I flew into Queenstown with a few friends from work. We picked up a little Ford sedan at the airport and drove over the mountain pass into Wanaka where we stayed for the week. The quaint mountain town lies next to a small beach on Lake Wanaka; the rest of the lake’s shoreline is totally uninhabited as far as I could tell. I heard a rumor before our trip that sheep outnumber people in New Zealand 10 to 1. After visiting I think that ratio should be 20 to 1.

Lake Wanaka at dusk.

We skied at Cardrona on our first day. Cardrona is an intermediate resort with a small vertical drop and a few fun off-piste runs. By midday, we were taking less than ten minutes to gun it from top to bottom. New Zealand is having one of it’s worst winters (i.e. least amount of snow) in ten years, so the off-piste terrain was limited at first. Luckily, it snowed on the second and third nights of the trip and we were able to enjoy some fresh powder. Rich, Leigh, Gary and myself met up with two friends from Sydney, Alex and Brendan, on our second Cardrona day. We had a full day of great runs, taking choice lines through the Arcadia chutes and bowls.

Untracked backcountry terrain… so very tempting.

We were fortunate to ski Cardrona during the 2010 Burton Snowboarding Open. We stopped by the half pipe during a qualifying round and tried to spot professional snowboarder, Shaun White. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The other professionals made up for his absence, dropping into this massive half pipe and looking stylish for the camera:

A Burton team rider launching way out of the pipe.

On the other three days we skied at Treble Cone (TC), my favorite of the two resorts. We were lucky to ski it with some fresh snow on our first day despite weather forecasts for rain. The expert mountain, Saddle Basin, was closed due to avalanche warnings, but we still had fun launching ourselves off cat tracks into fresh powder on the main run. We came back to TC two days later and the powder had melted and refrozen, rendering most off-piste unskiable. Of course, we skied the off-piste anyway! I even demoed a pair of brand new K2 all-mountain skis for the occasion. By afternoon the snow had softened up and we were able to ski decent snow all over the full mountain.

Dropping into garbage at Treble Cone with my K2 demo skis.

The main difference between resorts in the States and New Zealand is accessibility. While access roads to resorts in States are generally well maintained, the roads in New Zealand are usually a narrow strip of mud and ice that winds up hairpin switchbacks, sending careless drivers over cliffs to their doom. We were lucky to have decent weather during our trip because our little Ford 2WD would not have fared well in snow. Honestly, even a 4WD SUV would be sketchy on those roads.

One of the dryer sections on the access road to TC.

We spent one afternoon in Queenstown doing touristy things like riding the Skyline gondola and street luge course. The luge was pretty intense, actually:

That’s me on the street luge.

A lively town, at least compared to Wanaka, Queenstown is surrounded by stunning views of jagged mountain tops and the calm, blue water of Lake Wakatipu. We walked around the harbor, ate fish and chips in an Irish pub and explored the rest of the town, leaving just after sunset.

Queenstown from the Skyline gondola viewpoint.

While we didn’t see any kiwis, we spotted two kea at Treble Cone. Kea, the threatened mountain parrots of New Zealand, have narrow roman beaks and are covered with an abundance of olive green feathers.

My new favorite parrot, a New Zealand kea.

Can’t wait to go back again. For more pictures, click: here. Also check out my separate portfolio account on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/weberwithoneb.

I arrived at Highway 138 around 11:15 am. The mountains looked ominous with storm clouds blanketing them and dark tendrils drooping into the curves and valleys. Halfway up visibility was nil, maybe 30 yards. I kept driving, too far to turn back. I almost missed the Highway 2 turnoff. I saw it at the last second through the haze and swerved over to the turning lane. Highway 2 had much better visibility.

Traffic up to Mt. High was mild until the last three miles, which were stop and go. It was 11:45 am when I arrived at the east lot. The sign read “Both Mt. High lots are full, please park legally on Highway 2.” I pulled into the first illegal spot I found, hoping that I could see my car from the express lift should the parking nazis find their way up to my car. I put my boots on, loaded my skis onto my shoulder and hiked a couple hundred yards back to the resort.

I had remaining points from my last trip, so I boarded the lift immediately. The guy I rode up with was friendly. He skis three to four days a week; he lives in Phelan. “We don’t get conditions like this very often” he said. “That’s why I made the drive” I replied.

