The 1st Annual Sta8line Camp - AK Edition

[Arty50]

You’ve seen all the movies, stared at pictures of unimaginably long and steep lines, and dreampt of one day getting in a chopper and visiting this magical place for yourself. But until you get there, these are just dreams…visions limited to the flatness of a theater screen or the tiny confines of a television set.

The reality is much larger. Much more awe inspiring.

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You try to tell yourself that you live higher than the peak you’re currently standing on…but it doesn’t matter. You’ve just unloaded onto a ridge barely large enough for you, much less your group. The pucker factor is high. If you take a wrong step and slip off the back, there’s a good chance you’ll die.

http://web.me.com/arty50/Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0039-small.jpg

Your desired line in front of you is 2,000 to 4,000 vertical of steep, wild terrain with glacial runouts going for miles. Then you see it…your line. Focus sets in…a huge smile creeps over your face…you drop in…

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Welcome to Alaska.

A couple of months ago, lph came up with this crazy idea: “Let’s go to str8line’s camp in AK.” I thought he was crazy; my checkbook said I was crazy for even entertaining the idea. But there was that little voice in the back of my head, “Do it.” So I plunked down the plastic and booked a trip into the unknown. I thought I knew what I was getting into. I’d seen enough ski porn. The reality was as I described above…I really had no clue.

The night before we left, I didn’t sleep. I blamed it on packing and a departure celebration for a good friend, but the reality was my adrenaline was pumping like mad. It was exactly like the night before a deep pow day. A hour of sleep, two flights, and several thousand miles later we would find ourselves arriving to a storm in Girdwood. Better yet, the forcast was calling for more on Sunday.

We geared up early Sunday morning for the orientation and safety briefing. There would be no flying today, but the resort was good to go. Many greetings were exchanged; and we met our fearless leaders, str8line and the Sarge. We also got to meet our other group member: this big kid from Pittsburgh who had spent some time living in Squaw.

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Things were looking good.

With the meeting done, we all headed to the tram for a day of skiing at Alyeska. At this point it was after 10 am and we were bummed to have missed the openning bell. “Wait, why is the tram taking so long?” To our surprise, the mountain didn’t open until 10:30. Sweeeeeeeet!!!! We arranged ourselves on the dock for first tram and anxiously awaited our trip up. Unfortunately our fearless leader had forgetten something in his room. It was then that the Sarge reminded us of the 1st rule of skiing: “There are no friends on a pow day.” So without even a millisecond of thought we ditched str8 and procedeed to lay tracks all over Aly. The Sarge found us some great pow and this cool little mini golf area. Tips were given and we procedeed to dance our way down the mini golf lines like the gapers we really were. The snow was great up top, but turned to complete mank down low. Excellent, just like a nice wet storm back home in Tahoe. Chair 6 was delivering the goods, so we just kept hitting it lap after lap.

Eventually we would run into str8 who looked like he wanted to beat us like a bunch of red headed stepchildren. Thankfully the Sarge quoted the 1st rule; and really, how can you argue with that. :D Shortly after his arrival, the gates dropped on North Face. We hiked up behind the chair and scored first tracks into what I think was New Year’s chute. It was perfect hero snow all the way down the Face. We jumped back on the tram and headed up for more. This time dropping into a side gate and hitting a nice steep pitch with a choke. Beautiful deep pow was found on the ridges and open faces that greeted us below. So we naturally went back. On the way up, we decided to use the next run to start working on beacon practice. It was time to prepare for the trip ahead. The Sarge gave us a brief but thorough introduction and we all took turns individually looking for a buried beacon. We turned our backs while he buried the test subject. Conway picked some great spots. For instance, mine was buried in a snow deposit in front of a tree. They we paired up and did a wide area search where we had to coordinate our efforts with another camper. What really set this apart was the fact that we were looking for a beacon in a huge debris field. At times, lph and I couldn’t even see each other due to debris waves that were over our heads. Traveling over such immense debris was a challenge in and of itself. It was a lesson well learned. Often we practice beacon searches in plain jane snow fields or manicured beacon basins. But once you get yourself onto a debris field like that, you realize just how hard your task will be if a real slide does occur. The experience was invaluable and new lessons were learned.

We called it a day and headed back to our hotel. The forecast was calling for bluebird the next day. Time for dinner at Jack Sprats and a good night of sleep.

[Arty50]

We awoke early to grab a good breakfast and hitch a ride to the chopper at 9am. We called the CPG hotline and found out we would be departing at 9:30. Unfortunately, the Sarge still wanted us there at 9. So when I rolled in at 9:13, I was told to drop and give him 13. One for each minute late. Damn. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not so I got down and did 13 pushups. It was a nice warmup, plus it had the effect of scaring the bejezus out of the other heli groups. I don’t think anyone else was late the rest of the week. :D

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We arrived at the airport several minutes later and loaded up. It was my first ride ever in a helicopter and damn was it fun. As we ascended to our first LZ, the chills grew exponentially. One thought kept running through my head, “I’m going heli skiing.” Even better was the fact that we were getting dropped off on fresh untouched faces. So we’d dig a pit and then ski some amazing pow down to a pickup point a few thousand feet below.

