...SNOW

The move to Steamboat forced me to leave my ski equipment back in Utah. Then it did this in Colorado on August 15. Winter is closer than we think...

...Classic Wasatch Descents pt. 2

(click that shit...and drool)

Baldy Chutes - Yeah, Yeah. So this is within the boundaries of Alta Ski Area but they still make me giddy like a schoolgirl when I can catch them open up several days after a storm has blown through, or better yet, pre and post season. Main Chute is a classic and mellow line while Little and Dog Leg push the steep scale a bit. Perla's isn't quite couloir status while Tree Chute is just plain bananas (if even skiable) unless its a big snow year and an avy hasn't ripped Baldy's face off mid-season. Not many ski areas give you access to chutes of this magnitude. (Big Sky another example) This is just another reason why Alta is second to few in the world of inbounds steep skiing.

...a Career?

A grown-up job has taken me away from the Wasatch and landed me in Steamboat Springs, CO. Moving is inherently obnoxious, and buying EVERYTHING for an apartment from scratch sincerely tests the limits of my ability to load up the credit card. Thousands of dollars later, here I am, anxiously awaiting a paycheck to alleviate the pain.

Steamboat is an incredible town. I've been here for two days and am feeling extremely happy and fortunate to have landed in another beautiful ski/mountain town. The apartment is right on the main drag of town within walking distance to every bar, restaurant, and shop in this town. I'm also a quick bus ride up to the Steamboat ski area, walking distance to the ice rink, rodeo grounds, a tiny local ski hill, and the Yampa River. And these things are only what I've discovered in two short days of residence. It seems that Steamboat is much more of a "locals town" and has much less turnover from season to season. Even in the middle of August, "Ski town USA" is buzzing at all hours of the day. I can't wait for winter.

The digs are fantastic. It's really easy to find pictures of my apartment on the internet given its prime location downtown and vantage point to the ski area. It's the upstairs apartment on the left side of the photograph. Yes, it's right next to a dive bar. (click the pic for high res)More importantly...