Splitboard.com Forums

I had what may be my best 2 days in the backcountry yet.

The Dana Plateau is a Skiiers/Climbers/Boarders Mecca in the Eastern Sierra. I believe it may contain the steepest collection of Roadside Couloirs that anywhere I have been.

Saturday 4/12/08

It all started at 6:30am Saturday. I met the Trail Boss "Dammit Jim" at a pre determined location





You can see from the photo that TrailBoss Jim aint got no time for BullShit


Buffy and Jim gearing up




As Usual this time of year we Started out in The Bush.......but the snow level is higher in this area than where Fullers2Oh likes to go so there is no desert hiking here.




Buffy the Couloir Slayer in action





As we climb in Altitude the bush starts to turn to Trees




And after a couple of false ridges the Plateau Comes into View




Senic Shot of the party minus Me



After another hour and a half our true objective Shows its face



Break Time at the base of the Couloir . This was Larry's first day on Ski's this year. He chose the Coke Chute for a "Warm Up Run".
Larry is 59......and can kick your ass




Getting the party started



And like the old AC/DC song...its a long way to the top if ya wanna rock n roll

















Larry and Buffy Glad to be here






I bet Jim's parents had Hell with Him when he was young. He really likes to hang out on the Plateau


Jim...get your ass away from that cliff right now boy!



At this point I went to Video. I dont have riding pics of the top but it was SKETCHY getting through the rocks and narrow bands of snow and the 45 degree slop too

Looking at the Damage from the Apron






Riding Pics from Down low


Jim and Larry. Jim was sporting a new Burton 162





Larry







Buffy








It was a SWEET day in the backcountry. Good weather, Good Friends, Good Conditions ,and I finally got something off the Plateau.

It was time to head to the mammoth RV park


We sat in the Jacuzzi thinking about sundays target. We wanted something small. We were tired. We had a long drive home. We all had to work Monday......so ...we...settled ...on....



POWERHOUSE CHUTE



Sunday 4/13/08


This season has been the year of the Coyote for me. It started on my first BC trip this year when a group of 4 crossed right in front of my truck on the way in. So now any time I see a Coyote on a tour day its a good luck charm. At the 395/120 junction I saw a nice Coyote crossing the highway

Sweet

Here is our objective for the day




Starting the climb. The sun had not warmed the snow yet and it was still rock hard. This was the same climb we started on the last day of the split party so we knew it would be too steep and hard to skin




Larry. He never seems to let up in speed




Here is a comparison photo. This is the area on 4/13/08





and here is the same area two weeks earlier





Oh how times change


Gettin Closer







Buffy..dancing with the rocks





Oh..ok..now I see it





Getting Closer






Closer







Jim on top...then Larry......picture by Johnny Slowclimb





Hey Larry......this shit is STEEP






And Just like TrailBoss Jim had said ....one hour later we were on top







And your right Larry...it is steep





So Larry went first. He found it to be kinda hard the first 200 feet and then as the apron mellowed to below 50 degrees the snow softened. I Videoed larry and jim so I again defer to Jim for action shots
Jim decided to take a differnt entrance that I swear was a cliff. Im trying to Video Jim and I coundt see him. Over the Radio he said "See my arms? Im waving them" from the cliffband I could see 1/2 an arm and the top of his helmet

Damage Done





It was a great decent. Good Friends ,Good Times (showing my hippie side here)

Jim has a new tradition he has started after bagging something big


















He even had the Balls to tell Buffy she didnt have any Balls if she didnt go in


So she went it too


It was a GREAT WEEKEND. Everything went perfect............................................................................................................untill I thought I lost my sunshades. I had to go back to the creek. No shades....I was close to Jim Larry and Buffy so I figured I better drive up to where thy had parked for a final goodbye. I was driving up but I didnt see anyone....................except Larry walking up the road. Oh well I thought ...I will tell Larry bye

I kept going a little and thats when I heard it.

A kind of Crunching/Sliding/breaking sound.

I remeber now. As we were packing up Jim sat his and Buffy's boards in the road to dry off before he put them in the car.
I couldnt see. The sun was in my Eyes


I RAN RIGHT OVER JIMS BRAND NEW 162 S SERIES WITH MY SUBARU

We rushed to the scene. Board had a perfect tire print right down the middle! I figured I had just bought Jim a new Board and Bindings.

It wasnt as bad as I thought...Board was ok. However the Sparks Bindings had taken the Brunt force of the Subaru. They are aluminum....and now they are truly

BENT METAL. So I took off my Sparks, handed them To Jim and told him to mail me the parts so I can try to fix them.

TrailBoss Jim ain't got no time for no crappy scenerey either... here's TEX topping out on the plateau after booting up the climber's right notch that drops into Coke chute, which we were calling "Line Of Coke".



I've got a ton of pics but no time to deal currently, I'll try to get them up soon.

when did you guys hit this up...last weekend?

looool at Jim. Would be classic if you rode in that hat
Duuudes. Quit teasing us. I want pics dammit!

nvm i see them now.

Awesome Tex, Jim, Buffy! I was staring at the Plateau from my window seat on my flight home from Reno Sunday evening. There's a shit ton of insane lines in the E. Sierra down to Bishop area.

buffy you're my HERO! nice split too you guys are animals! i love it!

Uh, check out the new BENT METAL Sparks! Note the tire print on the board bag. It didn't say anything in the duct-taped box about not being able to handle getting run over by a Subaru... WTF?? Will??



Actually, it was kinda funny afterward. At least it makes for a good story. I'm happy to report that the Driver X boot and Burton 162 split appear to be able to take a direct flattening by a Subaru though.

YAY!! Nice job, everyone! I'm so glad Buffy and TEX finally got to ride off of the Dana Plateau. It looks like a really fun weekend in the Eastern Sierra.

And How were those Trinty Alps? TR? Beta?

Jim will be heartbroken. He missed a really solid schwackfest. Who would have guessed that powderjunkie would deliver the ungodly approach of the season. I though for sure Jim would win the honors, but it wasn't even close.

Hmmmm, you know if you were strapped in at the time I might do something for you.......

That sucks! Nothing you can't fix with a big enough hammer or a long enough flat blade screw driver. I do weirdly enough have some extra heel cups if you can't get that one back in shape.

I have thoroughly read the specific warranty coverage.......says right here on the right corner of the box

"Dumb-ass moves like running over bindings with a car can void all warranties.

Pass the hammer and screwdriver please.

However Will...if Bent Metal cant come up with a set of heel cups for me to Buy I may have to ask to buy yours.

so many diy canting threads recently