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My mind was absolutely blown. Str8 and Sarge had started the instruction process the day before and it really kicked into gear that first day. They immediately noticed the things we doing wrong and managed to convey their suggestions to us in a way that was never nagging and always encouraging. I’ve taken a lot of lessons since I was 4 years old, and this was the best instruction I’ve ever received. Skiing never became work, fun was always the main emphasis. We also started to get a feel for how far we were willing to push ourselves. We started ramping up the terrain, always with an eye on safety and armed with our instructors’ incredible ability to find us the best conditions. Sadly, some low clouds rolled in around 3:30; which forced us to send out an extraction call to our pilot, who just happened to be named Lucky:

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The Winter Park and Glacier Park areas had definitely delivered the goods, and so we made our way down the hill content from a great day. It was then that we met 3pin and his crew and we all headed down the mountain in the cat. At one point I looked over at lph and the green look on his face from the bumpy cat ride made me glad I wasn’t sitting in his vicinity.

Weather was supposed to roll in the next day, so we decided to booze it up and hit the town. Gordy hosted a happy hour in his room and then we went out for a killer dinner at Maxines. Owens showed up for dinner also and convinced us to continue the festivities at Chair 5. There’s nothing like getting hammered and laughing your ass off all night to bond a group together. Thankfully we all managed to avoid monster hangovers, because much to our surprise Tuesday went blue.

[Arty50]

Tuesday found us hitting a new zone: the Bench. We found some nice long runs that sent us down to this incredible glacier below. Luckily, we took it a bit easy in the morning because we were all nursing hangovers from the previous night. However, after lunch we would step it up bigtime. We crossed the road and got dropped off on this sweet LZ. A prior group had laid some tracks down the gut, but we had other ideas. We crossed along the ridgeline and stopped above this rollover that seemed to drop off the side of the ridge. Conway scoped the roll and set the left track while Gordy set the right boundary. The Cannon (more on the nickname later), lph, and I had carte blanche in the middle. Lph dropped in first to go video us from below. The Cannon was up next. When both dropped over the roll, they just disappeared. I was so amped. The ski advice was paying off in spades for some reason that day. I was feeling it and so it was game on. I accellerated towards the roll and without stopping dropped into the steep face. I would guess it was 45 degrees, maybe more. My first big turn rewarded me with a face shot, “Hellllllll yeahhhhhhh…wait…I can’t see!” A quick little shake of the head shed the snow and I proceeded to rip down the rest of the face. The adrenaline was pumping. I was like a junkie in a crack house.

The next drop off was even better. Our pilot, Ken, was The Man. He left us on this tiny little ridge. I have no clue how he managed to set the chopper down there, and there was barely room to move. One misstep could lead to a world of hurt. I can’t imagine what a tow in would be like. Once again, Conway set the left track and Gordy set the right. I watched lph and the Cannon drop into some of the best pow on the trip. I was jealous. Those bastards were getting all the goods. But then Conway calls up. “Arty, head left.” He puts me on top of the peak and sets up at the bottom where he wants me to ski to. I had seen the face where the others had skied, but didn’t get a look at this line. In front of me is a blind roll and what appears to be a cornice that I can’t judge the height of. At this point I’m thinking to myself, “Is Jim confusing me with the Cannon and sending me to my certain death for the giant fart the Cannon just ripped in the close confines of the chopper.” But I was on, so I swallowed the fear of the unknown and dropped in. Besides, all joking aside, Conway is a great guide. I was rewarded with a long, consistently steep run in knee to thigh deep pow. It was my favorite run of the trip and one I will never, ever forget.

We hit a few more lines North of the road, and then crossed back over to hit Comet Couloir. We got dropped off on the exposed dome and made our way down the to the entrance. A hole had openned at the bottom possibly due to a bergstrom, and so we had to ski the steep face and then cut a hard right above the hole. Then we would continue on to the bottom of the face and head across the long (at least 1/4 mile) snow field below. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

We took the day off Wednesday to regroup. Everyone was a little sore and we had plans to step it up big in the coming days. So we took the opportunity to have some class time. The Sarge gave us his condensed version of Avy I. I had taken the full class a week before the trip, and I must say that he covered the bases really well. It helped me to reinforce the knowledge I had gained earlier and keep it all fresh in my mind. He even gave us a test at the end to make sure we had understood the material. The loser had to buy a round for the whole group. If we all got 100%, he and Gordy would buy a round. Sadly, the Cannon and I tied with 90% so we each had to buy the whole group a round (damn trick questions and lack of partial credit). I don’t think I’ll ever forget those answers again though.

