Revelstoke Freeskiing Champions

It was a spur of the moment decision. I had been working a lot and just barely survived the holidays. The only problem was that I hadn’t been doing a lot of skiing. I wasn’t planning on heading to Revelstoke, but it seemed like a good idea to drive up there and ski some powder and get a competition under my belt before heading to Europe. So on tuesday I picked up Griffin Post at 5 am and embarqued on the 17 hour drive to Revelstoke. We probably should have checked the weather, “winter strom warning for Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.” After driving 7 hours through the eye of the storm, we arrived in Missoula. At this point Griff and I were convinced we were making a huge mistake. Jackson has been a bit dry this year and we decided to leave during the biggest storm to hit the Tetons all winter. We pulled over for a sandwhich and contemplated turning around. “If we drive home now, we can still make first Tram in the morning,” Griff said. I was almost convinved to turn around. I decided it would be beneficial to get a competition under my belt before heading to Chamonix for the first stop of the Freeride World Tour. Apparently, is has been dumping in Chamonix and all my compeitors have been shredding pow for the last couple of months. So we got back in the car and finally arrived in Revelstoke 16.5 hours later.

I have to admit I wasn’t planning on winning Revelstoke. I was convinced the Canadians would dominant the competition because Whistler opened this year with record snow. I decided to challenge myself in the competition instead of trying to “play the game” for the win. I chose a line that in my mind was a 50/50. I am typically a very smart/conservative competitor; skiing a line I know I can flash and not crash. The line I chose had some of the biggest airs I have ever hit in a competition and considering my feet had not left the ground yet this year, I wasn’t sure I would stick the landings.

in Choosing Bigger airs, I made sure all of my airs were not over exposure so if I were to crash I wouldn’t get hurt. I was so stoked after my first run. I stomped all of my airs and skied into second place behind Janina Kuzman, 4.5 points ahead of the next female competitor, Jacqui Edgerly. It was a great confidence booster for me and I couldn’t wait to ski the Mac Face for day 2.

After a weather day, I loaded the lift for one last look at Mac Face before the finals of the competition. As I watched Patrol control the face, I also watched the clouds move in. By the time Patrol reached the bottom of the face, the visibility had turned to pea soup and it wasn’t looking good for the competition. All of the competitors tried to keep their stoke up and game faces on, but as the hours went by it seemed more than likely that the competition would be cancelled.

The clouds were relentless and it was impossible for the helicopter to land at the top LZ (landing zone). A decision was made that all of the competitors would ski a different face with a lower LZ.

I was really nervous about moving the venue. The women were given ten minutes to inspect before loading into the helicopter. I didn’t feel like that was enough time to choose a line wisely and was worried about getting lost or getting hurt. As we loaded the helicopter, the pilot changed his mind and decided to try one last time to land at LZ 1. All of the girls unloaded the helicopter pilot tried one last time to land at LZ 1. Within minutes we saw the pilot land and the competition was back on the MAC Face. I couldn’t believe it.

Everything happened really fast at this point. It was hard to get your mind around it all. Next thing I knew, I was standing on a knife ridge at the top of Mac Face with 5 minutes before game time. I chose a line that would be challenging for me. It included one the biggest doubles I would have ever skied in a competition. That is…….if really were a double.

At the top of venue, it was impossible to see the face. I was super nervous. I traversed out on to the face looking for my marker, a tree, so that I knew where to enter into my line. I reached my first air and was stoked. The snow was perfect and I found the tree marking my “double.” The snow changed a bit as I made my way to my big air. It was really faceted and skied like moving water. I remember going into avi mode, thinking okay that one tree is my only safety zone. Luckily, the snow didn’t rip and I skied to my marker, the lone tree. As I approached the tree, I discovered that the cliff I had chosen wasn’t a double at all. It was definitely a single hit of approximately 50 feet. I remember thinking that I should just send it. The snow was perfect for an air that size, but I also was thinking that if I were to get hurt, the competition would be over. There was not enough time to rescue me, if I were to get hurt, and finish the competition. Luckily, I did inspect a escape route to the right of my “double”, a 20 foot cliff that I could easily get to. I decided to take the escape route.

It turned out to be a good decision. I finished my line with another 20 foot air and then enjoyed the powder skiing down to the bottom. I finished in third for the day, but due to my 4.5 from the day before lead the day before I won the competition by a point.

