Elevated Image Photography

Lake Tahoe Ice Caves

2010-09-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last week my good buddies Greg Lindsey, George Hjelte, Cody Townsend, and Myself went out on a little mission to find the hidden Ice Caves of North Lake Tahoe. Greg had been showed them last summer & was our navigator for the afternoon. The rest of us had never been up to the caves before. Explaining how to get to these caves would not be possible. Greg our fearless leader had plenty of trouble finding them even after he had been to the caves several times before. So, anybody who reads this post and has the desire to explore the mysterious ice caves of Lake Tahoe, I would highly recommend finding somebody who has been to them before to show you the way.

As you can see from the pictures below these caves are a bit intimidating. Basically you crawl your way down narrow dark canals of slippery cold rock. We probably crawled our way down 150ft - 200ft of ice cave. I would not recommend this adventure to anybody who is slightly claustrophobic. We explored 3 or 4 different labyrinth style rooms carved out in the earth. We stumbled across another entrance to what seemed to be fairly unexplored territory. Unfortunately, we were running short on time due to the fact the several of us had to make it to work on time. We had a blast & I'm looking forward to heading back to the caves for some more exciting exploration.

Cody getting ready to take the plunge!

Getting cold & scary!

One of the Labyrinth style room carved out in the Caves. Notice the ice formed all over the rock walls.

An extended exposure deep in the cavity of the ice caves.

Our leader Greg Lindsey exiting the Ice Caves.

JT Holmes Jumps From Trump Tower in Chicago For the Filming of Transformers 3

2010-07-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

Check out JT Holmes wingsuit with members of the Red Bull airforce of the Trump Tower in Chicago for the filming of Transformers 3. So sick way to kill it Holmes!

FROG LAKE MISSION WITH TRAVIS GANONG & DR. ROBB GAFFNEY

2010-01-08T00:25:00.000-08:00

(View from ridge North of Donner Lake)

Recently, I got a chance to go out Sled Skiing with Dr. Robb Gaffney & Travis Ganong. Our goal was to sled out to frog lake and hope to ski something off Frog Cliff Peak. I've learned to to expect the worst and hope for the best when embarking on new adventures. I've found that by looking at missions with this approach you are able to think positively through out your journey.

We began our day just outside Truckee at the Donner interchange exit just off I-80 at Sunrise. Fog surrounded us in all direction which made figuring out were we needed to be a bit difficult. None of us had ever been back to Frog Lake in the winter, so finding the safest route up a mountain you had never been to was kind of sketchy. We new once we made it past the fog layer we would be able to successfully figure out our route. With careful and wise decision making we made it past the fog layer with relative ease.

(View of Frog Cliff "What we came to ski")

Once we made it to the top of the first ridge above the fog layer we got our first glimpse of Frog Cliff. Above the fog layer now we noticed that it was still very low tide out here as you can see from the picture above. Not only did this mean that skiing the face would be more difficult, but also getting to the frog lake zone by snowmobile was almost impossible. We decided that it would be best to leave our sleds behind and skin up to the 9,000ft Peak. Although the skin up proved to be rather difficult I was happy to ascend the mountain by foot. I enjoy the exercise and I find that hiking makes the mountain experience complete.

(Travis & Robb on top of Frog Cliff Peak Psyched!)

Standing on top of Frog Cliff Peak we new there was only one route down that was somewhat skiable. We skied the narrow couloir down in marginal snow. Although the condition were not ideal we still managed to find pockets of nice snow & we were successful descending the couloir in probably the lowest snow level it's ever been skied. The adventure was a success in my mind. We skied the peak we set out to ski, got first hand knowledge of a one of the more interesting backcountry zones in Tahoe, & we had a blast. I'm looking forward to returning to Frog Lake when the snow level is much higher.

(Travis Skiing Through The Crux of the Couloir)

(Dr. Gaffney Dropping In)

(Travis getting some in a mini golf zone we found near Frog Lake)

(Dr. Gaffney grabbing a little early season air time)

TIMY DUTTON HAS MORE FUN SKIING THAN YOU DO!

2010-01-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Timy Dutton has more fun than you, Unofficial Squaw 12/30/09-12/31/09 from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

Sick Video of Timy Dutton Skiing Squaw Valley Last Week, By UnofficialSquaw.com

JT HOLMES DOES DANGEROUS THINGS

2009-12-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

(JT Holmes Riding Red Dog Chair at Squaw Valley USA)

Watch CBS News Videos Online

If you missed JT and the rest of the birdmen wingsuit base jumping in Norway on 60 minutes the first time. Don't miss the second airing of the birmen defying gravity on 60 minutes tonight at 7pm eastern on CBS.

CODY TOWNSEND & MIKE DOUGLAS GO WAVE SKIING IN HAWAII

2009-12-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

Such a cool project. Sounds like the ski technologies for wave skiing could be greatly improved. This could be great R&D for not just wave skiing, but future snow ski technologies as well. Hope you guys keep exploring the possibilities in wave skiing sport.

DECEMBER WINTER STORM CYCLE IN TAHOE

2009-12-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

ROUND TOP MOUNTAIN

(Cody Townsend Skins up toward Round Top Mountain)

(JT Holmes Portrait)

(Early Season Black & White of Winnemucca Lake & Surrounding Mountains)

(Black & White Tree Carson Pass)

WINTER COMING IN HOT!

