Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Little preparation went into the Jackson Hole trip. And that's why it was so special.


(Posing in front of the Grand Tetons)

When Chris mentioned he was driving out alone to meet the Road Trip America crew (the lucky few who skipped out on three weeks of work to ride Whistler and many other resorts on the way), I suspected a few of us might be welcome to tag along…

In a matter of days, I was packed and ready to go—not 100% sure if my boss was serious when he agreed to give me the days off after discussing the matter over drinks at Ski Bar. With fingers crossed, I was ready for my another glorious snowboard trip.

Four of us, Chris, Gergz, Cole and myself, charged ten hours in the dark to meet six others (Bex, Gav, Mansy, Stan, Nat, Josh & Stacey) soundly sleeping in a sweet ass condo in Teton Village.

We were in Jackson Hole. The name alone promised a legendary mountain experience, although, I had yet to discover why.

Four thousand, one hundred, thirty nine vertical feet of stunning terrain, including awesome steeps, glades, moguls, gnarly rocks drops and ridiculously scary cliffs blanketed under 9 inches of fresh pow (20 including the day before). It was time to shred.

After two or three runs tearing up fresh lines of pow pow not far from the in chairlifts, we began to wonder why so much great snow was left untouched. We soon realized that most Jackson Hole locals and visitors would rather hike out to a few great untouched spots than taste sweet pow accessible on the trail map. Riding up the chairlift, we watched ants hiking in a row up to find bigger, better terrain.

CORBETS COULOIR

After a couple warm up laps, we found ourselves situated at the top of the famous Corbets Couloir.


It’s a drop some say as large as 120 feet, supposedly perfect if you’re the first one down on a powder day. Unfortunately today, the snow was less ideal. Watching Gergz drop off a creatively difficult / psychotic side, falling the distance six or seven times his size, I reasoned I was smarter than that, lacking some much needed testosterone.


A handful of other friends followed, taking the slightly more traveled path, plunging ten feet before landing in a violent side slip, then having a few of the best turns after that.

I, on the other hand, followed a smaller crew around the side and enjoyed making some good turns in safer grounds.

The adrenaline kicked in, and our crew was charged.

CASPER BOWL
Hiking to the top of Casper Bowl was a gigantic workout for a woman with short legs.



But well worth it once we reached the top.



CODY BOWL




TIMBER RIDGE MILE

We stepped out of bounds and into heaven when we left the Jackson Hole boundary from the rendezvous bowl. Powderlicious! Apart from the 300 foot cliffs, it was all our playground.


Jackson Hole is a backcountry rider’s paradise.

We enjoyed making smooth knee deep turns through the glades and even found a super fun kicker to hike and throw down a few tricks.

This area is considered part of the Bridger Teton National Forest. We were stoked when we realized we could ride it all the way home to our very doorstep (which was coincidentally named Timber Ridge. Thus, the Timber Ridge Mile was born.

J HOLE NIGHTLIFE
It was a treat to casually chat over apres nachos and beers at the Mangy Moose and feel like I was truly on vacation. I think we explored a total of seven bars in Jackson Hole--though I was a little disappointed I did not go shopping...

You know it was a good night when you unknowingly leave the bar with pockets full of peanuts.



BYE JACKSON HOLE
Somehow, I survived the ten hour return trip with the boys, putting up with all things "man"--the jerky, the farts, and the porn.

In short, Jackson Hole was steep, deep, and awesome.


I think we were all a bit wiped out after that.

Snowcat Snowboarding in Keystone

Skip the lift lines and freezing cold chairlift rides.

Today was a day for true luxury, riding up the hill in a heated snowcat for a change, on one of Colorado's coldest days.


Five of my fellow friends in blue coats and I left our jackets in our lockers and enjoyed being the "guest" for a change. We were accompanied by our three favorite men at the apres hour, Jodi, Andrew and Jason, whom are bartenders at Mezzaluna.


Kylie, Jayne, Davie, Chris, and I were determined to prove "ski school" could more than handle a day in the backcountry. We came prepared with sack lunches, dressed to battle the negative twenty degree windchill factor and armed with beacons, ready to show our guides what true EXPERTS can do.




