Yesterday, March 9th, 2011, was the first ever International Day of GNAR. How better to kick off said occasion than with a 30 minute hike (Gold Coast to the Palisades because Siberia is still broken) and in-bounds terrain that will literally scary the crap out of you (luckily my ski pants are brown, no seriously they’re brown).
The Chimney was open for the fourth time this season and it was surely in the worst shape yet. What was bad about it, you may ask? I don’t really know…it just wasn’t right. The cornice was taller and riddled with blast holes. The chutes had the illusion fresh snow, but you could tell the snow had been cooked. The landing and run out had chunks and debris all over, yet with a light snow covering on top. The whole scene was simply difficult to dicipher. Finally, Tele Mitch made us all look like pansies (a popular cultivated viola with flowers in rich colors, with both summer- and winter-flowering varieties) when he dropped the Sweep, stomped it, and gave us some info on how the snow was and how it would ski. Only two more guys went and it was over. I thank Patrol for opening it today and I think they were very relieved to close it.
After the Chimney, it was over to Granite Chief Peak for a smidgen of powder and then directly into happy fun time. We played GNAR all over the mountain and I know for a FACT that no one can touch the vicious spread eagle train we pulled off in the Belmont Park yesterday…no one.
Oh, you’re the competitive type, are you? You demand to know who won the game of GNAR yesterday, do you? Well, ladies and gentlemen, it was no contest. Benjamin Brackett showed up to KT early, cooked breakfast in line, and got first KT chair. That combination alone got him 5,000 GNAR points before 9:01am and from there no one even got close. Hats off to you Ben-jamin’, you are the first ever International Day of GNAR Champion. Damn, that has got to feel good.
Special shout out to Andy, John, Hudson, Jared, Jacob, and Ben for skiing with me, pretending they were my friends, and playing GNAR with me today. Good times, right guys? I mean, we really had fun out there together today, I thought. We could totally do that again sometime. I’ll buy you cookies! Call me!!!