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  1. #26
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    Shredhead I think 81 was my last year on the AHSP. I agree Mac was really instrumental in getting things opened up, great guy.

    BTW its Dale, not Dave. Just want to make that clear because I was hoping to make contact with Don Mills but I can't find him anywhere. If anyone knows a contact for him please send me a PM.

    We have done a few over nights in PHQ also. The woods near the top of Oly was the best place to hide until after sweep.

    Thanks for the reply.
    Last edited by mt_goat; 11-18-2010 at 10:21 AM.
    Dale (AKA Downhill Dale, Professor Flake)

  2. #27
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    Sorry about that Dale, once I hit reply, it didn't show your sig and I've lost a few cells.

    Those were some fun days and I'm pretty dam lucky to still be alive!
    RIP to all of our freinds that aren't!

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shredhead View Post
    Sorry about that Dale, once I hit reply, it didn't show your sig and I've lost a few cells.

    Those were some fun days and I'm pretty dam lucky to still be alive!
    RIP to all of our freinds that aren't!
    Amen Brother.
    Dale (AKA Downhill Dale, Professor Flake)

  4. #29
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    Apr 2009
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    I can’t believe that they don’t mention that there is now a Starbucks at the summit of H bowl, thanks to the hard work of the people who pioneered the bowl.
    believe me its real.

  5. #30
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    Not too many places I'd rather be on this planet than on the summit of Highland Bowl about to send it down the gut

  6. #31
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    Too bad they closed the gate to Childs Play. Damn patrol wants it all for themselves.
    Wouldn't be throwing bombs in there other wise would they?

  7. #32
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    Many thanks for all the info in this Thread. Having patrolled there back in the mid 60's, I Have enjoyed reading some of the Bowl's History, since I left the Highlands back in 68. Many a day I sat alone on "Siberia Duty" in the Loge's shack drooling over the runs in the Bowl. I have always regretted not going along on several poaching forays on days off, to the north facing glades with the assistant patrol leader at the time. Our days off never matched up. I recall that Jim Flanagan, who was on the packing crew while I was there, got wracked up pretty badly in those trees a year or two after I had moved on to Snowmass. And I see that many years later, Lou Dawson, a trail crew member at Snowmass, nearly bought the plot in the Bowl.

    When they first started taking tours down the Maroon Ck. side I shuddered at the dangerous risks and exposure. Having witnessed a slide fracture 6' deep on the west aspect of the ridge, that ran from Pyramid Point all the way up and beyond Highlands Pk. following a 6' storm in March of 66 or 67, and which ran hundreds of feet up the other side of Maroon Ck valley, I don't think any one could have paid me enough $ to ski down there.

    Happy to see that there has been such success with the consistent, systematic control program on the Highlands Bowl area. Pretty amazing what has been accomplished there over the years. Congrats and Cheers to all participants involved. Man,... that's one GNARLY Depo. Zone.

    I'm jealous. Would love to get back for an epic few days there in that venue, that I drooled over for sooo long.

    Thanks again for some of the history.

    Cheers.
    "People ask us to take them skiing, and I'm like, 'REALLY'? I mean if you want to get in an avalanche or just die somehow, then, YEAH, come with US!" - Nathan Wallace

  8. #33
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    Wish I had a $1 for every time I've heard;...... "The Damn Patrol wants it for themselves!"...BULL
    Last edited by wildskizer; 11-17-2010 at 01:47 PM. Reason: error
    "People ask us to take them skiing, and I'm like, 'REALLY'? I mean if you want to get in an avalanche or just die somehow, then, YEAH, come with US!" - Nathan Wallace

  9. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shredhead View Post
    That a great story, I never saw that before. I think it's great that they mentioned Theo and some of the other early skiers. We use to hide in Boomerang Woods until after sweep and then sleep in the loge patrol shack until 5am. Then ski the Y zones at first light and ski daddle out to Castle Creek.