Also, Owens presented us with an interesting opportunity. Chugach Powder Guides had just secured some new terrain in Seward. No one had ever skied down there (not even the CPG staff) and the ribbon cutting was going to occur Thursday. We weighed the pros and cons as a group. It would be an exploratory adventure into virgin terrain. We could either strike gold or get skunked. Alaska has lots of microclimates and so snow quality and avalance activity can vary drastically even in relatively short hops. Almost everyone had seen pictures of the new terrain; it looked sick. Also the forecast was calling for blue skies for everyday we’d be there. So we took a chance, packed our stuff, and headed down to Seward on Thursday morning. There would be three groups: the Steep Camp, a group with one of the owners/guides, and a Warren Miller crew with Kaj Zackrisson and Mark Abma.

[Arty50]

At first glance it was a great call, but as we flew deeper it became evident that the avy danger was fairly high. There was an unbelievable amount of natural activity in the area. So we gingerly set down, and Conway and the other guides went to work. I can’t commend them enough for the job they did. They managed to find us challenging terrain all while ensuring our safety the whole way through. We set down in multiple zones and they consistently found us good pitches with great snow. Pushing it was out of the question though. By pushing it, I mean really getting into serious pucker terrain with 50+ degree pitches and exposure. Many of the truly steep aspects had significant sluffs and/or heavy wind loading, rendering them unsafe. We did get to ski some good northernly steeps, but we waited for Southernly aspects to corn up before charging like banshees.

Some pics from day one in Seward:
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I know CPG is going to hit this terrain a lot in the coming weeks. So no one is going to being flying blind into it like we did. We were litterally the first people to ever set foot on these peaks. None of them even had names. I’m not talking about the runs. The peaks didn’t have names. They’re way too remote. I’m not really into first descents and stuff. If someone else told me they had stood up there before me, I would stare at them in awe not jealously. Also I can’t rememeber a single run in Seward that I set first tracks in. But in this case I honestly believe we were the first people up there. Anyway, my point is that in the coming weeks many new lines will be discovered and new LZs will be found. And they’ll have a much better idea how climate affects the terrain down there. Both Jim and Gordy were constantly commenting on how it was probably the best filming area they’d ever seem. Namely because of the sheer multitude of sick lines and the incredible vastness of the area. It looks like CPG has a real gem on their hands. I honestly can’t wait to go back and ski some of the lines I was drooling over. And as you can tell from the pics above, the journey was far from disappointing.

[Arty50]

So Seward day one was exploratory. We bagged some nice long decents and skied some pretty nice pitches, always keeping an eye out for the next line and getting a feel for the new area. On day two we pushed out even further. Once again, we were amazed by the terrain. Sickness to the left, sickness to the right, and all in between. The day culminated with our group punching into two killer South facing runs. The first was dubbed Cornhole, just to keep consistent with the prison theme that seemed to be going on when it came to naming runs. I’m guessing the run was around 3,000 vert of perfect corn, so we hit it twice.

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Then we hit the peak. There was only one name that would do: the Great Cornholio. It was this beautiful super long run that led to a glacier below. Nice consistent steep pitches and plenty of room to really open it up. It was mind blowing.

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Day 5 on the heli greeted us with heavy winds, and so we made our way back to Girdwood and stopped at the Bench again for our last day. We skied a combination of some steep (45 degree) corn on Southern aspects and some nice long pow runs on Northern aspects. Our second to last run found us in a super long coulie with a nice rollover at the very top which lead into a long 50 degree pitch with some exposure. Sluff management was mandatory.

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We finished the trip with another great happy hour, dinner at Jack Sprats (yes, again...they had 1L mugs of Spaten on tap), and promises to come back for more.

[ulty_guy]

amazing! :D

[Arty50]

So I know what you’re asking, “Was it worth it?” The answer is a resounding yes. I went into debt to make this trip happen and I’d do it over again…and again…and again. From the beginning, we were skiing challenging terrain that most heli clients probably don’t get to until their 3rd or 4th trip. And this lets you push the envelope like you probably can’t do at any resort. We all learned valuable lessons about technique without being lectured and without making our trip feel like a day at work. We also got invaluable experience in avalance awareness and safety. And most importantly we had a shit ton of fun.

Even if you can’t attend the AK camps next year, I highly recommend you go to one of the other Str8line camps. All year, I’ve felt like I hit a plateau in my skiing. There was something holding me back and I just couldn’t figure it out. Last week, Gordy helped me immensely. Immediately he caught my faults and more importantly he provided a great environment for me to work on them. It wasn’t like the typical gaper PSIA lesson where skiing becomes like work. It was more like “Hey let’s go charge some sick lines…oh and try this while we’re at it too.” Not to mention he’s one of the truly great people you’ll ever meet. I guarantee you’ll laugh your ass off. It’s easy to think that pro skiers don’t think that their shit stinks. But as Gordy proved when the stench cleared us off the top of that one peak, his shit most surely does. :D

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And what can I say about the Sarge. Like any good group of cadets, we had to nickname our Sargeant. So the Cannon came up with “the Curmudgeon” (which mysteriously ended up as one of the names to a line in Seward :D ). We all knew that wasn’t the case though. The pushups turned out to be merely a joke, and he led us in our efforts to ditch Gordy on a pow day. He also gave us indispensible hands-on knowledge about assessing avalanche terrain, stuff that you just don’t get in class. And of course, he kept us safe on our adventures. He was our spotter from below and always gave great instructions when we couldn’t see. Not to mention the fact he knows a bit about skiing instruction also.

