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  • Emotional weekend

    This weekend was a classic roller coaster. There's a review of the R8 Condors mixed in but I couldn't figure out how to separated it from the story proper.

    The weekend started with a blizzard that lasted until late this (Sunday) morning. We arrived late Friday night in a blizzard, skied all Saturday in one and began today in the same conditions.

    I was totally outclassed this weekend on all fronts. The weather outclassed us all but for the first time in a long time I was totally outdone by both my riding partners and the terrain. There was a total of 6 of us that made it to Togakushi. 4 boys and 2 girls. Saturday the snow fell like an endless blanket and was complimented by ceaseless gales that caused instant whiteout conditions. The folks I was with were pure powder freaks. We started the day transitioning over the mountain and up to the highest ground lifts would carry us. Then, we started diving off these off-piste runs that were so steep you literally dropped into the thigh deep powder. The powder was semi-sticky. Not champaign and not cement. Somewhere in between. Everything was untouched. On the second run I had a horrifying experience. I failed to negotiate a proper turn (My boards crossed. I had them too close together and the snow pushed them across each other.) and I did a nose dive directly into the slope. The next thing I knew I came to a stop. That's when I realized I wasn't just under the snow but totally encapsulated by it. I could breath but not easily. It was like breathing through a pillow. I could not orient myself. I did not know if I was pointed up or down slope, parallel or perpendicular. I was just in a ball with the weight of the snow on me. It felt like a tomb. There was a moment of terror and then without my permission my mind switched gears. As odd as this sounds this is exactly what my mind said - "How do you eat an elephant?" "The same way you eat anything else. One bite at a time." "The difference with the elephant is you need a plan." "Eat the elephant." So, I decided that whichever part of this tomb was the hardest that must be the downhill direction. It seemed like my back was against the hardest part. So, I then thought if I could stand on the hard part that i would stand upright. It was like being in a really stiff marshmallow but I worked my way around a bit and kind of managed to push up. Then with a little leverage pushed up some more and my head poked out. I was about 3 feet under the snow. The guy behind me has one of my Sherpa's and the other was with me. I had to dig but found it pretty quickly. Snapping back in took about 5 minutes as I had to build a shelf. It was decided at that point that I was never to be the last one down a line. So the day went on as such. I stopped looking at the edge before diving off new runs as it just scared the hell out of me plus I already knew what was over the edge. Big, stiff powder. The lines were outrageous. Bordering on sheer cliffs sometimes. Well over 40 degrees. A couple of the guys said that these lines were not possible with conditions less than what we had. Anyway, these guys were killing it. We'd get to the bottom of a line, look back and you would see a handful of long, gently carved lines and mine criss-crossing at least 3 of them. I just didn't have the moxie or skills to carry the speed down those lines. Everyone was very kind and helped me up my game in this type of terrain enormously. By 1600 we were hiking out from the last run one sickening step at a time and I was utterly bereft of any pride and completely demoralized. Once we got to the hotel I also discovered that despite eating a lunch that should have been delivered on a truck bed and chomping 4 snickers bars out of my bag in the afternoon alone my blood sugar was well in the toilet. Below 20. That didn't help matters. I want to say that I wasn't somehow having an off day. I was pretty much on my game. My game just wasn't at the level required. The Sherpa's snarled and growled all day. They held up with incredible style and wanted more. I apologized to them for my mental weakness and lack of ability when I put them in the mud room for the evening. Sherpa's can do "real deal" back country. Guaranteed.

