Pond Skimming while Fiddling

Skiing Fiddler Andy Reiner and Skiing Bagpiper Axie Blundon pond skim closing day at Arapahoe Basin, 6/12/16.

Our story made the Al’s Blog: “I saw some things today I have never seen before. There was the snowboarder playing his saxophone while riding. There was the skiing fiddle player that skimmed across Lake Reveal while playing his fiddle. Not to be outdone, another skier cruised across the water while playing bagpipes. He didn’t quite make it (and got a little wet). Once the bagpiper crawled to shore, he joined the fiddler for a duet on the North Shore. With just the right amount of inappropriateness, everyone had a great time.”

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Andrew’s Glacier in January, RMNP

The sun came out for the bluegrass powder hounds!  I set out for Andrew’s Glacier with Alex Johnstone of Rapidgrass and we found huge bowls of magic snow with bluebird skies.  I was also extra stoked to take my first tour on my new Icelandic Vanguards!  They were hungry for good snow and so was I.  The video edit below contains a track from Rapidgrass’ album “Crooked Road.”  We are ready for our next storm now!

One run in RMNP at Hidden Valley

Sub-zero temperatures and a whole bunch of new fluffy cold snow made for a great run in the park!   Plenty of avy danger today so just cruising.  It’s been a while since my last skiing post … the Skiing Fiddler is back!  (Music: Jighop – Andy Reiner – octave mandolin and vinyl)

Skiing fiddler pondskims into A Basin Blog!

Reposting Arapahoe Basin’s Al’s Blog from yesterday, featuring the skiing fiddler and the skiing piper!  http://arapahoebasin.blogspot.com/2016/06/i-think-she-sang.html

“We enjoyed a beautiful closing day with fun summer skiing, High Five playing on the BML deck and lots of delicious BBQ.

I saw some things today I have never seen before. There was the snowboarder playing his saxophone while riding. There was the skiing fiddle player that skimmed across Lake Reveal while playing his fiddle. Not to be outdone, another skier cruised across the water while playing bagpipes. He didn’t quite make it (and got a little wet). Once the bagpiper crawled to shore, he joined the fiddler for a duet on the North Shore. With just the right amount of inappropriateness, everyone had a great time.”

 

November Doesn’t Suck.

Having a blast ski touring in November!  Colorado.

 

New Domain and videos!

Hey friends, I am extraordinarily psyched to announce that I am now the proud owner of http://www.skiingfiddler.com (previously I just had .net and a wordpress!)  I am going to be updating this blog far more frequently, including a lot more music (non-skiing) posts, so follow along!  To get back into it however, here are 2 skiing videos with original music that didn’t yet make it to this blog yet!  One from the winter skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park, and another skiing Quandary Peak (14,265′ elevation!) on June 1st. It’s November, 2015, and I have skied 27 months in a row. Think snow and let’s have a blast this winter!!!

 

June 2nd, 2014: Lamb’s Slide on Long’s Peak, RMNP

I met up with my friend Mark for another Rocky Mountain National Park mission! We got an alpine start hiking in total darkness up the Long’s Peak trail towards Chasm Lake and the Long’s diamond where we would find the Lamb’s Slide Couloir. It was a long day filled with obscenely beautiful vistas and adventurous and unexpected happenings. The first car in the parking lot, we knew it would be a great day. We stopped to listen to a stream bubble and check out the stars. We didn’t want to disturb the delicate alpine tundra, but following a trail over snow when footprints go many directions was difficult. Modern technology (gps topo map) brought us back to the trail over and over.

We noticed a light mist everywhere for the first several miles, which we later identified as being a cloud.  Sunrise showed us a view of Twin Sisters poking through the clouds we had hiked through.

When we finally reached the bottom of Lamb’s Slide, it looked intimidating, but we quickly reached a solid rhythm with our crampons and ice axes. We spent about 40 minutes on top waiting for the snow to turn to corn from ice, but it never did. We skied down the crusty 45 degree couloir carefully. Corn snow appeared for the apron and the runout down the small glacier that leads back to Chasm Lake. 1 super long slog later, we were back in the parking lot with beer, psyched on our successful mission.

first view of Chasm Lake

 

Lamb’s Slide and the Long’s Peak Diamond!

 

feeling high

 

Mark and the view down the fall line

 

looking back at our line

 

me with Mt. Meeker and Long’s Peak in the background. “The Loft” is in the middle, a ski mission for another day.

More powder hits Loveland

I have to say that I am loving life in Colorado. The snow just seems to keep on coming and its still just early December. I rallied early morning to hit the fresh snow at my local resort, Loveland, and I think just about everyone had an unbelievable day. As the temperatures dropped to the single digits, I will admit that I was thankful for their warming shacks. Loveland Pass (the road) was closed in the morning, and a quick check to the CDOT website showed it was open… more fresh powder awaiting! My gopro ceased to have battery power in the cold so I have no video evidence but great memories of perfect untracked trees and a big low angle bowl. Check out the video from the resort below, and note the music is my new tune “High Tea,” which features the Indian rhythmic device of tihai.

November Powder at Loveland Pass, Colorado

The move to Colorado brings rock skiing in September and October and apparently becomes powder in November.  I’ve been having a blast skiing with my buddy Brad and today we spent a morning in a popular backcountry spot, Loveland Pass, and found  powder everywhere!  For before Thanksgiving especially, I couldn’t be more satisfied.

The music in this video is from The Earth Stringband and you can download this album for free at www.earthstringband.com!  Enjoy and think snow!
 

Hillmans Highway, May skiing on Mt. Washington, NH

As the time passes by slowly and I haven’t been skiing since July 10th, October in Colorado seems so far away.  But, with more ski videos to reconnect with the great memories of the past season, it’s possible we appreciate the snow when it comes more than if we truly had it all the time.  This year I was able to push my spring/summer skiing further than I ever have before, skiing this line in NH in May, June in Alaska, and a wee ski run in Rocky Mountain National Park in early July.  With August out of the skiing picture due to a month long relocation east, I won’t be able to connect all 12 months with skiing.  Maybe next year?  Or maybe my music priorities are keeping my skiing in check.

The music in this video is from a short CD by Julie Metcalf.   The album is called “Flowers of the Forest” and this tune is “Swedish Niel’s Polka.”  We learned the tune from a great Danish fiddler named Andreas Tophøj when we were all studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston!  Julie is playing fiddle and I am playing octave mandolin.  I also engineered the recording and post production at my old Boston apartment!  If you love how it sounds, you should email Julie at juliemetcalf@gmail.com to purchase this awesome CD!