Revelstoke was the best competition I have ever been to. The Revelstoke community was amazing; Mayor David Raven wrote each competitor a letter welcoming them to the town. The Patrol of Revelstoke and MSI truly made this competition happen and I can’t thank them enough for their hard work. It was a privledge and an experience I will never forget.

Revelstoke Freeskiing Competition – Day 1

I am currently in Revelstoke competing in the 2nd stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. If you have never been to Revelstoke, it is a must. Revelstoke is a small town with big mountains along side the columbia River. The people of Revelstoke are extremely friendly and the skiing is even better.

I am really psyched after Day 1. I chose a different strategy for this competition. I usually ski to win; playing the point game and erroring on the side of caution not to fall. This year it is my goal to challenge myself every day skiing. Believe it or not I am a relatively conservative skier. I rarely fall. This year I would like to challenge myself and see what happens. My line consisted of three large airs (some of the biggest for the women). I was really nervous because I have not had a lot practice in the air this season. My only practice was a ten foot air the day before. I figured I had a 50/50 chance of sticking my line. Not the best odds, but I also knew I would be stoked if I did stick it. So I went for it and stuck it, finishing second for the day.

The finals of the competition will be held on Mac Face (above). I am so stoked. The venue is untouched and will be a privilege to ski. Check it out live on www.freeskiingworldtour.com.

Blue Skys and Soft Snow in La Parva, Chile

I have to admit I was bummed not to ski the second day of the La Parva Freeskiing Competition. The second day of competition was cancelled due to weather; the wind was nuking and there was no visibility. The storm lasted three days and we were all trapped due to avalanches closing down the only road up to the mountain. After three days of skiing in white out conditions, the skies turned blue and it was well worth the wait.

 

Once the competition was over, all of the athletes were forced to move to a smaller more affordable town. The only problem was trying to get to La Parva in the morning. There are a couple of options hitching or hiking. I was lucky enough to catch a ride after 15 minutes, just in time for opening.

La Parva had turned into a ghost town. There were only a few freeskiers who waited around to shred the day 2 venue. We all hooked up and had a sick pow day. I’ll let the photos tell the story!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Parva Day 1 – Freeskiing World Tour

[Vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/6436780[/Vimeo]

The first day of the La Parva Freeskiing Competition went off! The competition was held on McConkey’s face. The venue was technical with lots of features to play around with. It was amazing to watch the athletes compete. Most people had one or two days of skiing under their belts since last year, but skied like it was mid-season.

There were 43 athletes from around the world who came to compete in the first stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. It has been over a year since I have competed in a Freeskiing World Tour event. It felt like coming home. It was so nice to see all of the good people from MSI and of course Jim Jack and Shcmitty, along with all of the IFSA athletes.

The venue for day 1 was a challenge for me. I had a difficult time finding a line that would showcase my best skiing. I chose a line that was very tight and technical. It happened to be the same line that all of the women skied. It is not very often that all the women ski the same line. It was very difficult for the judges to make a decision, but Jacqui Edgerly came out on top with a score of 35.94. I skied into second with a 35.38 and Soledad Diaz from Chile finished third with a 35.25.

The women are stacked and we were all looking forward to charging the second run. The day 2 venue is perfect for my style of skiing. I could barely sleep with the anticipation of ripping my line. Mother nature seemed to have other plans. When I opened my eyes at 6:00 this morning snow was gently falling. All of the athletes loaded the t-bar at 7:00 to find out that the wind was nuking at the top. With 100 mph winds and no visibility, MSI regretfully had to call the competition. I am super bummed I will not have another run to prove myself, but tomorrow should be an epic powder day.

La Parva, Chile – 1st Stop of the Freeskiing World Tour

The Freeskiing World Tour is starting early this year and in Chile. The competition will be held on McConkey’s run. I can’t tell you how cool it was to hike to the top of the venue and see the face of an icon stoked that you came to enjoy one of his play grounds.

The competition will be held on Friday and Saturday. The first run will be held on the skier’s right side of the main chute. Saturday will be held on the skier’s left side of the venue.

Both venues appear to be really fun. Day one is very playful. There are a ton of super fun features and nothing with heavy consequences. Day two is the day to put your “Grandpa Boots” on. It is the day to do some stomping. The venue is wide open. I would expect to see ripping fast skiing and huge airs. I am super stoked to be competing in Chile!

