Sept. 22: Fall Ride
Leaves banana-yellow, the trail a slick stripe. Squeaky brakes, jingling dog collar, rain chattering in the trees. Then everything changes. The rain becomes aimless and white. Silence. Snow.
Sept. 29: We’re screwed.
09/01/06 6,541,161,782
12/01/06 6,560,348,429
03/01/07 6,579,324,234
06/01/07 6,598,721,723
Oct. 7: Fall cleaning.
It finally stopped raining. Freshly painted skies, puffy white clouds, a nip in the air, and trails splattered with yellow leaves.
Oct. 12: Gorgeous Day.
Glowing neon screen.
Mice, keys, wires, buttons.
Click, drag, outdoor life.
Oct. 17: 300 Million in the U.S.
Birth every 7 seconds +
Death every 13 seconds +
New immigrant every 31 seconds =
New American consumer every 11 seconds.
November 9:
There is more to life
than increasing its speed.
– M. Gandhi
Dec. 5: First backcountry evening
Sun glowing, setting behind clouds,
wind, snow, stinging cheeks.
We’re the only ones out here,
skinning up into the quiet.
Dec. 8: SOS
Dear Ullr, the Snow God:
I beseech thee.
The skies have been blue for weeks,
skiers in town can’t speak.
Teton Pass: rocky and brown.
Groomers: too icy to get down.
Did you know I quit my job to ski?
Please, please have mercy.
Dec. 11: Kalling Karl Rove
I want a civilization in which ‘progress’ is not definable as making the world safe for little fat men.
George Orwell
Dec. 18: It’s Lame-o BizSpeak Week!
Welcome to thesnaz.com, where we have the skillsets to pull the trigger and pluck off the low hanging fruit.
Dec. 20: Fun with Double Negatives
I sure do hate Christmas shopping, but at least I’m broke.
Jan. 8, 2007
From Justin Kautz’s skis:
Never confuse motion
with action.
-Ben Franklin
Jan. 19, 2007
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worse of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”
-Art Buchwald, 1925-2007
Jan. 30, 2007
“The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter.”
-Dave Barry
Feb. 2, 2007
“Powder snow skiing is not fun.
It’s life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality.”
-Dolores LaChapelle, pioneering powder hound
Feb. 8, 2007
“Every now and then go away,
have a little relaxation,
since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement.
Go some distance away because a lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen.
-Leonardo da Vinci
Feb. 13, 2007
“It was four pitches of good cragging with a long approach.”
-Hans Johnstone
Feb. 20, 2007
To the local pet hospital, which shall remain nameless:
When worried clients call in to check on the condition of Kaya, Owen, or Jasper, and are put on hold, maybe they’d rather not listen to the recorded sales pitch for your cremation services, even if delivered in a comforting feminine voice.
Feb. 24, 2007: Sore Legs
How many laps on Glory did you ski today? Dan Kaslow did 10. His ski partner Luke Lynch did 12. That’s right, a dozen Glories, for a total of 19,860 vertical feet in 13 hours.
Luke originally planned to do 3. Guess he didn’t have much else to do today.
March 2, 2007: Puking in MT
Bridger Bowl has received 41 inches of snow in the last 72 hours, according to this. Road trip?
March 9, 2007:
Early Spring Haiku
Milky skies, warm temps.
No fight for parking today.
Going for the hike.
March 17, 2007:
yet another spring haiku
alpinist film fest:
nailing your ass to a seat
watching others play
March 19, 2007:
Teton News Flash
On Sunday, March 18, Hans Johnstone and Greg Collins made the first winter ascent of the north ridge of Mt. Owen.
They bivied on Teton Glacier, went up the Koven Couloir, descended more than 1,000 feet on the other side, climbed the ridge (”about 3,000 feet of climbing,” said Hans) then dropped back down the peak to camp. “All we had in our packs was a jacket and a water bottle,” he said. “Sorta had to get over the top.”
In 2003, Collins and Johnstone climbed another first ascent from the glacier — the Golden Pillar (5.12-) on the North Face of the Grand. Johnstone seemed just as pleased with their newest tick.
“Last great problem in the Tetons,” said Hans wryly. “This winter, anyway.”
March 24, 2007:
Good Morning, Sunshine
8 a.m. wake-up:
revving 2-strokes, megaphone:
Star Spangled Banner
March 28, 2007:
Double Haiku from LMW
One, one thousand, two …
Trees bend, break. Pepi cowers.
First lightning this year.
Swirling green sky, blur.
