All Things Snowrider in PDX and OR

Coming up next Tuesday Night (January 10th) at Ski Bowl is our first of two Tele Tuesday events (the second event is Feb 21st). Tele Tuesday is a fundraiser for The Friends of the NW Weather and Avalanche Center.
The Mountain Shop will be set up from 5 PM to 9 PM demoing the latest Telemark and Alpine Touring equipment. At 7 pm we will also have Telemark lessons available for beginning and intermediate level skiers provided by WyEast Nordic. Also at 7PM we will have a uphill/downhill race. The uphill/downhill event (known in some circles as a rando race) is open to all disciplines, Telemark, Nordic (if you are brave enough to ski off the top of the upper bowl on skinny skis), Alpine Tourers and Splitboarders.

New for this year at Tele Tuesday’s is a Avalanche transceiver demo from 5-7pm. Avalanche instructors from Timberline Mountain Guides and Mountain Savvy will be on hand to help participants check out the latest avalanche transceivers. We also will have Terminal Gravity beer on tap in the A-frame (Outback Lodge) for $3 a pint with the proceeds going to the Snowrider Project. We will move up to the Bierstube at 10 pm for a raffle and prizes for the race.

All event participants must purchase a lift ticket from Ski Bowl or have an active pass. Registration for the race, demo, and lessons goes from 5 pm to 6:30 pm. Event fees are as follows.

$10 for ski and avalanche transceiver demo
$15 for uphill/downhill race
$25 for Telemark lessons

See you up on the mountain!

*Thank you to Pail Design, Jim Richardson Photography, Walt Murphy, Smokey The Bear and Isa G for their work on the poster!*

The weather didn’t cooperate but that didn’t dampen our spirits. The 1st Salmon River Canyon Cleanup on Mt. Hood was a success. Big thanks go out to The US Forest Service and the Zig Zag district crew, Timberline Lodge and employee Harold Cooley, The Portland Mountain Rescue Crew and their winch, Next Adventure, American Medical Response and the 30 or so volunteers who spent the better part of a damp Saturday cleaning up a large mess.

Friends & Mountain Folk,

Saturday, September 17. Timberline Lodge Salmon River Canyon parking lot aka the Climber’s Lot. 9:00am.

Save the date and arrive on time because we’re kicking off the inaugural Salmon River Canyon Cleanup on Mt. Hood. Here are some things you should know and bring:

1. This will not be like a walk in the park or on the beach. The terrain is challenging and the distance covered roughly one mile.
2. Pack your own lunch and plenty of water.
3. Be prepared for iffy if not rotten weather though of course we’re hoping for glorious sunshine.
4. Bring your own leather gloves. Leather is key as it’s not easily pierced by sharp metal objects.
5. Wear sturdy footwear with boots being the best bet.
6. Recyclable garbage bags will be provided.

If you plan to attend please send us an email to snowriderpdx@gmail.com and include the names and number of participants. Space this year is limited to 50 adults. The 1st annual Salmon River Canyon Cleanup is a partnership between The US Forest Service, Timberline Lodge, Next Adventure, Snowrider Project PDX and the AMR Reach & Treat Team. We hope to see you Saturday, September 17th at 9am!

Michael G. Halle | Snowrider Project PDX

We who choose to slide sideways down a mountain have endured clichéd jabs for years: “How many snowboarders does it take to change a light bulb? One to hold it, one to film it, and the other to say, SICK BRO!” Possibly “endured” isn’t accurate for all as I never identified with the pants-on-the-ground stereotype. The irony now is that I’m well into my 22nd season riding a snowboard-after growing up on skis as a kid-and I feel I’m starting to tow the anti-knuckle dragger line.

Snowboarding is finally old enough to a claim a growing demographic of people over the age of 30 and it makes me wonder just how many people have reached the same conclusion: We don’t identify with the general vibe and attitude coming out of our sport from the “chitlens” out there on the mountain.

