The Bridge leaving Golden and heading up to Kicking Horse
We found this little trickling waterfall on a hike through some back countrynear Kicking Horse ski resort. We looked at each other with that same kind of idea running through our head. After slashing some pow into the trickling water, It was time to gap the waterfall! Get pumped and Send it.
Scouting some Lines
We pulled into Revelstoke and were greeted receiving 25% discount of lift tickets. Anything helps when ski bumming on the road. After a few great days purchasing discounted lift tickets we decided to bust out fingernail clippers and head to the parking lot in hopes of scoring some afternoon riding. Worked out perfectly, sleep in & ski for free all afternoon. Hey all you ski bums don’t leave home without your clippers.
Riding up the gondola at Revelstoke
Revelstoke is a mountain that drops 1700 meters (5600 ft) straight fall line from top to bottom of the gondola. It is a fast paced riding kind of mountain with a ton of big mountain shredders and cliffs to drop for days. We didn’t hit the best conditions as most of the mountain was skied off and the avalanche danger in the back country considerable at best. Oh but we found some goods!
In route to Revelstoke my camper motored on down the beautiful Powder Highway, we pulled our dirty rig into a “Level” day skier parking lot at Silver Star mountain resort. Just outside Vernon, British ColumbiaNearing 3 in the morning we got some much needed rest.
Woke up to Bacon grease sizzling in the kitchen. AJ Hobbs was manning the pan, melting cheese, frying potatoes, and saving lives. After grinding burritos we loaded our packs for a day in the woods. Slapped skins on the split board and skinned up to the top of the mountain. A mountain patroller told us that skinning up here was illegal and we NEEDED a lift ticket. Back country access is not allowed from anywhere on their mountain and that everything out of bounds is dense wooded area deemed “un-rideable”. We were escorted down the mountain. Fired up the camper and made our way up to Revelstoke in hopes of fresh snow and safe back country riding.
All in all Silver star was a beautiful little village with not to much of a mountain.Absolutely not touring friendly. At least we had a fun hike through what felt like an enchanted loggers forest.
So happy late thanksgiving everyone! mmmm turkey and pumpkin pie! I enjoyed the company of my family in Michigan for Thanksgiving for the fisrt time in 6 years, For the record; that is way to long to not have Thanksgiving with your mother, especially if she is as kick ass as mine. She spent the morning down ad God’s kitchen servin up the less fortunate until my jet plane landed where she made it home to whip up my first home cooked meal since the tour started the beginning of October.
Thanksgiving back in Michigan was very much how I remembered it growing up. To start things off as always my Detroit Lions managed to find yet another way to lose a football game. Mom made the best turkey and Pumpkin pie that I have eaten in a really long time.. We all stuffed food into our stomach’s until actually even after my body said ” NO MORE” i mean after all it is Thanksgiving. Eat until you don’t have any sort of equilibrium to really think of moving around.
Overall the company of my family and friends was unforgettable. We followed up the feast by blasting boxes of clay pigeons into dust with my brothers 12 gauge until my shoulder was sore, got yelled at and harassed by the d*%$ headed Michigan cops, and made our way home for an adult beverage and pumpkin pie. AHHHHH…
Now I sit back in a hotel room just north of Boston in a little place called Revere. It is already dark out, slightly mild for this time of year i presume, but maybe this is how it always is? The tour is not over yet, with shows still to come in Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, and Detroit! Andrew and myself are about to head3.5 hours into NYC to Madison Square Gardens to see Phish Play tomorrow for their 26th anniversary show, WHO-DANG it’s gonna be a good one!
http://us.movember.com/mospace/363900/ Our road crew all decided to grow our moustaches while on tour. So we joined Movember in order to raise some scrilla for a good cause. Click on the link to learn more and help out if you can 
It was an absolute amazing Halloween in Chicago, cruising the town just trying to “fit-in”. Playing games all night even when we ended up at the Wit’s rooftop party downtown. 27th floor of amazing views of the town and red carpet at the entrance surrounded by fancy folks that loved our stye. We were on the podium at the contest party playing game after game until we got to the final level and won…. 100$ for best dressed.
