Grand Targhee Magic
By: Todd Jones | Sunday, May 11, 2008
We finally got the Grand Targhee project off the ground. We woke in the morning to a foot of fresh snow. Sage, Marc Andre, and Sammy shredded pow lines while Wiley, Taylor and Dylan put the fine tune on the jumps. The Rock Chuck feature was super cool and had a ton of pop to it. Everyone got a bunch of great shots. We eventually made our way over to jump 2 and a last minute unplanned session went down in the weaning hours of daylight. We had a full 16 hour day and everyone was super fulfilled and tired. Targhee is truly unlike any other mountain we have built features on. You can basically ride lines into the in run of the jumps if you want. Sammy and Taylor have been scoping a bunch of other semi natural jibs we are going to work. I love the backyard and am stoke to have all the boys up to session in it. We are looking at a day of weather and then some bluebird for the rest of the week.
Grand Targhee Super Session
By: Todd Jones | Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Grand Targhee is best known for being one of the top powder riding mountains in the world. This spring TGR and Targhee are collaborating to build some crazy super features with Targhee’s amazing backdrops. Sage, Dylan Hood, Wiley Miller, Dash Longe, and Sammy Carlson are the crew. We have 3 spots we have been scoping and building. This shoot is unique in that the features are being built into the natural terrain of the mountain, not a terrain park. It is really cool to be doing this shoot in TGR’s backyard, at the resort where 13 years ago, TGR filmed it’s infamous cliff hucking segment that helped launch us into the action sports film world. Another cool tidbit is that Sage was on hand as a grommet that day 13 years ago, unbeknownst to us, watching the boys throw down at his home mountain. Now we get to bring Sage back home and reunite him with the mountain where he grew up riding and got his wings. Check back for more updates from the Targhee Super Session.
AK Mega Day!
By: Jeremy Jones | Monday, April 14, 2008
We have been waiting a long time for this break. I pushed my departure back three times to get this day and I took full advantage of every minute. It has been a long time since I have seen conditions this good.
Photo 1:
Do to the heavily fluted face and sluffed out aprons we were able to hit this classic spine wall right out of the gate with very little snow assessment.
Photo 2:
I hiked in from the right, cutting the cornice along the way. My entry was 1 foot to the right of the big hanging cornice. I swear I could have thrown a snowball and got the big one to drop. It took 30minutes to got 30 ft but it was worth it. Conditions have to be perfect to ride spines this steep and today they were.
Photo 4:
A classic line that has alluded me for years. This was the one line I wanted to hit this year in Haines. When I first saw it 8 years ago I was mentally not ready to step up to it. Now its considered a party run.
Photo 5:
Walking the fine line from falling off a big cliff on one side and getting sluffed or slid down the other.. pic Roner
Photo 6:
This is the moment I live for. Warmed up, snow tested, cameras ready, and seconds away from dropping into a line I have been looking at for 8 years. It is lines like this that help me get through the dog days of summer.
Photo 7:
Seth Morrison told me this was the best day he has had in AK. He said for years he had looked at all these spine walls but was with the wrong crew to session them. He fits well with our crew and I hope to have many more days like this with him in the future. This is his 10th and final run of the day. check out www.tetongravity.com to order next years movie Under the Influence. Check out jeremyjones.info for more epic blogs
Haines: 33 Mile Roadhouse
By: Jeremy Jones | Friday, April 11, 2008
33 Mile Roadhouse
Eight years ago we had a problem on our hands. Valdez, the place that changed our lives and became an annual pilgrimage every spring was getting played out. Those endless horizons of unnamed peaks where no longer a mystery and any peak worth a dam had a staked out landing that belonged to one of the 4 heli operations. Our lawless dreamland was becoming over run with rules and film crews. You had a better chance of getting a first descent in the Tetons then the Chugach and we were re-shooting the same terrain year after year.
The desire for a new world led us to Skagway, 40 miles from Haines. Our new world turned into our worst trip ever and after three weeks we tucked our tails and drove threw the night back to Valdez . It was not all for nothing. Total desperation had set in and we found ourselves flying away from the rock strewn, wind hammered peaks of Skagway toward “the white” in a fixed wing plane. “The White” turned out to be 30 miles outside of Haines with a gas station/restaurant sitting perfectly in the hart of it. A year later we made an agreement to base out of 33 Mile Road House and the rest is history.
We did all we could to down play Haines calling it South East Alaska and claiming the weather was way worse then Valdez. The footage contradicted our claims and after a few year people caught on. The 33 Mile Road House is now over run with riders and acts as a makeshift lodge.