(Ullr & Koyuh Charging The Resort at Squaw Creek Golf Course)

(Window View Early Morning Pow)

(Rad Dog Powder Morning Line Up)

(Linker & Messing Red Dog Chair Lift Ride)

(Black & White Broken Arrow View)

(Gregger With Some Familiar Face In The Background)

(Jeff Wright Extra Bitch-en Pow Turn)

(Nate All Smiles After His First Pow Day at Squaw)

(Late Afternoon Skin)

(Early Evening Descent)

(Hopefully the Storms Keep Coming)

SALOMON FREESKI TV EPISODE 8 ALASKA PART II IS SICK!

2009-12-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

What a dream trip! The amount of A+ footage these guys got in one week is unbelievable! Lucky!!!

2ND ANNUAL RETRO SKI PARTY THIS WEEKEND!

2009-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Sandy's Pub at the Resort at Squaw Creek is hosting it's 2nd Annual Retro Ski/Snowboard theme Party. DJ Nasty Nate will be spinning all the best 70's 80's, & disco beats he can find. We have lined up some great sponsors and will be giving away great prizes and schwag through out the event. Don't be afraid of bright colors, one pieces, bibs, rear entry boots, tight roffe's. Dress to impress and help us bring the snow on what should be a spectacular night!

Details:

Date: Saturday, December 5th, 2009

Time: 10:00pm

Place: Sandy's Pub at The Resort at Squaw Creek

web: http://retroskiparty.blogspot.com

TRAVIS GANONG PREPARES TO COMPETE IN HIS FIRST WORLD CUP DOWNHILL EVENT!

2009-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

(Travis Pioneering Mustache Monday's Gap at Squaw Valley USA)

Travis Ganong Impressed a lot of people yesterday in his world cup training race. He placed 13th overall finishing behind Bode Miller who finished 2nd. Travis had a start position of 79 which makes his race yesterday most impressive. Travis earned a spot to compete in his first world cup downhill event.

Watch the Lake Louis, AB, Canada World Cup Downhill live today at www.universalsports.com

(Travis training at his home mountain Squaw Valley USA)

(Travis has a long impressive ski career in front of him. Good Luck today buddy)

LAKE TAHOE TO GET AN UNEXPECTED SNOW STORM FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND!

2009-11-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

MODELS HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS REGARDING

THE SHORTWAVE THAT AFFECTS THE WEST COAST LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IS STILL PROGGED TO SLOWLY INCREASE TODAY

WITH ENOUGH LOW LEVEL MIXING FOR MANY VALLEY LOCATIONS TO MIX OUT

AND GET CLOSE TO 60 DEGREES. SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE

VERY LIGHT HOWEVER RIDGES AND FOOTHILLS WILL SEE INCREASING

SOUTHWEST WINDS LATE IN THE DAY AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING UPPER

TROUGH.

THIS SOLUTION IS MUCH MORE

FAVORABLE FOR PRECIP WITH BETTER UPPER DYNAMICS INCLUDING GOOD

DEFORMATION AHEAD OF THE LOW AND ALSO THE SLOWER MOVEMENT MAKING

FOR A LONGER PRECIP EVENT. THIS IS ALSO AN EVENT WITH VERY LITTLE

RAIN SHADOW WHERE WRN NEVADA COULD GET NEARLY AS MUCH PRECIP AS

THE SIERRA. THE LOW SLOWLY MOVES SOUTH ALONG THE SIERRA FRIDAY

NIGHT UNTIL SHOWERS FINALLY MOVE SOUTH OF THE CWA ON SATURDAY.

TOTAL MODEL QPF HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING WITH ROUGHLY 0.75"

NOW ALONG THE SIERRA CREST NORTH OF LAKE TAHOE...AND NEARLY 0.5"

EXTENDING JUST EAST OF RENO ALONG INTERSTATE 80. SNOW LEVELS DROP

THROUGHOUT THE DAY FRIDAY WITH SNOW EXPECTED ON MOST VALLEY FLOORS

BY FRIDAY EVENING. CONTINUED TO RAISE POPS AND QPF

Bring It, Happy Turkey Day!

JT HOLMES JUMPS OFF SQUAW VALLEY CABLE CAR

2009-11-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

(JT Holmes Base Jumping off the top of Squaw Valley Cable Car)

Yesterday, marked the beginning of the 50/60 celebration squaw valley has in store for this upcoming winter season. Skiing and snowboarding kicked off the season at Squaw Valley USA with a foot of fresh snow. Around 2:30 JT Holmes base jumped from the top of the tram car. The Vibe is good here in Squaw Valley and were all hoping for an amazing winter.

FIRST SIGNIFICANT STORM OF THE SEASON BEARS DOWN ON SQUAW VALLEY

2009-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS

AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS REMAINS IN

EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING.

* TIMING: RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION

THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL

BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8 PM.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 8 TO 16 INCHES WILL ACCUMULATE ABOVE

7000 FEET...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE

TAHOE BASIN. ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 8 INCHES WILL OCCUR AT LAKE

LEVEL.

* SNOW LEVELS: SNOW LEVELS THIS MORNING WILL START AROUND 7000

FEET. AS THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS

AFTERNOON...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO LAKE LEVEL.

