Vail, CO

Now that we're in Vail, it's time to shred the gnar! Martin and I hit the mountain this afternoon to see what good snow we could find in these late-season conditions. I've got to admit, I wasn't exactly tearing it up out there. There are probably several reasons why, but the main two are the fact that it's been over a year since I've ridden and the current shape of my board. It's made it through three seasons, one of which lasted over 90 days. Last year when I came out here I rode it from the slopes all the way to Allie's (Martin's girlfriend) house, which included some snowy streets with scattered road salts and gravel. I remember saying something to the effect of, "whatever, I need to get a new board before next year anyway." Actually, I've said that for the past two years. Anyway, it rode like a piece of plywood, but we still made it across most of the frontside of the mountain and plan on riding the frontside trees tomorrow.



Being out there brought back memories of my time out here two years ago. I mean, I basically lived in paradise for five months and had the ability to ride one of the finest resorts in the United States every day. Oh yeah, I was also reminded of what a workout snowboarding can be. I thought that mountain biking all winter would have me in tip top shape, but there are clearly plenty of muscle groups that just don't see much action on a bike. We took things easy today and I doubt I'll be sore by tomorrow morning, but tomorrow Martin and I are planning a much more strenuous day, which I'm absolutely looking forward to!