2.6.12

We split the crew up after the trade shows for some needed R & R. I've been on the road since mid-September with Alex, and Kjell hopped in the rig over a month ago. Those two are getting ready to do a tour of duty on the jump at the Teva Mountain Games this week and needed to get their air time dialed. So they are doing their thing at their local ski hills. I spent a couple of days in Winter Park with the Rottefella crew during the SIA on-snow demo.

From there, I headed back across I-70 to Utah. I'm not sure how many times I've driven that route this year, but it's more times than I can count. At this point, the eight hour drive is nothing but a quick jaunt across a high desert landscape with some great tunes and time to think. I can't speak for anyone else, but traveling is as much a part of being a ski bum, to me, as the actual skiing. There are so many cool places to check out between the snowy ones. That's why I prefer the van over a plane. 

The mountains in Utah are finally filling in. The backcountry, however, is still extremely unstable and scary. So I opted to head up to The Canyons Resort in Park City, UT. It was the perfect chance to get in some great groomers to keep up the fitness and enjoy some park laps. 

The terrain park at The Canyons has two really fun and flowing lines with plenty of creative rails and jibs. The Sundance Film Festival just ended last week, so the crowds were light, and there were never any lift lines. It was exactly what I was looking for!

The Canyons also has a cool beacon park to help keep you up-to-date on your avalanche skills. I decided to throw my new Barryvox Pulse into my pocket, and I took some time to run the course a few times. They have single and multiple burial situations and even probes on-site, so you don't have to haul a pack up the gondola. It is a perfect way to mix things up on the hill between making turns and jumping in the park. 

TSM has a busy week ahead. Editor Tony Gill will be covering the Innagural Teva Winter Mountain Games in Vail, CO this weekend, and Madsen will be at Alpine Meadows with Alpenglow Sports for the NTN Demo Tour. We will be posting here on Telemarkskiermagazine.com as well as our FB page — stay tuned. 

Thanks for checking in!

— JM