2010 Hood Camp Underway

Without a hitch into Oregon, Phoebe and I found Mike P waiting by our baggage claim. I located and signed away for our big van and they grabbed my gear. We loaded gear and in no time were joined by Marian. A simple route 26 commute and we checked into our ZigZag River Chalet. A kayaker's dream (if you have a boat...) nestled in the big trees with decks looking down over continuous class three "boogie boating". The deck bar makes for the coolest tuning bench I can remember...

 Once we arrived we were joined by Makayla and SMS's newest Tierney, Meghan. In the morning Scott Swietzer dropped off Scott Swietzer and we moved on up/east on 26, eight miles to Government Camp. I picked up our passes from Meagan at HCSC and we made the scene on snow. Scottie was almost immediately after his threes, Makayla front boarded the first rail I even saw this summer and that's how we are getting back into the groove. "Easy but after it". Play on snow is the theme of the week with regular dland and skating at HCSC as soon as the drizzle lets up in "govy". Yesterday I had to wake up the napping crew to go run a few miles in the woods at Wildwood Rec Area and get our warmed up bodies a stretch. We were dog tired and sore this morning so we are only going to workout every other day until we are walking on legs of steel again in a few more days.
Today on snow we battled heavy patches of fog with the patience of ninja assassins and I was impressed by the feel for snow these guys have in marginal visibility. As these unedited photos show we are getting our skills back and the fog is only making it hard for people to see what they are doing.

When the sun burst through we added the public park to our lap and have to salute the Timberline resort crew for a great jib and jump line to compliment and lengthen our cool HCSC terrain and killer pipe lap. Down the road camp owner Tim Windell might appreciate this old school brand-name drop even though we aren't camping there this year- It's a "Killer Loop". (old snowboarder only joke).
JP McArdle joined us at Timberline at 1:00 so I let the kids finish up by themselves while I went and loaded him into the van and our session is officially almost full.( Eric B is on his way to sleep on a couch for a few nights while he gets Ready for His First Pro Invite Only Contest up in Canada next week. "Billabong Ante Up." Watch it online. Seriously. Also in the category of "visitors-with-purpose" India Stephenson will come ride a couch for a few nights on her way to train for camp with THE British Snowboard Team in our next session...). JP reports that he has skated almost every day since leaving SMS and he is banging out six and occasionally seven stair kickflips! Nasty.
Kids are in the kitchen and I am on the way. Happy father's day fellows, I never knew even when I thought I knew what I was getting into.

Chicken, pasta, salad and green beans. Kids are taking care of coach. Hunter is over to visit. Makayla and JP are married already (on facebook). Cookies are in the oven and girls are getting their wax on to the sound of water blowing bye. Ah snowboard season.