TR: *NEW* HUCKING WATERFALL (PICS of Blurred and Evil E + 45ft waterfall stomp & more

[summit]

Backcountry trip to East Vail Chutes with Blurred Elevens, Evil E, Chris, and I

Monday, March 8, 2004

17 images ~1400K WELL WORTH IT, MODEM USERS! TRUST ME!
Best viewed in 1024x768… (images copyright: me)

Here you go, Evil E. Sorry it took me so damned long to get this up. It wasn’t all my fault (well… not all of it).

Pardon my fuzzy memory. This TR is long overdue.

Called CAIC’s (Colorado Avalanche Information Center) forecast hotline… left for Silverthorne. I met Blurred and Evil E in Silverthorne and we drove to Copper Mountain to meet Chris (Blurred’s telemarker friend from Leadville) and we made our way to our usual East Vail parking. We proceeded with the regular three quads, catwalks, and our trek up the poma line (22 was not running) before hiking through the gates and eating a quick lunch above Marvin’s Bowl.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22137.jpg
Evil E and Blurred Elevens

After our usual long and winding traverse through the woods above a cliff band and through meadows, we unloaded to dig our snow pits across the usual area. CAIC had the danger at Considerable for all aspects and all elevations. While we were conducting tests, a snowboarder post holed into our midst. We asked him where his buddy was. He replied he was alone. He had no safety gear nor a pack. He informed us that he had simply hiked the gate and started following tracks. Our tests revealed a dangerous snow pack. We told the snowboarder it would be wise to stick with us so he wouldn’t wind up on a cliff he would have trouble getting away from plus the safety of a group. He likely could have been a very unhappy person going down something like waterfall for the first time without someone who knew the area.

The snow was very nice up top. There was lots of fluff and beautiful Waterfall Chute didn’t fail to disappoint: 3000ft+ vertical of beautiful stair-stepped waterfalls, pillow drops, cliffs, and powder down a narrow, steeply walled gully. Everyone enjoyed the snow and small drops while showing the snowboarder where to sally out of the larger ones. The chutes, despite their dangers, have an amazing ability to maintain outstanding snow long after it has ceased falling. This was definitely the case on this day.

Chris threw a messy front flip off the first icefall, but the namesake waterfall of the chute waited for us. I sallied around skiers left with all my 35mm gear and snaked down before climbing on top of the biggest tree in on the mountain, which had fallen across the gully and had a massive amount of snow on it. It formed a great bridge for a shooting platform. Blurred lined up on the highest point above the great icefall. He backed up from the point so he could get some speed going off, without hesitation, he launched, threw in a last minute grab, and stomped the landing some forty-five feet below.


http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22138.jpg
Frozen Grab at 45

It was absolutely thrilling to watch through the lens.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22139.jpg
Blurred 45 Foot Grab (frame grab from footage Evil E took)

While Chris lined up to launch the same point, I moved over so as to be able to get film of the landing which I had missed on Blurred’s grab. Chris took off like a flailing monkey, but it was still sick.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22140.jpg
Chris’s Sequence

It was very apparent how deep the snow was.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22141.jpg
Bandit Bomb Hole

Evil E sallied out through a few small pillows and Josh sallied out the same way with a little coaching and encouragement.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22142.jpg
LZ Perspective (Taken in April… notice 6’3” Telékoptero in the blue)

We dropped the fallen tree and made our way through the pillows and smaller falls through the gorge, having a grand time, until we reached the final narrow run out through the thick aspen saplings where the snow became very hardpack. It is amazing how different the snow was at the bottom due both to water runoff and lower altitude. Out of the creek bed, there was some thick snow left to get off the final cliff band.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22143.jpg
Sunlit Landing

Blurred followed the drainage to the final ice waterfall with boilerplate at the bottom above a frozen slope, but he dropped it and skied out just fine.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22144.jpg
Contrasting the Icefall Drop

We scraped our way out and across to the bus stop. Josh thanked us for guiding him out. Funkendrenchedman was on the bus.

