Every year I like to make it up to Big Boulder Ski Resort in Blakeslee Pennsylvania to shoot their park for the various magazine’s resort guide issues. Big Boulder is host to a park that has been in the Transworld Top 5 East Coast Park for the last 3+ years.

-Matt Bothfeld

Always down to get the best photography Big Boulder set me up with a closed park and access to it’s team of riders. It’s always a great time hanging out with some of my PA buddies and shooting photos. We has a session on their three jump line for most of the day before moving down to the plaza to shoot the rails. Dom Luza started off the rail riding with a quick switch backside boardslide on the DFD.

-Dom Luza switch backside boardslide

The day ended with a long session in the plaza on the down barrel rail. Trip Brown and Matt Roberge were there with video cameras so Bobby, Kyle, and Dom laid on the big business. After about 100 different tricks were done, everyone called it quits and headed into town for a bit of pizza before going our separate ways.

-Kyle Luza switch nosepress late at night

For the trip we were about to take on day 2, we sure did not wake up early enough. Mike, Justin and myself were late to bed seeing the night before was New Years and consequently we were late to rise. Once we did get ourselves up, it was for a quick breakfast before we piled into the jeep and hit the icy road. The destination of our drive I am still not allowed to speak of, but it is a local spot that has graced the cover of Easter Edge.

-Justin in the morning

We were hiking in from a new location that Pat said would shave about an hour off the hike and avoid the mean attack of a junkyard dog. The snow was about a foot deep and the hike was long but after two and half hours we arrived at the summit. I dug a quick pit to test the stability of the snow while Mike cut off some of the cornice and sent large amount of sluff down the slope. Last time I was here we had an avalanche so we played it on the safe side and avoided our original slope for one with a more mellow angle.

See you at the bottom

Pat went first, but we each took a ride down to the bottom. It was a steep and fun ride. Once at the bottom I set up my camera while the guys took a hike back to the top. This was Mikes first time riding deep powder and he did very well. Hooked on the pow, he hiked more then anyone and bagged a bunch of shots. Unfortunately our late morning was catching up to us as bad weather and the evening started approaching. We knew it was a long hike out so we ended the session early and started out. Arriving at the jeep in total darkness we each shared a beer and headed back to Pat’s house.

-Mikey B Natural Pow Rider

I had secured us passes to Stowe Mountain Resort and we spent the next two whole days riding on and off the resort on the Mount Mansfeild side. With lift access and fresh powder up to waist deep in some spots, these two days were probably the highlight of the trip. Pat’s guiding knowledge really shines at Stowe and he lead us to all the goods. Each line was untracked and he knew where all the cliffs, drops, gaps, and exits were.

-Mike Bennett in the Stowe Gondola

Eager to get some lines for myself and seeing I was at my favorite mountain on the east I road the whole first day without a camera. The second day we got to work and everyone snagged good photos on each run.

-Justin Mullen blast off a cliff in a cloud of powder

-Pat Walsh demonstrates how it’s done

-Justin leans back into a heel side

Justin, Mike, and myself were sad to leave but Mike had to get back to work and Justin and myself had to get ready for Tahoe. Stowe will always remain as one of my favorite mountain in the east coast. If you have the chance to go there you should take advantage of it. With early seasons that always have the pow its a great place to visit over that christmas break/new years break. A huge thanks to Pat. Without him this trip would not have been possible. Leave me a message if you would like to get Pat’s email for guiding trips with your own group.

L-R Pat Walsh, Justin Mullen, Mike Bennett

Don’t forget part one.
http://www.benbirk.com/blog/2010/07/09/winter-in-summer-stowe-vt/.

Justin recorded video and made an edit from the trip.
http://www.benbirk.com/blog/2010/01/05/stowe-vermont/

Check out a larger copy of the image and see the camera settings on flickr.

October 18, 2009
We had heard it snowed in the Poconos a foot two days earlier and seeing that it was October any excuse to try and snowboard was good enough. Mike Bennett, Doug Usko, and myself loaded up my Subaru forester and made the two hour drive to Camelback. Unfortunately upon our arrival we discover almost all the snow was gone with small patches of unrideable snow being all that remained. Not wanting to make the drive home quite yet we, went to Big Boulder to meet up with Matt Roberge, Luke Henning, and Jayell White.

Big Boulder had a little bit more snow at best, but we decided to hike to the top of the mountain (all 500 vertical feet of it) to see what snow might lie up there. Over halfway up we realized the top would hold nothing more then the bottom and decided to shovel a small landing for a sketchy bomb drop. Mike and Doug both hit the drop, were smashed to bits on the too small landing and over the feature quickly. We hung out talking and laughing for a while before returning to the cars, where we parted ways and all drove home.

Winter was coming soon though…

The Group Hiking

Mike Bennett mid hike

Jayell White

Luke Henning

Mike Bennett Bomb Drop

Mike Bennett (Film)

Doug Usko (Film)

Jayell White (Film)

Matt Roberge (Film)

Spencer Cordovano called me telling me of big couloirs and even bigger plans but before all the details were out I was in on the trip.  Waking up at 2 was hard but staying awake enough to drive was even harder.  I keep myself going by telling myself that if I dosed off once I would pull over and go to sleep.  This gave me the motivation to keep on driving threw the night.

AM Driving

Arriving around 10 I meet up with Spencer and Abe Greenspan.  I grabbed my gear out of the car and started down the trail.  The couloir we wanted to ride was a very easy 15 minute hike to the base followed up by a two and half hour hike straight up the middle.

Upper Left

I really wanted to ride the couloir myself and made the hike up with Spencer and Abe.  Inside the walls of the couloir the air is very cold and the snow is steep but stable.  The idea of falling backwards and tumbling 2000ft down almost was enough to stop me but I continued to hike.  The ride down was very fun and very very tiring on my legs.

Looking Up

Once back at the cars we grilled some sausage and sat around camp for a bit.  We formulated the plan to camp out that night and ride the couloir again in the morning.  I slept in my car and got to watch as the sun rose and filled the valley with light.  I decided I was going to shoot from the trail so Spencer and Abe started their hike early while I cleaned up camp.

Abe & Spencer

After cleaning up I started my hike up the trail and set up my base station.  Spencer and Abe rocketed up the couloir in under two hours and each took a run down.  Spencer completed his run fully naked which was a big surprise to the young couple on skis that was hiking lower down the couloir.  Meeting back up at the cars we finished packing up and hit the road.

Basecamp

Guys Mid Hike

Abe Greenspan