*** Official Snow Surfing Thread ***

bruhdakine

Miki Dora status
Jul 7, 2003
5,002
753
113
PNW
Natural Selection matchups are set. Some epic battles in the first round. Three of Bend's best (Elston and the Fergs) are in the mix but all three have tough matchups right out of the gate. Looking forward to that Ferg vs Ferg round 2 battle if they can somehow get past Kotsenberg and Sweetin.

Missing the defending champs but they have Olympic slopestyle to attend to so the door is open for this year's field.

Now we need some fresh snow in Jackson ASAP!
IMG_7290.jpg
 

Geopac

Billy Hamilton status
Jul 28, 2003
1,366
584
113
Ballast Point
Has this been the worst January on record for the Sierras? There has been no measurable snowfall the entire month and it looks to end with nothing in the forecast. Has there ever been zero snowfall at Tahoe/Mammoth for the entire month of January before? This sucks as I have a trip planned with buddies to Mammoth the second week of February. If the zero snow trend continues and the ridge of high pressure off the coast doesn't budge we're probably gonna pull the plug on the trip and postpone it till later in the season. It seems like the past few seasons up there have started with a bang, fizzled through the peak of the season, and then ended with a bang with major atmospheric river events at the start and end of the seasons. Talk about feast or famine.
 

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
6,347
6,729
113
Planet Earth
Has this been the worst January on record for the Sierras? There has been no measurable snowfall the entire month and it looks to end with nothing in the forecast. Has there ever been zero snowfall at Tahoe/Mammoth for the entire month of January before? This sucks as I have a trip planned with buddies to Mammoth the second week of February. If the zero snow trend continues and the ridge of high pressure off the coast doesn't budge we're probably gonna pull the plug on the trip and postpone it till later in the season. It seems like the past few seasons up there have started with a bang, fizzled through the peak of the season, and then ended with a bang with major atmospheric river events at the start and end of the seasons. Talk about feast or famine.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,120
10,240
113
33.8N - 118.4W
Has this been the worst January on record for the Sierras? There has been no measurable snowfall the entire month and it looks to end with nothing in the forecast. Has there ever been zero snowfall at Tahoe/Mammoth for the entire month of January before? This sucks as I have a trip planned with buddies to Mammoth the second week of February. If the zero snow trend continues and the ridge of high pressure off the coast doesn't budge we're probably gonna pull the plug on the trip and postpone it till later in the season. It seems like the past few seasons up there have started with a bang, fizzled through the peak of the season, and then ended with a bang with major atmospheric river events at the start and end of the seasons. Talk about feast or famine.
Well, there's always surfing. The surf has not been all time epic, but it's been pretty consistantly fun.... SO Cal speaking.
 

SeaFoamGreen

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 10, 2009
1,250
681
113
NorOR
Literally a warm dry Juneuary here in the PNW after 1st week of the year. And high and dry in the entire West. Spent most of last week in Western Colorado. Trip planned a long time ago around a bunch of HS friends schedules. Couple inches here and there, but mostly Roy in and am sun chasing in the PM. Fun carving around the groomers and a nice change of scenery from my home mountain esp the abundant sun and blue skies and lack of any crowds. An upper mountain lift did go one day, but was closed the next due to staffing shortages. Found some fresh up there, but also found some rocks. Didn't know the lines either, so rode it mostly in safety mode following tracks and assuming coverage was a little thin. Peps had also been hiking it so it had been skied to some degree. Good times and lucky they got pounded over the holidays to get a decent base, but did not really get the experience this mountain can offer. Hopefully a trip to Baker for a storm cycle before its all said and done this season. Only gets warmer from here on out.

