I have put together the ultimate crew for the ultimate challenge; ride first descents in uncharted terrain accessed on foot. Myself, Travis Rice, Jonaven Moore, and Johan Ollofsen, with the help of Tom Burt will set out to ride first descents far from the heli boundaries in Haines. Chris Edmunds, Gary Pendergrass and Dan Milner will document the experiment.
The first order of business was to find our home. There is so much radical terrain that picking one spot is hard. Everywhere is new. Picking a spot is like picking a ski resort out of one of the best ranges in the world and doing it in an hour. Does it have small, lines, big lines, a place to land the plane, multiple aspects, the right elevation, and negotiable bergchrunds and glaciers?
It is all new. A new mode to access these mountains. The big question is “can it be done? Can we go out and ride world class lines in Alaska with out a helicopter?” For 15 years all my riding in Alaska has revolved around a helicopter. I have this world dialed. I can go from hotel room, to helicopter, to riding spines quicker then almost anyone in the world. This skill set has given me this amazing world of professional snowboarding. Now I am taking away my biggest tool, the helicopter.
Why don’t I keep turning out video parts like I did in the past? I did 5 last season. I could focus on one this year, make it awesome, people would cheer, I would keep getting paid. It is safer, requires less time away from my family and way less energy. This was the original goal, ride sick lines, star in movies. But after appearing in over 45 movies something strange happened along the way. I am almost embarrassed to say. I am no longer being full filled. It started turning into a job. I was not coming home bouncing off the walls. I think the root of the problem is that I was riding the same stuff over and over. It would be the day of days and I would be standing on a line I stood on 5 years ago.
I enjoyed it but I was missing that all encompassing obsession. That feeling I got on my first reel turn in my backyard, my first run in Valdez or my first few years exploring Haines with no one else around. I could get this with a heli but it would take the mother off all lines. Huge exposure, shooting sluffs and hairball speeds. On a good trip this would happen once.
Changing the rules, going on foot, stepping outside the safety bubble, exploring new terrain. This is how I get off now and I do it with ease. I am a cheep drunk on foot.
I wish it were easier. I wish I could keep doing the same thing to achieve my highs but I do not make the rules. My brain needs new things and new challenges. This winter we have had good luck ripping the hard to reach lines in the lower 48. Is it a pipe dream to try and do it in Alaska? Did I bite off more then I can chew? There are seven other people I have sold the dream to. Hopefully we can turn this dream into reality.
The new weapon for the mountains. Twice as fast as a heli, a 10th of the price but tow inns are not an option.
split boards gone wild.
Rice ans Jonaven waiting for the next drop.
Off to the unknown. The clouds are sittlng at about 5 thousand feet. The is the top of many heli runs but we are heading to the bigger mountains off in the distance.
Our new home. Pretty much nothing is named or has been climbed or ridden. The options are endless. Tom Burt gives
Another pic of the zone. We were not planning on going this deep but we could not pass this up.
Stacked mountains with fingers of water in between. It is like nothing I have ever seen before.
Base Camp.
Edmunds roped and ready to check the backyard.
The temp drops fast when the sun goes down. It is the coldest temps I have ever camped in. Everything freezes. Toothpast sun screen et.