~GAMEOVER~
Back in Chicago after a busy week of driving through Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. The weather has been chilly, cloudy, with a bit of drizzle, but I have been enjoying it thoroughly. The leaves are vibrantly bright warm colors from yellow to red and everything in between. Half of them are off the trees painting the ground and streets while the rest still hold on until they drop off forever. We showed Warren Millers Dynasty twice in Minneapolis at the beautiful State Theater right downtown. In Madison at the older grungier Barrymore Theater for a sold out (oversold) show. And in downtown Milwaukee at the amazing Pabst Theater ( free beer)! Now all of us on the crew “rest” and enjoy a few days off until it all begins again on Wednesday in Chicago for a few of the big shows!
Facial Discrimination
Cruising the white mini-van through Chicago after snagging some groceries from Whole Foods. Andrew Ratzlaff was riding shot-gun and I was driving. Next thing I know there are flashing lights in the rear-view “what’s happening?” I said.
“Ugh, looks like your getting pulled over” says Ratzlaff. I pulled the mini van onto the side of the road, but there wasn’t really a shoulder as it was a busier road. Next to the curb two out of shape officers approach the van rather quickly and order me to give him my license and insurance. I handed my license over while Andrew rolled down his window addressing the other cop ” what’s up dude” fumbling for the insurance of the rental car. “Oh you boys are from Colorado huh?!” Immediately demands we both get out of the car, now these dudes were serious, definitely not fucking around. Knowing we had nothing to hide Andrew and myself willingly hopped out of the automobile.
“Put your fu*$ing hands on the car” Our hands immediately were placed on the car so these power trippers don’t shoot us. Our legs get kicked apart and bodies get fully padded down. “You boys have any weapons or drugs?”
“No drugs sir I’m an athlete but I have a box cutter in my back pocket” I say nervously. Not because I had a box cutter but because I was just pulled out of my van and thrown against the side of it.
“Why do you have a box cutter?” the officer says very aggressively. Looking at both of us as if we were criminals.
“For opening BOXES” I say a little irritated, with the duh expession on my face. The cop tilts his head and looks at me through the tops of his eyes. I just looked back down at the hood of the cop car avoiding eye contact.
“What is all of this about?” Andrew says to the cop near us while the other pig is totally ravaging through everything in our van. “Yeah I’m kind of nervous right now” I said my legs were shaking pretty good thinking about being cuffed and thrown into the back of a cop car.
“Why” the cop responded ” You shouldn’t be nervous if you have nothing to worry about.”Then they just continued to question us about everything What are you doing here, where did you get this van, what do you do for work. The cop says ” Well, we got a call from dispatch saying there was a mini-van in the area trying to pick up little girls. “Definitely not us” sputters Andrew. We look at each other with huge eyes and we were both thinking; these guys think we are pedophiles.
2 guys+2 mustaches+1 minivan= Pedophiles.
Eventually after running our names the cops toss both of us our licenses back to us and say sorry, you guys are legit, have a nice day.
Last night I went on stage to MC for Warren Millers Dynasty at the beautiful Peery’s Egyptian theater http://www.peerysegyptiantheater.com. This place was built in 192o something, i think it was 1924. This theater has the atmospheric dome style ceiling with stars that very blink very suttely against the flashy tye-dye blue ceiling. Yep makin up words…Even fake looking windows down the side walls of the theater to make it feel as if you were outside between two Egyptian buildings.
Ogden folks came out to have a good time and kick of the start of their winter. The first show was probably only a few hundred people. Both the 6 and 9 shows were close to being packed.
I had a lot of fun with these gals and guys, as people are stoked to come out and see our film year in year out.
Salt Lake City is beautiful and the weather is nice, a bit warmer than i was expecting. Airplane landed yesterday morning, we rented our fat rides, headed to air-cargo to fill up the trucks with gear, praying mantis included. Got all of the work done, checked into the hotel around 2. Followed by a stroll around the city watching people. Backat the Hotel we found free drinks at happy hour where we were staying ( AWESOME). Leading us to an epic night out on town, er just at a local pub called Gracies. A 3 piece band (a stand up bass, drummer, and guitar player) all dressed in vintage 80′s suits. Basically they covered all sorts of fun music without any lyrics in a fun dance your face off lounge sort of way.
Today is The world premier of Warren Miller’s Dynasty and there is not a cloud in the sky! Woke up around 6:00 a.m. for free breakfast down in the hotel restaurant . Eggs, pastries, toast, O.J., and pancakes, I even managed to get a an apple and few bananas in my pocket for lunch later on. Right now its time to go look through door prizes and make sure everything is here. Maybe try to squeeze in a game of Frisbee outside. maybe.
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