He was right. I’ve never skied powder in the LA mountains. We used to call the heavy snow “Sierra Cement” up in Tahoe, but it was fun regardless. I cruised down the main run into the Olympic Bowl. Despite being skied out, it was a relief- something I really needed. The conditions could not have come at a better time, I had not surfed in weeks due to small surf and urban runoff. I got to the end, popped a smooth 180 off a jump and got back in line.

I skied that run ten more times, mixing it up by alternating tree routes and open faces around the bowl. I followed a few Mt. High ski team members to a secret stash and made some nice knee deep turns through a narrow tree chute. Followed that one with a mini tree jump. Back in line.

Cautious, I never forgot to check my car on the lift rides. On my eighth trip up I heard law enforcement announce, “Anyone parked over the white lines will be towed.” Amazing how that broadcast carries up the mountain. I was definitely parked over the white line. I skied another run and on my way back up the lift, I noticed that the car parked behind mine was gone. I raced down, popped off my skis and ran to my car in my ski boots. Still there, false alarm. I was done anyway, exhausted. I must be getting older- heavy powder is heavy on the legs and lower back.

I warmed up, u-eed and drove down out of the mountains. At the base I stopped off at Mormon Rocks. I’ve always wanted to take photos, and this- being my first solo trip to Mt. High- was the perfect opportunity. Continuous activity on the southern San Andreas fault caused tilted rock layers to shoot out of the ground, over a hundred feet in some areas. I pulled into the deserted parking lot and ran up a path for a good few viewpoint, snapped some shots, and headed back to my car. I love these random stops on road trips as they usually yield random but memorable photographs.

A couple miles down the road, Highway 138 meets Interstate 15. It was at this point that my iPod ran out of power, two hours shy of San Diego. I was getting tired, the skiing and minimal sleep the night before were catching up to me. About a half mile short of the 15/215 interchange, I felt a huge impact on the right side of my car. I still had control but things were getting squirrelly. It actually went away for a minute or so, then it started getting really bad. I pulled over, got out and burning rubber filled my senses. My rear right tire was in shreds. I called AAA, concerned about riding on a spare after riding on my rim for over a mile.

I drove straight to Discount Tire in Rancho Cucamonga, but it was closed. Damnit. Luckily Sears was right up the road. The blowout was just a warning, so I opted for a set of new tires. “Wheel alignment?” he said. You better believe it. “Plus an oil change, please.” Two and half hours later I was on my way home. I listened to the radio the entire time just to stay awake. I got back around 8:30 pm.

We left early Tuesday morning and got to the mountain at 8:15. We parked in the East Resort, purchased a 1000 point ticket to split between the three of us and headed up the Mt. High Express lift.

It was about as empty as you could imagine on the day before Christmas eve- no lines and very few people on the trails, especially for Mt. High. The main run got a little crowded around 11, but we headed over to the far right (skier’s right) side of the mountain and were literally alone in machine made powder.

I was also surprised to find moguls on a steep run. They call it a double-black, although I’ve seen my share of double-blacks in Tahoe (how modest), and this wasn’t one of them. Either way, I would definitely compare this to the steepness of runs on KT-22 at Squaw the backside of Northstar (aka Flatstar). It’s a short run, but I’m pretty impressed. I guess Baldy isn’t the only mountain with steeps.

I also have 500 points left on the ticket. The 1000 point ticket was the price of 3 half days, and I got a free day out of it. Score!

Overall, I was very impressed by the mountain and I had a great time. It pays to work on Sundays when you get that kind of experience during the week and I’m guessing that it’s totally empty on non-holidays.

Unfortunately I was unable to get a Mt. Baldy VIP coupon book. I was told to call back the next morning for four mornings in a row before leaving my number with someone, who didn’t know what a VIP pass was and probably won’t call me back.

For those that don’t know, VIP passes go on sale once a year at the local ski expos. It’s a great deal: four anytime tickets, two monday-friday tickets, four 2-for-1 coupons and two learn-to-ski-and-snowboard coupons, all for $60. I got mine last year at SnowJam, but Baldy didn’t setup a booth this year. At least that’s what they told me on the phone before the show. If you attended Ski Dazzle in LA this year, you scored.

