The Ultimate Road Trip
/This season my number one road dog, Anni, and I decided to go big or go home. We purchased the Mountain Collective Pass and planned a two week road trip around the included resorts. The plan was Reno>Snowbird, UT>Jackson Hole, WY>Sun Valley, ID>Squaw Valley,CA>Mammoth, CA>back to the beach. I also discovered the Road Trippers app to aid in our planning (which I highly recommend).
Timing was perfect. I work in production and we planned our trip according to Chinese New Year when my work basically stops for at least 2 weeks. I packed my bags, hopped in the car with my parents, and we headed to the happiest place on earth, Reno, NV.
I met Anni in Reno and we took off for Snowbird the next morning. It was January 28th and a heavy storm was hitting everywhere from Reno to Utah, but we managed to make great time and stock up on Cooks Extra Dry before getting to Utah.
The nightlife on a Sunday night in Utah is non existent, but the people were nice, the hotel was great, and the food was comforting. We stayed at one of the nicest Hampton Inns I have been to. It was affordable, we ended up getting one night for free, was about as close to the hill as possible, and had a top notch continental breakfast (which is all I ever really care about).
We headed to Snowbird with no clue of what we were getting ourselves into. After a quick wax, we went up the tram (super retro). The snow was dumping, the visibility was extremely low, we each took a few fun powder diggers, then lost each other. We ended up lapping some of the lower lifts due to try and maintain better visibility, but we also needed to spend some time inside considering it was about -5 degrees outside.
I always run hot and even after my time in Colorado, I have found it rare that I have ever needed insulated anything, but luckily I had scored some insulated Goretex mittens at work and I have never been so saved by one piece of gear. It was also the only time in my life I had wished I had insulated pants. My head gear included a baclava, a neck gator over that, and a helmet. I was also wearing an insulated jacket and 2 layers underneath that. UTAH IS COLD!
We rode a day and half at Snowbird and took off for Jackson Hole. I was looking forward to Jackson more than any of the other resorts and I am glad I was as excited as I was because the drive was BRUTAL. Everything was a breeze until we hit this weird road in Idaho that no one I know from Idaho has ever even heard of. We referred to it as "Anni's Ice Road Trucker Audition" and passed four Monsanto plants (seemed like a good place to hide them).
After about 6 hours we made it to the motherland, Jackson Hole, and we were not disappointed. We checked into our hotel, The Rustic Inn, that I had been drooling over pictures of since planning the trip. It was everything I hoped and dreamed it could be. After checking in, we were directed straight to the bar. No moving my car, no going to the room. We needed drinks and needed them fast. The decor was what my dreams are made of and the bar was stacked to the ceiling with booze. It didn't hurt that the bartender was a pretty good looking guy around our age either.
Jackson Hole Ski Resort didn't fail to impress either. The famous tram, the gondola, great chair access, and good, post storm, snow coverage. We missed the initial powder dump (that we were hitting in Utah), but the temps were so low that the snow was still awesome. It was -5 at the top of the tram! The other best part about out trip was that we were doing all weekday riding, so the lines were short, the runs were wide open, and the drinks were flowing. Jackson Hole is definitely a place for whiskey and debauchery. I knew this was a place I wanted to be when I heard that some cowboy was skiing with his gun, managed to lose the gun, and someone just turned it into lost and found like it was no big deal. Not to mention, the terrain was awesome and every time I lapped the gondola, I felt like I was on a different run. I went up the tram, but have to admit that I wussed out. The wind was blasting on top and a few people skied off a cliff not too long before and it got to my head. The view from the top was pretty all time though (and Anni is tougher than me and just went for it).
We ended our day of riding at the Mangy Moose Bar before returning to the Rustic Inn. After a dinner at the hotel bar, we ended with the wildest night of our trip. Some details will remain between Anni and I, but needless to say, I rate Jackson Hole nightlife a 10/10 for karaoke, whiskey, friendliness, and good looking men!
I left Jackson Hole with a hangover and a heavy heart. I was ready to quit my job and just stay there, but we still had one big stop left on our epic adventure, Sun Valley, Idaho. Anni's family was kind enough to let us stay at their house and it was stunning to say the least. After a reflective, tired, post Jackson Hole drive, we feasted like kings and got a well needed night's rest to gear up for the following day of riding.
Sun Valley makes Squaw look like a Motel 6. Diamond chandeliers hung throughout the main lodge among million dollar fireplaces and people dressed in Chanel one pieces. This place was the Ritz and we were two snowboarders from California coming off a week on the road. The terrain of mountains was much steeper than I expected which I appreciated. The views were impeccable and the lodge at the top was just as fancy as the one at the base.
Overall, it was probably about 97% skiers to 3% snowboarders and I had some guy look directly at me and ski into me anyways (I was fine and he ate shit). My time at Squaw also taught me how to have and deal with bad attitudes and aggression, but I not prepared for the vibes I received at Sun Valley. The Squaw attitude is more out of competition and a local mentality. The Sun Valley attitude was more just about being a dick, but to each their own. We had a great day and got to ride some of Anni's family's favorite runs (which were all super fun).
I was concerned that the attitude I dealt with on the hill might carry over into the town, but I could not have been more wrong. Any on hill douche baggery was instantly made up for with cheap beer, dive bars, and friendly locals. We had an awesome dinner at a swanky little restaurant, then hit the bars recommended by Anni's family. At Casino Bar, we met an Austrian ex-ski instructor named Karl who was absolute legend. People like Karl are the reason I love travelling. He had instructed people like John Wayne, the Kennedy's, and many others and had all the old photos to prove it. He has a world famous Burmese Python named Houdini who hit the news after he swallowed an electric blanket and survived the surgery to remove it. Karl also has a German Shepherd named Baron, which is always the quickest way to my heart. After a few drinks with Karl, we headed across the street to end our last night of our journey at an epic Johnny Cash cover band show.
Anni and I were nearing the end of our journey together as we headed back to Reno where Anni would split and head back to San Francisco and I would spend one more week in the mountains and on the road.
The final week of my adventure was split between Tahoe and Mammoth. I was pretty gassed by the time got back to Tahoe, but it is my second home and it makes my heart happier than any other place on earth. I got a day and a half in at Squaw and got to ride with some of my favorite people, lost some money at CBC as usual, shot some guns with JR, and partied my way through Tahoe City.
My time in Tahoe always goes too quickly and after a few days there, I headed down to Mammoth to meet up with the Surfside and Smith boys for On Snow demos and the last leg of my trip. I was back in the Southern California sun and got a decent day of riding in considering how hard Tahoe chewed me up and spit me out. We went to the annual Wave Rave party and rocked out to Los Mysteriosos. This year seemed a little more calm than some of the previous On Snows. Maybe we are getting older, maybe I was beat up from my trip, maybe we will have to see what we have left next year.
All in all, it was two of the best weeks of my life. I drove about 2,200 miles, met people who have left lasting impressions, rode some of the best terrain in the world, spent quality time with my favorite road dawg, karaokeed my ass off, ate a lot of pizza, saw all types of wildlife, and challenged my limits in as many ways as possible. I have been home for 3 months and there hasn't been a day that I haven't reminisced about this adventure and I can't stop dreaming about what next winter will bring.