* IMPACTS: SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE LOCAL BLIZZARD

CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...REDUCING VISIBILITY TO

NEAR ZERO AT TIMES AND CREATE DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

JT HOLMES SCHEDULED TO JUMP OUT OF SQUAW VALLEY CABLE CAR

2009-11-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

(JT Holmes Taking in the View from a top the Squaw Valley Cable Car) Photo: Scott Gaffney

". . . JT Holmes will be BASE jumping from the Cable Car at approx. 2:15 pm. If nothing else, come out to see this historic legal BASE jump. JT is jumping from right below Tower 1, and his jump is a tribute to Shane. Last March, Nancy asked Shane to jump for 09-10 60^th Anniversary Opening Day. She has asked JT to jump in his place, in his honor, and to celebrate 60 crazy F-ing years."

CODY TOWNSEND GOES STREAKING OFF THE PALISADES!

2009-11-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

(Two perfectly heterosexual men streak the palisades in honor of Shane McConkey)

So the night before Cody Townsend & Greg Lindsey decided to go streaking off the Palisades Cody came into Sandy's Pub & sat at the bar to have a couple of drinks & some chow. I happened to be bar tending that night and Cody & I got to chatting about Shane and how he was the fucking coolest!

Then we started talking about ways to honor Shane & the types of things that would be remotely worthy of honoring him. Cody mentioned something about the Squaw Valley Dare Force. I'm not going to go into the details of what that is, because it doesn't really exist yet, but I'm gonna throw it out there and say that it will.

Mainly, Cody and I spoke about doing crazy things that are somewhat stupid and very dangerous. Right before Cody left the bar we made plans to go skiing before Shane's service. He told me I should bring my camera. He didn't really tell me why or what he had planned, but when Cody tells you to bring a camera to capture something it generally means something is going to go down that day.

(Cody Townsend & Greg Lindsey Stacked Naked Spreads off The Palisades!)

ALASKA LOOKS SO AMAZING! I NEED TO GET THERE!

2009-11-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

This is the best episode of Salomon Freeski TV that I've seen so far. The terrain and skiing is unreal. Makes me want to move to Girdwood, AK!

POWDER MAGAZINE NAKED SPREAD EAGLE PHOTO

2009-11-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

My first published photo in POWDER magazine. Even though it's of a naked man spreading his legs on skis. I couldn't be more proud & psyched! Check out the last page in the December issue of POWDER.

LEVITATION PROJECTS SICK TEAM EDIT!

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

5 REASON I THINK THIS KICK ASS!

1. TALKING HEADS, ONE OF THE BEST BANDS OF ALL TIME

2. CODY & ELYSE TOWNSEND ARE 2 OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE TO SKI WITH

3. 100% BIG MOUNTAIN FREESKIING. NO RAILS, NO CHEESE WEDGES

4. HIGH CALIBER SKIING AND FILMING

5. JAMEY PARKS NAILED IT. SOLID, SOLID SKIING

GREG LINDSEY SHREDS FULLY CHUBBED!

2009-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Greg Lindsey is another one of my favorite people to ski with. Gregger quietly assassinates Squallywood's terrain on a regular basis. Born and raised in Tahoe, Greg is a true California kid. You can count on Greg winning the race to fingers on a powder day even if he's 4 chairs back from the front.

(Greg sending waterfall on an early Silverado morning)

A go to route for Greg to win the fingers race goes a little something like this. A hard skate off the chair, from the patrol shack a straight line traverse to coleman's railroad. With no hesitation, he'll punch Coleman's railroad. Done right this gives you a straight shot to the start tree and generally gives you more than enough speed to pass several, if not all the skiers that got a head start on you. From here you can bet on Greg either going directly for main air or maybe the box chute. Either way it's almost a guarantee that he'll flash his line and stomp it clean. Once he arrives back at KT line Gregger will give you one of his classic lines. Most likely, he'll look at you stoked as can be an say "fully chubbed bro, fully chubbed".

Greg is easily one of the best skiers at Squaw today. He's another one of the many silent assassins that shreds Squaw for nothing more than the thrill and stoke of all the greatness Squaw Valley USA has to offer. He grew up skiing with Cody Townsend, George Hjelte, & Kyle O'neal. These guys know Squaw like the back of their hands. Growing up chasing around Shane McConkey, JT Holmes, Kent Kreitler, Scott Gaffney, & Robb Gaffney teaches you how to shred.

So if your ever out at Squaw look for Greg. He's hard to miss, as an official member of team tie die you might find him wearing his tie die hoody. He also likes to sport the purple people eater Salomon one piece. Whatever attire you find him in let him know if your having a good day. And if you are, make sure you let him know that your "fully chubbed". He'll be psyched.

(Dawn Patrol back side of Squaw. Check out munchkins in the background)

(Punching the Lounge Chair pioneered and named by Greg Lindsey)

(Surfing Pow on an epic powder morning)

(One of the cleanest 35 ft 360's off a cliff you'll ever see. Stomped the shit out of it)

DR. ROBB GAFFNEY IS BETTER AT SKIING THEN YOU ARE!

2009-11-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

(Dr. Robb Gaffney at the Top of Granite Chief Peak)

Every sport has it's humble hero, an individual who gracefully makes their mark on his or her sport in a compelling manner, but does it with the utmost professionalism & dignity. Baseball has Cal Ripken, Football has Joe Montana, Basketball has John Stockton, & skiing, well skiing has none other then Dr. Robb Gaffney.

