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Well hello!  After a LONG delay since my last post near the end of the 08-09 snowboarding season (at the end of which I made a final trip to mammoth but didn’t even write about it, how lazy!)  at long  last I am back.

It’s been a long slow summer and I was feeling not really enthused about boarding this winter even though I have a Mammoth Mountain season pass so my riding days are basically paid for.  This is because I’m currently inbetween jobs and so trying to plan trips is kinda sketchy with the money situation.  But, I still wanna get out there and enjoy life regardless, because in the end, all you really take with you are your memories and life experiences. 

OK enough philosophizing!

Taking advantage of my current status of “funemployment,” on Monday, Dec.  14, 2009 my good friend Tone and I made a day-trip up to Snow Summit.  We bought cheap tickets from someone on Craigslist and made it up there in 2 hours.  The conditions were great since on Sat/Sun the entire SoCal area had big winter storms - rain in LA and of course nice snow in the higher elevations.

It was completely empty because it was Monday, people weren’t off for the holidays just yet, and of course the ever-present “economic situation” has definitely affected people’s disposable income.

We did get to the mountain a little bit later than was planned, but we still squeezed in about 10 runs apiece.  Tone was a good fast skier - after all he did grow up in Colorado!  There was good coverage everywhere and we went down almost all the different runs available (although we did not hit the park.)  It got warmer and a little slow/melty later in the day - I learned my board definitely needs waxing before I head up to Mammoth in two weeks.

All in all it was a good warmup day and I’m looking forward to our 3 days in Mammoth starting on 1/15/10 (which is my birthday!) 

It was cold enough that they were blowing snow on a few of the runs and had them closed.

As always, Big Bear Lake is beautiful and scenic!

In my last trip to Mammoth of this season, (which I will write up soon,) at long last I finally met some hotties on the hill!  Meet Corey & Scott, from Orange County.  We shared a gondola ride up to Cornice with them on Sunday.  Scott was wearing a helmet cam that of course I used as my “in” for the conversation starter.  ;-)  He was shooting his friends with it, stating “yeah I use it to capture the really good falls.”  Let’s hear it for friendship!

Their favorite mountain is Mammoth (fellow season pass holders), & they both ride regular foot.  We parted ways when we got to the top, they went left to hit Dave’s Run and we stuck to good ol’ Cornice, which was great this weekend.  Anyways, nice meeting you guys!

I was recently very excited to hear about this special offer.  On April 1, Mammoth Mountain will be offering its MVP season pass to EVERYBODY for $576, not just renewing members.

Backstory: A few years ago, Mammoth stopped selling this pass to just anyone, only offering it to renewing members.  The MVP was a super sweet deal - the price was around $500 for unlimited all-season riding.  I was so bummed when, in 2003 I bit the bullet and bought the MVP season pass.  Then, I ended up dislocating my shoulder and couldn’t ride the rest of the winter, argh.  So based on that, I didn’t end up buying another one for 2004, and I believe that was the year they cut off MVP pass sales to everyone but renewals.  Damn!

Well check out this email my friend Chris posted from the Mammoth CEO Rusty Gregory, detailing the new MVP offer.   Here are the key details of the promotion:

•  38,000 total MVP passes will be available to existing and new members.
• Passes will go on sale on April 1 and continue until the 38,000 MVP cap is reached.
• To ensure all existing MVPs can renew their pass, we will guarantee availability to MVPs if you renew April 1-12.
• All remaining passes will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until sales hit the 38,000 limit. Keep a close eye on the website MVP Availability Meter.

So if you think that you want to take advantage of this, be sure to get on board with 37,999 of your closest snowboarding and skiing friends and get yourself a Mammoth season pass on April 1!

Finally!  This past weekend, Jessie and I took our first trip of the season to Mammoth together.  Last year we went so many times, this has been a disappointing season, mostly due to my strained calf injury. 

We got really lucky with weather.  There was no new snow, so this was good for our drive up, but potentially bad for the hill.  Luckily, the temps and the winds were at that just-right “goldilocks” level so that the snow didn’t get too icy and also didn’t melt and get slushy during the day!

(Looking up from Cornice, a little wind picked up - look how empty it is!)

Both days were clear bluebird sunny days and the snow was just perfect.  And no crowds!  Except for certain areas off Chair 23, and coming down to Cornice from the gondola at the top, there was virtually no ice.  The wind picked up a little bit in the afternoons on both Sat & Sun so it did get a little cold and by Saturday night we both felt wind-burned in the face.  Definitely wore the face mask out on Sunday!

 (Jessie about midway down Cornice - perfect bluebird conditions!)

I was tripping out a little bit on what the top held in store - I don’t think I have EVER seen the Mammoth sign buried with so much snow! Everybody was stunned and we all took turns taking pictures of one another (all the different groups up top) posing on top of the sign! There must have been 12 feet of snow on top alone. Amazing!

