2010-2011 Season in Review with the GPC

So sue me! I took Dan's group idea and I ran with it, so what? Anyways... It's sunnier outside, the weather is getting warmer, I've been coaching lacrosse... What do all these things have in common? They all mean that the snowboarding season is coming to an end, and just as I did last year I am posting (cue the inspirational music, the fireworks display, the guys waving and walking on stilts, numerous people holding their hands up in the air as if to say "We're Number 1!") the "2010-2011 Season in Review!!!"

Disclaimer: If for some reason I left you out of this or you feel I have made an error feel free to put up your own post! Don't go hating on mine!

I guess you can say the season for most of us started on Halloween weekend 2010. I barely got on my board in October, making it to A-Basin with Tammy on 10/31/2010. Phew! Just made that month, which also meant that I kept alive the possibility of snowboarding every month of the calendar year in 2010. Yes, it was early season conditions, but who cares? Snowboarding is awesome just like all of you! Most everyone else, A.J., Kevin, Dan, Vlad, Ben, Mike Looooowery!, Tzvi all went the day before.

November brought plenty of riding because every resort that I ride, and that is on my season pass opens up in November. I was out for Keystone opening weekend 11/6-11/7 along with Michee, Shelley, Scott, J. Fish, Mike Dowd, the D-Bag (Dan), Vlad, and Tzvi. Breck opened up the next weekend, and I made it out for that Sunday, 11/14. Then, as was a common theme for this winter, came the beginning of numerous injuries to all of us. For me, it was my back that was basically seized up and made it nearly impossible/unbearable to ride. So I was sidelined for five weeks. November also brought the introduction of The Mountain Haus to many of us! It was late November, the last weekend/Thanksgiving break that the Haus came open. I did not make the opening weekend for I was in NYC visiting my cuz, but I did make it out to the Haus first weekend in December.

December's first weekend was my intro to the Mountain Haus, however, because of my back I was unable to ride. Met a few Haus-mates like Lauren, Adam, Kate, Andrew & Jessica. Also, Kimmy and Jessica were part of the Haus so they were there along with A.J. Our friends Jennifer and Collin came on out to party for the weekend as well. The Haus was phat! Complete with a Hot Tub on the deck out back, a nice little grill, four rooms, sleeping arrangements for 15+, within 5 minutes of Keystone. Get the point? Perfection! We can attribute the proximity of the Haus to Breckenridge to numerous trips into the town for the night life including mainly spending many a night in Cecilia's... We can also attribute the location of the Haus to the addition to our crew of Martha, Joanna, and Natalie whom A.J., Ben, and myself met in Breckenridge randomly while chilling, drinking some beers in mid-February... But that's for February. Finally got back on my board during the weekend of the Dew Tour, and hit a few POW! days over the weekend. Once in Vail, then the next day at Keystone where Lauren and I met up with Walt on a Monday. After that Weekend, December was all but done save for a frigged day on New Year's Eve. We can attribute Christmas break and the like for that break in action.

New Year's in the Mountains! Well, I had hoped to be riding on New Year's Day after A.J. and myself set up the sweetest of parties for New Year's Eve in the Mountain Haus. Collin made it out for the New Year's festivities with his friends Andrew and Marcia... And his friend Andrew also brought a friend. Someone had the bright idea to move all the furniture out of the way in the living room, and made a dance floor where I can only assume I danced the night away. I can only assume this because I was HAMMED! by the time the New Year's countdown came around. Met some of the pilot Haus-mates and Rae also. Sky came out for the New Year's jam, and we ended up going to (you guessed it!) Cecilia's in Breck the night of January 1 with A.J., Jessica, Kimmy, Lauren, Collin, Sky, and Laura. The next day, 1/2/2011, was day 1 riding in 2011 at the 'Stoner! Because of the Mountain Haus, I got many a nights riding at Keystone... Most of them by myself, but that was actually a blessing in disguise because I started working on my switch riding and getting it down pretty good. Rode with Kelley for the first time at Keystone on 1/8 along with Dan and Vlad. Then on 1/9 we all headed to the Beav! where A.J., Kimmy, and myself met up with Lauren, Summertime and J. Fish for a few runs. Unfortunately for the theme of the winter, Dan tore his ACL at Keystone, so we had one boarder down for the season. Along with Dan, Kevin broke his ankle sometime in January, so his season was over as well. Body Count: 2 Boarders. Boo!!!