To me Robb Gaffney is easily one of the most influential skiers to ever grace the sport of skiing. He's right up there with Scott Shmidt, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, & Doug Coombs. His skiing technique is unrivaled. Very few skiers if any have ever been able to approach technical lines & steep descents with the confidence, style, & precision that Robb has. My favorite scene in any ski movie ever made is of Robb skiing McConkey's (formerly known as eagles nest) in the movie 1999 filmed and produced by his brother Scott Gaffney. I've never seen anybody ski McConkey's remotely close to as well as he skied that line in 1999.

Not only is Robb a living legend, he's also one of the kindest, straightforward, & honest persons you will ever meet. I've been fortunate enough to get to know Robb over the last few years & it's truly been an honor. He was kind enough to include me in his 2nd edition of his book entitled "Squallywood". He even gave me the cover shot, which to me is one of my finest accomplishments. I've also had some memorable ski descents with Robb, which is literally a dream come true. Robb is a bit more settled in life these days. He has a career, and he's married with two wonderful children, but when he gets the chance to Shred, he still Shreds with the best of them.

(Robb getting some on a glorious morning during a Squallywood Clinic)

(Robb straight lining a less know chute back in Silverado)

(Robb Skiing Plake's Line effortlessly with Flawless Technique & Control)

(Sending the Cornice off of Mainline Pocket for a Solid 40ft)

(Robb Perfectly Composed & Ready to Stomp Glory Rock)

SLIP & SLIDER TAKES 150FT OF AIR TO MINI POOL!

2009-11-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure this is Real. Maybe not, but if it's real pretty darn cool.

PHILADELPHIA PHOTO THREAD

2009-11-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here is my little photo tribute to Philadelphia. Go Phighten Philadelphia Phillies!

(Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway Under the Lights)

(Philadelphia Museum of Art)

(Boathouse on boathouse row glowing at night)

(30th Street Station Reflection on the Schuylkill River)

(Philadelphia Circa Center One of the newer building in the Philadelphia Skyline)

(View from the top of a Parking Garage on 12th & Samson St)

(Philadelphia's Historic City Hall)

PHILADELPHIA CHEESESTEAK REVIEW

2009-11-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

(Pat's "The king of steaks" This is a "provolone without" so tasty!)

So, I'm from Philadelphia & I love cheese steaks. I spent last week back in Philly visiting my family. Whenever I'm back in Philly I alway visit my favorite cheese steak shops. On this particular visit I was especially psyched to take down a couple of real cheese steaks.

My favorite cheese steak shop in Philadelphia is a little less know shop named Dalessandro's. They make the best steaks in Philly hands down & that was my first stop after landing in the Philadelphia airport. If your ever in Philly & your looking for the best cheese steaks go to Dalessandro's.

A trip to Philadelphia is not complete until you make it down to South Philly where the Cheese Steak was born. Pat's & Geno's claim to be the original's of all things cheese steaks. I think more tourists go to Pat's & Geno's then visiting Independence hall & the liberty bell. I mean people line up at these places like ski bums line up for first chair on KT after a 3 ft dump.

So on my final day in Philly I decided to make a trip to both Pat's & Geno's to decide for myself which place makes a better cheese steak. I started at Pat's "The king of steaks". When you arrive at the window of Pat's you better be ready to order. They are like the soup natzi's of cheesesteaks. When you order a cheese steak at Pat's or Geno's you just tell them what type of cheese you would like and if you want fried onions or not. It's simple and it's fast. You either say "I want a whiz with" or maybe "a provolone without". It's that simple & don't mess up because you don't want to piss off the Italian family that originated the cheese steak.

(Pat's "The king of steaks" located in the heart of south philly"

After quickly scarfing down my "provolone without" I decided to go directly across the street to Geno's to order another "provolone without" to get my fill and finally decide which cheese steak shop in my opinion is better.

(Geno's "provolone without" as you can see a little less meat then the Pat's "Provolone without")

Pat's Critique: The shaved rib eye Pat's uses has amazing flavor. The steak seems to get better with each bite. It has just the right amount of grease. The last bite is the best, you almost always think about getting another. They use Amoroso rolls and they seem to give you a bit more steak then Geno's does. The only complaint I had about this particular cheese steak is that the roll could have been a little warmer.

Geno's Critique: The shaved rib eye at Geno's seemed to be a little bit bland. The roll on the other hand was warm and soft, this helped melt the provolone in with the steak. Geno's makes a great cheese steak and I savored every bite even after having already devoured a steak directly before this one.

Synopsis: After a lot of thought on a subject matter that most people might think is absolutely ridiculous. I have finally reached a conclusion on which cheese steak house I like better. And the winner is; PAT'S "KING OF STEAKS". I just found the steak to have more flavor. Flavor goes a long way in my book.

Lets go now Phighten Philadelphia Phillies! Beat those damn Yankees!

(Geno's directly across the street from Pat's on the opposite corner"

SHANE ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH!

2009-10-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about Shane today and how every interaction I had with him he made me laugh. He sent out an email last season with this youtube video attached to it. Pretty classic freestyle skiing segment.

He wrote:

"Uuuuuhhhhhhh............Wow!

Thank God this sport died!"

Just writing this makes me laugh. Miss you Shane!!!!

What's It Gonna Be?

2009-10-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is one of the funniest YouTube videos ever. Figured I'd post it to give anybody who follows my blog some Halloween costume ideas. Enjoy and don't be afraid to watch it several times because it gets better each time you watch this masterpiece.

