever was.

Lean In

One great benefit of tiny waves...ya gotta get down in 'em.......

Happy Birthday, Fat Old Dad

The young man's first stand up ride. Some sweet little 'curls'. And a round with the other, other Dad on the links, in the sun and the moist air and the changing light. Gift overload.

And.....The Solstice

And the other, other white meat. Surprisingly good waves for Day 1 of CousinPalooooza, 2011.

Multi-Sport Soul Extravaganza

What I wanted. What I needed. To be outside all day. Recreating. Call me vapid - but this shit is the shit of the shit. If you get my drift. Coupla hours on the X. Rolling the bowl with the dude, and a finale at ELDORA - where the racers get scarier every day. My kid is 5 - and he is scared of skiiers in spandex. Shows some moxy, I say.

This is dave with your Eldora snow report.........

Yes folks, we are back online with the transcribed Eldora Snow Report:

It's a GREAT day (seriously) to come on up and enjoy Eldora. Today's lifts are scheduled to operate from 9 - 4 with a WHOLE ton of terrain and guns pointed straight at the chairs for your riding pleasure. THE LEGENDARY CORONA opened yesterday. We only lost 18 people off the bottom end of the impenetrable slab, they are now somewhere in the town of Eldora thumbing rides back to reality. We haven't had shit for snow in like two weeks (ok - we got like 1.8 inches one day last week but it blew away like 8 minutes later). We are doing an AMAZING job (no - really) with the groomers...Jolly Jug(s) is just rippable beyond your wildest dreams. We are blowing the snot out of CASCADE - which is really one of the most useless additions to a ski mountain ever in the history of the world - but at least we can say we are opening NEW TERRAIN daily (like the ice patch right outside the downstairs bathroom - we CALL THAT NEW TERRAIN)There are about 340,000 trees down all over the mountain so the woods could be kinda spotty and the general consensus is DON'T GO IN THERE (besides - they are closed).

So, whattya waiting for - come on up to Eldora....God's postage stamp...where the riding just keeps getting BIGGER and BETTER every year.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I walked by the group of seniors on the mall today, getting loaded back into the senior living van from somewhere nearby. I like old people. They remind me of where we are ALL headed - IF we are lucky. If we are not lucky we will not get old. Simply put. So, tomorrow, we ride. Celebrate mobility. Celebrate life.