We squeezed in thirteen runs in down Keystone's Independence Bowl.

We hooted and hollered often as we made smooth powder turns down the wide open bowl. We attempted to "spoon" out our turns and farm the pow pow to conserve the snow, but some stashes were just too good to leave untouched. We even jumped the so called 6-8 foot rock jump--more like 12-20 feet--watching the bravest attempt spins, grabs, and unintended cartwheels. Then, we picked our own lines through the glades, searching for freshies and avoiding that damned yellow brick road.

Thanks for a great day!

19" over the past 48 hours...

and I'm home sick. :(

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Year's Eve Torch Light Parade




and post-party @ Bagali's

Welcome back to FRESH TRACKS on PLUMTV...

My new job at PLUMTV...





Hosting every Sunday morning from 7am to 12pm on PLUMTV (channel 16 in Eagle county, Colorado).

"This is my LAST season...really!"

Famous last words, I know.
I am already 1 1/2 months into my 4th winter season living in Vail, Colorado. Despite the potentially big New York television opportunity missed, I am more than happy with my choice to return Vail; to repeat what has always been an interesting and pleasurable experience; to do it all "just one more time..."

My reasons for returning are quite simple: To reunite with my close circle of snowboarder friends, to become a better rider (especially in the terrain park) and complete my third and final level of instructor certification, and to build skills for a future career in television.

So far, it's been everything I'd hoped it would be.

After a full-on welcome back week of social events and reunions, I quickly realized that as much as I enjoy exploring unchartered territory and traveling the world, there is no replacement to being near home in a familiar place in a familiar job, being surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends.

(Ludacris & The Roots concert)

There have already been countless numbers of casual gatherings among friends: dinner parties, <
pizza and beers at Mez,

and dances at Ski Bar...


Some of the silier moments include wailing out Journey's classic hit "Don't stop believing..." with Bade, "strangers in the night!"

baking "The Jeff cake" with matching broken ribs...


and hosting a last minute Christmas Eve Extravaganza (with an Evil Secret Santa Exchange)!

(We love evil secret santa gifts)

Every year is different, which is both good and bad. Just as quick as the winds pick up and a storm rolls in, the ambiance in Vail changes constantly. No two weeks are the same, depending on the time of year, the number of days off we get, who's in town, etc. In the blink of an eye, Gergz's coaching a Devo team, I'm on TV, and Stan Wu's driving the in town bus!!

I am continually reminded that this is a fleeting time in my life, which is probably why my finger remains glued to the camera shutter in order to savor every delicious moment.


So, here's to a new year; another year filled with good health and happiness, great friends and family, genuine experiences, and growth.

THE EAST AFRICA BOOK

PLAY SLIDESHOW (FULL SCREEN)
(total running time: under three minutes)

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Follow TravelingJules as she explores East Africa, traveling overland and camping in the wilderness, in order to explore everything from Kenya and Tanzania's top game parks (ex. Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater) to Zanzibar's exotic towns and beautiful beaches, meeting local tribes and wild animals along the way.

COLORADO

There's something wonderful about being home. And after a long trip away, it was nice to look at my home with a fresh set of eyes. When traveling, it's easy to feel motivated to enjoy all the things a place has to offer because you have a limited window of opportunity. But, at home, we often miss out on what's sitting right in front of us! So, in the madness of reorganizing my life and reuniting with friends and family, I tried to find time to enjoy a few of Colorado's hidden gems.

I went fly fishing with my fellow snowboard instructor friend Jeff Smith, a.k.a. FOG, who also happens to be a fly fishing guide. He introduced me to the interesting sport of fly fishing on the Eagle River near Wolcott:


We rented waders (a super hot Fall fashion) from my friend at Fly Fishing Outfitters before hiking down to the river and setting foot in the mud. Jeff showed me all his fancy fly fishing gear (now I'm convinced fly fishing is just like sewing for boys) and taught me how to cast. Beginners luck worked so-so for me: I got a sure nibble but lost it in the end, but had a great time overall. For a full report, click here to go to Jeff's web site.

I also went hiking with mom & dad, my favorite Roving Ranger, on the South Rim Trail at Roxborough State Park:


What a beautiful view of fountain valley!