Marte is Open!

http://www.vimeo.com/6329006

It is always important to remember to bring your patience to South America. I have been in Las Lenas for almost a week. The wind has been blowing at 50 km/h and the infamous Marte chairlift broken indefinitely. Rumors have been circulating about when the chairlift might resume operation. It was rumored to open in a couple of days or not all for the rest of the season. As the frustration rose, gringos vented in a few different ways. Some put on their skins and headed to the top of the mountain while others retreated to the casino for late night gambling and dancing. Everyone was checking the weather forecast for the Andes; tentatively making plans to travel somewhere else.

I have to admit, even after 5 years of skiing Las Lenas, I was also entertaining the idea of fleeing. Luckily, I didn’t forget my patience. After five days of battling the wind and multiple days of skinning, Marte opened. It was worth the wait. Game on in Las Lenas!

I spent the first couple of days cruising around the lower mountain. The skiing was good, but not worth the 8 hour plane ride and the overnight bus ticket that it takes to get here. Day three I decided to skin to the top and was pleasantly surprised to find great snow. Above is the footage from Cerro Martin. Always feels good to earn your turns!

A Grand Birthday

As we left the parking lot at 3:30am, the sky was filled with flashes of lightning and the ground was wet from the evenings rain storm. The storm was supposed to move through the Tetons before sunrise, but there was another storm scheduled to hit the Tetons in the afternoon. As we started hiking, I warned the group that today was probably not the best day for trying to summit the Grand. We had been planning the birthday summit for a couple of months and no one was willing to abandon the mission in the parking lot. We decided to at least hike to the lower saddle. We would then check out the weather from there and if we had to turn around, at least we gave it shot.

We reached the Lower Saddle at 8:00 and were happy to see blue sky in the horizon. We knew we would have to hustle to the summit, but we were confident that we could summit and make it back to the Lower Saddle before the afternoon thunder storm hit the Tetons.





We made the summit at 12:30. It was crystal clear at the top. We could see the storm building in the south and decided to high tail it for lower ground. As we hiked down to the Lower Saddle, the sky grew darker and golf ball size hail started to attack the Tetons. We were so happy to see that the Park Service shelter was open. We made it inside before the storm really hit and enjoyed lunch while the storm pounded the Tetons outside.


We arrived back at the parking lot at 7:00pm. It was one of my favorite birthdays I have had in a long time. Thanks guys! Happy Birthday!

Top of the Grand, 13,770

 

It has been 13 years since I stood on top of the Grand Teton.  I have a list of excuses why, but so does everyone else.  Earlier this summer, I was visiting with a childhood friend who had never climbed the Grand.  As a Jackson Hole local, he felt that standing on top of the Grand was a right of passage.  After a few glasses of wine, I decided we should do it for our birthdays because they are only a few days a part. As the set date, August 6th, grew closer, I started to get nervous about my commitment.  It had been a long time since I was up there.  Would I remember the route?  Was I qualified to take my friends up?  With doubt on my mind, Eric and I decided we better do a trial run.

The Owen-Spalding is the easiest route to climb to the summit when conditions are good, meaning dry. The route is named after William Owen and Frank Spalding who along with Frank Peterson and John Shive first climbed it August 11, 1898. After talking to many friends and Exum guides, I learned that OS route was finally dry and good to go. Eric, my husband, and I decided the OS route would be the best choice for us because we are not exactly mountaineers. Yes we are familiar with climbing gear and know how to use it, but we would never claim to be bad-ass mountaineers. We enjoy being in the mountains.

I asked a friend if he would take us up, but he thought Eric and I would have more fun if we figured it out ourselves. So I bought the book, A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range, and photo copied the description and photos of the route. My buddy gave me a list of the gear we would need and Eric were off on our adventure.

We started hiking a 3:45 am. The sunrise in the Meadows was incredible; the rays bouncing off the Middle Teton were breath-taking. It was one of those moments when you feel lucky to be alive and witness such beauty. From the Meadows we hiked to Lower Saddle which sits at 11, 600+ feet. Exum has a base camp set up in the Lower Saddle. We met an Exum guide on the way up. He was really nice and invited us in to warm up giving us a lay of the land before we headed to the Upper Saddle. We reached the Upper Saddle by 10:00.

The “Belly Roll” and the “Belly Crawl” are the first obstacles to catch your attention. According to, A Climber’s Guide to the Grand Tetons, it is where most parties rope up. If you talk to some Jackson Hole locals there is no need to rope up and it is possible to free climb the entire route. When Eric and I saw 18 inch wide ledge and the 2000 foot verticle drop, we decided to rope up. There was a traffic jam at the “Belly Crawl.” This was not surprising being August first and the route was finally dry. We sat at the “Belly Crawl” station for almost an hour and half. I was freezing. The clouds were rolling in and out and the wind was chilly.

