Freshie Huntin' in Truckee, CA

It was early Janurary '05, I was sitting in my cube staring at that drab grey wall trying to wade my way through that post-holiday downer...you know that moment when you realize it is just 4 more months of cold without holiday vaca days and a single new years bash. Then it hit me, I decided I was going to go huntin'....for "freshies", as Berger calls them. After hearing story after story of those Lake Tahoe dumps....3...4...feet at a time, it was time for me to see it for myself. I planned a trip for mid-march, prime riding season around the lake. A few more months of work, then a quick plane ride into O-town, followed by a 3...4...5...6 hour ride northeast (thanks to all those potti-stops Berger, that fantastic Cali traffic, and don't forget those chain check points before the passes) and we were there, at the winter share house in north lake- Truckee, CA.

Someone upstairs was smiling on me, we showed up to Alpine Meadows on the first day, to find the hunt was over. First lift up, and there I stood staring down at the best breakfast a boy could ever have...a huge bowl of freshies. Despite the fog sitting at 8,637' cutting visibility to about 10', I had it, that pit of nervous excitement in my stomach, the one we all chase again and again...that 6th sense that just tells you "this is going to rock....this is what "it" is all about". And then, there was complete solitude... just me, my board, and that one tune of the day that plays over and over as that background music inside my head. Then I moved, I dove in to start that first of so many runs that day in that infamous west coast powder....it was amazing....absolutley amazing....that's all I can say.


The remainder of my trip was just as brilliant, the other two days were spent at another mid-sized mountain in north lake called Northstar. We lived in the tree's for both days, monstrous beautiful pines, scattered with some of those cali redwoods...all perfectly spaced to let the the powder cover the forest floor while allowing for adequate negotiation even with my klunky Floater 159. Birm, Berger, Nikki, and I hit tree run after tree run while I constantly searched for that next little lipper or that rock to lauch myself off of, knowing that gracefully or not I would shortly be landing back in that phenominal powder.

To be perfectly honest, it was not all picture perfect, on the very last day I was "fortunate" enough to experience some of that other infamous brand of west coast snow...the good ol' Sierra-Cement. Imagine that bowl of mashed potatoes mom makes on Thanksgiving...now spread it all over a mountain and try to ride it...it's not so pretty. However I am incredibly glad that I got to see both sides of mother nature in Lake Tahoe, otherwise I would probably already have a ski patrol job and a Truckee address.
I can give nothing less than 5 stars all around for my first huntin' trip. Lake Tahoe is unbelievably beautiful, and if you catch it right like we did you'll be ruined forever, with those powder filled memories. Although, I'll be back to Tahoe next year and the year after that, I'll always be an east coasta through and through. Where else can you be carving nasty digs one second, and the next be struggling to maintain through one of those infamous yellow bare ice spots that seem to ambush you right in the middle of the trail....ya know? It makes you tough....I love it.

Post-Work Longskate Session

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. Don't hate me because I'm complaining about being tired after rocking back to back Buffet shows this week either. It had to be done, sacrifices were made. My body has been plotting its revenge ever since.

Either way, we were stoked to call it quits at work for the week, and put together a breif session with the bigstiks this evening. Jay and I rocked around town here for a few hours. He on his environmentally friendly S9 bamboo pintail, and me field-testing my new whip complements of Loaded Boards and Original Trucks.

Basically, we were just looking to enjoy some nice weather before the crazy heat wave hits. Practice some soul stepping about the boards, and laying down some buttery, rail to rail carves. That's how this all started afterall- "Do you think it will help me with my snowboarding?" The answer? "Who cares? This shit is fun." Seriously, I can't help but think that what we're doing here will fundamentally help with any balance based exercise- snowboarding included. Most basic tricks you would want to do on a snowboard can be perfected on a longboard- riding switch, popping 180's, nose/tail riding, even sliding. But for me anyways, this is more than a training session for the winter months- this is an extension of the CARVING season. It's just another reason to not completely curl up and die when the snow melts.

Riding a a long board that you just don't want to ollie or kickflip seems to be a great stress relief. Stressful thoughts literally float away as you hang all ten and then some over the nose carelessly floating on that concrete wave. The grin is wide, and every minute is epic.

