When winter rolls around and snow hits the ground i start to get really excited. No mater how excited i get, especially this year, i always wish it were summer for just a little bit longer. Its just like spring time, when i wish it would stay winter for longer, yet i know i have summer and all the great shit to look forward to...
Fly fishing is my favorite pass time in the summer months. You can get lost in time searching for that next big fish. On a choice july day, my friend sean and i went for a float hoping to hook a big one. After a slow morning, things started to pick up. Caught a few nice fish in the same hole around 1:30 in the afternoon. I was just about to call it quits and i hooked into the biggest fish of my life.
The last few days Utah had been getting hit with a huge early season snow storm... I had just gotten cleared from the doctor to do what i please, but i was planning to wait for my knee brace i ordered this week to arrive. I also wanted to work a bit more on strengthening my legs before going riding. Well, the storm produced massive amounts of snow, and i couldn't help myself, went on a mission into the Wasatch to sample the snow.
-Video of the days adventures from both IAN and I-
Heres a picture of my first turns of the year, and my first time back on snow since blasting my legs six months ago. What an amazing feeling to be back at it.
Oh yeah, there are NO bindings on this board, SNURFIN'!
This is my first time experimenting with a Spit-Snurfer i crafted out of an old broken splitboard... I put a bunch of stomp pads on the topsheet wherever there was no hardware... I need to rethink my traction set up though as it was hard to get a grip!
While i was making turns of my own, my brother IAN was skiing off Mt. Superior in the clouds into Cardiac bowl. He said the conditions reminded him of mid winter! It was an insane storm for all of us here in Utah!
Went for a hike yesterday to the summit of Mt. Timponogos to watch the sunset, and also to hike down under the full moon light. The leaf colors down in the cirques were insane. Timp is a rugged mountain, and doesn't come easily! It ended up being a 14 mile round trip, 5000ft up and 5000ft down with the second half of the hike lit up only by moon light. No need for headlamps! The most action my legs have seen all summer! Its crazy to think that only 6 months ago one leg was shattered and one knee blown, after that hike i must say things are healed up pretty good!
Josh Finbow on his way to the top.
A nice spot to rest the legs on the ridge, getting ready for the last push to the summit behind us
The views on top were nuts. Here Josh and i are heading down from the little shack on the summit. The sun went down as the full moon came up, making it seem like day time on the way back down! Amazing view of the Wasatch up here, as well as salt lake city and orem way below.
Full moon was so bright! About 6 miles and 4500ft down from here, onward march! We got to the truck at 11:45- what a HIKE!
Ian, myself, Tommi, and fishbone taking it all in before descending... -Photos by IAN PROVO-
Here is a piece i put together for Rossignol with some P.o.v. clips from last winter. Put your self in "my boots" to see how the 2010/11 Rossi Experience snowboard rides! -Steep and Deep, Cliffs, Chutes, Pillows, POW, hardpack, ice, you name it.
This is my board of choice...
View in 720p for best quality, 360p for slow connections VIMEO version
The last 2 seasons i got the opportunity to film with TGR out here in Utah for Jeremy Jones film Deeper. Click here to see more about the film. This movie is going to be MAD! These guys took it to the next level, riding all lines by foot and camping in the mountains for days on end. With 2 years of filming there was a ton of footage to squeeze in. The Utah segment ended up getting cut, wasn't to much story behind it that went along with the rest of the film. I am stoked that they put up some footage on the web, and hoping there will be some in the dvd extras! Utah has a lot of terrain to offer. A proper Utah splitboarding segment is going down in the near future for sure!
Do yourself a favor and pick up a dvd copy of DEEPER today! ...You will be stoked!
Here is some riding from Jeremy Jones, Forrest Shearer and I from last year in Utah.
TGR- "When making a two year movie a lot of great riding hits the editing room floor. We had a crew all year in Canada, spent three weeks in the Tetons, and made countless trips to the High Sierra. All of these trips were special but for one reason or another did not make the final cut. One of the last segments to get the axe was Utah. As such, here's Utah locals Forrest and Neil trading lines in their backyard."
I would like to give a HUGE thanks to Jeremy Jones, Pete O'brien and TGR for letting me get out there with you guys! BIG UP!
On March 1st 2010 I went for my fist full moon sunrise tour in the Wasatch. Forrest Shearer, Julian Carr, Todd Ligare and I left the alta parking lot at 4am with our goal being Cardiac ridge by sunrise. Moon light sparkling on the snow for the hike was amazing. We got to the top of Superior at about 7am. The line i had chose on cardiac turned out to be a bit different than i had expected, and i almost landed on some sharp rocks! ...It was Close call!
