Spring has officially hit Mammoth. Endless park laps, random snowy and windy days, 60 degree weather, tanning, and lots of epic times happening. After Idaho, I have been riding park and lots of it, mixed with a few big powder days too! Here are a few photos to show where I have been over the last month. To list a few: Roxy Chicken Jam in Mammoth, Ms. Superpark in Keystone, CO, Sierra @ Tahoe and a house on the lake, Mammoth Mountain Invitational ski racing. Enjoy!

After a brief stop in Maple Falls, WA, I drove 12 hours south to meet up with the Smith Optics Crew in Smiley Creek, Idaho. As I drove over the last pass, it was snowing and blowing so hard the road was only one lane wide with snow drifts encroaching uncomfortably close. I knew the next four days in back country isolation were going to be all time. Though there was limited sun, we still had private sled laps, jump and pillow sessions, and even a dip in the natural hot springs. Time was a-ticking and I needed to make it back to Mammoth for the Roxy Chicken Jam, which was eventually converted into the Roxy Pow Jam because for 5 days Mammoth stacked up over 6 feet of snow. For some reason Mother Nature was on my side and she insisted I not compete once this season. In all honesty, that plan was fine with me and the break gave my body the last ounce of rest it needed to heal my heel and ribs. With countless face shots, my fellow female DC teammates (Raewyn Reid and Phoebe Novello) and I loaded up my truck and headed to the airport for Ms. Superpark in Keystone, Co. This event is something I look forward to every year, and this year has far exceeded my expectations. The park is creative, pristine, and despite the battle with the constantly falling snow, girls are getting after it. After this it’s on to Sierra @ Tahoe for another park session. Here are some photos of life in the fast lane.

Well, I said I was going to do it. I came to Whistler at the beginning of February with hopes of staying until the middle of March. No contests, just filming for Standard Films, TB 20, and focusing on riding the back country. Sounds pretty luxurious, right! Wow, yes, it’s a type of luxury because I have been riding powder all season and I feel like a very lucky girl, however, being in the back country and “getting shots” is the hardest thing to accomplish. Every shot takes so much effort, and all the conditions, crews, and features have to line up perfectly in order to get one shot each day. Unlike park, where I can make a list of tricks and hope to go do them all that day, the back country is a whole different ball game. I can make a list of tricks, then I have to assess the conditions, find a feature, build a jump or a pat down, pick a trick based on the angle of the in-run or take off, and lastly, hope my speed is right and that I land within the first couple tries. If all goes accordingly, I may get one shot that day and that’s a big accomplishment. This routine continues for each blue day that passes through these incredibly big mountains. It’s now March 11th and I can admit that beautiful British Columbia has been quite nice to me. Lots of snow, almost too much snow some days, about 6-8 epic blue days, a once in a lifetime crew, and uncountable lessons learned. Below are a few photos of the journey. Next stop, will be Idaho on the 17th for a couple days with the Smith crew. Then back to Mammoth for the Chicken Jam, followed by a trip Keystone, CO for Ms. Superpark. Time flies. It’s hard to believe it’s already almost time for spring shredding and park shoots…

6 days down and over a month to go. BC, Canada is my new home away from home until the end of March. I decided to pack up from Cali and settle in up here because the terrain is way bigger and the options are endless. The only bad thing is the ever-changing weather. Lots of cloudy days and I’m hoping those will be paired with a few blue bird days. In order to capitalize on what these mountains have to offer the weather has to stay cold and dry. However, since Whistler is so close the ocean that’s not usually the case. The light snow becomes dense and wet and the town gets pounded with rain… So far the cards are being dealt pretty fair though, we’ve had 3 pretty blue days and now are expecting a lot of snow for the next 4 days. Hopefully this resets these beautiful mountains and it’s game on again by mid week. Happy February and Happy Valentines Day! xo

Yes, I did it. I landed a double backflip on January 20th, 2011. This trick had been on my list of goals for over a year. I was just waiting for the right moment and a good crew to make it happen. Here are some photos from the trip. Please check the video at the DC Site: Kimmy Double Backflip

I can’t believe it.. the middle of January is here already. Wow. Another season is starting to soar by. This season I am taking a different path and avoiding contests. Instead I will be dedicating my entire season to being in the back country. Powder, snowmobiles, and lots of long days are ahead. With this ambitious path I am packing up my truck and throwing a peace sign to Mammoth for a couple months. I will be saying goodbye to groomers and park jumps and hello to the unknown. As my adventure starts I will be heading out on the open roads heading towards Silverton, Co, followed by a visit to the SIA Trade Show in Denver. Then, thank goodness I love driving, because I am making the long haul to Whistler. These long, solo, adventures give me time to listen to books, sing my favorite tunes, and zone out on life. I will be basing myself out of Whistler for about a month and a half and hoping to just go with the flow. Fun times and lots of Powder await!

Here are some photos of the storm that has moved into Mammoth! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The mountain is claiming that this storm has already delivered 7-9.5 feet of snow since last Thursday and we are expecting another 5 feet in the next few days. Cali is the place to be!

Christmas is around the corner and the snow keeps falling. The sierras have been consistently sucked into strong weather cycles in these early winter months of November and December. Numerous snowfall records have already been broken. With a series of serious storms on the horizon it’s looking like Christmas will definitely be a white one this year. From Tahoe to Mammoth the weather predictions are stating that the average snowfall for the next 7 to 10 days will be around a foot a day. The heaviest period of this storm will be moving in on Friday and then again on Tuesday of next week. A modest estimate for the potential snowfall from this storm sits around 100 inches. One prediction even states that ski areas in the Sierras will hit 50% of their annual average snowfall before Christmas.

With that said, I don’t feel quite as bad that I’m not out at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge right now. After spraining both ankles about 2 weeks ago I have been locked to the couch with ice and heavily restricted at the gym. However, now I can see that my patience will pay off because the “Snow Gods” have delivered a storm that’s irrestiable. My ankles are quickly getting back to full strength and I will be out enjoying the beautiful new snow in no time.

Happy Holidays!

Photo compliments of: mammothmountain.com

Discussion about the Storm:

http://tahoeweatherdiscussion.com/