Last week I took out the Venture splitboard for the first day of the season splitboarding on the mountain. Somedays you don’t get to ride during work but luckily the snow is waiting for you to finish work. Just like last week, I finished work, grabbed my gear, my dog Capita and headed back to the mountain to skin up and ride down.
Today we started at Eagle Lodge which is closed down for the season. The snow wasn’t as good as Canyon but the views were way better on the hike up. This time I borrowed the ipod from the skier so I had tunes to listen to on the hike up (one ear only since who knows what’s on the mountain with you). In fact on the way up, I noticed a recent track of footprints that weren’t my dog and bigger than my dog’s so I made sure to lookout for bears just in case.
My dog Capita playing with a pine cone on the hike up
My goal for today’s splitboarding was making to chair 25 which we exceeded since we went past it up into the trees a bit further. It was a good hour skin up for us. On the hike up, I stop for breaks and on the ride down, Capita stops for breaks. It was her second time being snow dog running down the mountain so I definitely feel for her.
Views from chair 25 base
Snow conditions improved the higher up we got, by chair 25 conditions looked like they were still in great shape and pretty soft snow on the mountain. Our next goal will be to make it higher up on the mountain, get in some real turns on the way down. For safety reasons, I’m riding with full bc gear (beacon, prove, shovel) and sticking to areas of the mountain I’m familiar with.
This time the skin up the mountain was easier and I felt a lot better doing it. By the time I got to chair 25, I didn’t feel like stopping so figured I’d keep going.
Capita under Chair 25 liftline
A glimpse of Mammoth and the mountains off in the distance
Myself on the hike up
Finally when the sun dropped behind the mountain, it was time to pack up and switch to snowboard mode for the ride down with Capita.
The ride down was fun despite the snow being dirty in spots. I had to adjust this photo to show the line down but it definitely looks more dirty than it was.
Capita running down next to me. She took some breaks to slow down but I was stoked she followed me the whole way.
More splitboarding in the future and when I get some company, a chance to venture out to the backcountry.
May 2nd, 2011 at 8:32 pm
That poor dog…, I bet she doesn’t think it’s fun anymore, huh?
)
May 2nd, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Has anybody ever taught a dog to monoski? lol
May 3rd, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Hell yeah, Shay! Glad to see you’re getting into splitboarding and posting it on your blog. I find it a much more intimate mountain experience and the backcountry spots you are able to access can be amazing! Keep it up!