TR: Central Park Off-Piste

**Thatcher** · 01-13-2010, 09:58 AM

Music: Waltz of the Snowflakes from the Nutcracker

Setting the scene before we get to the good stuff.

Ah, Christmas in New York:

The Christmas tree in my apt:

Central Park skiers get ready to carol on Park Avenue:

The view out my bedroom window of the goods. No snow yet though:

There’s the snow:

Following an epic storm and first hand reports of low density snow, we gear up and head out to "The Castle" to scope a line....

No folks...we're not talking about Alta's "Devil's Castle"...but something more superior...Central Park's Belvadere Castle...

The bus to Chamonix is running late so we decide to track into the backcountry on foot...

Signs everywhere warning us of the danger ahead...

The village's snowcats are helplessly stranded

We are officially entering the backcountry...

A mountain lion is spotted at the top of the Alpine...

Nature is present here, my friends

We begin the climb to the Summit

Snow drifts 25 feet high...

The climb is exhausting but we push onwards...

The Castle is humbling as we approach...

Enter Simon - our guide to the backcountry here

Hak is spotted checking his gear

Quick beacon check before we drop on a very dangerous line

Simon is concerned after conducting a snow pack test but urges us to be calm...

So let's do this already...

**Thatcher** · 01-13-2010, 10:00 AM

Many have skied this line but not all have made it out...

3, 2, 1 ...dropping...

The snow is deep and soft...

Hak enjoys himself

Nature Gives Back: Doug receives a face shot from Central Park

Simon immediately envisions a kicker and begins digging...

Patrol gets talked into dropping the rope...

Yes! We just added 100 more feet of vertical!

Hak observes the cornice tools to remove the stakes from these glaciers...

Patrol heads out and leaves us to explore

The kicker continues to grow...

Simon prepares for the run of his life...

EPIC!!!

CHECK THAT ONE OFF YOUR LIST!

Iron Cross Alert in Central Park

The boys love this backcountry and all it has to offer

Journalists quickly appear to catch some of the action

Simon's 360

Spread Eagle is alive and well here, my friends

Simon skins up for another descent

The crowd has never seen anything like this in their lives

The air gets larger

The word is definitely out

This old lady has not seen such air dominance since Kitty Hawk

Simon declares "The Session" over and begins the ceremonial deconstruction of the kicker

We walk out to a nearby Chalet

Hak gets ready to return home

A tree purchase is in order

**uppernotmaster** · 01-13-2010, 10:26 AM

Intense, had me on the edge of my seat intense....

Nice effort!

**umby** · 01-13-2010, 10:37 AM

Love the avalung! Safety first!

**lionelhutz** · 01-13-2010, 10:42 AM

Thatcher- you consistently crack my ass up with your TR's though I have to admit I'm deeply saddened at the lack of the a goat in this report. Work on that.

**Thatcher** · 01-13-2010, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by lionelhutz

Thatcher- you consistently crack my ass up with your TR's though I have to admit I'm deeply saddened at the lack of the a goat in this report. Work on that.

Oh just you wait. I went touring WITH the goat. Photos to come...

**lionelhutz** · 01-13-2010, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Thatcher

Oh just you wait. I went touring WITH the goat. Photos to come...

Be still my beating heart.

**grskier** · 01-13-2010, 11:50 AM

Good work... The only suggestion I have is to skin/walk over to H&H and get a shot inside getting whatever is warm.

**BigDaddy** · 01-13-2010, 11:50 AM

Some of the best Central Park stoke this year! I think you could have easily cleared the fence, though! It would have made it more "interesting"...

**spantik** · 01-13-2010, 11:55 AM

So awesome. nice work

**Ottime** · 01-13-2010, 12:00 PM

Nice work gentlemen. I often miss NYC, but this makes the miss more.

Never skied any of the lines in Central Park myself, but have eyed a few in my day. Have you considered any other options. There are actually quite a few very interesting lines and cliff drop options (with mostly flater landings).

Have you thought of getting up to Harlem to hit some of the steeps?

**mikemcee** · 01-13-2010, 12:02 PM

Killing it on the UWS! Nice.

Brings back some good memories of ice skating on sheep meadow after an ice storm.

**skier666** · 01-13-2010, 12:06 PM

Amazing work my friend....thank god you slipped Patrol some cash to get the gates open.

**lionelhutz** · 01-13-2010, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

Nice work gentlemen. I often miss NYC, but this makes the miss more.

Never skied any of the lines in Central Park myself, but have eyed a few in my day. Have you considered any other options. There are actually quite a few very interesting lines and cliff drop options (with mostly flater landings).

Have you thought of getting up to Harlem to hit some of the steeps?

There actually has to be at least 1 or 2 good lines in Inwood hill park. When the wind was up or when we showed up for practice way to hungover we had to run that bastard. Prob. 2-300 feet of vert with wide spaced trees.

**Aldo** · 01-13-2010, 12:49 PM

Since Kitty Hawk! Ha

Twasn't the goats I missed.

**Ripzalot** · 01-13-2010, 12:54 PM

pure awesomeness

**ripvanwinter** · 01-13-2010, 01:30 PM

Awesome TR

who would've NYC had the most lenient backcountry policy in the East?

as I was sitting in the airport during that blizzard waiting and hoping to get out west, I was imagining myself doing the same in Prospect Park, or slaloming the headstones in green wood cemetery.

Luckily I got out and that will have to wait for the next powder day in NYC.

**Thatcher** · 01-13-2010, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

Nice work gentlemen. I often miss NYC, but this makes the miss more.

Never skied any of the lines in Central Park myself, but have eyed a few in my day. Have you considered any other options. There are actually quite a few very interesting lines and cliff drop options (with mostly flater landings).

Have you thought of getting up to Harlem to hit some of the steeps?

I'm not at liberty to discuss my stashes in NYC...haha. But sounds like you've been scoping some good lines!

Originally Posted by skier666

Amazing work my friend....thank god you slipped Patrol some cash to get the gates open.

You have no idea how much it took...

Originally Posted by Aldo

Since Kitty Hawk! Ha

Twasn't the goats I missed.

Were you missing the girls girls girls? They're coming out in a few weeks...

**jump** · 01-13-2010, 02:43 PM

Epically awesome

**GoEhuge** · 01-13-2010, 03:13 PM

A clear contender for TR of the year right here folks.

Hahah thanks for sharing man!

**skibum93** · 01-13-2010, 04:55 PM

Awesome!
Glad you both remembered backcountry safety skills.

**Lone Star** · 01-13-2010, 05:00 PM

**Squirrel99** · 01-13-2010, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lone Star

The paparazzi is out in force!

Glad you could make the old lady socialite's day in the Park

seriously looked like a fun day... I expect similar conditions when i'm back in NYC for work in October!

**hutash** · 01-13-2010, 07:46 PM

You guys are nothing but a bunch or "park" rats

Classic TR

**Thatcher** · 01-14-2010, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Squirrel99

The paparazzi is out in force!

Glad you could make the old lady socialite's day in the Park

seriously looked like a fun day... I expect similar conditions when i'm back in NYC for work in October!

Yeah man - it's normally like this in October - this past year when you were here was just an exception.

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