So what to do? $180 6-pack at Mt. High? It’s reliable, true. You get man-made snow, sometimes it’s real but rare. No steeps. A well-maintained park. The most crowded ski resort per square inch in America. The secret? Ski weekdays. Can I do that? No.

Next option, pay exorbitant prices for Mt. Baldy, which has steep skiing and no lift lines. Unfortunately, you never know what to expect from Mt. Baldy. I went last year in the Spring, and it was awesome. I went in the early winter and they were charging $50 to walk around on a little patch of snow in front of the lodge. In other words if it’s good, it’s the best in Southern California (Mammoth excluded). If it’s bad, you feel like you lost ten hands straight in blackjack and tipped all the rest of your money to the person who enabled your hangover.

So honestly, I hate to rip on Baldy because I completely understand their situation. See, Mt. Baldy has this real local mountain feel to it. The road getting up there is not easy. The patrol is straight out of a movie; last year they had a sign that said, “Be Careful, it’s hard dick out there.” About as helpful as a snowboarder patrolman who told my friend “Why the f*ck should I know?” when asked if he’d seen his lost camera. Plus, the biggest metropolis this side of the Mississippi is one hour from the base of the mountain. So why not charge the douchey Lakers fans who wear jeans tucked into their ski boots $50 a ticket for 60s style lifts? Gotta protect the mountain somehow. Makes you wonder why they even sell the VIP pass?

So I think this year might be a Mt. High year. I’m going up for a day this coming week and I need a guarantee and a cheap ticket. Hopefully working on Sunday and skiing on the 23rd won’t be as busy as a normal day. And hopefully there’s more to that mountain than what I’ve seen the past ten times I’ve skied there. Not likely as you can see the whole mountain from the parking lot.

I’ve been calling Mt. Baldy daily about purchasing a VIP pass, but they keep telling me to call back the next day. Hopefully I can pick one up soon- it’s too good of a deal to share. If I don’t I might have to consider other options such as the 6 for $180 deal at Mt. High. Mt. High is too LA for me though; I prefer the steeps at Baldy.

Keep snowing, baby. I need something to occupy my time while the HEP-A and e-coli infestation festers at the local surf breaks.

Jimmy also took some sweet footage of us going off jumps. Here’s my two:

1st 360 Attempt – Ouch.

2nd – Not as cool

I’d publish theirs, but I’m not sure if they want me too. If you know how to view my youtube videos you can check them out

Hopefully Vail will have the snow pack that Tahoe has, which is expecting up to ten feet of snow at the resorts this weekend. Man I wish I was there. Here’s a picture of Beaver Bowl at Alpine Meadows (clipped from their website):

We started out at Heavenly.  I'd never skied the Warren Miller/Glen Plake gem before, so I didn't really know what to expect.  After three hours on Mott and Killabrew Canyons, I found my groove and a new mountain to add to my list.  With the light snow and powder stashes abundant in the canyons, I'd ski Heavenly any powder day.

After a long drive around Emerald Bay- where we almost plunged into the Lake- we arrived in the less-ritzy, more-tipsy north shore for some authentic mexican food and margaritas.  A quick drive back to my p's condo was all we needed to be out for the evening. 

Look at that snow!

A wake up call at 6:30 am from my other 6 friends who made the 13 hour drive from LA (blizzard conditions + president's day = they're not too smart and should have planned better) was welcome in my so-humble opinion. It snowed all day and Squaw Valley couldn't have been better.  We skied KT-22 and Headwall literally all day and it never wore on me.  The crowds were non-existent (everyone was probably stuck on Hwy 80 at 5 in the morning) so we skied more than ever.

After another short night (we played some Jenga… 31 rows ain't too shaaabby), we cruised back up KT-22 and Headwall for another seven hour day.  A little more crowded and little more clear, we added some to the group and skied some pretty incredible runs.  Apres-ski was fun at the River Ranch and the 3-hour sleep seriously hurt me the next day.

Finishing up a 360 at KT-22.

Northstar in the morning was a good finish to a long weekend.  We skied their newest addition, Lookout Mountain, all morning before packing up and heading out.  I wish I could enjoy Mother Nature's wrath a little longer, but that's how it goes.  What a great trip.

Nice Finish (L2R: Jelmini and I)