return to navigation page incoming

August 22, 2011

Left Coast Visitors

My friend Jonathan Shefftz, "light-is-right" maven and driving force behind our "rando race gear for everyman" Internet alias, was in town for two days. I had missed him last year, and so busted it down to Paradise to get in a day of August turns with him today. For a pretty nice day, the crowd was extremely sparse, with only a handful of climbing parties on the mountain and no other skiers or boarders. Weird.

We chatted and skinned while catching up on each other's lives, kids, spouses and gear. Jonathan, who seemingly lives on GU while skiing, must have sucked down half a dozen of them during the day. I made do with a package of Shot Bloks and two Hammer Gels courtesy of Husky Cycling . . . This visit was a late replacement for a trip Jonathan had planned earlier in the summer that was cancelled because of the passing of his father, Melvin Shefftz, and he's been performing a touching remembrance ritual to his dad on each of his subsequent ski tours this summer. Afterwards, we did a couple of nice runs on the Upper Paradise, then traversed over to the Nisqually Chutes which still went, albeit with some healthy runnels and suncups - keep in mind this was August 22nd . . .

paradise082211_5304.jpg
Jonathan chats up some Serbian tourists - they brought the 1.5 year old baby on an overnight to Camp Muir . . .

paradise082211_5305.jpg
Lemurian spacecraft investigates the strange source of energy that is the Nisqually rock fall

paradise082211_5310.jpg
Jonathan pays homage to his recently deceased father by reading aloud a newspaper passage, something his dad loved to do in the mountains

paradise082211_5333.jpg
The third week in August and the Nisqually Chutes still go


August 2, 2011

84 Months

84 consecutive months of skiing.

I feel like a long-time AA member, valiantly standing up and proclaiming seven years of sobriety. Except in my case, it's been seven years of full-on intoxication.

It's meant the thrill of sliding over snow has never been more than 30 days away; the unequalled feeling of setting edges on some form of frozen water never far from my mind. Come September and October, with the languid heat that's sure to follow, I'm sure I'll be jonesing like Amy Winehouse at the Betty Ford Center - itching to bust out and score, but lucky enough to live in Washington State where, so far, the snow is never far away.

tatoosh080211_5286.jpg
My student Elissa on the peak between the Castle and Unicorn, Tatoosh Range, MRNP - a solid "A" for the mid-term

tatoosh080211_5283.jpg
Rainier wears its lenticular cap for the day, casting an "otherworldly" glow on the upper mountain


Previous Incoming Pages:

July, 2011

June, 2011

May, 2011

April, 2011

March, 2011

February, 2011

January, 2011

December, 2010

November, 2010

October, 2010

September, 2010

August, 2010

July, 2010

June, 2010

May, 2010

April, 2010

China: Wandering in the Middle Kingdom

March, 2010

February, 2010

January, 2010

December, 2009

November, 2009

October, 2009

September, 2009

August, 2009

July, 2009

June, 2009

May, 2009

April, 2009

March, 2009

February, 2009

January, 2009

December, 2008

November, 2008

October, 2008

September, 2008

August, 2008

June, 2008

May, 2008

April, 2008

March, 2008

February, 2008

January, 2008

December, 2007

November, 2007

October, 2007

September, 2007

August, 2007

June, 2007

May, 2007

April, 2007

March, 2007

February, 2007

January, 2007

December, 2006

November, 2006

October, 2006

September, 2006

August, 2006

July, 2006

June, 2006

May, 2006

April, 2006

March, 2006

February, 2006

January, 2006

December, 2005

November, 2005

October, 2005

"Incoming" covers developments that have personal interest to me (ie. gear I might consider acquiring, or events I feel may impact the sport of skiing) - it is by no means meant to be a comprehensive enumeration of gear or events in the ski world at large. Feel free to contact me via the randosaigai.com link below with news or images that may be of interest . . .

send mail to randosaigai.com