    Today was better. It started off a little tense but got well quickly. Saturday night the girls came over to the boys room to drink beer and socialize. After a a few beers it became clear that one of the girls was paying me more than casual attention. Now, in practical terms that is meaningless to me because my eyes only see Mrs. Mahatma. But, when a good looking gal with incredible powder skills is showing you attention you have a social obligation to at least play along to a degree and be appreciative. I could have cared less and showed it. I was in the dumper. This morning at breakfast she treated me like a disease and it was obvious. First thing in the morning we were stuck on the bunny because the lifts were late opening due to the snowfall. At the top of our 3rd bunny run (painfully waiting to be told the next level of lifts were open) I skied over to her (she sure wasn't going to be within 20 yards of me), gave her a gentle elbow and said "How's the prettiest girl at the resort feeling today?" She gave me a hard elbow back and took off. We took the chair back up together and chatted about nothing. Then at the top the sign blocking the traversing run was dropped - we had more lifts. So, we all started taking off. The gal waved me forward and I said "You go". She said "Why?" I said "Well, 2 reasons. One you're better than me and I don't want to hold you back." I intentionally stopped. I was baiting her. "And the second reason?" "Well, if I go first it's much harder for me to stare at your butt." I said it the right way. It was cute as opposed to lecherous. It worked. A good natured whack and a 5 star smile later all was better. She batted eyelashes at me for another hour until more lifts opened.

    It was at that point we parted ways. Everyone else was going looking for more ways to die and I decided to stay on the resort proper. There was redemption in that decision. I was on the Condor's for the first time and so far haven't done anything more than intermediate runs. All I knew about them at that point was that they were mild mannered, didn't like flat sections and you had to stay in the back seat in deep powder. My first solo run I headed over to one of the more difficult resort runs. I think the sign said 34 degrees. Anyway, after Saturday it looked like the kiddie playground. Some people were standing around sort of figuring out how to attack the chop and handle the slope. I boarded up like John Wayne and dove off boards pointed straight down. That is when I discovered a wonderful thing about the Condor's. They are very flexible. They turned the knee deep chop into a magic carpet ride. I was even shocked at how easy I made it look. The Condor's made me look much better than I am. All of a sudden, people were looking at what was on my feet. Within 3 runs people were actually pointing at my feet. I was getting smiles and big thumbs ups. For about 30 minutes I was a star. All the black runs felt like bunnies. Nothing on piste could harm me today. I was in-bounds royalty. Redemption.
    "It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" Jiddu Krisnamurti

    Spruce Sherpa - RVL8 KTP - RVL8 Blunt XL

  • #2
    Well first off, I'm glad your alive with that first pow experience! and second, I'm jealous I wish I had powder like that to Ski. Sounds like you had a good time and I hope things work out with the Mrs

    -B
    sigpic

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    • #3
      Hey Mahatma, thanks for the story .! ... .. seriously ... i am really happy you are ok ... falling head first into deep pow and getting buried is the closest anyone wants to get to being buried in an avalanche , glad you were able to get out and are ok !
      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.

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      • #4
        Well, that was a feel-good story after all!

        I'm glad you made it through that extreme powder, man! I know the feeling. I experienced the same kind of brainswitch when I was surfing a few years ago. (The disorientated feeling)

        Great story, Mahatma!
        2010 KTP
        2010Receptors
        2011 Full Tilt Hot Doggers

        www.myspace.com/damnthedoorisclosed

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        • #5
          I'm glad you're alright Vannon.

          Just saw this and thought of you... he was only under 20" of snow but was trapped for 17hrs...


          Skier survives 17 hours under Swiss avalanche


          Sun Feb 7, 2:21 pm ET

          EVOLENE, Switzerland – A skier was buried beneath an avalanche for 17 hours in the Swiss Alps before being pulled from the snow with only mild hypothermia, police said Sunday.

          The 21-year-old man appeared to have survived because he was trapped next to a pocket of air that allowed him to breathe even though he was unable to free himself from the crushing weight of the snow, police in the southern canton of Valais said.

          "I've never heard of such a case before," said police spokesman Jean-Marie Bornet. "It's already very difficult to survive more than 45 minutes beneath an avalanche."

          The man, who had been skiing alone on an unmarked slope in the Evolene region about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Geneva, was reported missing by his family at 4.30 p.m. Saturday, police said.

          Rescuers with sniffer dogs found ski tracks leading to where a large avalanche had come down but had to break off their search overnight for safety reasons.

          On Sunday morning, a helicopter crew spotted movement on the surface and rescuers were able to pull the man out from beneath 20 inches (half a meter) of snow, said Bornet.

          The unidentified Swiss skier has been hospitalized but appears to have suffered no serious injuries, Bornet said.

          "He's a very lucky man," he said.

