OT: who wants to do some REAL boarding/sking.

raffee · Since 01 Jul 2008 12 Posts Newport,Oregon

I hear you brother, you are not the only one. We often feel the need to get the hell out. I always think New Zealand, big down wind runs on a sweet skiff, to a good surf or dive spot. Do it! I just recently felt like knocking peoples head off so went to Maui to learn to Kite surf. I am now totally hooked. I put the quote below for when we try to explain to folks not like us... do somthing.
Raffee

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can"
Moby Dick

Ringorama · Since 01 May 2006 64 Posts Wilsonville

Enjoying the thread...

Pitching out options, here's the ultimate back country transporation, for the old and young....

BTW- those snowcats get 2MPG and travel at top speed of 8 MPH.

Sled access w/ AT Gear is how we roll. Only hit the ski resorts with the kiddos.

lewmt · Since 04 Aug 2010 182 Posts MT Stoked

Venture Helix splitboard - ~$1000 all rigged w/voile hardware
Spark Blaze splitboard bindings - $300
Voile tractor skins - $170
3 section collapsible poles, avy gear - $450

Look at how much change you have to trip as often as you like to places the helis don't go for a lifetime.

Helix is maybe the only factory splitty that is versatile enough to ride centered, super nice in all kinds of B/C conditions & works super well as a snowkite ride. Most splitboards are built to ride backset for powder conditions which doesn't translate to kiting. Best part - once you're rigged for earning turns the splitty will serve you well for kiting as you'll never fear getting too far from the road/ride & having the wind dump out - just skin your way back - no worries.

disclaimer - I don't ride for any brand & have ridden a variety of split gear. The helix/spark combo is by far the best I've used for the varieties of stuff I do.

there's some deals out there this spring on Helix's - check this: http://splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10941

pdxmonkeyboy · Wed Mar 30, 11 10:49 am

Yeah a split board would be cool but one thing you have to remember is that you have to have the time to use them. I used to do a fair amount of mountaineering in the PNW and I can tell you from experience it is REALLY time intensive. Planning, traveling, and then you get to the base can conditions suuuuck. I've spent many a weekend huddled in a tent on the side of a hill waiting for the conditions to break.

Not saying it can't be done or anything and back country sking would totally be sweet but how much back country sking does a father of two with a full time job that lives 1.5 hours from the nearest mountain actually get to do?

Its kind of like mt. biking in whistler for me. Yeah, it takes 7 hours to drive there. But in a single weekend I'll get a year's worth of vertical riding in...or more.

To each his own for sure, and BTW, as a trip like this takes some planning and $ I was thinking of next spring not this spring.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Maybe share a sled with someone that has space to store it? Might work since you won't be using it every weekend anyway, and if it's a good enough sled you guys can tandem on it if necessary.

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

Valdez is having the worst winter in years. Wouldn't go that route... btw i was there 3 weeks once and flew for 4 runs.

i hear haines is a better option. tho when valdez is on it is sick.

BC has several mountain huts. get some buds, get heli dropped in for a week and split your way around. we opted to bring a cook instead of a guide and had sick home made meals waiting for us for about $1200

some shots of the trip here

Macaframa · Since 06 Jul 2010 81 Posts California Delta

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

-Abraham Lincoln

Aeolus · Thu Mar 31, 11 8:53 am

I also picked up a bad mountaineering habit over the years. My ice tools frequently scream at me from the depths of the totes in the garage. Learning to wave kite is currently beating back the demons..... There might be many people on this forum that have issues with dopamine.....withdraw symptoms are not pretty.

caps · Since 23 Dec 2010 347 Posts Obsessed

tinyE · Since 21 Jan 2006 2004 Posts not really an XTreme Poster

I have a friend who runs this place up in Washington. Havent done it yet.

http://www.cascadepowdercats.com/

piperdude · Since 05 Sep 2009 28 Posts

Monkeyboy,
I finally made it to AK heliboarding after dreaming about it for 20 years. We did it on the cheap (relatively speaking) but only because I have a sibling in Palmer area. We just figured to head up and hang out for a week and pull the trigger if the weather looked good. We took sleds up to Hatchers Pass (which was a close second to the heli experience) and hung out for a few days while watching the forecast. A bluebird was forcasted a few days out so we called Chugatch Powder Guides and they had room for 2 so we were on. We just drove down to Alyeska Resort early the morning of and paid 1200.00 for the day. It was the coolest thing I think I have ever done. The riding was pretty mellow compared to what I was expecting- was hoping for a little more pucker-factor but they said the snow was too sketchy to put us on the really steep stuff. The other two guys we ended up with were beginners at best and that is the real reason we were held back- make sure you have a full group of dudes at your same level. I would have to say the actual riding was probably only about 20% of the experience- about 50% was the heli ride and the other 30 was being on top of the flippin world with jagged white peaks as far as you could see in all directions- Absolutely Incredible!!

I went down the exact same route as far as my feelings for Meadows and getting super bored but like Betty said the kid thing worked wonders. I ended up getting the kids the 5 time night for 75.00 (Christmas present) and that worked pretty good and was also relatively cheap. The trick is to not expect the good ol days and just do it for the kids and a few times I was rewarded with some pretty sweet runs while they hung out in the lodge with some hot chocolate and waited for me. The real reward is now my 10 year old is ripping and super fun to ride with.
Anyhow I told him to start saving his pennies for that day when we can both go heliboard together-