There are over 2 million views on this You Tube video that was posted about 2 years ago. For some reason I just saw it yesterday and I think it holds more relevance today than it did when it first aired. This is a must watch. “Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy”.

I completely agree. I was talking to a friend yesterday who said he was in the lift line while it was dumping fresh powder. The lift hadn’t opened yet and a lift operator made an announcement that everyone would have to wait another 15 minutes so the patrol could finish bombing in bounds. (Sounds good to me. Thanks for making it safe!) My friend said the guy next to him said something along the lines of “You have got to be kidding me!? This is bulls*#t!”

You know what is B.S. is that guy complaining he has to wait 15 more minutes while the hard working patrol are making it safe so he can enjoy a day of riding. This made me realize that “Everything’s Amazing & Nobody’s Happy”. Not to be barefoot about this but lets all just take a minute, slow down and realize how great everything is.

Here are some great things that are amazing.

The first is a bit off shred topic and more on the green side of things. Not yet completed to its full potential but one step closer to using one of our largest renewable resources, water, as a viable energy source…First Practical Artificial Leaf Makes Debut“In a milestone toward sustainable energy, scientists devise a way to mimic the way leaves convert sunlight into fuel.”… This technology is able to turn any water source, with the help of the sun, basically into a non-direct source of electricity.

I know it has been done before but it doesn’t make this attempt any less amazing. Would you try this? Although they didn’t get too far after first launching they have not given up and hope to make the trip, rowing across the North Atlantic, in less than 55 days and 7 hours (the record set and held by “Norwegians George Harbo and Gabriel Samuelson, who piloted an 18-foot skiff in 1896 from New York to Bishops Rock, U.K., in 55 days and 7 hours.”). A pictures of the skiff…

And of course the last item on the menu for amazing and great things is obviously what we do best, shred. So here is a clip of some fresh turns being put down and who better to watch put those turns in than the best in the world, Jeremy Jones.

Along with the “Spiderman”, who has recently just climbed the tallest building in the world, the snow reports across the country, for the most part, are also still climbing! This is great news!!

If you follow the snow reports at all you know that California has been putting up record numbers. About a week ago I looked at the report and found that in a 72 hour period a certain resort had gotten 167 inches of fresh powder! That is incredible because at the same time the base depth at Mt. Hood Meadows here in Hood River, OR was 133 inches. They exceeded our base in a 72 hour period! Bring out the snorkels!!

With this amount of fresh powder you can have endless fun and you also have to be more cautious of certain mountain terrain. Such as trees. What? Trees? You might be saying, “Isn’t it safer with more snow?” Well, it is definitely a whole lot more fun! Why do I say trees are a concern? It’s not the tree it-self but what is formed around the trunk of the tree, a large, empty and usually very deep space. If you ski too close or fall into one of these “tree wells” it can be a scary experience. This person was lucky. “Eye Save Lives!”

Try not to ski in supper deep condition solo.

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A modern view on skiing….

This little guy isn’t so little…

Really? 4,900 feet in 90 minutes. Who does that? 54 vertical feet a minute!!

From the series…the Great White in action.

These guys can grow around 20 feet in length and weight up to 5,000lbs. The speed and power needed to breech the water is insane. Read more about a Great White here.

Giving examples on how awesome nature is could go on for endless hours. Take the time to appreciate your surroundings and help everyone trying to make a difference preserving our environment. After all it only takes one small mistake to impact our planet for years to come….

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See how ShredAlert is doing our part to go green.
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Don’t forget, not that you ever could or would, to go SHRED!! Cali is recording a record breaking year! 7 feet of fresh and falling!!

When it comes down to it, we are alone. This is not a dismal statement and not to be looked at as such. There are always people, friends, family (brave firefighters) etc. there to support you. This is said to be encouraging to the extent that we all make our own decisions, no matter how much support you have, the decisions you make are yours. This is a great thought and opens the door of possibilities as only you can create barriers for your-self or you can choose not to.

Glenn Exum, a founder of Exum Mountain Guides made his own decision and took a path less traveled, and in his case never before ascended. Exum Mountain Guides have impacted countless lives over the past 80 years as we wish them many more, safe climbing!

Keep in mind there are always consequences, good or bad, to our decisions. We all, I hope, make the most educated decisions with the information we are given and situation we are in. Thus the consequences of our actions are meant with the best intentions possible and therefore have no negative intentions to those who may be effected by our decisions.

In the recent film “127 Hours” a solo adventurer made his own decisions. This is a light heart-ted animation of his experience

Solo adventure trips are not uncommon and usually end with better consequences. Solo trips have been made since the beginning of time and with today’s communication they can be 100% stress free, safe and still adventurous.

Ben Saunders is currently trekking to the North Pole…”In March 2011 Ben Saunders sets out to reach the Geographic North Pole solo and unsupported, and aims to break the North Pole speed record in the process. In 2005 a guided team using dog sleds and several air-drops of food reached the Pole in 36 days, 22 hours, and in 2010 a Canadian team reached the Pole on foot in 41 days, 18 hours with one resupply flight. Ben is travelling solo and on foot, with no support en route.”… Read carefully “en route” and know that he has a support team to the rescue if needed and he will be picked at his destination. He is solo, with support if needed!

