Soul Shred, Sunshine, and Fireworks*

We've been so busy at work, then in lazy mode when we get home that I've kinda slacked on the updates lately... Sorry about that, again! :) Let me tell you about the past week or so...

Saturday the 16th was the winter fireworks celebration at Eaglecrest. It was loads of fun... bonfire, fireworks, pizza, beer, friends... what an awesome night. The fireworks show was great. I'm not gonna lie, the best fireworks show I've ever witnessed was on the tip top of Beech Mountain, with views of the fiery colorful blasts for miles and miles... three states worth of fireworks shows to be exact... Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. Looking down upon the nearly 360* view of fireworks shows will be hard to top, ever.

Here are a few photos from the fireworks show at Eaglecrest.

That next Tuesday was a slow, rainy day at work, so we had a fun day of hiking the park. Here are a few shots from our park session.

 

Me getting pressy on the small box.

Dustin getting technical with some one footers.

And here is a shot of me from our fun cornice spot :) Thanks Lisa for the shot and showing me and Susan where the goods were! What an epic powder filled morning with amazing shred ladies. Days like that is why I do what I do. It was definitely a soul shred morning. Lots of progression from everyone and we were all so stoked the entire time! Found lots of fun drops to try and get better at landing in the chopped up powder, and we occasionally found some untouched spots. I swear, every day here just keeps getting better and better.

And finally, some photos from yesterday's end of the day ridge hike shredventure. What a great way to end the day. It was GORGEOUS up there. Mountains for miles and miles in every direction. Sun was shining. Blue sky. Perfect.

Looking at the Ptarmigan chair, Juneau down low, and
beautiful snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see.

More mountains as far as the eye can see.

Pretty much the same shot as the first one, just from higher up on the ridge.

Dustin leading our hike to the ridge.

View of Stephens Passage and Admiralty Island from Pittman's Ridge.
What a gorgeous day!

Dustin playing on a wind lip. Natural features > park features!

During our decent from the ridge.
It was pretty tracked up from the days worth of heavy traffic
but still SUPER fun!

Addiction.

May I introduce you to my ongoing addiction: Sriracha

I love sriracha with pretty much everything. If you love spicy foods and have never tried sriracha, you need a good smackin'! It's usually available at any asian restaurant and adds an excellent spicy flavor to any dish. I've discovered that not every bottle of sriracha is the same. Sometimes it's really weak and not spicy at all. Sometimes it's so spicy you can barely feel your mouth.

Regardless if you get a good batch or a weak batch, it's still awesome, and has lots of health benefits too! Sriracha is a hot sauce made out of cayenne, ground chilis, garlic, spices, and vinegar, all of which have many of their own health benefits.

It can improve artery health by removing the bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides from the body.

It can reduce stress by raising serotonin levels.

Cayenne is useful in alleviating allergies, muscle cramp, improving digestion, gives more pep and energy, and helps wound healing with minimal scar tissue.

There are many, many more good reasons to eat sriracha, which you can read about HERE.

I like adding it to scrambled eggs, omelets, stir fry, sandwiches (especially on a grilled cheese), quinoa, couscous, salads, salsa, and much more!

Sunday Funday Park Laps

Sunday was a slow day for the Snowsports School, so we spent the day lapping the park. It's the first good park session I've been able to have all season. The only time the park is open is from 10-3 on the weekends, which is typically our busiest time and we're always teaching. It felt good to make those park laps, but since being in AK, my love for the park is fading as my love for natural features and pow turns are taking over. Yesterday the snow was amazing on the west side of the mountain and we found some fun drops to play on. I'm still getting comfortable hitting drops since I've never been able to ride anything like that until we moved here, but I'm stepping it up little by little.  I don't plan on tackling anything big soon, unless it's a super deep pow day and I have a nice fluffy landing if I bust :)

Here are a few pics I got from the GoPro footy from Sunday's park sesh.

Fun Times on a Friday Afternoon

It dumped snow yesterday and the riding was amazing. Here are a few quick pics...