My leg held up well - I guess my intense physical therapy and devotion to getting back to the gym and practicing my physical therapy-assigned exercises helped me to get strong pretty fast.  By midday on Sat. after a few runs, I felt totally confident again. But I still wasn’t pushing myself TOO hard, as I was still a little scared to fall, feeling like the slightest sudden movement in my leg might make that freshly-healed torn calf just rip apart again (ew, what a visual!)   The good news is, I am ready to keep riding and getting stronger.

Not much to report on the night-life front - usually we make a night of it on Sat. at Lakanuki, dancing and partying till closing, but we are kind of over Lakanuki at this point, and decided to try something new.  We learned that there was a house music DJ playing at the Westin and went there.  It was so weird - they had a meeting room cordoned off, with a bar set up outside the room, and the DJ & monitors was set up in there with a cheesy light show.  We liked the DJ though; he played great music.  Weird setting…

No hotties on the hill to report on this trip although we did see these fun guys in the lift line at Gold Rush, wearing kilts:

 And of course no trip to Mammoth would be complete without a Bloody Break at either Mill Cafe or the Steeps Bar at McCoy station… this was us midday on Saturday:

Overall the weekend was GREAT except somehow midway through Sunday Jessie’s pocket got a hole in it (we are thinking it ripped apart at the seam on impact on a hard fall she took) and she ended up LOSING her car key and her cell phone on the hill somewhere!  We went back and tried to retrace our steps from when she saw both went missing, but on that giant mountain and in still-loose snow, who knows where they ended up.  And Mammoth Lost & Found had recovered nothing either. We had to call a locksmith to come out and MAKE a new car key for her.  Has this ever happened to anyone else?

 ( here’s the locksmith breaking into her car to make the key)

All worked out in the end, $250 later and we were very late getting home… but oh well, we made it home in one piece, and all in all was a wonderful weekend.  Glad to get back out there!

As my injured calf continues to heal (2 more weeks says my physical therapist!)  I am getting itchy to ride again.  I haven’t been since December due to this injury and it is killing me with the amount of new snow Mammoth has had!

Sometimes getting to the mountain on your own isn’t practical, or none of your usual snowboarding buddies are available.  What to do?  It’s simple: find a fun group to go with.  The internet makes it super easy to find like-minded local friends to go snowboarding with, among many other things!

Here in Southern California, getting to a really great mountain (Mammoth) is a long drive away.  The same is true in other major Western US cities like Denver, Salt Lake, San Francisco, etc.  I’ve found a number of fun snowboard and ski related groups here in LA that regularly organize group trips up to the mountains.  Usually accommodations and transportation is included, plus you get to meet new people!  A group trip is actually how Jessie and I first met 2 years ago!

If you’re looking to meet some fun new people to hit Mammoth with, check out these groups in LA for upcoming trips:

• SoCal Outdoor Adventurers
• The Time Outdoors
• West LA Ski & Snowboard Group
• Slope Surfers

If you’re not in LA, you can easily find your own snowboarding group trip organizers by looking on Meetup.com or Yahoo Groups.  Happy hunting!

I need a late pass on this one!

TransWorld Snowboarding last week launched a special TWSnowGirls.com site for women snowboarders as a division of the popular TransWorld Snowboarding site.

TWSnowGirls includes womens’ snowboarding news, articles recapping girls’ snowboarding events, girl rider profiles/interviews, and women-specific snowboarding products and reviews.

You can visit the site through the link above, or click on the new “Girls” tab on the TransWorldSnowboarding.com web site. There is already a ton of great content to peruse… proof of the great inroads that women are making in the snowboarding industry! Bravo TransWorld for recognizing this (and smartly capitalizing on this huge potential audience for product sales & ad sponsorship dollars)

Snowboarding is, I’m sorry to say, a sport with a very high impact on the environment.  From the manufacturing of the snowboards themselves, using chemicals and epoxies and outputting non-recyclable boards, to the shipping of foreign-made clothing and gloves from overseas to our local shops, to the resorts themselves, where trees have to be cut down and huge amounts of energy each day are used to power the lifts and buildings high up on the mountain - tons of carbon is released.  And let’s not forget about us driving for hours to get there!

Many (most?) resorts recognize this and whether it is out of true concern for their impact to the effects of global warming, or simply them hopping on the “green marketing” bandwagon, have put more eco-friendly initiatives in place.  Some are no-brainers, such as putting bottle and can recycling bins next to trash cans,  and others are major undertakings, such as retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency.

Here’s what some of my favorite mountains are doing environmentally (well, at least what their websites say they’re doing…)

Committed to reduce 5% of its water consumption and10% greenhouse gas emissions by 2015

Established Environmental Programs department in 2000 to push sustainability programs; won awards for environmental achievement

Purchases wind credits to offset carbon use - making it “100% wind powered”

Almost all resorts have an “environment” link right from their home page.  Truth be told, many resorts, including those noted above, claim environmentalism but simply buy credits to offset their own carbon use. I really don’t know how much of an environmental impact wind and carbon credits have.  I still think they’re kind of a scam - true sustainability begins with changing your own behaviors, not just”de-guilting” yourself by buying credits.  This goes for the resorts too. Companies shouldn’t be calling themselves GREEN just because they buy thousands of carbon credits - when at the same time they are still using tons of gas, diesel, and electricity without a change to the infrastructure to be more efficient.