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I can’t thank the two of them enough. They provided us with an experience that I will never forget. If you looked at the other groups we skied with all week, we were consistently skiing harder terrain than everyone else (Zackrisson and Abma excepted of course).

And many thanks to Owens and his crew. They served us as hosts and gave us first crack at the new terrain in Seward, not to mention all of the other sickness in their other terrain. I can only think of one time that we had to wait for a heli. The rest of the time we were getting whisked off right away. So once again, a huge thanks to the one who never sleeps.

Finally, there’s the Cannon (short for Loose Cannon). He came into this thing completely blind. We at least had the board as a medium to get beta on everything. The guy is hilarious as all hell and just flat out rips. So when he gets on here, be sure to JONG the shit out of him. And if you get a chance to ski with him or hang out, don’t pass it up.

Here’s your graduating class of 2005:
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[hop]

lph and Arty50=my heroes


Is that Aialik Bay in the background? Where in "Seward" were you at?

[edg]

Sweet. Ya lucky gits ;)

edg

[subtle plague]

ahahahahahahahaa............... i must get rich ASAP.
best TR ever ?i dont know but certainly one the best yet? :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

edit : i guess this will get 10 times more replies than my Krippenstein TR. but hey it was 10 times more expensive so it better should ;)

[powfreak]

WOW! That was amazing. Great TR.

This is now putting ideas into my head about heading to AK for a camp.

[bad_roo]

How did the Spatulas perform?

Some of that terrain looks mind blowing.

"You try to tell yourself that you live higher than the peak you’re currently standing on…but it doesn’t matter."
Great line.

[Svengali]

Nice trip Arty50, I saw you (someone matching your description) smearing Knuckles on your resort day!!! :yourock:
Not take anything away from your Awesome experiance , but as for being the 1st to ski a peak, I'd have to be somewhat careful about such boasting around AK; while it is more than likely that you did (especially considering the aspects you guys are looking for)-some pretty progessive people have been flying (heli and planes) onto peaks all over South-Central Ak for nearly 50 years, not to mention those crazy adventurers up here who are willing to go through herculean efforts to slog up something new and differant!!
I'm blown away all the time when I hear some of the adventures from some of the OldTime Hardcores around here! There's a retired smokejumper/ski racer who jumps from a plane (with a chute!) after dropping his ski's at the top of the peak he plans to ski.
Quite a few peaks just a few miles east (boat accessable have been climbed/skied)from several aspects.

[SkiJunky05]

That was a great TR to wake up to. I'm at a loss for words. Awesome.

With the very last picture i couldn't help but think "IceyHot Stunnaz of AK"

[bad_roo]

Wow- just realised how sick this shot is.

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0098-small.jpg

[iskibc]

Wow! I hope I'm rich enough someday to do the same. Looks mind blowing. Excellent report and great pictures.

[Bum Z]

Infukingsane. A must-do trip.

[stump832]

Completely recockulous.

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[Core Shot]

I second the motion for best TR yet

How much money do I have to steal for next years camp?

[Core Shot]

So many unbelieveable pics, but this one caught my eye.
Pretty friggen steep for full pow.

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0147-small.jpg

[lemon boy]

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[Xover]

nice write-up Art!! Thanks for sharing.
Glad you guys got to see/ski the new terrain.

[glademaster]

Holy Shit. Amazing. :D

[powder11]

one of the best TR's Ive seen here. skiing those lines is amazing. you now have a problem; everything else sucks!

[Tippster]

Incredible. Thank you for filling my foreseeable future with visions of Huge Mountains, empty snow fields, and spectacular vistas. Time to buy that lottery ticket...


You're in 1/2 the pictures! Who took them? Did you just pass around the cam? From a technical perspective the photographer(s) had a GREAT eye for composition and good reflexes. I understand these are the cream of a very large crop, prolly, but could you post some more pics sometime (soon?)

[Johnny Gunn]

WOW ... great TR Arty.

C3 Crue, I'm thinking that we seriously consider doing that trip next year.

Gosh !!!! that would be SWEET !!!

[Cornholio]

There was only one name that would do: the Great Cornholio

Fuck, yeah. I have an Alaskan peak named after me.

My heartbeat went up just reading that. Awesome. The shot that Roo pointed out with the three of you in front of screaming faces and the bays should be a promo shot for next year's ad.

Well fucking done, gents.

