The Unknown

I think my biggest fear is the fear of the unknown. I know it sounds silly, I always get incredibly nervous before doing something new. It could be meeting a new friend, a job interview, or even skiing a line for the first time. Yesterday was my first day skiing with Warren Miller Productions.

I was definitely nervous not knowing what to expect, but it was an awesome day.

The snow could have been better. I think every athlete hopes for bottomless powder and perfect features for their first day out. That was not the case. Chile is having one of the dryest seasons in years. Even so, the crew made the best of it. Everyone worked really hard and we were able to find some good pockets for the film crew.

Julian Carr Dropping In

All and all it was a day I will never forget!

Yahoo!

Big Fish. Little Fish.

I never thought I would find myself skiing with Chris Davenport, Julian Carr, and Daron Rahlves. I arrived in Portillo after the Chilean Freesking Championships at 2:30a.m. and by 10:00a.m. the next morning I was ripping around with some of my heros in the sport. Intimidated, inspired, and stoked would be a few ways to describe how I felt. Basically, it was really cool.

I have been joking that I would be honing in Spydie Powers while in Portillo. After watching the boys ski, I think my statement may be truer than I thought. It is absolutely incredible to watch Darron and Chris make flawless turns in any type of snow. A wise man once said, “There is no bad snow, just a bad turn.” I always thought he was being a little optimistic. I have definitely skied some bad snow. I think the statement may be true for the Chris, Darron, and Julien. I have eight more days to learn from three of the best skiers in the world. What an amazing opportunity. I think I might actually develop a few Spyder Powers while I’m here.

Chilean Freeskiing Championships

Standing in the starting gate, I couldn’t help question my decision to enter the Chilean Freesking Championships. It had been four months since my last turn. One of my biggest fears is that I will forget how to ski over the summer. It is kind of like the dream we have as children when we show up to school naked. I know it is nearly impossible, but I am still incredibly scared that it could happen to me.

My first day on snow was spent inspecting the venue. I chose a line that I thought would put me into the top five for the first day. With competitors like Jackie Paaso, Angel Collinson, and Jacque Edgerly I knew I would have to ski my best to be in money. Not knowing if I still had what it takes after the summer, I chose a line that was relatively safe. The snow was bullet proof in the morning and would warm up as the sun heated it through out the day. As a competitor, all I could hope for was that it would warm up before it was my turn to compete.

Max's Face - El Colorado, Chile

Standing in the starting gate for my first run, I had to convince myself that skiing is like riding a bike. As I left the gate, I had to quiet my inner fears and go for it. I was psyched after my first run. I stomped my big air and skied into second. Now I was in the running for first.

So close to winning the first run, I knew that I wanted to win the competition and I was pretty sure I could. It would take a lot of courage to ski a winning line after taking four months off, but I wanted to win. I stuck to a similar line as my first run, but added a spicy air at the bottom of the venue. It is always good to end your run with a crowd pleaser. The air was technical and if I blew it, I would pile drive right into a some huge rocks. Sometimes you just have to believe in yourself. As I approached the air, I knew there was no turning back. The take off was blind, I couldn’t see my landing. The landing was bullet proof and the runout happened fast. I felt and heard my feet smack the snow as if I had landed on concrete. I saw the rocks flying past me and I knew I had stuck it!

I wasn’t sure the line was enough for the win, but it felt so good to challenge myself my second day of skiing. Needless to say I didn’t forget how to ski! It feels great to win my first competition of the season.

Jackson Hole Season Pass Prices Slashed!

It’s Official! I’m a Spyder!

I am excited to announce that I have joined the Spyder team this summer. It is an honor to be a part of such an elite team of athletes that include: Chris Davenport, Julia Mancuso, Julian Carr, and Daron Rahlves. This summer I will join the team in Portillio for a photo shoot and an opportunity to film with Warren Miller! Yahoo! Thank you Spyder!

