Snowboarding in June
Last night, or very early this morning actually, my plane flew into the airport around 12:15, I got back from High Cascade Snowboarding Camp. Session 1 adult camp. Woohoo! There were a few little hiccups of unhappiness, but for the most part it was sick, man. I am now totally stoked to go shred some snow! See, I even picked up some lingo while I was there. Sweet. For sure.
Unfortunately I am now back in sunny NH where the temp is in the eighties and all the snow has melted from the mountains :(
High Cascade is in Oregon at Mt. Hood. It was my first time there, but about half the adults (there were close to 40 of us) were repeat campers. It was the people that certainly made the experience really great. The staff, the coaches and the other campers were all very nice and a lot of fun to be around. They didn't care what level you were at, they supported and encouraged everybody with everything from first learning how to ride to doing big tricks. I've been in travel groups before with fun, friendly people, but the campers at High Cascade felt different. When they say "If you're ever in so-and-so area, look my up" they really mean it. I've never been in a group that seemed so easy to make lasting friendships with. Still, some people were just a little too annoying when they got drunk at night and I felt my IQ lower simply by being around stumbling, inebriated people. (I don’t drink.)
We also had two rain days when the weather was just too dangerous to snowboard and the mountain closed the lifts. That was a little rough. They had to find ways to occupy us. The first day, not so great. We went bowling (some people started drinking), then rollerskating (some people passed that up to go to a bar instead) and then the already planned activity of kickball. Drunken one-handed kickball, the other hand was supposed to be holding a cup. I played under duress with my water bottle in hand. I also managed to get my team an out the only time I was forced to kick. Too bad for them, they should have just let me alone hanging at the back of the kicking line.
The second rain day was much better. We went to lunch and then on a hike to a waterfall. It was just a little waterfall but it was rushing over a rocky outcropping which formed a small concave behind it that we could climb to. Which was cool because I got to stand behind the waterfall as well as in front of it.
Of course, it was the snowboarding that we all came for and we got at least four days of that in. And after four days I was exhausted. I don't know how I would have felt with six days. Those rain days at least had the perk of letting my muscles take a little break before having to go back on the mountain. My whole upper body was so sore after day one. Though hiking to a waterfall wasn't a very good way to rest up.
I’d never been on a mountain so big as Mt. Hood. It didn’t have all the trees we have on the ones in NH so it looked like a big white, barren landscape. A little confusing at first, but I got used to it. I know I improved my riding and I can’t wait to see the difference when I can go down some of the NH mountains. I also learned a few terrain park features and some tricks which I really, really want to continue practicing. Jumps and boxes and hips and slashes. I’m thinking of all those features I’ve seen at Pats Peak, Ragged Mt. and Crotched Mt. but was too intimidated to venture near. Not anymore! Gosh, is it winter yet?
I’ll just have to remind myself how wonderful summer activities can be by going swimming and maybe to the beach.
Meanwhile, I can continue using all my new snowboarding knowledge by buying myself some new equipment. All my stuff is a few years old and not the best quality. I got to demo some 2013 Burton bindings and a Gnu board while I was at High Cascade. I liked the bindings a lot and though I wasn’t crazy about the Gnu board’s graphic I did like the softer flex it had compared to the stiff Ride I own now. I even learned how to wax my own board while I was there.
Yup, awesome vacation. I would definitely go back.
But, note to self: skip the drunken kickball and dance party.
Unfortunately I am now back in sunny NH where the temp is in the eighties and all the snow has melted from the mountains :(
High Cascade is in Oregon at Mt. Hood. It was my first time there, but about half the adults (there were close to 40 of us) were repeat campers. It was the people that certainly made the experience really great. The staff, the coaches and the other campers were all very nice and a lot of fun to be around. They didn't care what level you were at, they supported and encouraged everybody with everything from first learning how to ride to doing big tricks. I've been in travel groups before with fun, friendly people, but the campers at High Cascade felt different. When they say "If you're ever in so-and-so area, look my up" they really mean it. I've never been in a group that seemed so easy to make lasting friendships with. Still, some people were just a little too annoying when they got drunk at night and I felt my IQ lower simply by being around stumbling, inebriated people. (I don’t drink.)
We also had two rain days when the weather was just too dangerous to snowboard and the mountain closed the lifts. That was a little rough. They had to find ways to occupy us. The first day, not so great. We went bowling (some people started drinking), then rollerskating (some people passed that up to go to a bar instead) and then the already planned activity of kickball. Drunken one-handed kickball, the other hand was supposed to be holding a cup. I played under duress with my water bottle in hand. I also managed to get my team an out the only time I was forced to kick. Too bad for them, they should have just let me alone hanging at the back of the kicking line.
The second rain day was much better. We went to lunch and then on a hike to a waterfall. It was just a little waterfall but it was rushing over a rocky outcropping which formed a small concave behind it that we could climb to. Which was cool because I got to stand behind the waterfall as well as in front of it.
Of course, it was the snowboarding that we all came for and we got at least four days of that in. And after four days I was exhausted. I don't know how I would have felt with six days. Those rain days at least had the perk of letting my muscles take a little break before having to go back on the mountain. My whole upper body was so sore after day one. Though hiking to a waterfall wasn't a very good way to rest up.
I’d never been on a mountain so big as Mt. Hood. It didn’t have all the trees we have on the ones in NH so it looked like a big white, barren landscape. A little confusing at first, but I got used to it. I know I improved my riding and I can’t wait to see the difference when I can go down some of the NH mountains. I also learned a few terrain park features and some tricks which I really, really want to continue practicing. Jumps and boxes and hips and slashes. I’m thinking of all those features I’ve seen at Pats Peak, Ragged Mt. and Crotched Mt. but was too intimidated to venture near. Not anymore! Gosh, is it winter yet?
I’ll just have to remind myself how wonderful summer activities can be by going swimming and maybe to the beach.
Meanwhile, I can continue using all my new snowboarding knowledge by buying myself some new equipment. All my stuff is a few years old and not the best quality. I got to demo some 2013 Burton bindings and a Gnu board while I was at High Cascade. I liked the bindings a lot and though I wasn’t crazy about the Gnu board’s graphic I did like the softer flex it had compared to the stiff Ride I own now. I even learned how to wax my own board while I was there.
Yup, awesome vacation. I would definitely go back.
But, note to self: skip the drunken kickball and dance party.