If you want to ride in Haines you better know Sean Dog. He started the operation so he could ride with his friends. His operation is “AK Style.” You will not be picked up in a fancy car or served hot chocolate on the glacier but with any luck you will ride the best run of your life.
For years you would be hard pressed to see another pro rider in Haines. In the heart of the season there will be up to 50 pro skiers or snowboarders milling around outside the roadhouse.
Alaska: Here We Go!!
By: Todd Jones | Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I can’t tell you how many times we have flown into Alaska super fired up, only to sit in a snow and rain storm for a week. This season has been epic all over the West. The snow has fallen almost daily, and we have had had some the finest days I can remember. This good luck and vibe proved to continue to bless us as we rolled into stable snow and bluebird skies. We are here for the rest of the season. The crew is Seth Morrison, Jeremy Jones, Dana Flahr, and Eric Roner. Josh Neilsen and myself are behind the lenses. Jim Conway, AKA Sarge, is our lead guide for the trip.
Day 1 showed that the crew has been skiing and working hard all year. We rolled into the mountains and got amazing freeruns and filming from the get go. It is nice to be back in Haines. This is where some of the finest moments of my life have occurred. Already we are back in the mix. Unfortunately the clouds came in late in the day and we are in a massive storm. Check back for some updates from the great North Country!
Jeremy Jones Wins Big Mountain Pro Comp!
By: Todd Jones | Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Press Release
Jeremy Jones convincingly won this year’s Swatch O’Neill Big Mountain Pro following two fast fluid runs which had all the other riders astounded, unanimously voting him the winner of the snowboard category and the majority of riders voting him the overall winner.
“It wasn’t my goal to win,” said the American O’Neill highly experienced freerider. “I came here to ride fun lines and see what happened. To come out on top is an amazing feeling.”
Behind him in the snowboarding category was last year’s winner, Xavier de le Rue, who had a stunning strong first line, but was not as fluid on the second face of the competition. In third place was Austrian O’Neill rider, Mitch Toelderer.
Kaj Zackrisson won the skiing title for the second year running with his impressive double drops and adventurous lines down both faces. “I am very happy to win this for the second year,” said the ever-smiling Swedish skier.
Behind him was Aurelien Ducroz, the French skier from Chamonix particularly impressing with his drops and line on the second face, which had suited skiers a lot more than the snowboarders. In third place was the Swiss skier, Phil Meier.
In keeping with the unique format of this event, it was the riders who chose the winners of the competition. Sitting in the freeriding resort of La Grave, the 26 riders watched four hours of videos of every run from the competition, ranking each of their fellow riders – both skiers and snowboarders – over both runs.
Head judge from the Freerider World Tour was overseeing the whole process to make sure there were no major discrepancies.
“You saw the mountain so it makes face for you to judge the runs,” he told the riders. “You know how steep it is, what was below and how dangerous it was.”
The results mean that Austrian snowboarder, Flo Orley, finishing fifth maintained his lead on the Freeride World Tour rankings following this event. “That saved my day,” he said on finding out his result after not being completely happy with his riding over the two days. “It has been great though, a good vibe, hanging out with friends.”
Fifth place after the week was enough to clear skier Henrik Windstedt into the lead in the Freeride World Tour rankings.
Following an award ceremony in La Grave, it was on to the closing party where the riders enjoyed the entertainment from a local band, before dancing the night away. With incredible riding, beautiful mountains and a good vibe amongst friends, it is an event that all the riders are looking forward to again this time next year.
Check out Jeremyjones.info for updates on Jeremy's season.
The Land of Portable Mailboxes!
By: Todd Jones | Friday, February 29, 2008
In a land far, far away in Northern Washington lies a sleepy little town where it snows in feet not inches. It snows so much up there that they have designed special mailbox techniques to avoid destruction and burial of the coveted mail receptacles. Pulling into Mazama, Sage and I looked at each other in bewilderment as we gazed upon these funky portable mailboxes in the middle of people’s driveways. They had custom designed boxes. Some hung from chains high above the ground, others were propped in the middle of the driveway as if ready for trash pickup.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked Sage Cattabriga-Alosa as we drove down the one road town.
“I don’t know man, but those are some weird mailbox techniques.” Sage calmly replied.
A few feet of snow, three days in the vortex, and some more intense study and we began to figure out what was going on.
It snows so much in this town that the people in the know have devised all these different mailbox techniques to avoid imminent destruction and burial of their boxes. Those lazy few who have not gotten in the game have dinged and downed boxes. The postman has quit stopping to attempt to locate their boxes. They will not receive their mail until springs melt.