Middle Teton

Erin Corbett and Jess McMillan - Summit of the Middle Teton

It seems to be a theme. Every time a birthday rolls around, I find myself on the summit of a peak in the Tetons. I absolutely love it! Erin Corbett was hoping to climb the Grand for her birthday, but due to conditions the Middle Teton seemed like a better choice.

Summer started late in Jackson Hole and the mountains were stilled caked with snow by the time Erin’s birthday arrived. The Middle Teton gets a bad rap. The rumor on the street is that it a really easy mountain to climb and should be reserved for hiking with your grandma. Well my grandma is pretty incredible, but I’m not sure she would’ve made it to the summit. No offense Grandma.

Ten More Steps to the Summit

The Middle can be considered a day hike, a really long day hike. Typically, I climb it in my running shoes and day pack. This time we decided to bring crampons, ice-axes, and a short rope just in case. We used everything, but the rope. Had we not brought crampons and an axe, we would not have made it to the summit.

Ready to go! Crampons, axe, and rope!

The meadows looked nothing like the meadows, filled to the brim with snow.

Entering the Meadows - No Wild Flowers Here

The climb to saddle was quick with the extra snow, but the south west couloir was a little spicy. The snow was extremely hard and definitely caught our attention.

Erin Corbett Kicking in Steps Up the South West Couloir

It was all worth it for Erin Corbett. There is nothing like eating your birthday cake on top of a 12,804ft tall peak.

No Knife, No Problem!

Sad Day………..RIP Arne. You Will Be Missed.

Some people are so kind and full of life that it is hard to imagine that they could be gone in an instant. Arne was not only an incredible skier, he was an incredible person. He was one of the most sincere people I have ever met. I was so excited for him this year. He was finally making his dreams come true. It seems impossible. I will miss his warm energy and smile.

Cover of the Jackson Hole Phone Book 2010

Jackson Hole Phone Book 2010

I never thought I would be on the cover of the phonebook, but I have to admit, it’s pretty cool. I am overwhelmed by the support of the community. Jackson is one of the truly amazing places in the world. I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful community.

2nd – 15th Annual Verbier X-Treme

It has been a crazy couple of days. My flight from the US was unexpectedly turned around and I arrived late to Verbier. Luckily, I had an hour to look at the face of the Bec De Rose the day before the competition.

The afternoon was filled with autographs signing.

The bib draw followed the autograph session.

It felt like had been awake for days when I finally crawled in bed at 11:00 p.m. My alarm went off at 5:30 the next morning. The day was not exactly what I was hoping for. The sky was cloudy and it was raining at the bottom of the mountain. It didn’t look like we would compete. Dutifully, all of the competitors loaded the lifts and headed to the top of the Mont Fort. As we approached the top, it looked less likely that we would compete because we could barely see the face of the Bec De Rosas.

Almost convinced that the competition would be postponed, all of the competitors headed inside the lodge for a coffee.

One hour later it was announced that there would be a window of blue sky from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It was hard to believe considering the wind was blowing hard and it was snowing out. Yet, the man predicting the weather from Chamonix (who also predicts weather for Everest expeditions) assured us that it would magically turn blue. With little hope, all of the girls started the hour hike to the top. I couldn’t believe it. As I crested over the ridge at the top, the sky almost instantly turned blue and the sun was bright. We would be skiing.

I was disappointed with my run. The line I had chosen was a winning line, but I skied with a lot of hesitation. I don’t know if it was the lack of sleep or the jet-lag, regardless I wasn’t charging down the mountain as I had hoped.

Waiting for Results with Julia Mancuso

The final results for the women: 1st – Ane Enderud, 2nd – Jess McMillan, 3rd – Julia Mancuso. It is the fourth year in a row that I have finished 2nd in Verbier. Not a bad record, but I would really like to win this event one year!

Overall Tour: 2nd - Jess McMillan, 1st - Ane Enderud, 3rd - Jacqlyn Passo