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Louie’s New Zealand Getready

By Lou

Getready. Yeah, that’s a word we coined around here years ago, for that epic few hours (or days) it takes for trip preparation. As in, when we’re doing the “getready,” we’d better start early so we can leave on the trip before dark. I guess it’s a noun?

At any rate, I’ve been amused by Louie’s pile of backcountry skiing gear in the middle of the living room. A photo for all you who like to pick apart such mountainous terrain.

New Zealand getready!

Advantage of skiing down under? You can raid your dad’s ski quiver since he’s put them up for the summer.

Louie says he’ll get on the Coombacks and as soon as he’s down there, and once online will file a report. He’s also been in the Garmont Radiums for some time now, so I’ll try to extract some opinion from him about those as well.

The backcountry skiing world traveler is heading out with an Acer Aspire One netbook, like the one I used in Europe for the Silvretta Traverse. When packed in a semi hardcase with a bit of extra padding, the Acer seems to hold up fine to the rigors. Cracking the LCD is a concern, so we add a layer of stiff plastic inside the carrying case, and pack the netbook so the LCD rides against the stiffener. That way if it gets accidentally sat on or dropped, the LCD panel is protected from flexing. Too bad they don’t just make the Acer with a flexible LCD like the one used for my hardened notebook, but that adds cost.

Posted by Lou on June 29, 2009 | Filed Under Backcountry Skiing

Comments

21 Responses to “Louie’s New Zealand Getready”

Mark June 29th, 2009 10:32 am

Way back in the ’80s I wrote to a heli operation in New Zealand as I was dazzled by the place as showcased in a Warren Miller film. Enjoy.
Grant June 29th, 2009 1:46 pm

Snowed more or less all day yesterday in Castle Hill and things are skiing pretty blood good for June!
See you soon Louie!
Jon Page June 30th, 2009 2:20 am

Hey Loui,

whats on the agenda for NZ? There may be a few of us hitting the East and West coast divide round Mt Cook in August weather pending.

Hit the club fields for some rope tow served awesomeness

Cheers
Kidd June 30th, 2009 8:41 am

Spent a summer there in 86′ never could figure out why they called their mts. ski fields? Had more fun climbing mt. Cook than actually skiing. Now if you can ski off the top of that beautiful mt. that would be fun.
FrameNZ June 30th, 2009 12:02 pm

Never really thought of why we call them ski fields, I’ve used ski areas in more recent times (they sure aren’t ski resorts), but once you have been to some of the areas in Nth America and then tasted some big places in Europe, then size comes into it. Must be able to fit a good few Mt Hutt’s into Espace Killy.
Could be that from a few of the ski fields you can see the sheep in their fields… What’s for dinner?

Bon voyage Louie, enjoy Aotearoa.
Dave B. June 30th, 2009 7:28 pm

Eagerly awaiting Radium assessment.
Skyler M. June 30th, 2009 7:54 pm

I see your shiny new planks Louie! Did the 333 skis idea fall through? Too bad if it did because you had some good ideas going.

Have fun on your trip man!

Skyler
Lou July 1st, 2009 9:17 am

Hi Skyler,
I think he’s having a tough time logging on from down there, due to lack of high speed net where he is. Or else he’s having too much fun!

The 333 skis are coming, just delayed too long to go down there with him. If it’s not too expensive we plan on shipping them down there for testing and blogging.

Lou
Dan July 1st, 2009 12:42 pm

Congrats to Louie on the trip. It reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend lately about the modern college kid. When i was of college age (25yrs ago) we were scrounging for beer money, driving clapped out old cars and working during the summers to try to make ends meet. Now it seems that kids have the best gear, nice cars, afford to travel and can take the summers off to boot !!! I mean, we didn’t spend that much on beer !!!

