Chris Myers is the JIBIJ backcountry archangel. Perched atop

his roaring yet environmentally safe (non-two stroke) Yamaha Apex, he drags us

out back until the day we’re all ballin’ and have our own snowsteeds. In the

course of a week, with everyone enjoying the holidays, we took two backcountry

trips while Chris threw money at Arabs.

Vail Pass

Our crew assembled at the parking lot high atop Vail Pass,

where diehard slednecks pull their trucks and trailers off and away from the

desperate left lane slog up I-70, leaving the semis to careen down the other

side. It was Jake, Landon, Nevill (freshly back from Middle Earth), Landon’s

friend Tom, T.J. Fry, Josh and Evan… Evan, come on man, do you even work at the

shop anymore? Haha.

This is about as much as Evan did all day.

I had just graduated days earlier and received a sweet new

flash for my camera. Perfect! The light’s crapped out so I get to bring glaring

illumination to the backcountry! I was so excited that I set my white balance

to flash, you guys like this orange touch? Just giving it a try.

Winter has definitely arrived in Colorado after an uncertain

start. There was not only some system finishing up in the area, but it was

cold! We went out to this cliff band, kind of flat up top but a nice mellow

landing, perfect for a 180 pow fest!… That is until I turned the camera on. I

knew I didn’t have a full charge but my battery has held its own in the winter

on just a few bars left. Well, by the time we got out there, I was down to two

bars. The battery was already hurting and the flash probably didn’t help. To

add to my list of excuses, I was so excited that we had video rolling that I

started sacrificing my shot so I wouldn’t goon up T.J’s.  The show must go on though. Tom’s first hit

was a front flip. Good job, Tom! I wasn’t shooting because I just met you and I

thought you wanted to come have fun in the BC, next time though, I’ll be

watching out. Jake maintained his position as the soul shredder and elusive

yeti despite killing it on his new EP’s. Everyone stomped some switch fun until

T.J. said his battery was dying. No matter how many times I stuck my battery

down my pants, I couldn’t juice it anymore. On the last shot of the day, Nevill

wanted to line up a double off the side of our existing jump. I was all set up

to get it when that little ginger put the Ring on and disappeared out of my

shot.

I think he was wearing the helmet cam though, so hopefully

the Ring didn’t mess that up.

Jones Pass

Skunked by the weather again. Vail Pass was a tropical

vacation compared to this. A huge crew met in the parking lot for Jones Pass,

much more of a touring spot than two stroke soaked haven. Josh, Mike Broadbent,

Hartman and Colin all went up to start building a jump that launched off into

oblivion over a fun steep landing. After toiling in a blizzard for half an

hour, Mike decides to ski down the landing and check for any sketchy things we

couldn’t see from the top. Well, the whole landing ripped right down to the

grassy rocks. At least no one hit it and Mike didn’t get buried.

Mike, living

We all precariously made our way down a different slope but

it was still exposed right so that it slid on Josh.

Hmm… well, we did see a fun rock over there. To the rock!

Colin and Hartman wanted to make an arcing wall ride out of it but that fell

through when the landing snow was used for the quarterpipe.

Rock

jib was weird, Colin got some solid rock to fakies, Hartman handplanted it

(duh), Steph made some turns (gettin' it!), Mike threw a backflip off the

access road as it is always backflip time for Mike and Jake agreed with Mike.

At this point I was just shooting in between fits of screaming, saying I wanted

to cut my hands and feet off as I couldn’t feel them anymore. Chris pulled

about ten people on multiple laps. Steph and Neville took forever to get home

as the entire state had been submerged into an icy, windy storm that got Colin

stuck in goddamned Kremmling!!! If anyone has ever driven to Steamboat…

KREMMLING!!! Don’t ever say JIBIJ doesn’t have soul.

Nevill enjoying the weather