[Arty50]

Fuck, yeah. I have an Alaskan peak named after me.

Whatever you do, don't brag about that to the local prisoners.

At the bottom of the run we sat there staring at a bunch of burly lines next to it. Some other potential names for the alternates: TP for Bunghole, Are You Threatening Me?

[Trackhead]

Wow- just realised how sick this shot is.

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0098-small.jpg


I second that! There are so many sick shots to cut and paste, I won't even bother.

Nice write up, sounds like a trip of a lifetime. Very nice.

[A-wreck]

Unbelieveable.

[grizzle6]

Hell. Yes. Way to capture it Arty. That was an awesome read.

[raddam]

yea plastic
way to grab the bull by the horns

great pix
way jealous!

[Squirrel99]

CAW! CAW! CAW! SICK! SICK! SICK! SICK!

AMAZING TR, WAY TO GET AFTER IT!

You've definitely nailed it this year... Between the incredible snowfall in CA, trips to JH & UT, Mammy, AK, Lenas, and Bariloche. I'd say continue on the quest of funemployment for a while :biggrin: No sense in stopping when you're on a good ride!

[bcrider]

Incredible TR arty and lph! :yourock:

Heli skiing is right up there with having kids. Both change your outlook on life forever.

Looks like you really scored some epic conditions and I’m sure the memories won’t be fading anytime soon.

PS. now that you’ve had a taste of the good life, will we see more of you in the bc for some poor mans heli runs (no tracks top to bottom)? :D

[Blurred]

KICK YOUR MOM IN THE FACE SUUUUUWEEEET TR!!!

So many great pics too....I love this one. wtg fellas!

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0143-small.jpg

[Telenater]

I propose a new emoticon to hint at the sickness that is turns and stoke like this trip has provided.


http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/staff/roth/arty.jpg

My jealously just devolved me into drooling, sputtering, and blabbering incoherence for a time.

[skier666]

That looks horrible...

hoooooooooorrrrrrrrriiiiiiibbbbbbblllllllleeeeeee :cussing:

[jibij]

Wow.
That's all I got.



Wow.

[girlski0912]

Wow.
That's all I got.



Wow.

I second this...WOW...I mean, I don't know what to say. Oh wait, yes I do...I NEED MONEY TO GO TO ONE OF GORDY'S CAMPS NEXT YEAR, PREFERABLY THE ONE IN AK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking sweet TR Arty, way to get after it boys!

[Buster Highmen]

A hole had openned at the bottom possibly due to a bergstrom...
Ingrid????

[FollowMe]

Speachless here...

[bad_roo]

Ingrid????
I hear AKPM has her number.

[meatdrink9]

Incredible. Freaking awesome pics and TR.

Less than a month away. :D

[G]

So, Was it any fun?

[White Chocolate]

I took care of buisness before checking this thread out, and i STILL made the keyboard stickier :tdo13:


:D

[Core Shot]

Way to go.
So much sickness that FM just aint enough.:fm: http://tetongravity.com/forums/images/smilies/nonono2.gif

This TR deserves the highest level of steeze salute https://www.tetongravity.com/usergalleries/albums/userpics/kungfooligan.gif



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[Cornholio]

Just for the record, there is no higher level of steezy recognition than the FM.

[/cunting]

[hoarhey]

What an amazing opportunity and experience!!! Fantastic!!!

By the way, I notice that Sarge is riding a board. Is this a recent development since blowing out his knee last year? I have only seen pics of him skiing.

[Core Shot]

Just for the record, there is no higher level of steezy recognition than the FM.

[/cunting]
Yes, perhaps, altho the FM has been cunted up so much lately.

Plus, what better way to salute the mans sick steeziness with his own icon.

[Crinkle]

way to get sum arty and lph. Like there was any doubt that St8 would lead you guys wrong.

friggin boner city baby. you got me so hype right now for the end of april

[natty dread]

Niiiice work gentlemen! Thanks for the TR arty.

[Owens Never Sleeps]

Good to have you boys here. Not bad for a first shot at the whole camp thing...

[kush1]

WOW

and I think I can see you and LPH's smiles from here

[lph]

Pretty hard for me to add anything of substance to that TR. Thanks Arty, great TR.

First of all, I can't say enough about str8line and Sarge. They made the trip.
Hanging and skiing with str8line is just like hanging with one of the boys, he just wants to get out there and rip, just like the rest of us, probably more so. He may be a pro who does this for a living, but he smiles and laughs and enjoys it as much as anyone. He is also a great instructor. He did an excellent job of not only explaining what you were doing wrong, but also how to fix it. We all had issues some (me) more than others. ;) The video analysis is really the key here as you get to see what you are doing wrong and also, what you improve on as the week progresses.