PXL_20220125_193154346_exported_24100RESIZE.jpg
 
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$kully

Duke status
Feb 27, 2009
59,997
16,703
113
Went to Snowbird this weekend. First day of my season might be my last. Tweaked me knee around mid day on an easy cat track. Went from sunlight to shade and didn’t see a series of ruts that caught me off guard and tweaked the knee a bit but didn’t seem too bad. Took it easy the rest of the run. Took a couple more runs and it wasn’t so bad. Broke for lunch with the GF and then went back out with friends. On the backside of mineral basin we traversed over to a ridge in the sun that looked pretty untouched and buffed out. We figured it had been softening up in the sun. We were wrong. It was all crust and not great by Utah standards. I was still traversing on my toe edge when I lost it and when my board came out from under me I heard and felt the pop in my back knee. Didn’t want to get up for a solid minute cause I was afraid of what I was gonna feel. Was able to stand up so I decided to gingerly work my way down to the lift at the base of Mineral Basin. Heel edge was fine but I couldn’t ride for a second on my toe edge without my knee collapsing on me and falling on my face. Wasn’t down for a sled ride so I just heel edged my way down to the lift. Rode it back to the summit and took the tram ride of shame down to the other side. Better than being in the back of a patrol sled I guess? Anyway I spent the rest of the day in the Snowbird medical clinic which was busy as hell and surprisingly impressive. Dude at the front desk could have been Travis Rice’s twin brother. Looked and talked just like him. X-Rays came back clean but I’m still skeptical something isn’t right. Spent a day on crutches and ditched them for my travels home. Was able to hobble my way through two airports but it wasn’t fun and for the most part it doesn’t feel terrible. But every step I take needs to be very deliberate. Any time I let my guard down and take one wrong move my knee wants to collapse. Feels almost like there’s nothing keeping it from hyperextending the wrong way and there’s a very distinct pulling feeling that goes down the back of my calf when this happens. I’m super bummed but still holding out hope that it’s just a strain and won’t require surgery ending my season.
 
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$kully

Duke status
Feb 27, 2009
59,997
16,703
113
Literally a warm dry Juneuary here in the PNW after 1st week of the year. And high and dry in the entire West. Spent most of last week in Western Colorado. Trip planned a long time ago around a bunch of HS friends schedules. Couple inches here and there, but mostly Roy in and am sun chasing in the PM. Fun carving around the groomers and a nice change of scenery from my home mountain esp the abundant sun and blue skies and lack of any crowds. An upper mountain lift did go one day, but was closed the next due to staffing shortages. Found some fresh up there, but also found some rocks. Didn't know the lines either, so rode it mostly in safety mode following tracks and assuming coverage was a little thin. Peps had also been hiking it so it had been skied to some degree. Good times and lucky they got pounded over the holidays to get a decent base, but did not really get the experience this mountain can offer. Hopefully a trip to Baker for a storm cycle before its all said and done this season. Only gets warmer from here on out.

View attachment 123429
Horizon is crooked.
 

hammies

Duke status
Apr 8, 2006
15,587
14,214
113
Went to Snowbird this weekend. First day of my season might be my last. Tweaked me knee around mid day on an easy cat track. Went from sunlight to shade and didn’t see a series of ruts that caught me off guard and tweaked the knee a bit but didn’t seem too bad. Took it easy the rest of the run. Took a couple more runs and it wasn’t so bad. Broke for lunch with the GF and then went back out with friends. On the backside of mineral basin we traversed over to a ridge in the sun that looked pretty untouched and buffed out. We figured it had been softening up in the sun. We were wrong. It was all crust and not great by Utah standards. I was still traversing on my toe edge when I lost it and when my board came out from under me I heard and felt the pop in my back knee. Didn’t want to get up for a solid minute cause I was afraid of what I was gonna feel. Was able to stand up so I decided to gingerly work my way down to the lift at the base of Mineral Basin. Heel edge was fine but I couldn’t ride for a second on my toe edge without my knee collapsing on me and falling on my face. Wasn’t down for a sled ride so I just heel edged my way down to the lift. Rode it back to the summit and took the tram ride of shame down to the other side. Better than being in the back of a patrol sled I guess? Anyway I spent the rest of the day in the Snowbird medical clinic which was busy as hell and surprisingly impressive. Dude at the front desk could have been Travis Rice’s twin brother. Looked and talked just like him. X-Rays came back clean but I’m still skeptical something isn’t right. Spent a day on crutches and ditched them for my travels home. Was able to hobble my way through two airports but it wasn’t fun and for the most part it doesn’t feel terrible. But every step I take needs to be very deliberate. Any time I let my guard down and take one wrong move my knee wants to collapse. Feels almost like there’s nothing keeping it from hyperextending the wrong way and there’s a very distinct pulling feeling that goes down the back of my calf when this happens. I’m super bummed but still holding out hope that it’s just a strain and won’t require surgery ending my season.
Crud snow is injury snow,
My meniscus tells me so.

