First tracks of season in Thunder Saddle

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 12-21-2003, 07:34 PM

Yup...me, splat, Punani....Saturday. First tracks of the season in Thunder Saddle & maggot chute. The sign at the bottom of Chair 4 said closed, but when we got there, a patroller had just turned all the signs around, and we were the only ones there. Empty bowls, ridges, gullies, hucks, straightlines....everything....empty 'cept for us and some light untracked powpow. Run of the year for me so far and really cool to share it with splat and pu

edit: gimpy, sobchak -- where the heck did you guys go? I hope you guys ended up dropping in.

**splat** · 12-21-2003, 08:17 PM

FKNA, Ty. Punani just called me on his way to back to LA and we were raving about how fukkin schweet it was. Straightline into light as a feather blow-in, into the trees, outa the trees, and a killer mandatory air into lower maggot chute and some of the best snow for landing I've ever felt with a straightline out of the rock walls across the flat and back to the chair. So proper some maggots laid down those tracks. Couple other skiers aired into it while we rode the chair back up, one of them splashing with an attempt to kill his speed before having to crank the turn out the chute. Nice 15 - 25 feet of air available, depending on cohones, landing between curving rock walls with alot of speed and an unknown runout. Could not have been sweeter. Pics? We thought we'd make it back to shoot it a couple runs later, but the slowest coldest chair in the Sierra closed a little while later due to high winds. The Punani stepped it up with some good lines off the 6 cornice. Maggot Chute is open for business. I'm so fukkin stoked!

**splat** · 12-22-2003, 10:10 AM

bumpin for the Pu report............

**phUnk** · 12-22-2003, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by splat
but the slowest coldest chair in the Sierra closed

Heh.

**divegirl** · 12-22-2003, 11:08 AM

Dude! --> Laught and I also went down Thunder Saddle on Sunday! It was sweet! So much powder, it was amazing...I had such a blast...thanks Laught!

The whole weekend was great. Eagle bowl kicked major ass! It was fun going down with all you guys...TN, DJ, Hardrider and Laught - completely awesome.

However, on my last run of the day, I accidentally went down this really long and narrow chute off chair 10 and it dropped me into the drain (love that place!)...TN and DJ both think it was Waterfall...all I know is that I had to sidestep the whole way, because I had no idea what was at the end...! Hopefully I will actually ski it one day in the future

Can't wait til New Years Day...ski ski ski!

**Superstar Punani** · 12-22-2003, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by splat
bumpin for the Pu report............

Ooops didn't see this Splat thread

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=4146

That was easily the best run of the season so far!!!!

-------

Backside time. Got to a crowded chair 4 line and found Splat. 1/2 hour wait. Lots of overamped powderpigs. As they are about to open up they announce that Saddle was closed....WTF?!?! WTFingF? That culled half the line.

When it opened we had the longest, coldest chair ride in the Sierras. Howling winds, sandblasted faces, all for a few shitty blue runs.

So we spot Mr Troller guarding the top of Saddle/Vista. At the top everyone else heads down, assuming it's closed. Splat, Shoe and I traverse over while Sobchak and Gimpy head further down.

Fuck it. It looks too good. Plus my photoslut-orange jacket looks like a patrol jacket from distance. We scope virgin lines, beckoning us like a bunch of Playboy playmates with their legs spread wide.

Suddenly Splat yells...."Hey the signs are flipped!!!! It's open!!!!"

Stoner snowboarders arrived
"Hey maaaan. is this oooopennn?"
"Nah, it's closed"
"okaaaaay I guess we'll ride this open side there"
"See ya!"

The three of us madly traversed over, out of sight from anyone else.

Shoe dropped in and all I could see was light billowing powder, cranking turns, maching down the line. Then Splat. Then I found a straightline through rocks, cranked a big pow turn in the trees and met up with my 2 cohorts. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT WAS FUUUCKING INSSSAAAAAANE!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Steep Pow runs through the trees, down to Maggot Chute. I'd never seen it this early in the season. Fun drop to straightline, with the risk of pinablling off rock walls if you fuck up. Shoe points it, drops it. and the softest nicest muffled "oooomph" sound as he touches down and straightlines it. I'm up next, dropped the line to the right of Shoe and crank some big turns off the sides. I swear this felt as good as cranking turns on a 10-12 foot wave. Splat was next, and he went for the biggest air, and most extreme line.

We met up at the base of 2, screaming and giggling like a binch of schoolboys who'd just felt titties for the first time. It felt good popping the cherry on Saddle and Maggot chute for the 03/04 season.