Sarge is liking a walking encyclopedia of mountain knowledge. I can't stress enough how invaluable his instruction was during the camp, both in the comfort of the lounge and on mountain. In addition, the opportunity to do a beacon search in HUGE avy debris was incredible, but also somewhat daunting. Sarge scouted each run for us, gave us directions, encouraged us and cheered us on while we were trying to ski properly. Most importantly, he kept us safe, digging a pit and analyzing the snow side by side with him was a great learning experience. Not to mention, he is a snowhound like no other I have met. His ability to pick a run with good snow, whether it be corn or pow with a good pitch from the Heli, was amazing, he NEVER missed. And this included picking some runs that CPGs had never been to before.

Having been through 14 years of higher education, i have a pretty good grasp of what makes someone a good instructor and BOTH of these guys have what it takes. As a bonus they are both quality people who were fun to hang out with, fun to ski with and just good guys to be around.

Owens was a great host. Drinking with him that first night and hearing some Owens childhood stories was a blast. The opportunity to ski in Seward (the new terrain) was amazing. The views were spectacular, the town was cool, the locals were a bit nutty(in a good way) and the terrain simply incredible. I think we would have been able to ski alot more of the gnar had it not been for all the natural activity that seemed to surround us on every side.

Props to str8line for all the pics. That guy was shooting pics constantly and as you can see from above, it paid off. Thanks, dude. :) Also, thanks to Owens for the camera.

I am still tired from the trip, but i am already dreaming of my next trip to AK. In fact, I already told str8line to sign me up for next year. I think this may have to become a tradition. :D :D :D :D :D :D

[lemon boy]

just for the record:

3 "guests"
+ 2 "guides" (being who they are)
-----------------------------------------------------
TITS!

[lph]

LB, yeah, we definitely realized how damn lucky we were. When Owens told us a couple weeks ago it was only gonna be three, we couldn't believe our good fortune. Turns out the third, Cannon, as in 'LOOSE', had us laughing our asses off the entire trip. He gave Sarge shit at every opportunity, which str8line did nothing to discourage, in fact, i think he enjoyed it. :D

[lemon boy]

yeah, when I realized it was just the three was when my jealousy turned to loathing.

[str8line]

Wow, great TR Arty.

Thanks to you, LPH, and Cannon for having the cajones to sack up financially for this trip. Without you there would have been no 2005 AK Straightline Adventures Maggot Camp. 1/2 price for each of you next year!(C'mon Owens!).

Also, thanks to you Owens. As an owner of Chugach Powder Guides, your help in making this happen was huge. Your operation is pro, and you are pro. Now I realize why Owens Never Sleeps-he's too busy taking care of business. Most of the photos were taken on Owen's Nikon D70 with either a 18-80mm.(digital) or a 100-400mm. zoom. He was kind enough to trust me with his gear and although every shot was taken on full auto, the camera did a good job.

Thanks to Sarge(AKA Curmudgeon) for imparting so much of his knowledge and keeping a head for safety. BTW, Sarge is on a snowboard because he is a pussy. :D

Also, thanks to Mike Overcast(lead guide and co-owner of CPG) for getting us into some great zones.


I've gotta say it was a pleasure hanging with Arty, LPH, and Cannon. Their stoke and patience and coolness made the trip a total pleasure. Each of them were model AK skiers and they stepped it up whenever asked to. This was one of those trips where everything just gelled.

Macallans and Churchills for all!

[Owens Never Sleeps]

Thanks for the Cigars Str8. I only have two left.

[lph]

The whole Conway thing on a snowboard was actually pretty funny. I asked him about it right away in the tram line that first day, he says he has been boarding for about 12 years, but still skiing as well.

Funny thing is, he is a typical snowboarder. Everytime we hit sun crust or windcrust he would say, "Don't even feel it on a board." If the snow got a tad heavy he would say, "Doesn't matter on a board." After our summit lunches, he would offer to carry this huge bag down to the next pick up, saying, "It is easy on a board." Comments like that were frequent. ;)

However, after the first day he also said that watching us ski, (I can only assume he meant str8line) was making him jones to get out there on his skis. ;)

EDIT: I really really like this idea.... :D



Thanks to you, LPH, and Cannon for having the cajones to sack up financially for this trip. Without you there would have been no 2005 AK Straightline Adventures Maggot Camp. 1/2 price for each of you next year!(C'mon Owens!).

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

oh yeah....I needed that. :cool:

awesome. just awesome.

[Mr. Altagirl]

FKNA!!!!!! That is incredible. Having taken instruction from both Gordy and the Sarge, I know you guys were in heaven. Nice job.

Gotta go start saving money right now!!!

[Buzzworthy]

BTW, Sarge is on a snowboard because he is a pussy. :D




Allright buddy, the gloves are off! Bring it! ;)



Damn skiers I tell ya.



Arty, that write up was unreal! Gordy, that could be used as a "camper" testamonial (sp?) for the next one for damn sure.


It made my morning to read that, simply amazing.

[ski4life]

Arty50 - I can't even think of words to describe how epic your trip looked. Fucking awesome :D

Great job Gordy and Conway!