Once we were through the “Belly Crawl,” we climbed up the “Double Chimney” to the “Cat Walk.” The “Cat Walk” is a very exposed 150 foot series of ascending slabs. It was, in my opinion, the easiest part of the route. It was really easy to walk along, but it can be deadly when icy. From the “Cat Walk” we climbed “Sargent’s Chimney” and then scrabbled to the top.

We were so lucky. We were the only people at the summit for 20 minutes.

It is easy to let your guard down once you have reached the summit, but it’s not truly over until you are drinking a beer at Dornan’s. The descent involves a 120 foot rappel. The rappel is much faster than down climbing because you are able to avoid down climbing the “Catwalk, Double Chimney, Belly Crawl, and Belly Roll.” Not too mention it is really fun. Eric and I had doubled checked with many people to make sure the rope we brought was long enough for the 120 foot rappel. We have a few friends who haven’t had a long enough rope and had to be very creative when they reached the end of their rope. At the belay station our fears of not having the right length of rope surfaced. There were two other climber’s from Montana at the belay station who also had the same reservations. So we decided to attach our ropes creating a 140 meter rope. We were confident this would plenty of rope for the rappel. Eric dropped off first.

The two ropes together was more than enough, but better safe than sorry. After the rappel we headed back down to the lower saddle. From the lower saddle, it is a long walk out.

Eric and I had great day. I think my favorite quote of the day was, “Wow Jess! That was really intense! I didn’t think we were going to do so much rock climbing.” And this from the guy who likes to run 100 foot waterfalls!

Top of Middle Teton 12,804

My goal this summer is summit all of the major peaks in the Teton range. The weather is finally getting nice in Jackson and it’s time to start bagging some peaks. I decided to start out with one of the easier peaks to summit, the Middle Teton to get myself into shape.

The Middle Teton is basically a long hike. I am accustomed to summitting in running shoes. There is still a lot of snow in the Tetons, so I brought along an ice axe just in case. And the best part of climbing up is glissading down the snow fields on the way down. I’m really glad I brought my ice axe. Without it, I would not have made the summit. In hind site, crampons would’ve been nice to have.

Eric and I summitted at 11:45 am and had the summit all to ourselves. It was beautiful up there.


The snow made it a little more difficult to go up, but made the going down a lot more fun.

Next up Teewinot…………….

Lower Mesa Falls

It has been a long time since I have run a waterfall. The last waterfall I ran was in Chile four years ago. A lot has happened in the past four years. My focus has moved from kayaking to skiing. Four years ago I was addicted to kayaking. I was living the endless summer kayaking year round. I don’t know exactly when my passion shifted from kayaking to skiing, but yesterday I rediscovered my passion for kayaking.

Ben Stookesberry is one of the most talented kayakers in the world. He has devoted his life to kayaking and the persuit of running rivers around the world. He has produced 8 adventure kayak videos, his latest Hotel Charlie 4 – At Your Own Risk. Ben loves kayaking and his passion for the sport is addictive. Maybe that is why after four years, I decided to drop a 30 foot waterfall.

Ben was the first person to run the right side of Lower Mesa Falls in 2001. In the last couple of years a handful of kayakers have attempted the right side with some success. The Wall Street Journal contacted Ben for profile piece. The newspaper sent a journalist out to spend some time with Ben in hopes of understanding his passion for adventure and kayaking. Ben decided the best way to explain himself was to show the reporter what it is all about. He chose Lower Mesa Falls as his venue and asked Eric and I to go along for safety and support.

Ben stomped the right side of the falls, a 70 foot drop. He didn’t even get his hair wet. It was incredible to see Ben clean such a difficult waterfall. He made it look effortless. Eric Seymour decided to run the left side of Lower Mesa Falls, a double drop. Eric ran the top 20 footer with perfection and then paddled off the second 30 footer with ease. Ben and Eric made it look like so much fun that I decided to go grab my boat.

I was so nervous sitting in the eddy at the top of the falls. It had been a long time since I had dropped a waterfall. I focused on the spot I wanted to be when I went over the lip of the falls, took a deep breath, and peeled out of the eddy. I came to edge of the falls, took one last stroke, and started to free fall. I tucked and waited for the impact. The free fall was exhilarating and impact was soft. I rolled up feeling on top of the world. The drop was so much fun!

Check out Ben’s kayak advetures at
www.clearh2ofilms.com or www.jacksonkayak.com