Sleet, rain, sideways, all ways, brrrrr.
Open mouthed, I spin.
April 2, 2007:
Night
Steady, drenching rain,
cold seeps through open windows.
In this, we sleep well
April 2, 2007:
Another Rocky Mtn High-Ku
Ullr barrells back.
Throws his cape over the peaks.
Hefts his hammer. Swings.
April 4, 2007:
All’s Well that Sends Well.
According to the latest issue of Harpers, William Shakespeare invented the term “mountaineer.” Who knew.
April 10, 2007:
Valdez, AK
Four straight days of rain in town and snow in the hills. Completely socked in. Too murky to heli in, too wet to tour in. Mountains, mountains everywhere and not a turn to link.
April 12, 2007:
“Life happens too fast for you ever to think about it.
If you could just persuade people of this, but they insist on amassing information.”
-Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007
May 14, 2007:
Today marks the 400th anniversary of the first permanent settlements of whiteys in America. A perfect occasion on which to defend one’s warmongering policies.
May 21, 2007:
Sorry for the lack of new stuff.
I’m in Indianapolis right now, for a family get together.
Wow, it’s flat here.
And the forecast calls for continued flatness. Bummer.
May 29, 2007:
Memorial Day inside in the rock gym.
WTF?
Then I reach a hold I didn’t think I could get.
And leave thinking fondly of my weekend.
May 30, 2007:
Wildlife Battle Royale
Our Yellowstone bison could take a lesson in badassery from some of their South African cousins.
Seriously. Watch it to the end.
June 12, 2007:
Sending out the best possible vibes
Photographer Bobby Model, who has spent lots of time in Jackson and grew up in Cody, has been tragically injured in S. Africa. Read about him here and here. Get well, Bobby.
June 20, 2007:
Who I like:
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a common place thing, but burn burn burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars”.
– Jack Kerouac
June 25, 2007:
Common Sense
Why did the Lord give us agility
If not to evade responsibility?
– Ogden Nash
July 6, 2007:
Happy Birthday, DG.
Birthday solitude:
Grab cold rock in alpenglow.
Fast, light and forty.
July 14, 2007:
Saturday Farmers’ Market:
Utah apricots, 4 for a dollar.
Swollen and sweet, as ripe as summer.
I eat one, leaning against the town square fence,
As a pregnant lass ambles past, her tremendous belly bare.
July 17, 2007:
First rain in 38 days:
Biking home tired,
Cheeks, legs, arms splattered with mud.
Now, sun’s out again.
August 2, 2007:
Let’s change the microblog every day.
Feels like autumn now:
Hail on Grand, Wet trails, rock, streets.
Makes me want to sleep.
August 5, 2007:
Doovdé!
I hope this was a real phone conversation.
August 9, 2007:
Fifth Time up to Inspiration Point this summer, a haiku
Piggybacking Grace.
Inspired hiking, we sing
Ants Go Marching.
August 10, 2007:
Words of Wisdom
“Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy.” –VP Cheney
April 30, 2001
August 14, 2007:
Another climbing tragedy befalls Wyoming.
Pete Absolon, director of the Rocky Mountain Branch of NOLS, was killed on Sunday by rockfall in the Wind River Mountains. Read more about the accident here.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
August 22, 2007:
Best ever YMCA
Just once would I like to see a wedding band perform the song as it was performed by this strapping young Finnish lad.
August 25, 2007:
Why is Charlotte Potter so cool?
Besides serving as a genius waitress who makes glass-fused earrings and encaustic art, she has the best bangs in Jackson Hole. Stay tuned for a video explanation of why you should keep your eyes out for this local artist.
August 27, 2007:
Some US Americans don’t have maps.
In other news, Gonzales quits. Finally.
August 29, 2007:
Wilsonites are speaking with their wallets.
September 5, 2007:
Portland, Oregon:
Laptopping lovers leave me lachrymose.
September 10, 2007:
Haiku of the Season:
“feels like fall,” you say.
“sure does,” in line at psb.
sip coffee, repeat.
September 11, 2007:
“During my day today I just keep thinking about how lucky we are and how many people are so sad today because of the family and friends they lost on 9/11.”
-a good friend’s email to me today
Let’s also take a moment to think about all the troops who have died in Iraq or who are still there.
September 13, 2007:
Today in History: Freedom and Chocolate!
Sept. 13, 1788: the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election, and declared New York City the temporary national capital. …
AND:
In 1857, Milton S. Hershey, candy empire founder, was born in Pennsylvania.
