Tales from the Hinterland: 2014/2015 edition

Telemark Dave wrote

 Thanks PeeTex.  Yup.  Lots of night time refreezing after an above zero (sorry, 32 for you Excited States folk) makes for great corn and lots of sap for Maple sugar season... Win win.
And yes, the GoPro sure beats using my iPhone .. Next step will be some videography - I've been using it for stills (1/2 second time lapse).  I end up with some pretty nice pics, but there's a ton of chaff to separate from the wheat...lol.

I was watching a new clip on drones the other night, they have them now where they will follow you at a distance. If you could  teach them to dodge trees then you could get some action video.

Another toy

PeeTex wrote

Telemark Dave wrote

 Thanks PeeTex.  Yup.  Lots of night time refreezing after an above zero (sorry, 32 for you Excited States folk) makes for great corn and lots of sap for Maple sugar season... Win win.
And yes, the GoPro sure beats using my iPhone .. Next step will be some videography - I've been using it for stills (1/2 second time lapse).  I end up with some pretty nice pics, but there's a ton of chaff to separate from the wheat...lol.

I was watching a new clip on drones the other night, they have them now where they will follow you at a distance. If you could  teach them to dodge trees then you could get some action video.

Another toy

<sigh>. Just as I'm trying to simplify... (GoPro is my sons).  Empty nest looming on our horizon, 3 years 'til my wife's retirement (excellent full pension plan..), scheming to winter in a warm clime to negate the need for winter expenses....
(Thus the building and hoarding of a ski quiver for the ages...)....
Hmmmm... Maybe some drone documentation would be a good investment so I could reminisce about the old, cold days of snow...  

TD

Telemark Dave wrote

I could reminisce about the old, cold days of snow...  

TD

Say it isn't so - II could see going to a place where you can ski and play tennis on the same day, but heading where it is warm all winter - now that would be boring.

Just starting to throw some ideas around.  I would be quite content in a warmer climate from November til March.  Of course I could (and probably would) take a couple weeks and spend them getting a powder fix..but other that both myself and my SO would rather be somewhere we could wear sandals and shorts, and cycle, paddle, hike etc etc..

I love skiing, but if I didn't have that, I would have fled Canada long ago on account of not enough summer.. Shocking, eh???

Telemark Dave wrote

Just starting to throw some ideas around.  I would be quite content in a warmer climate from November til March.  Of course I could (and probably would) take a couple weeks and spend them getting a powder fix..but other that both myself and my SO would rather be somewhere we could wear sandals and shorts, and cycle, paddle, hike etc etc..

I love skiing, but if I didn't have that, I would have fled Canada long ago on account of not enough summer.. Shocking, eh???

I have lived in a warmer climate, you spend too much time in air conditioning. I can see where a Canadian winter can be a bit too much though. Good luck on finding a happy median.

Well I think there's lots of options to explore.. My father has spent the last 25 years since he retired splitting time between here and AZ.  Seems to work for him.  We're not set on any one place, and probably will look at it as an extended vacation initially.  New Zealand comes to mind... Small, very outdoor oriented population with a fairly stagnant economy that allows for minimal change in cost of living.  Culturally and politically pretty similar to our homeland, but with reverse seasons..  
There's other options to explore and consider, but it's never too soon to start planning.  

In the mean time theres still a ton of skiing to get done...

I better get some pics of skiing tomorrow and post another TR to get this thread back on track.. All sorts of drift seems to happen when SBR bails to go to VT..  

Dude my brain just exploded. What?

Harvey wrote

Dude my brain just exploded. What?

No biggie, Ya don't need a brain to ski!!!!   BTW, I'm still skiing, and probably will be for years to come.  I'm just planning on less than 100 days a season on skis - which was today

TD

Oh, and just so your head can re-implode, we've also thrown around the idea of spending our winters (initially, while we're still relatively young and active) in someplace with waaaay more better skiing (alpine and Nordic) - we've got friends who have recently retired and spend their winters in Vernon and Kelowna B.C. respectively.  Both are attractive places for our lifestyle.    

Either way, most, if not all, of our vacations the next three years are going to be recon missions.  You won't know if you don't go.....

things were moving yesterday in the hinterlands. solar radiation?



the crown.



ripped out to the dirt in places.



and finally some very heavy debris.

Wow!    Near the Glen?  Or further north?  
Thanks for sharing that Chuuurles

Snow conditions are much more stable now. In fact, it is officially Crust Skiing Season around these parts:

A little dust on the crust made for fun skiing on the waxless touring sticks:


The small forest creatures have been very busy:


The dog is stoked, this is his favourite time of the winter. Not too cold and he can run around on top of the snow:


Utah scopes out his line at Secret Hill. As usual, he went straight down the fall line. My descent was a little more controlled due to the grabby snow conditions. The sideslip paramark turn came in very handy:


It was simply a beautiful day to be outside on skis or paws:

Spent Easter W-end close to home skiing at the local Nordic Center - the gate was closed for the season, but they're ok with parking outside and hiking in to ski the remnants of the XC trails.  (In fact all the maintained trails still are skiable, about 25k's). The sun came out to play Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which combined with the just above freezing temps to make for perfect spring conditions..

The hike in - it's only about a mile from the gate to the sneaky access point (Park maintenance yard)

Pausing for a pic at the groomer shed.  

Across the skier bridge - even though it's exposed there's still a 2 foot base!

And along the lake trail.

For all three days we used our waxless (ie, no klister ) skis, mine are vintage 1975 Fischer "racing crowns"  that have found a niche in my quiver.  Skis deserve to be skied on, not nailed above a mantle...

Today was cloudy and ...... Snowy.  So we skipped skiing and did our taxes.. Happy Easter everyone!

Well done. The woods are very sketchy these days.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

Well done. The woods are very sketchy these days.

I'll bet!   Any carnage/fail selfies?  
"Utah, hold my beer - watch this!" ....

No, the skiing was crappy enough that I didn't take any pictures. I will confess to breaking through the crust (in a flat area) and sliding backwards in a somewhat downhill fashion into the mank. It was not pretty.

I did likewise as I tried to shortcut between trails - there was only 5 metres open woods between the trails, and I had some
good speed - end result was a tip dive to slow mo chest plant.  I was typically stoked by my JONG move, but Bon's response to my request for a train wreck pic was a "NO".   Go figure.  Married for 24 years and still not understood... .