Fresh Snow = Big Smiles

The snow wasn't phenomenal today, but golly was it fun! It snowed a few inches so there was a nice fresh coat on top today. After the 60 kindergarteners that took up our morning, we were glad to get the afternoon off to ride. We took our first turns down Steep Chutes... well, a few turns. We thought it would be good snow there, but after walking out there we realized it was pretty rock solid and all the good stuff had been scraped off already. No way I was walking back, so we strapped in and went for it anyways. I felt like it was more a 'black' than a 'double black', but given the typical conditions for that run is normally pretty solid snow, then I can certainly justify the 'double black' rating after today. If you fell, you were headed straight for the trees, so falling wasn't a good option. Thank goodness we didn't have any major spills. Not as steep as I thought it would be, but on a pow day, that run will be hella fun!

The west side was pretty fun. Kinda choppy and chunky in parts, but if you looked, good pow spots were easy to find. We went through the gate out into west bowl and it was creamy dreamy turns out there! So much fun! Anyways, enough with the jabbering. Here are some pics!

 Somewhere in west bowl. Super fun spot.

Looking at the cool frozen trees on our way to Steep Chutes.

Dustin on the lift. Upper Insane in the background. 

Somewhere in west bowl... another fun spot with a few fun drops.

On the east side... mellow pow slashes were easy peasy.

A Legend...

 

Today would've been Bob Marley's birthday. Just imagine how much more peaceful and wonderful this world would be if more people took his advice. Bob Marley was a legend, and continues to be. I'm not a huge reggae fan, but I do like listening to his songs and the message they give. 

Peace, love, harmony, unity. 

ONE LOVE.

Here are a few of my favorite Bob Marley quotes:

"Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect and I don't live to be. But, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean." 

"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet."

"Baby don't worry about a thing, because every little thing gonna be alright."

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."

"Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the rut, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!"

"One good thing about music - when it hits you, you feel no pain."

"When one door is closed, don't you know, another is open."

"The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively."

"Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?"

I'm sitting here listening to 'Could You Be Loved' and it's got me feeling so good. Do this legend a favor and play a song in his honor today. But don't just play the song. Listen, truly listen to the music... the rhythm, lyrics, vibe... listen with your soul, not just your ears. I bet it will make your bones feel good :)

Rest in peace, Bob. You will never be forgotten.

Retro 80s Weekend at Beech Mtn Resort

Back at Beech, my favorite event every winter season was the 80s Retro Weekend! What's better than to have an amazing throwback weekend with fun clothes, music, and everything else 80s! Although I don't remember the 80s (I only experienced 5 years of it), I do love 80s music and those oh-so-awesome retro bright clothes. Anyways, I'll quit my jabbering... here's the press release from Beech!

Photo Credit: Amy Morrison

Go Retro for Beech Mtn's Totally 80s Weekend, Feb 22-24BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. - Dig out those parachute pants or leg warmers, and don't forget that favorite bandana. Beech is going back in time again this February.

The second annual Totally 80's Retro Ski Weekend takes place Feb. 22-24 in the Town of Beech Mountain. Relive the "new wave" era while enjoying 80's bands, old school
DJs, a retro apparel contest and 80's-themed promotions.

Live music begins Friday evening with an all-80's show from rockers Buick MacKane of Morganton at 9 p.m. at Jackalope's View restaurant. On Saturday evening, retro band 80'z Enuff of Greensboro rocks Beech Mountain Resort with a 7 p.m. show at the Beech Tree Lodge.

The ski resort also hosts a "big hair and big air" freestyle jump competition - complete with 80's DJ - at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, there will be mechanical bull rides and an 80's apparel contest later that evening in the Beech Tree.

All weekend long, skiers and snowboarders are encouraged to wear their most awesome 80's ski gear on the slopes.

"Last year 80's weekend was really successful - definitely one of the most fun weekends we've had at the resort," said marketing director Talia Freeman. "A lot of customers dressed in their 80's ski clothes, as did a majority of our employees, so it literally felt like you were in the 80's. The turnout was great and I anticipate it being bigger this year."

Reaganomics will be in effect as town businesses offer retro deals. For example, lodging is available at $80.80 per night, with restaurants providing $19.80 dinner specials. There will also be ski rental specials in town, and one store even has three bandanas for $8.80.

"Flip up your collar and head to Beech Mountain the last weekend in February," said Amy Morrison, coordinator of the Beech Tourism Development Authority. "It's one totally tubular experience."

For complete info and details on the retro weekend, go to: www.BeechMtn.com, or call (800) 468-5506.