Dan
Lou July 1st, 2009 12:50 pm

To the guy’s credit, he’s been saving money for 19 years and using most of his stash for this trip. And he doesn’t drink much beer. And yes, the parent’s help him out as much as we think appropriate, but we want him to write his own ticket. Oh, and he’s working down there for room and board. So I guess he’s not a modern college kid (grin). I’ll have to let him know that (grin).
CCD July 1st, 2009 1:41 pm

All the college kids I know (including my own) are working for the summer to save for their college account.
Of course there are always some that have “it all” but I think the majority are working, some even during school the school year, to make ends meet.
Kudos to Louie for putting the trip together and using some of his own resources.
He will return older and wiser, no doubt.
Lisa July 1st, 2009 6:27 pm

You’re right, Dan. Louie can spend his money on beer or cheap plane tickets to interesting places. It’s all a matter of choice.
Kidd July 2nd, 2009 8:19 am

Just watched a comedy called ‘Vertical Limit’ the nice thing is it was shot right
around Mt. Cook, talk about glaciation!! What a gorgeous place, I gotta get back there some day. Have fun, don’t forget to visit the chocolate factory in Dunedin.
Randonnee July 2nd, 2009 10:38 am

I don’t get the criticism of Louie. If other’s kids want the same, then they could work and make enough $$ to do it. Since I took up traveling and skiing as an adult, my family having lacked money and opportunity, I worked hard- not flippin burgers but making $$ logging etc.- and did what I dreamed of. Turned out I was an older college grad and dad, but got it all done. Anyone with ambition can get it all as well.
Lou July 2nd, 2009 12:24 pm

I’ll just say that our whole family has worked our tails off for years. No one is slacking around here, and bear in mind that WildSnow’s main agenda is to present the fun side of the backcountry skiing lifestyle. If it looks like we’re having too much fun, then I’ve done my job.
Dan July 3rd, 2009 8:38 pm

Whoa !

A couple days ago I quickly posted a note congratulating Louis on going to NZ, with what I thought was some self- depreciating humor on the side.

I now see that careless verbiage has been misunderstood as criticism of the Dawsons ! Reading my poorly written comment I can see reason for confusion. “My bad !” To think that I would criticise someone for skiing !? Never !

What I meant to say was “congratulations” of course, and to relate my regret that I did not have the opportunity, when I was young, to make the kind of choices that Louis and other young people I know ( and ski with) can make. I freely admit that I am jealous of young people who have “chosen their parents wisely” and can take advantage of the kind of head start that good parents can give, whether mental, physical or financial.

I can relate to “Rando” as to being a self-made skier. I’ve done it all on my own and can only imagine how great to have been born into it (especially if dad had “written the book”, literally !).

P.S. We did spend “that much” on beer – bad choices !

Happy 4th …

Dan
Lou July 4th, 2009 6:12 am

Hi Dan, thanks for the clarification. I had a feeling you were not really being critical (but we all had to defend nonetheless), and you did bring up a good subject — So thanks for the clarification.

I guess we’re all sensitive to economic issues and life choices.
Kidd July 5th, 2009 8:39 am

Dan, you may have had a tough financial situation thru college, but those of us from Aspen area are simply well off and spoiled. I know I was. First thing after university I went downunder for eight months, which included OZ, Hawaii, Japan, Bora-Bora, Fiji, and 3 months in NZ. That’s what we RFV people do, we travel.
We’re just from a different mind set, and quite lucky.
FrameNZ July 6th, 2009 5:35 am

When I finished Uni in NZ I took part in a Student work visa scheme that gave you a 3 month work visa to the US or Canada. I used my 3 months to ski and work in Montana and it was a reciprocal agreement (Australia also and maybe other countries). I did mine at the end of my degree, but others fit it in over the summer holidays. For any students out there it might be an idea to ponder for next year – BUNAC organised it.
I spent too much on beer but paid for my flights via an interest free student overdraft (ah the good old days).
Was a great time, after my 3 months I hit up the last week of the season at Crested Butte when it used to be free lift tickets and then met some Americans I had worked with on their way home from Montana for Jazz Fest in New Orleans and returned home broke in time for the NZ winter. I highly recommend it.
Julian July 7th, 2009 5:21 am

Have a great time skiing in NZ, seasons shaping up nicely. Club fields around Canterbury, South Island, will give you a warm welcome and good winter snow – Mt Olympus, Cragieburn, Temple Basin and Broken River. Be sure to check out Ruapehu in the North Island from spring (September) onwards, for killer corn tours on great Volcanic terrain. More fun than a barrel full of monkeys. Kia Ora!
Skyler M July 7th, 2009 10:46 am

Lou,

That’s good to hear that the 333 skis plan is still in the works. I’m excited to see how they turn out!