September 14, 2007:
Waffles and baby food, mmmm.
During the recent, grueling 206-mile LOTOJA bike race, JH News and Guide sports writer Michael Pearlman followed a two man team and came back with an exemplary story. Read it here.
September 18, 2007:
Nice knowin’ ya.
Looks like the Andromeda Strain is real.
According to this story, a mystery illness felled several Peruvians living high in the Andes after a meteorite struck near their village. Let’s hope officials are fortifying the Panama Canal.
September 19, 2007:
(sent to the snaz by David J. Swift.)
“The leading religion in America is not evangelical Christianity, it is the worship of unearned riches, and its golden rule is the belief that is is possible to get something for nothing. Its holy shrines are Las Vegas and Wall Street.”
-From Clusterfuck Nation
September 23, 2007:
Moment of Silence
“Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us all without words?”
-The world’s most prolific mime, Marcel Marceau, died Saturday at age 84.
Finally, they’re cutting to the chase. The new site Firebrand is about the slickest web-based TV channel out there, except they’ve made the wise move of leaving out all the shows, and showing only commercials. Crass or brilliant — you be the judge.
November 25, 2007
Our hearts go out to the family of Chris Horne, who died last Wednesday in a car crash in Baja, Mexico.
Chris and Mandy Hullander, both former instructors at the Journey School, were married in June in Jackson. They moved to North Carolina in August. Mandy was also injured in the car crash, but she is expected to recover fully, though that seems like such a callous phrase.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Mandy.
We’ll post memorial details when we have them.
November 29, 2007
It’s not enough to be a pro athlete. You gotta be an artist, too, like Felix Zenger. Then you and your team can really build an online presence.
Don’t miss his dope footbag skills, either. OMG Felix yur so hott!
November 30, 2007
Sage Cattabriga, the prodigal son of Alta, Wyoming, breaks new ground by signing on as a team athlete for tramdock.com, an online ski retailer. As part of his deal, Tramdock will be expecting Sage to help spread his own word online.
JH Sicksters — time to sharpen up your myspace/facebook/blogging skills. It’s a whole new bro-brah marketplace out there.
December 1, 2007
Click to play.
December 10, 2007
Downloader’s guilt getting you down?
Then head to Dear Rockers, a new blog along the lines of Post Secret, in which you send $5 and an apologetic letter to a rockstar whose work you’ve pirated, but only after you’ve scanned the letter so we can all read it on the site.
The site even helps you track down the appropriate address for Jack Johnson, Incubus, Axl Rose, or Metallica. But can they find the address for The Ohio Express?
December 12, 2007
If you thought the Rec Center pool was crowded. . .
December 14, 2007
Dude, I am so amped to go RICHTER on my skate skis this weekend. See you in the pipe, brah.
December 18, 2007
Wow. Jake Burton has big balls. Burton Snowboards is offering a $5,000 cash prize to any guerrilla filmmaker who creates the best flick of snowboarders poaching the last four, I mean three, resorts in North America that prohibit snowboarding. Check out the contest, and Burton’s own poaching flick here.
Wonder if this will result in any lawsuits? Maybe, but Burton claims such discriminatory policies are unconstitutional, so they’re obviously ready to tempt fate. And reap the marketing benefits along the way. Now about that $5,000 . . . .
January 2, 2008
A mesmerizing video, and an internet phenomenon. Too bad it didn’t work out as well for Noah as it did for his girlfriend.
January 4, 2008
There’s something so wrong about this, it’s right.
January 14, 2008
January 15, 2008
January 18, 2008
January 22, 2008
Now you too can pretend you’re about to die.
January 27, 2008
You decide.
Feb. 1, 2008
I want one.
Feb. 5, 2008
What, not enough semis overturning on I-80?
Feb. 10, 2008
Worth checking out, if you haven’t already.
Feb. 17, 2008
Feb. 19, 2008
Today is the 40th anniversary of the first “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Above, a high point. I think.Feb. 20, 2008
You give me enough free beer, maybe I’ll drink the Kool-Aid.
Feb. 23, 2008
Feb. 25, 2008
Click mouse to change color, spacebar to start over.
March 1, 2008
March 4, 2008
March 11, 2008
March 14, 2008
March 18, 2008
goes LIVE on April 4!
KHOL 89.1 on your FM dial.
Yeehaw!
April 1, 2008
May 3, 2008
May 6, 2008
May 14, 2008
Outlaw bike commuters with cajones grandes take to LA’s busiest highways.