Another awesome line....GOT IT!!!

**Blurred** · 03-29-2006, 01:10 AM

I felt like this required it's own thread, even after skiing the same area about a week earlier.
If you don't remember, it was this thread here-

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...hlight=awesome

That day was amazing, so much fun. However, for some reason, you always think to yourself, "I could have done better" or
"I really could push myself more". Well, a couple of days after hitting the line in that previous thread, Summit, Alison and myself were back in the same area.
I looked at my next intended line for at least 20 minutes trying to study it and to get a mental image of the line burned into my brain.

After a few more days to think about it, and a few comments of "it's not possible", I really felt like it was doable.
I'd seen it from as many angles as possible, and I was feeling confident about it.
I woke up yesterday, and got a phone call from my boss. For those of you that don't know, I don't work in the Winter. I bust my ass all Summer so I can ski in the Winter.
Well, the phone call consisted of "yeah, we weren't sure you wanted to come back this Spring, so we filled your position"...
After busting my ass for a company for several years, and getting repeatedly fucked by them, it clicked in my head.
"I'm a skier". My job may be their identity, but it's not mine. Fuck that. "Time to go do something that matters". My job DOESN'T.

It's sweet having friends on the same schedule as you. I called Summit, knowing he'd be down to shoot, considering he's skied nearly 3 weeks straight without a day off.
He knew what I had in mind, and being the enthusiastic photog he is, it didn't take much to convince him to get back to the area to film.

After a few runs inbounds, we hiked through the gate back to the goods. The snow was pretty hollow/manky, but that doesn't really matter for this line.

Summit and I split. He took a route to the bottom of the face, and I dropped a few pillows to get to the top of the line.

When standing on top of this line, it has a feel of sheer vertical. You can only see the first pillow in front of you, and everything else below it seems to be a sheer dropoff.
Standing at the top and being patient for the photog can prove difficult. I spent the time checking my route from above.
My bombhole from my line was still there from the last week. It was the only track on the face, but the first ledge is narrow enough to where I had no choice but to land in my old bombhole.
I got the go ahead from Summit. I had the line memorized from the bottom. I fastened the strap on my helmet. Time to drop.

Drop!!!!....Boom. Sweet, the bombhole isn't rockhard. I see my next pillow and point it. Whoa, there's a gap that's pretty damn deep below me....boom! I stick to the pillow. Wasn't expecting that drop to be so sketch.
Fuck it. It's the next drop I've been concerned about....tough to see it from any other angle except from where I'm at now.
I've memorized this spot to the fullest, and I know what I need to do. Thread the needle tight around the tree, and make sure I end up on the next pillow...make sure I have enough speed for my next intended gap. Drop......boom!
Damn, I'm feeling good now. I'm past the area I had the most concerns about now. Last triple stager, here I come....drop the next....boom. Ok, familiar territory, skied here before. I go into the next pillow hot......so hot that I barely scrape the top off the next and keep going only to send it off the last cliff....
I can't see much, except that I'm going to miss the big friggin' tree at the bottom.....boom!! Touchdown..........wow....I bombholed the last drop, but I'm still on my feet......I ski out screaming like a guy that just won the lottery!!!
I ski up to Summit and give him the stoke filled ski pole click... I'm fucking stoked.

Feeling good after the line

I'm not thinking about jobs, bills, or rent. I'm a fucking skier, and I'm damn proud.

Thanks for coming out Summit. Another memorable day that I'll never forget.

**truth** · 03-29-2006, 01:16 AM

That's a rowdy line Brett. Awesome pics and sequence summit.

**Tectonically_Neglected** · 03-29-2006, 01:19 AM

FKNA!

56789

**ski_faster** · 03-29-2006, 01:23 AM

**ill-advised strategy** · 03-29-2006, 01:24 AM

and the crowd goes wild!!!

awesome!

you may be an internet asshole

but you've got the skiing dialed

**Crinkle** · 03-29-2006, 01:28 AM

daaaaaamn son, nice write up to go with summits solid pic work. I am feelin the juice in your post. good stuff

**LeeLau** · 03-29-2006, 01:28 AM

A "you must be nuts" for thinking about that line.

then a "holy shit" for dropping it.

as always props also to the cameraman

**freshie247** · 03-29-2006, 01:33 AM

Nice line on the Pile!

**MTT** · 03-29-2006, 01:34 AM

I'm impressed! Thanks.

**summit** · 03-29-2006, 01:40 AM

What a day. Being able to watch that line unfold was a privelage. It is unreal to watch. I had butterflies in my stomach just watching!

It is cool when I get in such a groove that I know exactly what I must do, just as the skier I'm shooting does. I took only one lens with me, not even a zoom: a 50mm prime. That was all. I knew exactly what I needed. Then I got to watch Blurred do exactly what he wanted.

I spent hours creating the sequence. Here is another version.

The snow was way sketch. Somehow I managed to pull the sartorius muscle in my right leg even though I wasn't the one doing the insane stuff. There is irony for you! I blame my AT boots. Day #18.

**motionboy** · 03-29-2006, 01:52 AM

Sick line... I sit in envy... Where is that? Backside of the basin?

**FiveLarge** · 03-29-2006, 02:14 AM

Damn strong work, Blurred!! Great photography to capture it so well, Summit!!

**midget** · 03-29-2006, 02:18 AM

Jesus! I think frame 7 of the sequence says it all in one shot. Very nice work

**Trackhead** · 03-29-2006, 05:07 AM

Nice line......................

**shmerham** · 03-29-2006, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by BlurredElevens

The snow was pretty hollow/manky, but that doesn't really matter for this line.

Yeah. Totally.

**H-man** · 03-29-2006, 05:47 AM

Burl Brett. Very nicely done.

Stoke of the highest order

**Tuckerman** · 03-29-2006, 06:48 AM

Nice work there Billy G.

**WWCD** · 03-29-2006, 07:29 AM

Well done sirs.

**iskibc** · 03-29-2006, 07:31 AM

I really like the description that goes along with the photos. Felt like I was right there with you. Good work Brett. Nice pics summit.

**Aldo** · 03-29-2006, 07:56 AM

Nice Brett!
I'd rather watch someone stomp a technical line like that any day instead of a mongo drop....

**skifishbum** · 03-29-2006, 08:01 AM

Pffftt A little more gas a the top and you could have hucked and cleared the whole thing

Ditto what Aldo said

**jimmy page** · 03-29-2006, 08:02 AM

that's good shit!

**powstash** · 03-29-2006, 08:10 AM

wierd. no, not the line - that was sickter. weird cause I had a dream last night that I posted a thread today with the first ever "ski that line" contest - submit photos skiing creative (contrived or natural) lines and the winner would get some loot to spend at BC.com. I'm hearing that twilight zone theme song right about now....