    I was also on one of the 19 tours in 82. I was a volunteer patroller with Pinto. But I had a three mountain Aspen comp pass and they wanted me to work way too too much and it didn't look like they would be hiring any pro's for a while, so I quit. But when the slide got Tom, Chris and Craig, that all changed.

    I think they have to give PD Mac Smith and Mt. manager Ron Chauner a lot more credit for getting the bowl openned. Those guys busted there asses to get the bowl openned and still are some of the hardest working guys at the skico.

    Downhill Dave, did you work there in 82?
    R U coming out next week?

  10. #35
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    Mt Goat: You any relation to "Downhill DicK"?

    Cheers
    "People ask us to take them skiing, and I'm like, 'REALLY'? I mean if you want to get in an avalanche or just die somehow, then, YEAH, come with US!" - Nathan Wallace

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Braun View Post
    R U coming out next week?
    9th, I will be at the Highlands opener. Next week looks good, but that's a lousy time to travel.

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by wildskizer View Post
    Mt Goat: You any relation to "Downhill DicK"?

    Cheers
    Not that I know of. Just one of the nick names handed out by other patrollers (I loved to run the downhill courses when they were up and sometimes would grab a pair of 223s off the rack for fun).

    So were you at Highlands before Mac Smith started patrolling? I heard as a kid Mac was banned for life from Highlands mt because he raised too much hell. Then he ends up being the best patrol director ever LOL. Pretty funny story...I can probably find that story again by searching the Aspen Times with google.

    Mac was one of the assistant patrol directors when I started, the other one was a guy nicknamed Merk. Merk later was let go after an altercation with a patron on the steeple chase exit catwalk. The patrol director was an old goat who owned a home in Starwood (can't remember his name). He left the year after I started and Mac took over the next season IIRC.

    EDIT: Here's the story, dang its from the NY Times LOL: http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/travel/01surf.html

    Quote from link:
    Mr. Smith has been scouting out this "new" terrain since he was 19 years old, skiing out of bounds in the same area where the new lift is located today. A horse rancher's son who grew up in Emma, 20 miles west of Aspen, Mr. Smith was on the bulldozer last summer, clearing 45-degree slopes and herding his crew of snow packers and patrollers.

    The Highlands Master Plan, which has been in the works in one form or another since the mid-70's, has finally been completed with the opening of the $2.7 million project. Whip Jones, the former owner of Aspen Highlands, ordered what was then known as the Deep Steeplechase lift in 1976, but a record lack of snow that same winter made its installation fiscally impossible.

    The name Temerity was chosen by Mr. Smith, who was once "banned for life" from the mountain (a punishment later rescinded) at age 11 for terrorizing ski school classes. "It means bold to the point of almost being foolish," he said. "That's the way I grew up, taming bucking horses for the rodeo, climbing 14,000-foot peaks in my cowboy boots, and skiing powder. I don't consider it extreme. It's just what's normal to me."
    Last edited by mt_goat; 11-18-2010 at 09:51 AM.
    Dale (AKA Downhill Dale, Professor Flake)

  13. #38
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    Oct 2010
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    michigan
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    Great bowl history, Woodsy. I was living in Aspen when Lou got caught and remember going wide eyed when hearing the report. Naturally, buds and myself started looking at the bowl a little differently and finally skied it. Patrol cut in front of us at the start of the hike and asked for our day passes we had bought so we wouldn't lose our season passes. Absolutely an unforgettable day! Hiked past the top so we could catch better snow [north woods?] and had it waist deep. Memories over 30 yrs old, yet clear as a bell.

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by mt_goat View Post
    Not that I know of. Just one of the nick names handed out by other patrollers (I loved to run the downhill courses when they were up and sometimes would grab a pair of 223s off the rack for fun).

    So were you at Highlands before Mac Smith started patrolling?:
    Dale: Yeah, there in the mid - late 60's. Worked for / with Charlie [Chuck] Bolti, & for Mr. Whipple. A Little PRE Bowl History: ...