The second line is of my brother Ian Provo from the summit of Mt. Superior, on April 11th 2010! I was laid up in bed with broken legs while he was enjoying this classic spring Wasatch storm. Utah had an unreal spring season, lots and lots of snow. It looked like great conditions!
***USE 480p OR 720p for best quality*** Check it out!
There she is in all her glory...The climb up Mt. Superior in the clouds with Cardiac Ridge in the background. The picture of me is taken just below the summit. Picture on the far right shows my track coming out of the chute, far left track... Click photos to make BIG
March 1st was the longest day of snowboarding in my life! After my line on cardiac, skied all the way back down the the big cottonwood road, drove back up to park city around noon to ride the resort for the rest of the day, then met up with some homies and hit the air bag at the DC mountain lab till it was to dark to see. LONG DAY!!!
It has been 5 months since i shattered my left leg and 4 months since acl surgery on the right knee. Both legs are feeling great and healing a lot faster than i had expected. It's wild to think about while laid up in bed, but after a long wait and lots of physical therapy normal life becomes a reality. Time heals everything. Its as though life was put on hold and all i could do was twitch my legs and try to gain muscle day by day. Improvements are hard to notice day by day, but looking back i have come a longgg way! Feels good to be on a proper exercise program. Other then lots of hiking and normal activity i usually never got my body in shape before snowboarding season. This injury really made me realize how important it is to be in shape, and how much better you perform. Going to stay on this path and get stronger than ever! A few more months and things should be back to normal, and better!
I have been so focused on healing i forgot to share some pictures of my activities! Here's a few pictures and video from my summer of healing. Keep hiking, Fish on!
Early June sightseeing on the Snake river. First week off the crutches! She was flowing at 22,000cfs in this photo!
Finally got a mountain bike after growing out of mine as a kid. This is one of my favorite summer time sports. Feels good to be back on a bike, having a blast and gaining knee strength at the same time! Pedaling every day.
The sunsets were beautiful this summer. Being in hibernation for so long gave me a chance to play with my camera more. Photography is a great hobby with, you can never learn to much.
Got to float the green river twice this summer, hoping to get back there or another big river once more before winter hits.
Photo from the 1st float, with my mega knee braces and all! Got my flipper caught on a rock during this float and wrenched my freshly operated knee under my boat. The next day i went into physical therapy and had about 10 more degrees of flexion!! Sometimes you gotta feel the pain to feel the gain!
Here's a photo from the 2nd float of my dog Dutch and i enjoying a nice day.
Check this link to see some great photos from that trip- Green River trip by Sean Sullivan 8.21.10
Been trying to get out backpacking as much as i can. This photo here is taken while sleeping under the stars in the uintas by my brother Ian Provo
Photo taken from the "Dutch Cam"! Backpacking and fishing trip to Erickson Basin in the Uintas on 8.9.10-8.10.10
Video from the erickson basin hike and fishing.. **Play in 720p for best quality**
Getting my hiking legs back, Winter's around the corner here in Park City.
Muscles are not to far off from being normal, just gotta watch out for those flat landings!
After many months of epic powder riding, my season came to a screeching halt. I had just gotten back from an amazing southern utah journey when it happened. On March 18th 2010, The day after we returned home, i decided to go have a mellow day riding park with buddy Dave Munoa. My first run through the park seemed to be going well working my way down the jump line... We stopped on the second to last table, and assessed the take off of the last jump. I watched dave clear it no problem and thought to myself, shit if he cleared it i should be able to! I had never hit this jump before and did not know what the speed was like. First major mistake, not testing my speed prior to sending it. I followed his line exactly and didn't speed check. I knew i was done for before i even left the lip... Mid air i was soaring toward the knuckle bracing for impact. BOOOOM! There goes my legs for the season! 2 broke legs, 2 blown knees.
It was a the hardest slam i'd taken in my life. A wake up call telling me to be more careful with my choices and decision making. When this is all said and done it will be a great lesson for me... I need to stick to my passion, freeriding, and stick with it without straying away. I seem to get to comfortable while riding terrain parks for some reason. You forget about the dangers in such a controlled environment, whereas in the backcountry i am always on my toes, thinking about the dangers and possibilities of injury.
.......Its not "if" you're gonna fall, but "when"
This oughta' keep er' in place! Be sure to make sure all you're zippers are shut!
A couple weeks down and i am feeling better already. Nothing like getting on the river to heal the mind, body and soul! I am now building muscle instead of loosing it. The bone in the left leg is mending quite well, and i'm off to acl surgery in a few weeks...
Excited to get this long process under way and get my legs stronger then ever before! I never ever exercise to keep my body in peak riding performance. So this was a wake up call to tell me to figure it out... I am coming back STRONG!!!!
-Time for summer activities! With all my extra time i will edit some photos and video from the past season... stay tuned!