SILENT ASSASSIN KRAZY KYLE O'NEAL

2009-10-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

(Kyle O'neal ski base jumping off Lovers Leap)

With ski season and the cold snowy wintery months quickly approaching. I would like to feature some of my favorite people to ski with. Some of the guys and gals I will feature are full on pro skiers and snowboarders, but most of them are silent assassins. These guys are soul skiers and they are some of the best out there. Without further ado let me introduce to you Mr. Kyle O'neal. Kyle is a homegrown Tahoe City Local. He's built like a linebacker and he is a pro at stomping large airs. When he stomps his landing it looks like he is hurting the ground beneath the snow. He charges squaw day in and day out and he does it because he loves the sport of skiing. Kyle is also one of the best and youngest ski base jumpers out there today. He has a passion for the mountains and gets off on the thrill of flying through the air. Kyle doesn't have any major sponsors and he doesn't receive any kind of monetary pay checks for what he does on skis, but I don't think he really cares.

(Kyle O'neal River Ranch Air)

(Kyle O'neal sending in the Ruby Mountain Range)

(Kyle doing his Anronld Schwarzenegger impression off the Iron Curtain)

PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO

2009-10-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Just finished building my new porsche panamera turbo. It's only going to set me back $136,000. Shouldn't be a problem though. Who ever said that ski bums can't have nice cars. My main source of income comes from my sweet bartending position over at the Resort at Squaw Creek. It would only take me 3 - 4 years to pay this thing off. Only problem is that that would take up my whole annual salary. Ski bums are great dreamers!

ESPNEN FADNES SCHRUNS BEST COMP RUN EVER

2009-10-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the best competition lines ever put down. Simply amazing, executed flawlessly and Espen makes it look easy. Espen happens to be one of the best wing suit base jumpers out there as well. YouTube his name some time.

EL NINO CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN

2009-10-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've never been one to believe in extended weather outlooks, but the stories I've heard of previous el nino winter in Tahoe sound pretty darn amazing. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for a cold wet el nino winter here in Tahoe

SWEETGRASS PRODUCTIONS SIGNATURES TEASER

2009-10-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best ski movie teasers I've ever seen. I guess I've seen quite a few now that I'm 30 years old. Anyway this movie premiers on November 20th at 7pm in Olympic Village Inn. I'm looking forward to this one. Hopefully the movie lives up to the teaser if it does this could be one for the ages.

Salomon Freeski TV Season 3 Episode 1

2009-10-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest from Salomon Freeski TV. Sure would be nice to travel around the world skiing pow on somebody elses dime.

Fingers KT-22

2009-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to ski fingers this year. Praying for an amazing winter.

(Photoshop work on a picture of the Fingers on KT-22)

Why Mountain Biking In The Sierra's Rules

2009-10-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

(Jeremy Benson Tahoe Rim Trail)

Mountain biking during the off season in the Tahoe area is pretty amazing. Trails that don't regularly get ridden in the summer months are pretty much fair game in my book during the months of September, October, & November. The perfect cycling trail & tires rotating trail are as good as it gets when it comes to fun cross country trail riding in the Tahoe basin. Enjoy the photos and get out on the trails while you can.

(Sweet Views from the tires rotating trail)

(Fast Descents on the Perfect Cycling Trail in the Sierra Buttes)

(Perfect Cycling Trail overlooking Spencer Lakes)

(Perfect Cycling Trail in Route to Jackson Meadows from Donner Summit)

(Downhill from Mt. Elwell to the town of Graeagle)

Base Jumping Goes Mainstream on 60 Minutes Tonight

2009-10-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Don't Miss JT Holmes going main stream with wing suit base jumping in Norway on 60 minutes tonight. I know there is playoff baseball & Sunday night football but this should not be missed.

(JT throwing a double back flip off lovers leap in South Lake Tahoe)

Don't Miss JT Holmes going main stream with wing suit base jumping in Norway on 60 minutes tonight. I know there is playoff baseball & Sunday night football but this should not be missed.

(Classic Uncle Potato Head)

Fall Snow Teaser

2009-10-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

(McConkey's Dusted with snow!)

(Squaw Valley Torches)

(Driving in the snow rules!)

(It's about that time to put away the Cruisers)

(View from the Stables doesn't suck!)

Squaw Valley Ski Porn

2009-10-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's official winter is right around the corner. Another season of ski porn premiers is upon us. This weekend Matchstick Productions showed their latest release titled 'In Deep'. As always the movie was sick and got me fired up for the upcoming winter.

(Late Night Squaw Valley Crew at Olympic Village Inn)

(Cody & Elyse starting to look blurry to me)

(This guy slept through the whole movie. Classic)

(My fallen Hero & Friend Shane McConkey. Squaw officially renamed Eagles nest McConkey's this weekend. Stoked to ski it under the new name. Shane's Spirit is strongly felt in this valley.)

(Oh yeah the first snow of the season occurred this weekend too.)

Northern California's Mystical Lost Coast

2009-09-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

(Koyuh hanging out on just another piece of driftwood scattered all across the lost coast)

The Lost Coast, a 35 mile stretch of coastline tucked away on the rugged Northern California Coast is truly an amazing treasure. This past spring my girlfriend Kate & I got another chance to explore this mystical forgotten stretch of coast. Our first trip to the Lost Coast we backpacked the southern section of the coast from Shelter Cove to Big Flat. This trip we hiked the northern section of the Coast from Mattole to Spanish flat.