It is here where North Cascade Heli skiing flies 7 days a week in whatever weather is thrown at them. This is not just because they have some of the finest tree skiing on earth, but largely due to a short Irishman named Shamus. Shamus is the best storm heli ski pilot on the planet. He gets us out to the goods every day; rain, snow or shine. He has flown these mountains so many times he knows where everything is. I am convinced he could fly us blindfolded.
We just wrapped a two-week trip up in there and are still reeling from the good times and incredible riding. Here are a few shots of some deep pow freeride days and the man who made it possible, doing what he does best. Much thanks to Dave, Paul, Ken, Dale, Shamus, Phil, Phil’s Dad, Merle, the Mazama Country Store, The Basecamp crew, and everyone who showed us a really good time at this little chunk of paradise at the end of the road!
North Cascade Spine Spotting
By: Todd Jones | Tuesday, February 19, 2008
10 p.m. February 17th
“Check this out, this zone looks sweet.” I said to Sage, as he was getting ready to go to bed. I had been scanning through photos on my digital camera, just before going to sleep, when I zoomed in on a peak I had snapped a shot of earlier in the day. It looked super promising. It was a 2,500 ft. unskied peak with some nice spine walls coming off of it.
“Yeah, it looks cool.” Sage responded as we examined potential routes. Next, I showed Seth and Kye the same photo and the potential lines. I wasn’t really thinking about it at the time, but I realized I had rattled the houses sleep program. Going to bed with big rowdy lines in your head is never an easy thing. You try and think of other things, read a book, or listen to music. None of that ever really works though. That unknown voice has been awoken, and it doesn’t care that you have to wake up in 6 hours.
7 a.m. February 18th
The next day we woke up and went through the morning ritual of going through gear, eating a quick breakfast and getting into the heli. Flying in, we looked in amazement as we were staring at some of the best lines we had seen of the trip. We went into execution mode and quickly figured out the Upper Landing Zone, Lower Pickup Zone, Camera drop, and what lines the boys would ride. Everything went smooth. Seth, Sage and Kye both hit sick unridden lines and nailed them. The day was perfect. After the morning session, we flew the heli to a high mountain where we met up with my friend Josh Taft and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam for lunch. The views were amazing. It was one of those magical days in the mountains that had a little bit of everything. North Cascade Heli Skiing delivers again.
If you click on the photos you can see them larger.
North Cascade Pillow Popping
By: Todd Jones | Thursday, February 14, 2008
We have been up at North Cascade Heli Skiing for the past week. The place is insane. I am with Kye, Seth, and Sage. We have been exploring trees pillows and powder daily. It has been dumping most of the time we have been here, but that hasn't limited us. We have flown every day and found tons of sweet terrain to ride and film in. The trees and pillows here are some of the best in the world. Mazama is a sleepy 200 person town at the end of the road and home to one of the finest heli ops in the world. If you don't like to go on a heli trip and sit in your hotel and wait for sun, then this is the place for you. They fly every day. This is one of the most intimate and chill places we have been. The boys have been sessioning hard and getting tons of pillow practice. We have scoped a bunch of sweet terrain for the days to come. Check back soon for the latest from TGR at North Cascade Heli Skiing.
The Darkness Never Goes...
By: Todd Jones | Monday, February 11, 2008
I was in Hawaii a few months ago filming for our new surf film "Out There". I asked pro surfer Jamie O'brien if he wanted to go on a surf film trip in late February. He scoffed at me as he explained that you don't leave the north shore in the heart of the wave season. Jamie lives right in front of one of the worlds most notorious waves, Pipeline. When it is on there is no place in the world you want to be if you are a charging big wave surfer.
Six weeks later I found myself stuck in Jackson Hole in the middle of a soon to be legendary cycle, wondering if I would ever leave. I was ,after all, in one of the sickest places in the world to be when it is on. I was afraid to book a plane ticket anywhere out of fear that I would blow off the flight.
Finally I realized that the only way to extract myself from the situation was to get in the car and drive. I hooked up with Sage, Seth and Kye and we pointed it to North Cascade Heli Skiing deep in the heart of Washington. We are four days into an extremely deep trip. The terrain here is insane. Here are a few shots from my last few days in Jackson, as well as a tease of what is to come from Washington. Check back tomorrow for a more detailed sample of the the fine goods we have been scoring.
Return of the Deep
By: Todd Jones | Tuesday, January 22, 2008
JH continues to go off. We got another 20 plus inches over the weekend and it got mental again. I had a sweet recon mission on Saturday. Ah, the return of the deepness!