Regardless of your intention- whether you're looking for a way to burn your beer gut in the off-season, improve your chance at meeting an actual girl, or just want to blow out the last of a ridiculous week-long hangover, get out and give a longboard a kick. Compared to your winter boards, they're cheap- and they are the perfect cure for your carving withdrawals. *Peace out *

Thoughts of the Steep and Deep

Sitting here on this June night, I'm thinking a lot about the snow, the deep snow... There was one trip that comes to mind. It was more than two seasons ago that Huckzone riders Jimmer, Dougro and myself packed up Jimmer's escort wagon and headed for Jackson Hole. A 30 hour drive with only a handful of short pit stops and we were in Wyoming looking at the great mountain range in the distance.

Mid-way through Wyoming

arriving at Jackson Hole was amazing, the town is great, well for anyone who likes brews and country girls. The ski resort of Jackson Hole has some of the most impressive terrain I had ever seen in bounds, but the conditions were lacking. No new snowfall resulted in a nasty windblown crust that was impossible to enjoy. We managed to huck ourselves over the lip of Corbets and out the chute, this was definitely the highlight of our day at Jackson Hole.

We were scheduled for a few days there, but the first evening we caught wind of a massive snowstorm that was dumping over 7 feet in CO and was heading for Utah. So... we packed up and headed for Little Cottonwood in the AM. We arrived and it was dumping. We crashed at a small hotel at the bottom of the canyon. The base lodge of snowbird was buried when we arrived the next morning. The die hard rippers were already stacking up at the tram for first tracks and we were 1.5 hours early! We got 2nd tram up and no one said a peep the whole way, visibility was low and everyone was like a silent with anxiety and thoughts of dropping into the 30" of fresh that was still coming down. The tram docked and the doors opened, we were so stoked that we would have run through the starting defense line of the New England Patriots if they blocked the way.
These pics should sum up the morning that followed.


This was the kind of day that I will remember forever, the trophy of the deep snow hunt. The reason that we are willing to sit in a hot car for days on end. Its days like these that will fuel our apatite for adventure and deep snow for years to come.

Big Bad Blogger Daddy

Captain Huck- Looks like we've got a good thing going here my friend... Glad to be a part, glad to share the stoke... This summer I'll be hooking up the skate connection with some streetcarving on my new deck(s). I'll do some documenting for the site. Looks like we're gonna have a good day to get stoopid in Sterling with the rest of the crew too- don't forget the camera.

Later on-
bh

Tuckerman Time

This post is a little late, but I figured I'd post anyway.
Huckzone visited Tucks on Sat 4/30. The weather was nice in the AM, but forcasted increasing cloads, winds and rain/snow by mid afternoon. We headed up tuckerman's trail and reached the ravine by 11:00AM. It was still clear, but clouds were blowing in. The ravine had good coverage, in fact the trails were covered from half way up and the Sherborn trail was open part way down. This is good cause the less I have to walk, the better.

(Everyone on the way up Tucks Trail)

There was the first of the undermined snow in the chute area (middle ravine) starting to show. Deep gullies will form in the later spring and some of the chutes will become un-skiable. As Jay and I dug our ski boot toes into the steep hard pack snow and started our accent up the headwall I noticed a nice un-touched line to my right. The entrance was a little tech, with ubstructions and steep brush. An 8 foot rock/ice fall streched across the entrance of the un-touched chute. I imagine this is why it was not tracked yet, at 55+ degrees an 8 foot drop turns into a 20 foot free fall and a runout at brain warping speed.

(A look at Jay coming over the top of left gully, STEEP!)

When we gained about 500 vertical in the ravine we kicked a little landing into the steep wall and clicked in. Jay took a nice route down the middle shoot fighting light slough snow the whole way. I headed to skiers left to enter above the untracked chute. I managed to make my way through the top obstacles and off the rock/ice fall. The runout was sketchy and fast, real fast. 45 minutes up and 20 seconds down, what a day. One run later we were on our way down the sherburne.

New Huckzone Blog

Greetings from huckzone. This is the first post in our new blog, many more will follow. We will be inviting multiple editors that ski, snowboard, bike and bar hop (thats a sport all in itself). We want to compile a great selection of up-to-date, interesting and amusing posts about anything to do with the freeskiing, freeriding, free lifestyle we all love.
Here at huckzone we continually represent the "new" look of the freeskiing/freeriding community and have a good time doing it.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the huckzone community please drop me an email: john@huckzone.com


Here's a little eye candy from a big dump last season.
Gotta love the face shots sled style!


Huckzone Rider Jay F. Ripping on the Formula Z