          Dozens of skiers are killed by avalanches in the Swiss Alps each year. Last month, a series of avalanches killed six people in central Switzerland, the country's worst such disaster in more than a decade.

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          • #6
            It’s good to know he’s an oak, an intolerant advocate of restraint and steadfast practitioner of self control or we might have to put Mahatma in the same category as Tiger Woods, David Letterman or possibly Bill Clinton.

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            • #7
              When you get burried like that and have to dig for a ski, aint that just the coldest!
              Crossbow (go to dream board)
              Most everything else over time.
              Go Android

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              • #8
                jjue,

                I've never been in an avalanche and if I have my druthers I'll never feel entombed like that again. I think it was the mix of feeling completely encased, the difficulty breathing and truly not being able to determine which way was up that all came to bear at once. I literally didn't know if my face was pointed into the ground or towards the sky. So, it was impossible to know which direction was the right direction to try and get out. The weight of the snow was there but didn't feel overwhelming. Heavy yes. I don't know, I think I'm just rationalizing. I was totally freaked out and running on the backup generator. I worked a knee against what I thought was the hard section and when I pushed with the knee the snow moved away in the direction I pushed. That's all I knew. I could have just as easily been pushing up slope or sideways as opposed to skyward. I just got lucky. Now, there was a guy behind me so I feel safe in saying I would have lived regardless. None of that crossed my mind. I felt like I was looking at myself through a window. I wasn't really there.

                Bill,

                Mahatma behaved strictly in the interest of group harmony. That said, I did stare at her butt. I wasn't alone.

                Valmorel,

                Yes, while it didn't take me long I was already overstuffed with snow so digging around in it sucked bad. But, I didn't even realize I was cold until I started building a shelf to clip back in. That's when I realized that the snow was not only stuffed inside my outer wear but absolutely everything was utterly clogged to capacity. I had no real choice but to take off my backpack, gloves, jacket and pull my pants down to clean them out and dig out my long johns. Everything next to my body was wool so I was only cold for as long as it took the snow to melt but I spent the day a soppy mess. That was actually the least of my concerns. I never really took much notice.
                "It's no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" Jiddu Krisnamurti

                Spruce Sherpa - RVL8 KTP - RVL8 Blunt XL

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                • #9
                  your a lucky man mahatma, next time stop going naked and staring at womens butt while skiboarding! thats like texting while driving glad your ok though
                  08' Spruce Sherpa 130/Pro-lite (STILL THE ONE)
                  08/09 Dalbello Krypton Rampage

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                  • #10
                    t21,

                    So, where you're at people skiboard clothed and have trained themselves to not stare at women's backsides. (I'm assuming of course this training starts very, very early in life.) I'll never stop being amazed at the diversity present at SBOL!
                    "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


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by mahatma View Post
                      t21,

                      So, where you're at people skiboard clothed and have trained themselves to not stare at women's backsides. (I'm assuming of course this training starts very, very early in life.) I'll never stop being amazed at the diversity present at SBOL!
                      unfortunately, i'm the only skiboarder in my area but i occasionally look at womens backside, though i'm sitting down when i do..its better that way
                      08' Spruce Sherpa 130/Pro-lite (STILL THE ONE)
                      08/09 Dalbello Krypton Rampage

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                      • #12
                        Glad to hear you got out of it ok, Mahatma... Would have been quite an experience.

                        If you feel like doing something silly like that again, maybe invest in an ava-lung?
                        '09 Revel8 KTPs
                        Bomber EliteII Bindings
                        '08 Tecnica The Agent 100s

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                        • #13
                          Glad you're ok Mahatma. I hope if I'm ever in a similar situation my brain acts so rationally, I fear I would go into shock/panic though!
                          Revel8 BWP - Spruce Pro Prime
                          SnowJam 90 - Extreme II

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by mahatma View Post
                            t21,

                            So, where you're at people skiboard clothed and have trained themselves to not stare at women's backsides. (I'm assuming of course this training starts very, very early in life.) I'll never stop being amazed at the diversity present at SBOL!
                            That was just epic, Mahatma!
                            2010 KTP
                            2010Receptors
                            2011 Full Tilt Hot Doggers

                            www.myspace.com/damnthedoorisclosed

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