(Kate sitting with our dogs Koyuh & Ullr in a patch of abundant wildflowers)

Hiking around the lost coast is always exciting. You can never stop taking in how preserved, lush, & prehistoric this place is. It's the only place I have ever been to, where seeing a dinosaur wouldn't be surprising. Both of our trips to the lost coast have occurred in the mid - late spring. The colors during this time of year are unbelievable. Blue, green, yellow, orange, red you name it all the damn colors of the rainbow are deeply saturated everywhere you look. Pictures & words don't do the lost coast justice. You need to see it, smell it , hear it, & feel it for yourself.

(A lone tree on the rolling hills perched above the coastline)

Your head is always on a swivel while your exploring the lost coast. You never want to miss anything. There is always something to take in. Whether it's a group of seal's sunbathing on a huge boulder in the water, or a patch of wildflowers, a smell, the sunrise & sunset, the fog. The list goes on and on.

(The lost coast can be cold & rainy. Kate is a trooper)

On this particular trip we hiked a good chunk of a day in cold coastal rain. Although hiking in the rain sounds pretty miserable, on the lost coast it's pretty cool. For one thing you don't see anybody on the trails. It also keeps you cool while you hike through the hills with big 50lb packs on your back. Most importantly, it gives you a new and interesting perspective on the coast.

(Kate takes in the views from the Punta Gorda Lighthouse)

If you haven't figured it out by now I love the lost coast. I feel very fortunate that I have had the chance to hike and see most of the area in my two trips to the lost coast. Exploring this section of coast makes you a better person & enlightens you to the simple things in life.

(Rocky Rugged Coastline)

(Lush hillsides tones of greens with burnt contrasts)

(The Sun sets & the fog clears after a long cold rainy day on Northern California's lost coast)

Post Canyon Part 2, Photo Thread!

2009-08-18T10:36:00.001-07:00

Falling on your bike hurts bad! I take these warnings seriously, but I still managed to crash and I have the scars to prove it. We were fortunate though, there were 11 of us and no major injuries.

Jay calculating in his head how to stomp this nice 20ft ladder gap drop.

Charlie Berg taking advantage of his last days as a bachelor and slaying this feature on the drop out trail!

Charlie bringing his skills from the Tahoe area to 1 of the few rocky technical areas on the dog river trail. Look at how serious Charlie is!

Another ladder feature, they are everywhere in Oregon.

Jeremy Benson the so called XC biker realizes that he might just give this freeriding thing a chance!

There just might be a reason Benson kills it on his bike.

Jay has got the freeride thing pretty dialed!

Yup, just another feature for Jay!

Bryce Phillips handles this ladder drop no problem!

Bryce rebating and stomping the ladder drop that almost ended his trip early!

Jay putting his calculation from the photo above to work!

Mountain Biking Post Canyon

2009-08-12T15:46:00.001-07:00

My good buddy Charlie Berg decided to have his Bachelor Party in Hood River, Oregon. The goal of this trip was to Mountain Bike our balls off. We didn't waste our time or money seeking out women or strip clubs, instead we spent our days in the forest pedaling and jumping our bikes down the smooth well maintained trails of Post Canyon.

Charlie and his brother Pete organized a group of 11 of Charlie's close friends to converge and shred the trails that Post Canyon had to offer. All of our ability levels varied, but we all managed to get some truly fantastic riding in. Charlie has a group of great friends which makes sense because Charlie is one of the nicest and classiest guys you will ever meet. He also rides a mountain bike extremely well.

Bryce Phillips setting up to send this air a little too deep. He gave us all a scare when he over shot the trany and fell hard. He got redemtion on the same air 2 days later though with a clean landing right in the sweet spot.

Charlie Berg Making this 15ft double look easy.

Me looking like I know what I'm doing at the top of the Drop Out trail. This picture makes me look better than I am at mountain biking. Thanks for nailing the shot Benson!

Jay Lynn showing us all how too Ride a bike off Big Doubles!

A little video of Jay and Nick. Unfortunately Nick fell hard into the take off of the second jump. Lucky for him he only got a minor shoulder injury.

Mt. Rose Meadows to Chimney Beach Downhill

2009-08-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you ask any Cross Country Mountain Biker who lives in North Lake Tahoe what their favorite mountain bike ride in Tahoe is? Most likely, they will respond with "Mt. Rose meadows to Chimney beach". The reason being is that the views and terrain on this portion of the Tahoe Rim Trail are just absolutely spectacular. The ride consists of fast sandy single track with views of Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley throughout the whole ride. Technical challenging uphills and downhills with massive granite rocks are everywhere. There is never a dull moment on this Tahoe Epic. They say pictures are worth a 1000 words so I will let the photographs do the rest of the writing.

Sherry McConkey is Strong! It's always a treat to ride with her.

Sara flying down Chimney Beach!

Shelly Walco is a trooper completing the 20mile ride with a blown out knee!

The guys on this ride were out numbered 7 to 4 and the ladies were much better looking and impressive, so they made all the shots. Sorry guys!

Wanderlust Music Festival

2009-07-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Squaw Valley hosted the Wanderlust Music Festival. The Festival brought in a bunch of Music acts and also promoted and held Yoga classes. Squaw Valley was a happening place and the Village was going off. I don't think I've ever seen so much action around town in the summer time. It was a nice change of pace. Ski corp was using the Funitel to shuttle people up to the top of Gold Coast where they had a stage and concessions set up for live music.