[AfroMullet]

Caw Caw!! Sickety sickness.

[DJSapp]

Dude. Seriously. Dude. FKNA.

TR of the Decade.

[Superstar Punani]

Wow. These guys are my ski heroes!

[runethechamp]

There's only one word needed to describe what that trip must have been like and the TR: CHAMP!

[Son1cdeth]

Wow. Definitely the most incredible / inspiring TR I've seen yet!


Good work guys. Amazing shit!

[Arty50]

Props to str8line for all the pics. That guy was shooting pics constantly and as you can see from above, it paid off. Thanks, dude. :) Also, thanks to Owens for the camera.

Thanks for pointing that out. Like a moron, I completely forgot. Str8 took most of the pics in the post and obviously did a great job.

Speaking of pics, picking the few I chose was the hardest part and that's what led to the delayed TR. There were over 500 of them, and all were quality.

Now I just have one question...lph, where's the video damnit?!?! :D

[lph]

Now I just have one question...lph, where's the video damnit?!?! :D


I got it, i edited it, i put a really cheesy music score to it. i gotta pm str8line to get his footy then maybe it will be complete enough to post. :)

[sarge1957]

Thanks for the tr Arty. Good work! Hats of to you lph, and the cannon. I wasn't aware you guys were hung over on day 3. You know that's fine to go out and enjoy yourselves into the wee hours the night before we go play in the heli. NOW DROP AND GIVE ME THIRTY!! You too Owens, for encouraging that!

Thanks to all you guys for being serious with all the safety, and especially rescue training. It's so much better knowing you have a solid team to back you up when you're out in the backcountry (heli or no).

As for Gordy claiming I'm a pussy for boarding? Just remember, one becomes wiser with age (and I'm way older than all you). Hopefully, we can get some boarders to represent in the future camps.

Late

[bcrider]

Hopefully, we can get some boarders to represent in the future camps.

Maybe we can help out with this goal over at www.splitboard.net/talk .

How about trading some ad space for some heli time? :D

Or maybe we could help develop a special heli and splitboard camp for us. We could start and finish the camp with a day or two of heli and you could drop us for a few days in the middle for some self propelled riding/bc camping. This might make the camp cost less and therefore increase campers.

We could call it the Dirtbag Splitboarder AK Heli camp…or something like that. ;)

edit to add> my avatar was taken at CPG in '98. :)

[shamrockpow]

WOW. Great TR Arty - wicked mint! Great stoke from LPH, Str8, ONS, and everyone else involved. Thanks for the pics, b/c they really remind you how limiting words can sometimes be.

I gotta believe that Gordy's gonna have his hands full w/maggot requests for this camp next year. Huge props to all of you, just so much fun to read this stuff!

[Cliff Huckable]

Fucking awesome!

You guys rock!!!!!!!!!!!!

[watersnowdirt]

Holy crap. Amazing stuff. Thanks for the TR and pix, you guys. glad you had an amazing time and stayed safe.

good stuff!

[Obstruction]

The kings of stoke! Exceptional TR!!

[truth]

oh my, oh my god...FKNA

[gincognito]

I plunked a pound into the slot at the Heathrow airport with the idea of catching up on some emails. Of course, I checked the board first and happened upon this thread. 10 minutes later, my connection is terminated and my emails remain unchecked as I get up from the table with a big-ass goofy grin. Nice work, boys.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and that was actually a couple days ago, but whatever),
d.

[Owens Never Sleeps]

I've been slowly sifting through the images fro mthe new areas and I must say I'm pleased. This one is pretty cool...

[Tippster]

I've been slowly sifting through the images fro mthe new areas and I must say I'm pleased. This one is pretty cool...
Yeah... it's OK...

[ak_powder_monkey]

I have some work to do... Its a long skin back to those goods.


Sweet TR

oh and FYI that was probably x mas chute, new years hasn't opened this year as far as I know.

[miniracer]

GREEN :D With ENVY

Str8line camps rule.

Props for doing a camp for 3...
Str8line has such dedication to pulling off a camp for the skier!

Hope to see him next year somewhere......

[lph]

GREEN :D With ENVY

Str8line camps rule.

Props for doing a camp for 3...
Str8line has such dedication to pulling off a camp for the skier!

Hope to see him next year somewhere......

Yup, str8line is the MAN!!! :D

Something tells me there will be more than 3 next year...... yeah, you guys and girls out there know who i am talking about! ;)

[Arty50]

Yup, str8line is the MAN!!! :D

Something tells me there will be more than 3 next year...... yeah, you guys and girls out there know who i am talking about! ;)

More than 3?!?! Pfffft...forget it. I'm not going now...


...unless it's half price. :D


I can dream, can't I?

[Owens Never Sleeps]

Maybe we should just go with groups of one.

[Cannon]

This is Cannon I just want to say Arty did an awesome job of summing that up. Gordy and Sarge where great teachers and fun to hang out with for the week. I would definetly reccomend it to anyone looking for a good time in AK.