    Your prior namesake, Downhill DICK, AKA Dick Frass, was there in 67, I think. Came to AH from Mammoth, where he received his nick name because he was [ supposedly ] the first person to straightline [ schuss in those days ] the "Cornice" run there. Guy couldn't ski worth a shit! A patrol "wannabe", and a good head, in spite of it. We put him on the packing crew.
    He claimed he'd broken every bone in his body at least once, either skiing or motocross riding, and ,to look at him one could believe it!

    Back then we, the patrol and packers, ski packed the mountain, each AM for an hour and a half. Chuck and Mr. Whipple had built "Rickshaw" type 8' drum packing rollers that were run by / behind a skier packer, to roll pack new snow on the slopes. It was A lot like running a Rig full out down a slope.
    Downhill Dick loved the damn things! If he was anything, he was a bit crazy.

    In the spring of 67 I think, while he was running the roller one morning, balls to the walls, he augured in a tip and the packing roller smashed his lower leg. One of the ER Operating nurses told me she counted 37 pieces of bone in the tray during the operation to rebuild his leg... Poor guy spent over a month in AVH in traction with pins in his knee and ankle....

    Later on in his recovery, we felt so sorry for his ass we hijacked him from the hospital, & took him out for a nite on the town at the "Slop Shute" in the "Red Onion, and poured 'Wild Turkey' down his throat [ HA! ] till he passed out. Took him back to AVH and wheeled him through the ER Doors and split!

    "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end!"

    Well, enough old timer shit huh?!

    TurnOn everyone, it's over before U know it!...
    "People ask us to take them skiing, and I'm like, 'REALLY'? I mean if you want to get in an avalanche or just die somehow, then, YEAH, come with US!" - Nathan Wallace

  15. #40
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    Nov 2003
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    Good stuff! I was happy to share the first Deep T chair on the 'official' opener with Karl and SDP. SDP cut the ribbon and you could really see and feel the emotion, especially from Mac and Ron.

    This thread is worthy of some pics. Post 'em up!








  16. #41
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    ^^^
    Yep, that was a good day!

    On the whole the mountain runs way better under the skico. It used to be noon before they ever got Steeplechase open on a powder day, now the bowl's usually open before that.

  17. #42
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    R those pics from the west side [Maroon Creek] of the ridge?
    "People ask us to take them skiing, and I'm like, 'REALLY'? I mean if you want to get in an avalanche or just die somehow, then, YEAH, come with US!" - Nathan Wallace

  18. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by wildskizer View Post
    R those pics from the west side [Maroon Creek] of the ridge?
    The first two are. The third is above Five Fingers and the last is further out on the ridge (Gnarly Bowl).

  19. #44
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    Sep 2001
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    Babylon
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    so cool to see this thread strill bumpin around..
    thanks for the knowledge all
    need to scan some Y zone pics in from that first year...
    also anyone who can make highland's opener
    go

    I miss it
    went for years after I moved to UT but cant manage it these days

  20. #45
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    Is there any activity in Highland Bowl yet this year?
    Dale (AKA Downhill Dale, Professor Flake)

  21. #46
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    They had a powder posse in the bowl a week ago Sunday that was really good if you knew were to go and boney if you didn't. I assume they're still boot packing.

    Most of my bud's are skiing Ajax now that it's 71% open. They opened the dumps yesterday. They still have the race course closed for a Noram.

  22. #47
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    https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2018...he-snow-beast/

    another great article on the Highland Bowl tradegy.

  23. #48
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    Highland Bowl-Special Place- Great Article

    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Braun View Post
    https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2018...he-snow-beast/

    another great article on the Highland Bowl tradegy.
    Thanks for sharing that. And thanks for bumping this thread. Good read. I knew nothing about any of this. Place looks incredible.
    crab in my shoe mouth

  24. #49
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    Yeah that article is fantastic and I love the old photos.

  25. #50
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    Great historical overview and detailed account of the 84 slide. Some of those slide photos are crazy, and true testaments to the work AHSP has done and still does to make the Bowl happen for us.

    Another great read from a few months back, about the dream of Ski Hayden. The Alps-esque ski area that never came to be - https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2017...uld-have-been/

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