Shayboarder has an interesting commentary on this very topic (and I quote in part, “just cause I buy an eco friendly board … isn’t gonna change that you drive 2 hours to the mountain by yourself…”)

LibTech Snowboards is one board manufacturer that does put the environment first in its factories.

TaraMetBlog.com has 20 green tips you can use for yourself in everyday life.

So what are you or your favorite mountain doing to be a little “greener?”

In more bad economic news around the ski and snowboard industry, Mammoth Mountain recently announced it was laying off 101 employees.  After adjusting the projected visits down by 26% for this season, the resort let both seasonal as well as year-round employees go.

Stories at TransWorld Business and Mammoth Times.

I neglected to mention in my post about saving money while snowboarding, about all the deals available on line.  I would encourage you to comparison shop as much as possible… there are tons of deals out there right now!  Here are some to get you started…

• Moosejaw: Save 10% on any Sale Item with Code SUPERSALE!
• Evogear: Everything in the Outlet at least 50% OFF 
• ProBoardShop:  Free headphones or sunglasses when you buy a snowboard
• USOutdoor.com: 30% off women’s snowboarding jackets
• REI:  Winter Clearance! Feb 6-16 - plus, save 15% when you sign up for “REI Gearmail”
• Altrec:  Deal of The Day: 20-50% Off One Product, for One Day, Everyday
• Snowshack:  “Yard Sale” promotion: save up to 50% on select ski and snowboard bags, helmets, outerwear, backpacks and more.
  

As always, full disclosure, these are sites I’m an affiliate of, so I will get a commission off any purchases you make from these links

As the winter season has progressed and nothing but bad news comes out about the economy, the impact of job losses and tighter consumer spending on the ski and snowboarding industry is evident.  For many people, skiing and snowboarding is a recreational hobby that is funded by discretionary incomes.  And snow sports are expensive!

From the clothing (even bigger distributors of snowboard-related clothes and brands are affected - most recently 200 layoffs at Quiksilver and 47 at PacSun), to the events (Vans Cup ‘09 cancelled?!?!) to the resorts themselves (many are reporting lower lift ticket sales vs. last year after seasons of solid growth - even Vail laid off employees in December) - we’re feeling it everywhere.

Still, the good news is that regarding the “action sports industry” obviously including snowboarding, has many passionate participants that still find a way to indulge their desire to ride.  An SIA article about this season’s snow sports sales forecast noted that snow sports participants are in the top 20% income earners, and also that “Although spending across the economy is down, the day to day discretionary income of snow sports participants has not diminished.”

If you’re a passionate snowboarder who still wants to get up to the mountain as often as your wallet allows, here are some money saving tips:

• Buy used gear.  It’s sad but true, many people have to sell their stuff to make rent money.  Scour your local Craigslist for good deals on “lightly used” boards, boots, and other hardgoods.  Juicy recently noticed a huge increase in snowboards for sale vs. when she was looking last year at this time - it’s definitely a buyer’s market. Ebay is another possibility.
• Want new gear only? Visit local shops for liquidation deals.  Most of your local shops are independently owned and are probably feeling a sales squeeze too.  They will be eager to move product out before the season’s over, so make sure to ask about any special additional discounts they can add if you’re eyeballing that new board or boots.  And it is ALWAYS good to support your local businesses.
• If possible visit resorts on non holiday weekends or on weekdays.  Condo rental and sometimes even lift ticket prices are inflated on those desired 3-day weekends. Take an extra day off work and tack a non-holiday Monday or Friday onto your trip.  Or if you can go local, call in sick on a Tuesday and do a quick day run.  (but ya didn’t hear it here.)
• Rent condo’s from owners directly, avoid the management companies.  Deal with vacation home owners who are eager to get the place rented quickly and are more willing to do a deal.  The management companies are less likely to negotiate. VRBO.com is a great site for private home rentals direct from the owners.
• Look for resort and product tie-ins with for free lift tickets.  Last year I got a free lift ticket from my friend Liz when we visited Snow Valley.  There was some deal with Ralphs where she bought a case of Vitamin Water and got some free passes. Check out your favorite resort’s web site for their promotional partners and offers.
• Sign up for resort emails, read resort blogs and/or Twitter feeds for new promotions. Oftentimes you won’t hear about a special deal unless you get in the know on the latest updates!  As an online marketer myself, I am conditioned to looking at online offers and opting in wherever I can so I’m looped in on new deals.
• Rideshare.  You probably already do this anyways, but squeeze more peeps in the car if you can to save even more $$$ and reduce your carbon footprint a little bit too.

Any other ideas?  Obviously everyone’s trying to make their money go further, so hopefully this helps a little bit… and I think that spending what you can reasonably afford both to support this sport/industry and keep your passion stoked is a good thing!  Good luck out there everybody!