[spanky]

Bump for mid-summer stoke. Thanks Arty!

[Arty50]

Memorieeeeeeeessssss!!!!!!!!!

[James Carvile]

Oh who skis Alaska when you can Ski Ushuaia at this time of Year.

[altachic]

one more bump, i promise

[Arty50]

I am now accepting donations for a return trip. Please send whatever you can to the "Heliskiing in Alaska is Like Being Hooked on Crack Foundation."

[Owens Never Sleeps]

A bump on this --- Camps for 2006 are starting to get people in them. If you are interested, the time to hop onboard is now. Info on this seasons AK camps can be found Here (http://www.chugachpowderguides.com/gordy.html)

http://www.chugachpowderguides.com/gordycampa.jpg

[bklyn]

I am now accepting donations for a return trip. Please send whatever you can to the "Heliskiing in Alaska is Like Being Hooked on Crack Foundation."

I pledge $10

[Arty50]

Every little bit helps.

Did I also mention that my house just burnt down, my dog died, someone stole my identity and emptied my bank account, and I got a paper cut today?

[mattitude]

This would be the best 35th birthday present to myself. I could probably round up the funds but it is cash that could go to so many other things like a house down payment, savings, etc.

I figure I should do it now while I can still garnish good gnar points.

F*CK!!! I want this badly.

[Barnballs]

Arty, get crunching on those casino 'losses' for the fiscal year...I'm sure you'll come up with something creative.

Mattitude, HOUSE DOWN PAYMENT?! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!...dude you live in Manhattan Beach.

[CS]

Every little bit helps.

Did I also mention that my house just burnt down, my dog died, someone stole my identity and emptied my bank account, and I got a paper cut today?

I'm still waiting for the "woe is me I have a job and have to actually work now" plea.

[Arty50]

Even if I had the money, I couldn't go. I don't get vacation time until next year. :(

Edit: CS is a bastard. :D

[Zeedashbo]

those were some sweet pics. nice bump, i hadn't seen this.

[Owens Never Sleeps]

Even if I had the money, I couldn't go. I don't get vacation time until next year. :(


You just need a convenient "death in the family".

[The Reverend Floater]

You just need a convenient "death in the family".

Yeah, cuz that's not a great way to jinx yourself or anything! ;)

This is my favorite TR ever, Arty. Nice work.

[Owens Never Sleeps]

Yeah - I guess you probably wouldn't want the karmic snap back from that one, would you?

[ill-advised strategy]

Every little bit helps.

Did I also mention that my house just burnt down, my dog died, someone stole my identity and emptied my bank account, and I got a paper cut today?

then there's all that money on shoes..

[Cirquerider]

I was just searching for stuff on the Str8tline camps and came across this thread. Those pics are just awesome. Especially as I sit through another day at the office with temps soaring over 100 today. Arty, great TR. Did the funding drive falll short this year for a repeat, or did I just miss it?

[Arty50]

I was just searching for stuff on the Str8tline camps and came across this thread. Those pics are just awesome. Especially as I sit through another day at the office with temps soaring over 100 today. Arty, great TR. Did the funding drive falll short this year for a repeat, or did I just miss it?

All the money in the world wouldn't have saved me since I didn't have any vacation days this winter. Ok, well all the money in the world would have saved me since I wouldn't have to work. But I think you get the point. ;)

Damn...dreaming of AK again...

[Grange]

This is one TR that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Absoluting amazing.

[backcountry1pr]

its almost like being there and doing it...almost. Great write up man, lucky lucky lucky

[HotCarl]

Nice work,man. I've been on this site forever and finally just clicked on "the hall of fame" forums link. Nice TR. I rode with sarge a few weeks ago when i was in AK. I'll never forget that shit,my friend.

Here's the link to some of my pictures from my trip with CPG's and Sarge,just in case ya wanted to see some mo. Sorry,dont mean to hijack.

http://stuartperillo.blogspot.com/

[Core Shot]

You’ve seen all the movies, stared at pictures of unimaginably long and steep lines, and dreampt of one day getting in a chopper and visiting this magical place for yourself. But until you get there, these are just dreams…visions limited to the flatness of a theater screen or the tiny confines of a television set.

The reality is much larger. Much more awe inspiring.

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0046-small.jpg

You try to tell yourself that you live higher than the peak you’re currently standing on…but it doesn’t matter. You’ve just unloaded onto a ridge barely large enough for you, much less your group. The pucker factor is high. If you take a wrong step and slip off the back, there’s a good chance you’ll die.

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0039-small.jpg

Your desired line in front of you is 2,000 to 4,000 vertical of steep, wild terrain with glacial runouts going for miles. Then you see it…your line. Focus sets in…a huge smile creeps over your face…you drop in…

http://homepage.mac.com/arty50/.Pictures/AK2005/DSC_0082-small.jpg

Welcome to Alaska.



stokebump