Biggest storm cycle of the winter, and it’s spring
April and May has seen the longest and deepest winter storm cycle of the year. Spring passes are on sale at Bachelor, and we are skiing waist deep powder! More snow expected throughout the first week of April, including two feet today. What a great opportunity to photograph Dillon Moore and Ari DeLashmutt shredding South Side stashes! More images.
Gary Crosswhite
Gary Crosswhite broke his neck in an accident seven years ago. The initial prognosis suggested he would never walk again. After a difficult recovery and the refusal to let his injuries dictate his life, Gary takes control. Intent on not simply walking again, Gary rides bikes and is on his way to snowboarding. In the meantime, he rides Mt. Bachelor on his sit-ski at full throttle, ripping through powder and airing over natural features. An inspiration to all! Good on you, Gary.
Bachelor Back Country
There are few places more accessible for ski touring in Central Oregon than the “Bachelor back country.” From the ski area itself, a quick walk to the true summit goes without saying, and dropping below the boundary line to Quall Butte is thrilling if you are willing to hike back and not rouse the ire of ski patrol. Hiking Bachelor’s cinder cone, or, simply “The Cone,” and skinning out to Todd Lake where several little glades and occasional rock drops are found are two of the most popular destinations.
Tumalo Butte is, perhaps, the most popular place in the area. A strait forward climb to the top through glades and rime covered dwarf pines brings you to the north facing bowl. Great views of Bachelor, Broken Top, and the Three Sisters Wilderness abound. The bowl is deemed “too mellow” for some, but there are decent sized rock drops and enough open space to find a line. Snowmobiles are allowed on the east side of the bowl, but dogs are not allowed without permit.
I personally enjoy going there with my wife, Angelique.
Bend in March
In the middle of March, Bend saw nearly 2 feet of snow in the mountains, perfect for riding at Bachelor. Warm, dry weather for biking east of town on Horse Ridge. And in town, demolition, with the intent of rebuilding.
Bachelor Terrain Park Faces
Conner Bennett and Taylor Garbutt ski park all day, every day, lap after lap, forwards, backwards, over big air gaps and across rails and boxes. Regardless of injuries, regardless of weather. Taylor has dislocated his shoulder so many times he can reset it himself, then continue spinning, flipping, sliding, jibbing. When asked where else Conner skies at Bachelor, he has to think about it, and answers without much conviction. Parks are skiing, and skiing is everything for these guys.
Gabe Rousseau/Oregon Adaptive Sports
For many people, snow riding is a form or self expression. It’s the style of equipment, cloths, ability of the rider, beauty of the mountains…. For Gabe Rousseau, it’s much more. Gabe has Muscular Dystrophy. MD is a group of disorders that involve muscle
weakness and loss of muscle tissue that get worse over time. It is debilitating. As such, skiing is an expression of defiance for anybody with MD.
It is Gabe’s way to convince himself and the world of his unique celebration of momentum. His sit-ski is state of the art. His wheel chair is bright pink decorated with uplifting stickers. His head phones are loud with rock-n-roll. Disability aside, he hits the slopes with loving support from family and friends, and assistance from the Oregon Adaptive Sports program http://www.oregonadaptivesports.org/. Hit the slopes is an understatement. He tears the place apart, at full speed, with snow blowing up all around him, covering himself, and leaving a huge rooster-tail in his wake. “Look out world,” Gabe seems to shout, “I am ALIVE!”
Bend Winter Fest, 2010 (Saturday Night)
Big Air snowboarders. The crowd was there, the music, the photographers, and the amateur boarders (some with, perhaps, more ambition than talent.) The talent came in the form of flips, twists, and wall rides. Carnage occurred when riders came up short of the landing, either decking or bouncing off the sides of snow banks. There was blood and a back-boarding. All smiles and thumbs up though, made the spectacle a worthwhile event.
The beer was flowing and Hells Bells rocked the stage. Ah, Saturday night at Winter Fest. View more images at gallery,
http://tinyurl.com/ydxdj7g
Winter Fest, 2010 (Friday Night)
Every year, rather, every season Bend hosts (with title sponsors) public parties. It’s Winter and as such Winter Fest is back. Ice sculptures, fire dancers, food vendors, freebies, music, and sports. It’s a weekend family friendly thing, fun and consumption for all, with a gate entrance fee of $6.
Friday opening is skiers big air night, Saturday reserved for snowboarders. Down a ramp taller than most buildings in Bend, launching a kicker over a 40 foot gap, and landing in an in-run to a Mt. Bachelor made wall ride or rail. What a curiosity for onlookers. What a great way for amateur local athletes to express themselves outside the ski area parks. View more images of this event at gallery,
http://tinyurl.com/ydxdj7g
Ari Delashmutt, Mt.Bachelor Team Rider
Since Bend Oregon’s annual extravaganza WinterFest last year, I have had the pleasure to ski with and photography Ari Delashmutt, the 21 year old skier sponsored by Mt. Bachelor. I have documented his passion for skiing, which consists mostly in high speed laps and doing as many flips and twists as a person can possibly manage. His passion is genuine. His velocity is not slow. And his airs are ridiculous, which includes a switch double back (taking off backwards, back flipping twice, then landing backwards).