Ben passing time….

Ben Saunders – Killing Time from Ben Saunders on Vimeo.

There are rules to the solo adventure. These athletes, for the most part, have taken weeks, months and sometimes years in preparation for an event like trekking to the North Pole. Always let someone know where you are going, how long you will be gone and when you will be returning.

Enjoy our green planet and go find an adventure!

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Solo News:
“Maria Riesch Edges Lindsey Vonn To Win Women’s World Cup Overall Title” Read story

R.I.P Sion Milosky!! Read story

Sion Milosky Biggest Wave Ever Paddled into from abstractlines.tv on Vimeo.

Japan has a rich history of culture that, to this day, runs deep in its social behaviors. Some of the more commonly mentioned traditions and cultural identifiers are its cuisine, architecture, clothing and history of martial arts.

The Japanese social scene is something different. Although the younger generations are beginning to waver in the “strictness”, for lack of a better word, of Japanese social behaviors some have attributed their overall quick and positive response to the recent natural disaster to their social customs.

Even if there was an effective positive reaction to the disaster, that saved the lives of many, due to their past and present social customs it doesn’t change the fact that the disaster that has occurred is a catastrophe and our thoughts go out to the Japanese people.

You can find images and videos all over the internet of the disaster and this is the reason I am not posting any in this post. Instead here is a link that will take you to a relief efforts page that has been setup by Google Crisis Response..

Please do what you can and help out the efforts in Japan!

I guess they forgot they were in Drive and not Reverse. They aren’t cruising anywhere soon…On the other hand there are plenty of people still shredding all over. Like Dave Short, who is a Jeremy Jones rider, that is cruising some serious freshness…

Dave Short Stories: Ep.1 {Snowwater Heli} powder snowboarding from Dave Short on Vimeo.

And the people over at Teton Gravity Research are definitely getting their fare share of fresh turns…

A blast from the past; Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition. Color photographs of this great and infamous expedition have been found and restored.

Anway, here are a couple of the images. Click on “Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition” to see more great images.

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Green Shred: What an idea!

You have seen some crazy and great engineering feats on this blog before so don’t be shocked when we continue the trend with this, no completely new idea, fantastic invention.

Yea, so we are going to move our home tomorrow…

Ohh good, we found a good level spot with not much of a view…

This idea may look like a great idea and it is! Go here to read and see more about this habitat and all of its green features and side effects!

I mean think of the possibilities for a winter skinning hut for those fresh turns or for those late fall hikes where the best beanie is a good start but a shelter.

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This might be the new way to shred! Haha, crazy. A lead thumb.

courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group

courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group

Our next stop is a bit closer and located at Kirkwood Ski Resort just southwest of South Lake Tahoe. This is a ski through of Kirkwood’s Cirque for the freeskiing competition with Mark Welgos.

The Black Diamond Line in Kirkwood’s Cirque with Mark Welgos from Subaru Freeskiing World Tour on Vimeo.

Looks like some crazy lines can come out of that. Should be a blast with that two feet of fresh he’s talking about!

And back to the other side of the big blue sphere…This is how they block out the sun in Russia/Ukraine somewhere…Greget Mountain?

Translation: HOLY S*#T!!

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Shredded News:

R.I.P Larry Lichliter. Thanks for all your years of dedication to the sports we love the resorts that make it all possible.

This is a video of that 40 inch loss washing away, literally…

Not all is lost as the snow has once again begun to fall over the great Mt. Hood and winter returns to the valley. This is an image of noaa.gov, look at all the “New snow accumulation”!! Couldn’t be more pleased.

These dramatic changes in weather have lead to a roller coaster ride in the community as well. People are now torn between cleaning the bike, inspecting kite lines, and waxing the surf board or continue to keep a nice edge on the board(s) and a nice wax job as well.

For me there is still plenty of shredding in the pow to be had for me to make the switch just yet. So, hold on summer lovers cause I’m almost certain that Punxsutawney Phil made a mistake this year. He looks like he would…

Anyway, go take full advantage of the greenest fuel any sport has to offer, gravity.

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Just an really cool video on surfing and Australia…

WAY OF THE OCEAN – Official Trailer from CIRCULATE on Vimeo.

Make you want to go surfing or at least visit the coast? Yeah, me too.

It seems as though, for the most part, that everyone has all their “ducks in a line”

As long as the wind doesn’t blow to hard

Well, at least Squaw Valley has things lined out this year as 30 pros descend on the resort for the reinsertion of Pain McShlonkey Classic. The event took a break in the action in respect for the death of its founder, Shane McConkey. Read more here.
Shane McConkey

A small interview with the legend…

This is also a list of companies and inventions that have things all lined out. The list consists of “The Worlds Greatest Green Inventions” according to Michael Richard, the editor of treehugger.com

One that sticks out to me are frictionless wind turbines…

Another is Ice-Energy

I can’t help but ask the question of how “green” are these product to produce. Once they are built they do “green” things but what about the process that gets them to that point? Just food for thought as people being to expand our world of green living options.