January was a very long month, and I had two guests come in from San Diego in the middle of the month... One Chris Miller and the forever infamous Alisha High. Just read my blog "Alisha's Adventures in the Colorado Winter Wonderland" and you will know just why she has become rather infamous! Alisha rode with me at Vail, then with A.J. and a few others of us at A-Basin, then with Kelly (part-time Haus mate) at Vail. Miller was at A-Bay and Vail working on his transitioning skills. That same weekend Alisha got lost in the Vail Back-Country, and Miller was visiting; Roxanne had a B-day and came to the Haus with Collin and a few of Roxanne's friends. We partied at Cecilia's yet again that weekend (surprise)! There was an impromptu Birthday breakfast for Miller and Roxanne of glazed donuts and birthday candles. On a random Thursday, 1/20/2011, I made it up to Keystone with the Roomie, Sarah! Rode with Steph a future Haus-mate at Keystone along with Monique. Also went to Vail a few more times in the month and Rae introduced us to the George in Vail. AWESOME! Great place for Happy Hour btw... A.J. had his AZ crew come out last weekend in January and we all rode together that weekend. Plus went out in Breck, but the first night we somehow strayed from Cecilia's mainly because Tammy was doing a Tuaca promo at the Goldpan, which meant free booze! Love it! Don't worry, the second night we made it to our home away from the Haus. Jennifer came up the last Sunday in January and met up with the AZ crew and us at Keystone. I toughed out a few hours at Keystone the next day with Jennifer where she took her birthday board (from Paul) on it's maiden voyage.

February is my favorite month from here on out with one exception... This year February marked pretty much the end of my season with two torn ligaments in my ankle. Grrr!!! But let's focus on the positives, shall we? Superbowl Sunday is in February, and for the third straight year the Chargers were not in the Superbowl so... It became SUPER-BOARD SUNDAY!!! for the third straight year. Instead of wasting my time watching a game in which my team wasn't playing in, I went to the mountains and rode. This year it was riding at the Beav! with Laura, Lauren, A.J., Steph, Damon, Vlad, and Damon's brother. And yet again, an excellent decision! POW! day, BOOM! The next weekend A.J., Ben, and myself went to Breck where we met the additions to the crew of Martha, Joanna, and Natalie. After meeting these lovely ladies, we all rode together going through the baby park numerous times. I started landing my 180's on the smaller jumps consistently for the first time! We then decided to party with them that night playing beer pong. Met up with Amanda Montana at Martha's house of staying in Breck and got systematically schmammered! The next weekend Paul was visiting! So we went up to the Haus on Friday night, and met up with Adam and Kelly at the Loveland Pass Moonlight ride. J. Fish and Monique were there along with Mike Loooowery! and Rae, Mikey B, and Mad-Mike came out to ride for the moonlight festivities also. We rode Loveland Pass from 10pm-3am, but the party went on all night into the morning from what I heard! Rode Keystone a couple hours the next day. Saturday night Jennifer came up to the Haus to hang out, and on Sunday we headed to Keystone. A.J., Paul, Jennifer, Rae, and Steph headed there and we met up with Amanda Montana & Martha there. Got some footage on the Sony Camera, and then towards the end of the day in the Outback I tore two ligaments in my ankle while trying to make a powder cloud. Result: Season over (save for some late season riding). Official Body Count: 3 Boarders

Closing weekends... Somehow I managed to ride at Keystone for Closing weekend, and I also made it on the board for Vail closing day. Vail weekend was fun as hell!!! J. Fish, Martha, Joanna, Tracy (Martha & Joanna's friend), A.J., Rae, Ben, and Marcia
got some rooms at the Vail Marriott where we partied for the Saturday night of Vail closing weekend. Saw Lauren at Whiskey Jack's in the Village, and then ran into Cindy, Kelley, and Michee as we were headed to the buses. Amazingly, I got kicked off the bus for doing flips with the assistance of the hand-holding straps (Ok, maybe not so amazingly)! When the Bus Driver kicked me off, we were not far from the hotel, so J. Fish valiantly decided to keep me company on my short walk back to the hotel. Got on the board for the Sunday closing of Vail. Saw Laura and Kim Hathcock on the mountain as well. The end of the day we made our Vail pyramid with A.J., Ben, Martha, Joanna, Tracy, Rae, myself, and a guy dressed as the kid from "Where the Wild Things Are."

Along with the closing weekends, I made it to A-Basin for a sweet little Beach Party with most of the Haus-mates mid-April which was a rockin good time!

Now we're in May, and I was able to make it to A-Basin mid-May, and will be there probably the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend also. A-Basin is open at least until June 19th, if not longer depending on if they get one more late season storm. Talked with my big Bro, Russel, and he may be down for a day at the Basin the weekend of June 19th. But we'll have to wait until then to find out now, won't we?!

Well, GPC'ers, the season was a fun one yet again! I can't wait to ride with ya'll next year, and hopefully I'll catch ya at the Basin at least one more time before it officially closes. Peace out!!!