Three Things Thursday. Issue #16

I spend a lot of time in the mountains with Chad. Which is great. Also great is his social media presence. He's eloquent, effusive, and selective with what he posts. He has a true adventurer's spirit. Perhaps more than most people I know. A selection of his posts from a recent visit here to the Tetons is equal parts flattering praise and travel-log, in a clear and stoked style. And I took some of these pictures myself.


03.01.16 | The Tetons TBT…to charging couloirs last week… I love this pic, but I’m more proud of the moments that preceded it… These coulies are intimidating. Steep, narrow, dark walls, no viz, a line you’ve never skied that curves out of sight… The moment you first stand atop your line is something else. Legs barking from a 3k to 4k foot skin up…out of breath from the transition from climbing to skiing mode… After the serenity of the skin up, you’re always slightly frazzled when you slide over and eye it up. The routine is familiar…Jed drops first and skis it smoothly…but he skis everything smoothly. A few seconds later, he radios back up that it’s Corey’s turn to drop. You can feel his intensity…and down he drops…and out of sight. And there you are…alone in the clouds, with nothing but your thoughts. Moments later the radio crackles to life, which instantly produces the adrenaline burst…”OK, Chad, you’re clear. And there’s a sweet inside line on skier’s right. Take it.” And just like that, you’re up… The first thoughts always seem to be negative… Fuck, this is steep. Will I eat shit? Are there rocks in there? Could it still slide? What happens if I get hurt? Or lose a ski? Blah blah blah. This is the crux. Forcing yourself to set those negative thoughts aside. Fuck that noise and turn it into… Wow, this looks sick. What would happen if I charged it like I’m in a ski mag? What if it’s the line of my life? That’s when you take a breath, sigh out the adrenaline and grab the radio… “Copy that, Jed. Drrrrrroooopppping.” You make that first tentative turn across the fall line to feel the snow…nothing…it’s quiet and creamy… it’s on. So you just fucking point it…the snow starts spraying across your chest and into your beard…and this happens. It’s a sweet pic, but I like it mostly because it is the embodiment of what the mountains have taught me. This has been a brutal week and I find myself standing atop a line I never anticipated I’d need to descend. But that’s life. I’m just telling myself to trust the lessons I’ve learned in the mountains. Don’t be afraid of change, challenges or the unknown. Look them in the eye. Charge them. And then fucking send them.

A photo posted by Chad Buelow (@chadbuelow) on





Jediah PorterTetons, Three Things Thursday, skiComment