Kate and I were able to catch the last act who happened to be Spoon. We hiked up Shirley Canyon with our dogs and really enjoyed ourselves. The music sounded amazing with help from the Palisades, Siberia Bowl, & Hogs Back, which made up the natural amphitheater for the sound from the music. The music ended right before the sun set and we hiked down mountain run with our dogs. Hopefully Squaw will host more events like this in the future.

Spoon playing a set at the top of Gold Coast

Is it possible to create a more perfect Music Venue?

A view of the Palisades in the Summer Time.

The end of a perfect weekend in Squaw Valley USA!

Downieville Downhill Days

2009-07-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in Downieville has become my favorite get away from the trials and tribulation of my incredibly stressful life in Squaw Valley, Ca. Really though summers in Tahoe are just as good as it gets. Summers here are spent mountain biking, golfing, swimming, camping, hiking, gardening, cooking, drinking, and bar tending.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time camping and sessioning the Downieville downhill. In my humble, but important opinion the Downieville downhill is everything mountain biking should be. A 17 mile long, 5000ft descent that starts at 7200ft in the Scenic Sierra Buttes and ends in the historic little town of Downieville. This classic Northern California single track challenges your strength and endurance. Oh by the way it's fun as hell too!

Kate cruising down the sunrise trail in the Sierra Buttes

Butcher Ranch Intersection and a dramatic vegetation change.

JT cruising along

JT, Ruth, & Kate cooling off by the Yuba River in the heart of Downieville

California Dreaming In The Sierra Buttes

2009-04-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my buddy Charlie Berg and myself successfully hiked and skied the prominent Couloir lookers left of the central spire in the above picture. We started our ascent at 5000ft off highway 49 in tennis shoes. We proceeded up a well maintained hiking trail that was built to access some really interesting bouldering rocks. After about 800ft of dirt trail we reached snow and began our skin to the base of the Couloir we had set out to ski. It took us about 2 hours to reach the base of the Couloir from the road.

Once we arrived at the base of the Couloir we chilled out for a bit, and took in all the beauty that the gut of the Sierra Buttes has to offer. After our brief break we continued straight up the 1000ft Couloir. The boot pack was steep, but surprisingly easy and fast. It took us about 45 minutes to charge up the Couloir and summit out at about 8200ft. We kicked it under the towering rock faces for a good 1/2 hour enjoying the warm California sunshine and beautiful scenery surrounding us.

Eventually, we decided it was time to ski the Couloir. So we gathered our gear and began our 1000ft descent down the Couloir. The pitch of the Couloir varies between 30 degrees and 40 degrees. The conditions were a bit variable, but for the most part the snow in the Couloir was picture perfect corn snow. We both cruised through the Couloir and continued down some more low angle corn snow back to the trail that would lead us back to the truck. It was a good long fun descent.

We arrived back at the truck psyched and proud of our accomplishment. It was 1:00pm and 65 degrees at 5000ft. Since we had a little time to kill before we both had to be at work, we grabbed a quick beer at Bassetts. It was a rewarding beer and one that will not be forgotten along with the spectacular spring day spent in the Sierra Buttes.

The Buttes Couloir from the bench

Charlie cruising up the Buttes Couloir

Me dropping in!

Mt. Rose Bronco Chute Goodness!

2009-04-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, George Hjelte and myself made the 4:15am wake up call in hopes to find some late season pow in a zone called the Bronco Chutes. We arrived at the Mt. Rose snowmobile staging area at 5:45am, hopped on my sled and proceeded to Canadian double in the dark up to the Mt. Rose relay towers. We left the snowmobile behind and headed out on foot to a zone that would not disappoint. The air was crisp, the views pristine, & the snow was blower. In other words we were psyched! Lets just say the rest of the day was super fun! We worked hard and only scraped the surface of the possibilities of the vast options the Bronco Chutes has to offer.

George Hjelte getting pitted!

Blower Pow in April, What?

Mushroom Rock Tracks

Butt Puckered Fun!

2009-03-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

After several failed attempts at skiing this secret little zone yesterday we finally got it in relatively good snow conditions. My buddy Adam Ruscitto and I sledded out to this zone that I stumbled across this past summer while mountain biking. The face is steep and scary! The pitch ranges from 45 - 50 degrees and the upper 100ft or so was wind hammered and bulletproof. Once we made it past the ice section the snow was soft and edge able. The conditions were definitely not ideal, but they were good enough. It was a memorable day and I even got to hand the camera over to Adam to take photos of me.

The Face and the damage!

Me getting a little air time!

Surfing Sluff!

Adam Getting through the ice and making a nice turn!

Adam pointing through the wave spine!

Timy Dutton Wins The Kirkwood Freeskiing Competition!

2009-03-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Local Squaw Valley kid Timy Dutton wins his first ever big mountain freeskiing competition in a decisive way. I've watched Timy progress as a skier for the 8 years that I've been skiing Squaw and he is definitely on top of his game right now. Look for him to continue to make a name for himself in the ever changing ski industry. Keep up the solid work Timy. So stoked for you buddy!

Timy logging some air time in the Ruby's

Watch Timy Make the first day of the Cirque Venue look Easy!

Skiing 101, How to not stick a really easy cliff!