Good luck with the knee, dude!
 
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$kully

Duke status
Feb 27, 2009
59,997
16,703
113
Crud snow is injury snow,
My meniscus tells me so.

Good luck with the knee, dude!
The doc in the Snowbird Medical clinic did a bunch of range of motion tests and said my main 4 ligaments felt strong but there was a slight clicking in my meniscus. X-rays were also clean but I am a bit skeptical of the radiologist that was doing them. Seemed a bit of out of her element. Gonna go back to an orthopedist if things don’t improve in a few more days. I def taxed it more toting luggage and boards through two airports yesterday.
 
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hammies

Duke status
Apr 8, 2006
15,587
14,214
113
I did a partial tear of my right medial mensicus at June about 15 years ago in late-day cut up crud. They did an MRI and the surgeon said it's the kind of tear that will likely heal itself, that surgery would only have about a 20% chance of a successful outcome. So I took glucosamine/chondroiton, wore a brace for a few months, and after about a year it was back up to 95%. Every now and then it let's me know there's an old injury in there, but that 95% mark is still holding steady after all these years :)
 

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
6,347
6,729
113
Planet Earth
Went to Snowbird this weekend. First day of my season might be my last. Tweaked me knee around mid day on an easy cat track. Went from sunlight to shade and didn’t see a series of ruts that caught me off guard and tweaked the knee a bit but didn’t seem too bad. Took it easy the rest of the run. Took a couple more runs and it wasn’t so bad. Broke for lunch with the GF and then went back out with friends. On the backside of mineral basin we traversed over to a ridge in the sun that looked pretty untouched and buffed out. We figured it had been softening up in the sun. We were wrong. It was all crust and not great by Utah standards. I was still traversing on my toe edge when I lost it and when my board came out from under me I heard and felt the pop in my back knee. Didn’t want to get up for a solid minute cause I was afraid of what I was gonna feel. Was able to stand up so I decided to gingerly work my way down to the lift at the base of Mineral Basin. Heel edge was fine but I couldn’t ride for a second on my toe edge without my knee collapsing on me and falling on my face. Wasn’t down for a sled ride so I just heel edged my way down to the lift. Rode it back to the summit and took the tram ride of shame down to the other side. Better than being in the back of a patrol sled I guess? Anyway I spent the rest of the day in the Snowbird medical clinic which was busy as hell and surprisingly impressive. Dude at the front desk could have been Travis Rice’s twin brother. Looked and talked just like him. X-Rays came back clean but I’m still skeptical something isn’t right. Spent a day on crutches and ditched them for my travels home. Was able to hobble my way through two airports but it wasn’t fun and for the most part it doesn’t feel terrible. But every step I take needs to be very deliberate. Any time I let my guard down and take one wrong move my knee wants to collapse. Feels almost like there’s nothing keeping it from hyperextending the wrong way and there’s a very distinct pulling feeling that goes down the back of my calf when this happens. I’m super bummed but still holding out hope that it’s just a strain and won’t require surgery ending my season.
Fuck me. I came real close to wrecking my knee early last week. Twisting fall going slow in the moguls. Snow was soft enough that the nose of my board dug in. Felt like if I had twisted it anymore sh!t would get real. Untangled myself very slowly and called it a day.

Don’t blame you for not wanting to take the meat wagon down. I’d have probably done the same lol. Hope the road to recovery is short.

Currently looking at motocross knee pad braces smh

 
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