Does this mean that, (gasp!) we are drifting back towards the more established, conservative dogma that skiing has always represented to us? A dogma that pushed us to run from skiing in the first place? More often than not I feel no kinship with the current crop of folks strapping into their bindings sporting the current “next big thing” accoutrements which tends to be a mix of plumbers crack, saggy pants paired with some other absurdly large jacket or hoody that, while they may look at home in the advertisement rich, Cosmo sized snowboard mags, don’t seem to cut it when its cold and snowing sideways in your face.

I rode up the chairlift the other day with a kid sporting a pair of 6 finger gloves that one of the cool kid companies has come out with. He pointed out the extra digit to me, stiffly pointed out like rigor mortis. “Pretty cool huh” he snickered. Umm…”no not really.”

So what to make of all this? Am I just turning into another curmudgeonly, old timer of the sport? One who has seen the sun set on his youthful excesses and now just wants to rant about how the good old days used to be? I’ll be the first to admit that snowboarding has progressed exponentially since I borrowed my buddies Burton Elite 160 and gave it a go in the Spring of 1988. Stuff is getting thrown down these days that not only blows minds but also, knees, shoulders and necks. It’s the real deal and it can put you in the hospital or worse if you come up short. Its rad. Its progressive. I get that.

But why does all the other crap that doesn’t matter have to come along for the ride? Do we need all of that to make our sport cool? Shouldn’t the riding just speak for itself? Something to think about the next time you consider throwing down cash for a pair of six fingered gloves.

-Shralp(Snowrider Project volunteer)

C’mon up to Ski Bowl Tuesday February 8th and support The Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center and The Snowrider Project PDX. There will be a judged Telemark freestyle competition in the upper bowl, telemark & alpine touring demos galore and $2 pints of Terminal Gravity IPA with your own cup. See you then.

Cold temperatures, uphill-downhill randonée racing, fundrasing, fine brew and friends…oh my!

Hi all

We are set for Tele Tuesday TONIGHT Tuesday, Jan 11th at Ski Bowl from 5-9pm. This is our 10th year and we are expecting great conditions. The money raised from the demo, race and lessons goes toward the Friends of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.

We have Telemark and Alpine Touring ski demos lined up from Black Diamond, G3, Dynafit (AT), Ski Trab(AT), K2, Voile,Madshus, and more. We have Telemark and AT boots from dynafit, Black Diamond, and Scarpa. Unfortunately we did not procure the NTN set ups from Rottefella.

We are putting on the uphill/Downhill a randonée style race (with skins) to the top of the Canyon Run on the upper bowl and back down to the start at the demo area by the A-frame (outback lodge).

$3($2 with your own pint glass) pints of Terminal Gravity IPA will be on tap in the A-Frame to those 21+ with a valid i.d.

We will have telemark lessons for beginners and intermediates provided by Wyeast Nordic.

Check out The Mountain Shop for more info on rates and event times.

Spread the word and I hope to see you TONIGHT!

Jeremy Rooper
Mountain Shop
628 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
503 288-6768

Be there.

We are stoked to announce that 2 new sets of our “Don’t Be A Tosser” signs grace the Palmer & Magic Mile lifts at Timberline ski area. If you’ve ever been up on the mountain in the summer months it’s hard to deny the ugly truth that comes with the spring melt and summer crowds.

With the recent install of the Snowrider signs, now everyone riding up the Palmer and Mile will be reminded that we all need to do a better job keeping our mountain clean.

Special thanks to Steve Kruse, Boyd Bonney and their crew at Timberline for helping to make this a reality. Also big thanks go out to Bill Westbrook of the US Forest Service, Troy Fisher and the folks at Ski Bowl for being the first to step up to the plate.

We welcome Mt. Hood Meadows into the fold next season.

-Eric Jeffcoat

Matt Bedrin climbed his 3rd Cascade Peak out of 40 yesterday along with Chris Winter of the Crag Law Center. Way to go guys! Not too shabby for an El Niño year. We hope to tick off a few with you and are praying for snow along with countless others. See you tomorrow night at the Green Drop Garage for Pints for Peaks. Cheers!