After going back through the resort and hiking the lift and bootpack again, we were happy to realize the snow was still outstanding, though it was slightly heavier. We made our way back through, hitting everything again but enjoying it as much as the first run. This time Evil E worked himself up to hit the main icefall he had avoided before.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22145.jpg
Pillows on the Frozen Falls

Eric was very happy with his drop. Brett was up next, electing to launch and stomp from the other side of the falls.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22146.jpg
Side Grab by the Icefall

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22147.jpg
Powder Ghost

Everyone stomped the fallen tree.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22148.jpg
Powder Midair

Unfortunately, Chris is a photo JONG so there is no picture of me. We continued down the chute to the next set of falls, but Blurred and Evil E elected to go into the heavy brush skiers right above the falls.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22149.jpg
Fly Through the Brush

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22150.jpg
Bam Tips

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22151.jpg
Through the Woods

The stair steps of light were in wonderful condition.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22152.jpg
Three on the Stair Steps of Light

However, the snow at the bottom had grown even more treacherous. Evil E fell in the aspen and was unable to move because of how his skis were stuck, one of which threatened to injure his knee. I had to release both skis for him. It was not a pleasant position. Blurred executed a accidental half linkin loop on the flats when his ski caught under a branch. He headed for the final ice waterfall again.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22153.jpg
Icefall Consideration

We all looked back up at the chute in that fading light and paused to consider the great day before heading off.



Past East Vail Chutes TR’s:

TR: WATERFALL CHUTE (PICS of Summit airborne and Brett inverting off a cliff)
http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=6626

Trip Report – 2 Days of East Vail Chutes BC – Sick!
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...&threadid=5188

[bad_roo]

Holy bollocks.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22142.jpg

That's a sizeable huck. Great TR - some really sweet photos (esp the second one). Plenty of things to ski into in those LZs.

[edg]

Great TR :-) Keep these up - there's enough stoke coming out of you guys to last 'til next season! (My last ski of the season was last Sat :'( )

edg

[Brett's Anus]

Ok, kewl pics and all, but DO YOU HAVE TO WRITE AN OVERDRAMATIC TR EVERY FUCKIN' TIME YOU SKI EAST FLAIL??? JUST POST PICS!! WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW BRETT TOOK A SHIT BEFORE DROPPING SOME LAME ASS TEE SHOT UNDER MARVINS. It's East Vail for god's sake!! It's not even bc, it's fuckin' resort skiing you little bitches! Grow a sack and do something worth spewing about.

[bad_roo]

Shit. I didn't realise it was resort skiing. I retract all my comments.

[Brett's Anus]

Originally posted by bad_roo
Shit. I didn't realise it was resort skiing. I retract all my comments.

go have some tea and a crumpet little man.

[bad_roo]

I'm all out of crumpet little men. Try harder, troll.

[jdabasin]

epic stoke boys. nice.

[Z]

facking awesome...

I can't get enough of the E.Vail stoke, keep it coming.....especially cause its gonna be my backyard next yr

[sick.bird]

CAW! CAW!!

[hev]

sweet.

[Lil' John]

Nice work! Piccy #2 in particular has me foaming.

[rip]

Originally posted by Lil' John
Nice work! Piccy #2 in particular has me foaming.

what?

[Lil' John]

Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaah!

[Skidawg]

That might be one of the best TR's I've read. Amazing hucking and amazing photo work boys.

[frozenwater]

That terrain is just beautiful. Very nice pics. Thanks for the stoke guys!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776


http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22146.jpg
Side Grab by the Icefall

This pic rocks. Nice grab and nice framing of the image.

[Art Vandelay]

very nice pics

[Yossarian]

Sick fucking grab.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22138.jpg

[edg]

Originally posted by Yossarian
Sick fucking grab.

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22138.jpg

Sick fucking photo. You should try selling that :-)

edg

[powstash]

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic22149.jpg

Sometimes I really dig just bustin through the trees/brush too. Nice job!

[Rippinsick]

S I C K

[seldon]

I heart summitco1776 and blurred.

[phUnk]

Nice!

[Ireallyliketoski2]

simply awesome, biglines does a really good job with the photos!!