ScrubFest




The morning started out in Dubois, Wyoming. We arrived late the night before and slept off dreams of huge descents, face shots, and snorkels. Driving for an hour or so towards Jackson Hole would bring us to Togwotee Pass, where an unknown number of splitboarders would soon converge to commemorate the third annual Scrubfest, Wyoming's very own backcountry snowboarding festival.
\
I travelled with EZduzit and UnrulyBaker (screen names from a couple of snow junkie forums, in case you were wondering). We met a dozen or so other scrubs at the designated meeting area and broke off into groups...we followed the organizer of scrubfest, Wyomingsplit_ride, and headed to a spot called "two oceans." The webmaster for splitboard.com was with us, and it was cool to meet up with him. He's provided tons to this sport and his website is a conduit for fellow splitters to share knowledge and "share the stoke."

It had been over a month since i last toured. I tried my hardest to run and hit the gym and keep the lungs strong, but nothing comes close to slogging up 3,000' at 9,000'+ elevation. Once the legs started going though, it felt great to get into that familiar motion, one leg after the other, keeping pace with the group, and trying not to out breathe myself. We soon reached the ridge and would make our first turns in the Wyoming backcountry.

You'll have to believe me when i say powdershots galore...no time for photos as we attacked this slope en masse...

but the tourists were quickly humbled by sleeping dragons. we triggered this slide remotely, as our group crept up to a roll-over that looked particularly appetizing. We heard the setting of the snow pack underneath. The 2-3' crown fracture slid a couple of hundred feet, and broke about 75' away. Props to the group for keeping their eyes peeled, and not dropping in like the powder hungry junkies we are!

everyone accounted for, and getting out safe and sound.

tall tales around the campfire with a Wyoming sunset. Good times for sure, but i was missing my friends back home who were celebrating Bob Marley Day at the Raggamuffin's festival in San Francisco...at about the time i was hanging out around this fire, friends were loading up their DJ turntables and warming up the dancehall. Big ups, selector!

the next morning, the scrubs converged en masse to Grand Teton National Park. Our mission was Albright Peak. I'll let UnrulyBaker's GPS take it over from here:

Albright Peak is just south of the Grand, in between Moose and Teton Village.

We climbed from the valley floor at 6500' to over 10,500'.

after a relatively flat 2.5 mile approach, the tour was basically a series of "a hundred" switchbacks...here's some scrubs tackling the climb.

in sight of the peak. the last couple of hundred feet was a bootpack!

Unfortunately, this is the only pic i have of the descent, but if you were here and looked to the right, you would see a 3500' descent straight to the valley floor! This was the biggest, most insane thing that i have ever ridden. It was truly, the broke man's heli-ski experience. UnrulyBaker and I would follow Wyomingsplit_ride and Nomad's lines and put our own next to the prominent cliff band, while EZ went straight for the gut. Our group would attack the lower 2,000' of this mountain like we were kids on boards in the greatest backyard on earth.

sunset pic on the ride home...the peak to the very left, underneath the cloud is probably Albright peak.


The morning after. The night before, Thrillhead Creations showed their most excellent film, Schralptown , to the scrubs delight. We followed the movie with some raucous partying at our cabin. UB, EZduzit, and I unanimously agreed on an easy, mellow tour, while the Thrillhead boys were gonna try and get some footage.

This was to be their "set." UB's jaw hits the snow.

Their are actually a few riders and skiers on the ridge above. Insane shit. Unfortunately, the weather turned, and the filming wasn't so good, but we got to see their descents. Word on the street was that the snow up top was kinda bad, and ended up being close to survival turns...although the bottom looked really, really, good.

This was an awesome trip and hopefully becomes an annual. Thanks to UB, EZduzit, Team Thrillhead, Wyosplit_ride, DJ from Voile, and all the scrubs for the +++vibes.

Posted: Tue - February 27, 2007 at 09:46 AM          

©