2009-03-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I rented a 500mm lens in hopes that I would be able to shoot the Freeride World Tour Tram Face Competition. Unfortunately, the organization made in what my opinion was a bad judgement call and decided to not hold the competition even though the condition were almost as good as they get on the Tram Face.

Since the lens cost me a good bit of money I decided to try and post up around Squaw and capture some of the shredding that happens around Squaw on a regular basis. To my surprise I I captured quite a bit of piss poor skiing in really good conditions. The 3 photos below are the worst of the worst. We call this kid the Sniper! I don't know his name, but I've seen him around Squaw and I don't really like him. He seems to think he is one of the best skiers at Squaw and he's definitely not. He talks too much and needs to learn how to land his airs on his feet. It was actually rewarding for me to catch this bozo totally flailing off an easy 10ft air.

Sniper Backseat and getting ready to roll the windows frantically up and down!

Sniper thinking to himself oh shit I suck!

Wow just all over the place!

Sorry for the negative post, but I kind of found it funny and fitting because this kid really is a true D-Bag.

Squallywood Clinic March 7th 2009

2009-03-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was truly epic and memorable. My day started early, I mean really early. Myself and two others successfully made a dawn patrol ski descent that had been calling out to me for many years. After three days of shooting photos and watching my friends and others enjoying one glorious powder day after the other, I finally had to put down the camera for a run that I will never forget!

Once our dawn patrol mission was complete I was fortunate enough to get a 7:30am tram load up to Squaw Valley USA's Silverado Zone. Silverado had been closed to the public since receiving 6-8ft of fresh powder. So you can imagine the condition were pretty darn pristine and I was able to capture some great images of Kyle Oneal, Greg Lyndsey, & Mike Wilson.

The rest of my day was spent with Robb Gaffney & the Squallywood Clinic crew. We couldn't have been blessed with a more perfect day to hold the clinic. This year we had three skiers in the clinic named Jim Sloves ("the veteran"), Tom Hicks, and Bill Brougher. Dwayne Kubischta our very talented Cinematographer shot video of the days events and I captured still shots. We even got a guest appearance from Mike Wilson who wowed us with 2 monster back flips off cliffs. The clinic was a great success once again and I'd really like to thank the crew for the memories

Look very closely!

Gregger getting whitewater!

Kyle getting ready to stomp!

Mike Wilson doing what he does!

Squallywood Clinic 2009 Slideshow

Tram Face Competition Day #1

2009-02-28T13:20:00.001-08:00

Day 1 of the Tram Face Competition took place yesterday afternoon. The venue for day 1 was held back in Silverado. Spectators cheered on the best skiers and snowboarders in the world. The competition was tight and the riders made nice use of the features on China Wall. We are all praying for more snow in hopes of the Tram Face going down.

Elyse Saugstad Wins Day 1

Seb Machaud throwing a really cool spread eagle off the Drifter on China Wall!

The judging panel hard at work!

Jeremy Jones doing what Jeremy Jones does. Winning!

Jeremy Jones and Xavier De Le Rue Day 1 winners.

Tucked Away In The Trees

2009-02-21T10:40:00.001-08:00

George, Greg, and Myself decided to go on a little dawn patrol mission yesterday. This is what we found:

A little break after are trek through the woods in the dark.

Pillows In Tahoe What?

Gregger surf turning a nice little pow field!

George Farming!

Mainly a scouting mission, but we definately found some goods. It's not easy to find scary pillow lines in Tahoe. Now all I need are some portable flash units.

Sick February Storm Cycle!

2009-02-15T15:11:00.001-08:00

Squaw is Full on Firing right now! One ripping pow day after the other. This is why I Love this place!

Not a bad Forecast huh?

This Radar image definately does not suck.

KT First Chairs 2/14/09

Gregger Shredding!

Wolverine Cirque

2009-02-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

Maybe one day that chair will join Squaw Valley and everything in between with Alpine Meadows. Oh, what a pleasant thought.

Timy Silver Peak Blue Bird Pow

2009-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Timy Dutton getting some early morning blue bird powder on Silver Peak!

Blower Pow In Squaw Valley USA

2009-02-09T21:34:00.000-08:00

Finally, in the first of a barrage of storm expected to hit the Tahoe area during the month of February, Tahoe locals got Face Shots! My buddy George Hjelte & I worked a secret stash of tree skiing pow goodness late in the afternoon. Blower Utah In Squallywood!

Low Tide Exploration & New Ski Zones

2009-02-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

It is now February 5Th, 2009 & we are sitting on a 50 inch base here in Lake Tahoe. Given our low snow pack it makes skiing and filming very difficult. This is my 8Th season in Tahoe and I have never experienced such a low snow pack for this time of year. Given these conditions you can either travel or stick it out and explore new zones and work with what you have. I have chosen to stick it out. Money is tight and really I don't think the skiing is much better anywhere else in the US right now.

The past two months have been spent resort skiing and exploring new back country zones with my snowmobile and my own two feet. Below are some pictures of some new zones that I believe have great potential for skiing and filming once the snow decides to fly.

Cliff Peak South East Exposure a very steep pitch with lots of skiing and filming potential located deep in Desolation Wilderness.

Top of Cliff Peak South East Exposure Super Low Tide

Ming Poon top of Cliff Peak South East Exposure

Fire Lookout peak super secret stash!

Another Secret Stash!

Hopefully winter will turn on here and I will have pictures of us Shredding these zones!