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Summer Skiboarding -Climbing and Riding Closed Ski Areas- Tips and Trip report

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  • Summer Skiboarding -Climbing and Riding Closed Ski Areas- Tips and Trip report

    I know the name of this section is Backcountry skiboarding .. but one of my favorite places to skiboard is at ski areas once they close . Constant grooming through out the season cause a wonderful glacier effect with snow lasting long after the lifts have stopped running . Access is easy , and climbing is simple . The trick is to find ski areas on leased Forest Service land , these areas are required to allow access once the area is closed. The particular ski area I climbed today has security personnel but they did not make any comments as I passed them and I have been told that they do not bother you if you don't get too close to the buildings.

    This has been a fabulous season in Tahoe and although summer has most defintely sprung with day time temps in the 90's in Sacramento, it is still cool with lots of snow in the high country .

    Here is a view from the ski area toward Desolation Wilderness ...



    I wanted to supply some equipment tips for summer skiboarding . First there is the issue of getting to the snow . Most of the ski areas have a barrier across the access road some distance from the ski area base area and there is a bit of a hike up the road to get to the snow . I have experimented with a variety of foot gear and have settled on CROCS .. these babies are a version that are enclosed all the way around so a bit more protective of the foot .. and much lighter and easier on and off then tennis shoes or hiking boots and much better then hiking in your ski boots.. my light weight Full Tilt ski boots are attached to my Condors and BTK binding (moved to center mount for this trip )and everything stored nicely on my Osprey pack .. this pic is on my way out .. but the same set up is used in the morning on the way up the road .



    more to come ... shopping now in South Lake Tahoe with my wife!
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

  • #2
    At the base there is still snow , and continuous snow for climbing all the way up to the top of the mountain


    It is cold in the morning and my summer attire is layers on the top with a short sleeve polypro shirt followed by long sleeve poly pro high neck shirt, fleece vest ,and windbreaker and cap ..
    bottom layers are knee brace with a loose fitting under armor tight , followed by cargo shorts .
    I have simple soft gloves for the morning .. the top layers are shed as the day gets hot and the tight is rolled up under the shorts afterwards
    Here are the tights down for the mornning ..

    Up as it gets hotter ...

    Topping out .. .clouds .. Lift is empty and desolate...


    Still plenty of snow ....

    Although a bit bumpy it is fun and very rideable with my wide condors


    More pics on the way down ,nice long run almost to the bottom of the lift




    Eventually the snow gives out near the bottom ..


    I am having a great time .. after riding all season 4cm set back , riding center mount is a joy again
    really nice how the skiboard does all the work and I don't need to lean forward so much to get my edges to engage on firm snow .. and those FULL tilt booters are great ... after riding my bedroom slipper tele boots ... nice to have big control on the down in bumpy terrain ... and they ARE really light on the way up .. darn another equipment quandry again ... minamilist boots vs full control
    trade off of the climb for the descent is always a quandry...

    more to come ..
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

    Comment


    • #3
      One of the most important things in any backcountry repair kit is duct tape ... today my skins were slipping off on the way up ... combination of the skin glue becoming less sticky from repeated use and the wet conditions made them not want to stick ... here is the repair that let me keep on truckin ..


      One of the fascinating things about riding ski areas in the summer is that lost items keep rising to the surface that have been buried by winter snow .. i saw what I thought was a dollar bill in the snow .. guess my suprise when it turned out to be a 50 dollar bill ! wow .. i paid more then that to ride this ski area during the season .. now the ski area is giving me back money ! the bill had dried out and was in perfect condition ... amazing ..


      Back to the top .. skins off and then a nice ride down to the lodge on continuous snow and a short hike back to the car.. in crocs and shorts ... sweet !


      This guy shot my picture .. he climbs everyy weekend and will continue until the snow runs out

      Boards :
      Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
      Boots
      K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
      Bindings:
      Zero Pro Non release Binding
      Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
      Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
      Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
      Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

      Comment


      • #4
        My wife's family has a summer cabin right near the river only 10 min down the road...
        after spending the morning skiboarding it was cool to kick back have lunch on the deck in the warm sun and down a cool one .. . right on.. .living's easy ... and summer is great !


        Boards :
        Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
        Boots
        K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
        Bindings:
        Zero Pro Non release Binding
        Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
        Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
        Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
        Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

        Comment


        • #5
          Ever dip a gold pan in that river?

          Shopping in South Lake Tahoe this past Feb resulted in several nice trinkets from the specialty shops and a huge 18" gold pan from the Ace hardware.

          Comment


          • #6
            Jack,

            Fabulous stuff. Great pictures. I never thought of climbing with my boots locked into my boards. That is a top notch idea. I'm sooooo jealous.
            "It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" Jiddu Krisnamurti

            Spruce Sherpa - RVL8 KTP - RVL8 Blunt XL

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by shortydude View Post
              Ever dip a gold pan in that river?

              Shopping in South Lake Tahoe this past Feb resulted in several nice trinkets from the specialty shops and a huge 18" gold pan from the Ace hardware.
              Hi Shortydude... no no gold in the river where our cabin is ... the gold veins are down lower in the foothills ... a friend of mind spends his summer standing in a wet suit in freezing cold water tending to his personal hydraulic river mining machine , I guess it does what the old timers did with their gold pans but more efficiently .. he gets some gold dust most weekends and sells it to gold shops down in Sacramento .. he invited me along but sounds way too much like work and not too much fun !
              but then some folks say that about me climbing around ski areas in the summer when you can ride the lifts in the winter!
              cool thing is that ski areas are often built with nice access roads in the areas with the best snow , and in the spring and summer when they close , those nice mountains become public domain again for us to climb and ride on our own power ... the solitude, the nice weather and , cooperative snow is really special ! ....
              Boards :
              Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
              Boots
              K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
              Bindings:
              Zero Pro Non release Binding
              Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
              Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
              Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
              Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

              Comment

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