195 | JP Auclair's "STREET SEGMENT"

While there is an incredibly amount of ski film stoke out this year, one of the few movies I've yet to see is "All.I.Can" by Sherpas Cinema. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this film, and after watching the 5-minute clip below that is guaranteed to blow you away, I'm easily inclined to side with the masses. Ten years from now, people will still be talking about "The Street Segment"...

194 | "This is My Winter" starring Xavier de Le Rue

If you can spare 30 minutes today, do yourself a favor and watch the latest film documenting snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue's ability to tackle some of the gnarliest lines in Europe. There's big mountain riding, then there's this...

Click here to watch.

193 | Upgrade your Epic Pass

Local Breckenridge artist Scotty Bondo (former KSMT radio DJ and backcountry skiing guru) knows how to deliver the funnies (after all, he was a standup comedian for eighteen years).

Here's the latest epic cartoon:

192 | Automotive Skijoring | 2 November 2011

Often when out attempting a backcountry excursion, you have to get creative in order to make subpar conditions otherwise more fun and enjoyable. Going further, sometimes you need to rely on a pickup truck and climbing rope for stoke. "Huh?" you might ask. I present automotive skijoring... when lusting for powder requires redneck inventiveness...

191 | Butler Gulch, CO | 29 October 2011

If you've experienced early season backcountry skiing along the Front Range in Colorado, you know full well that Butler Gulch near Jones Pass does exceptionally well. Generally, upslope storms hit this particular area of the state hard early on such that it's not uncommon to witness new snow toppling two feet where areas nearby barely received a foot. Following last week's snowfall that brought 16-24" at Berthoud Pass, the consensus was to visit this gem for below treeline skiing as well as the very rare high alpine October descent down Hourglass to close out an amazing day in the mountains. Check that... every day in the mountains is always amazing.



Gary shows off how badass he is, only highlighted by the abuse his rock board has received over the years:





Engaged couple Dave and Mel gear up:





No one is allowed to begin skinning uphill until shots of blackberry brandy are consumed. Maeve shows how it's done... I soon follow (never have to twist my arm):







Even the pups were itching to get after it following the long, hot summer we had:





Soon, we were off and climbing in perfect weather: no wind, plenty of sunshine, and a brisk temperature best suited for skinning:





After pressing with a swift pace, we reached the promised land:





The group was all smiles (Chris, Maeve, Steve, Gary):











Some of us (read: Mel) would rather let their true emotions be known:





Our first lap was treated to stellar conditions given the time of the year. We skied low-angle trees with none of us hitting bottom. Plenty of fresh snow was had even with a large conglomerate of people out this particular day. For our second lap, we decided to climb even higher up heading towards 12,200':









Now it's time to shred (Gary, Maeve, Steve):









Jackson returns back to the trailhead stoked to woof his backcountry tale to all the other dogs:






Video from the day: