technical difficulties, skiing, and Halloween

So, MacBook decided to shit the bed. Not sure why, just happened. Oh well, I kind of like the whole limited-access-to-technology thing. If I didn't have so many pictures and travels to share, I wouldn't even have a Facebook or this blog. Not a big fan of cell phones either, I'm the type of kid that thoroughly enjoys being without a cell phone for weeks/months at a time. Anyways, I'm hoping to get my computer fixed at some point in the near future...

Been skiing at A-Basin. It's been super fun to just bomb down the mountain, get comfortable skiing switch again at high speeds, and sliding some rails/jibs. There's so many different aspects to the sport of skiing that it's pretty hard to get bored or not have fun during a day on the hill. I have a good feeling about this season and I feel comfortable and determined to go bigger than I ever have before. Gnarly/steep lines, big jumps, powder days, cliff drops, and new tricks are what I am focusing on. 18 inches of snow is in the forecast for the next 24 hours. Skiing powder on Halloween is a definite possibility. Speaking of Halloween...either Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins for this weekend's festivities. I'm also stumped in terms of costume ideas. Maybe I should put that gorilla costume I have (and spent 75 dollars on that I didn't have) to some type of use. Peace!

back to Colorado

Pure joy. Nothing against the East, but my heart and passions are undoubtedly grounded in the atmosphere of the West now. I enjoyed seeing my family and friends from back home, but the whole scene just doesn't seem right anymore. The move out West that I made was definitely one that was right for me and I am realizing that now more than ever. The people and places out here are so awesome. The freedom, scenery, and pure beauty of this place is just too good to pass up. I don't understand why more people do not move out of their area and experience life from a different perspective, but then again, I understand how hard it is to make that leap of faith. But believe me, it's worth it.

ANYWAYS. Went skiing at Arapahoe Basin yesterday...It's 7 minutes up the road and it's a ski resort that's been open for about 3 weeks now. Cool much? I'd say so. Slayed some park features that htey had set up and had a great time with the guys. We've got a really sick crew of guys assembled for the season, including pro's, so it should be one hell of a time. I'm stoked to be constantly pushing myself and taking stuff to the next level. No better way to live, that's for sure. It really is the ultimate paradox; ...the closer to death you are, the more alive you feel.

I'm fortunate enough to say that I live my life the exact way that I want to, and I wouldn't change it for the world. You only live once...make the most of your time. A lot of people regret decisions in their life and wish they did things, I refuse to be that person.

going going, back back, to CO CO

Finally, heading back home tomorrow. Jersey and the East was fun, but I'm headin back to where it's at! Gotta sick season ahead and a good crew of people to spend my time with out there. Couldn't be more stoked on life. Denver in the a.m, then heading straight over to Dillon...Probably won't be back east for quite some time, if ever.

eastern urban adventures

Alright, so my time back East has been super fun and super lame at the same time. Fun, because it was good to see my family and friends who I definitely miss. Lame, because Colorado and out West in general just puts this place to shame. I was legitimately frustrated when Sean dropped me off at the Denver airport last Thursday because leaving CO seemed completely idiotic, and I was right. Probably the worst time to leave too, the crew just started to get assembled and we were about to start slaying anything with snow on it. Whatever, looks like I'll just have to make up for lost time when I get back...
Thursday's flight was delayed and just an overall pain in the ass. I'm pretty sure the airlines lied about the reason for delay too by telling us that it was the weather all the way over in Newark, when it was most likely that stupid balloon thing floating around aimlessly in the sky. So, 3 hours of chillin in the airport and 1 hour of sitting on the plane later, I was in the air. Another 3 hours of flight time later, I found myself staring out the window at smoke stacks, shitty weather, and smog. Friday morning, up to CT to pick up John, then up to NH, which was pretty beat because there was no one there and I forgot how much that school sucked. However, it was good to see a few people up there that I haven't seen in awhile annndd I forgot how damn awesome Margarita's in Manchester was. Saturday, headed over to the horse races in Far Hills (NJ) for some partying. Saturday night, headed toward the city lights with Brian and Jeff for some pimp-status partying in the Hoboken and NYC area. As much as I love the mountains and out West, it's always good to get a little dose of the city skyline from time to time. Ended up meeting up with Egan and the Caldwell crew, ripped a butt ton of Jameson shots, then headed back to Essex County that night for some late-night chilling and reminiscing about the high school days, great times. Not to mention that Caldwell is Soprano-ville, so it was probably one of the best ways one could experience New Jersey while they're home.
Anyways, sticking around Jersey til Thursday. I feel like I am far from home and completely lost. It's weird. Colorado is my home now, and I have never felt it as strong as I have been over the past few days. I'd highly recommend getting off the east coast at one point or another in your life, it's sick.

east coast this weekend

The rumors are true. I am coming back to the east coast for a week starting tomorrow. Flying from Denver to Newark, overnighting in Jersey at home, driving up to NH while stopping in CT to pick up Kollar on the way. Chea! The rage train will be pulling into Saint A's that evening. As much as I hate the school and most of the people there, I am definitely stoked to see a bunch of people. I'll be heading back down the coast to NJ that Saturday or Sunday to kick it with the fam, including Patrick, who's coming up from Loyola to chill with his older brother. What a guy. Hit me up if you are around in either NH or NJ, it'd be great to see people. As for now, packing and flying out of Denver in the a.m... This trip will be documented for sure! Although I am without a digital camera due to some serious blackout tomfoolery in Boulder a few nights ago. I'll figure somethin out.

our new roommates

So due to some unfortunate luck with my Rottweiler and multiple failed attempts at finding other dogs in Summit County shelters that fit our lifestyle, we figured that the best way to suppress our fixation on getting a dog for the condo would be to get two guinea pigs. For free, off craigslist. They're either going to be the best idea ever, or stinky feces-ridden little assholes. We'll keep you updated. Oh, and we need some names for these dudes, so let me know if you have anything for me. Or just advice on guinea pigs in general. Peace!

P.s.- They are already such a fundamental part of our household, that they wrote this!!

Arapahoe Basin and Loveland: OPEN

Loveland Ski Area and A-Basin, both within 10 minutes of my condo, were deemed the first two resorts in North America to open up for the 09-10 season. How sick is that? As much as I'd like to get over there and check out their rail set-ups, I'm held back by the financial aspect. A combination of $50 dollar day lift tickets AND me not being able to get my FREE Colorado Pass (which is to EIGHT mountains btw, no big deal) until I start working at Breck in a couple of weeks isn't allowing me to hop on the lifts. So I decided to dedicate the next couple weeks to hiking some backcountry lines that have decent enough snow coverage to ski. It's been snowing on and off for the past couple weeks so there definitely should be enough snow in a lot of areas to check out. It'll also help me get in shape, which I desperately need; the elevation out here leaves you gasping for air at the top of a set of stairs, definitely not good for a kid who is planning on hiking a lot of backcountry this winter in deep snow. Fifty bucks for like 2 lame slopes at the mountain is a rip off anyway. Plus, it doesn't have that exploration aspect that I crave. Pictures to come! G

Oktoberfest in Breck

Lots of beer, great people, and just the overall vibe of being in Breckenridge on a beautiful Fall day provides enough stoke to wanna throw a few back and check out what the town has to offer. After investing in some really big and really sweet beer mugs, we indulged in some awesome food and even better imported German beers in the streets of Breck. Breckenridge is the spot to be and my place of work for the winter. Not only is it close to the other mountains in the region, but it is also only a couple hour drive away from the Utah deserts and, if you go a little further, the SICK Utah ski mountains in the Wasatch Range. The scenic mountain views of the Ten-Mile Range make working at this place seem like a vacation everyday. Also, the infamous Breck nightlife includes more than 30 local bars, pubs and restaurants that fill the streets. Alright, I'm done ranting about how great this place is for now. Life is good.

premiere season

Premieres are always a blast. Went to check out "In Deep" in Boulder, "Refresh" in Denver, "Everyday is a Saturday" in Breck AND in Boulder. The Boulder premiere of "Everyday is a Saturday" undoubtedly shaved some years off of my life. Waking up in the back seat of a random car without your keys, camera, or dignity is an experience that everyone should not experience at some point in their lives. I think I underestimated what taking countless shots of Tequila and Buffalo Tail Whiskey with Olenick, Dumont, and Walker would do to me. That, and the overall raging vibe of Boulder...that place knows how to party for sure! Calling AAA the next morning to come break into my car so I could get to my spare key was a lot of fun too...NAAHHT! All in all though, premiere season is sick and all of the movies that came out this year were nothing short of amazing. Insane skiing was showcased in every aspect and it was a great way to get pumped for the season, not to mention party hard with the peeps that I will be shredding the mountain with all winter. Check out the pics and order the movies.

Saint Mary's Glacier

So we went skiing at Saint Mary's Glacier. Cold front was moving in with some snow in the forecast and we decided to go for it. About a half an hour up 70 East and a sketchy/icy/winding road up a steep mountain later, we found ourselves strapping on our ski boots and gearing up for the first day of the year...in SEPTEMBER. It was really weird cause it felt like yesterday that I was putting on my shit up in New England to go shred. Anyways, the hike was tedious, rocky, steep, icy, and so damn hard in ski boots. I was sucking air pretty hard too due to the fact that my body was still getting adjusted to the altitude change from being back East. Nick decided to hike up the main glacier slope and rip down from the top. Although his run was mellower, it seemed like he was able to make some nice big turns in, which must've felt pretty sweet. My chosen line, on the other hand, was a little bit hairier and idiotic. It involved climbing up a steep zone that was full of jagged and icy rocks, followed by a traverse over/above this huge exposed and steep field of ice chunks, then finally arriving at my dropping point; the top right corner of the face. The climb was scary and very sketchy at times, but I was just so stoked to finally be in CO with a pair of skis and some snow that I kept pushing forward. When I got to my dropping point though, I literally said out loud to myself: "what the f*** was I thinking?" All I could see was a steep drop off with ice on one side, rocks and cliffs on the other, and a short alley of semi-skiiable snow. It also took some time for me to crawl around the little area and find the best spot to click in and get myself prepared. Long story short, I made it. Dropped in, made two or three hopping turns, then straight lined it through the rocks and ice down into the valley. Hauling ass to say the least. Perfect way to get the adrenaline pumping and the stoke factor up for a sick season! My hike-to-ski route is shown below by the shitty paint job I did on my Mac. The pic doesn't include the steep rock climb I had to do over to the right to initially get up to the top of the slope. Nor does it do justice to how steep it really was. Whole different world at the top. Sick line though.

Buffalo Mountain Hike

Buffalo Mountain is about 10 minutes up the road from us. Pretty gnarly hiking spot in the Eagles Nest Wilderness region of White River National Forest. Nick and I were having a pretty good time up until we started to get to the steep rock fields and deep snow, at which point we realized that we should cut our losses and realize that we were extremely ill-prepared; hungover/still drunk, wearing sneakers, and not bringing any gear is no way to hike a mountain that is 13,000 feet above sea level. I've hiked more intense mountains before, but I think we just underestimated it's size and our condition. Oh, and the arctic conditions above tree line. Lesson learned. Good times and exercise though. We'll be back to finish her off soon, it's gonna eat at me!

What up people!

Decided to start a blog because I am in Colorado, it's awesome, I have a lot of pictures/stories to share, and I have been getting heavy into writing lately. I also think it's a good way to stay in touch with my family and homies back East. So keep checkin up on it for sure, it's a work in progress at this point, but I promise good things to come and some great video footage, pictures, and epic stories during my stay here in the Rockies. I've already been having a blast. Everything from skiing hike-to terrain, ski movie premieres in Boulder/Denver/and Breck, and just being out here is just awesome and hard to grasp. People are nicer, the area is less hectic, the air is cleaner, and the scenery that is right outside my door is outrageous. It's tough to say it, but I really don't picture myself coming back East at any point in the near future. For those who know me best, it'd be hard to contain me to a cubicle and morning commute. Just not logical or appealing to me in the least bit. And even if I were to get that type of job in a year or so, I would much rather it be out here in Denver or somewhere on the West Coast. This place is unreal and I really hope that a lot of my family and close friends get to experience it at some point to see what I mean. Come visit. Peace for now. G.

P.s. - SNOW IS HERE...Here's a sick view of Breck from the other evening.