Can you believe I didn't duck hunt first split...

Probably a shocker to some, but I did not hunt one day this first split. I know many are concerned, tdogg said I need to go to the doctor. I even have Heisman25g PMing me, normally he just trolls me for posting pics but I guess he misses them now.

I have never missed a first split or even any week of the first split, but been busy rekindling an old passions of mine...One in which duck hunting replaced in 2003, and I never went skiing again. But end of last hunting season, got the snow ski itch after 17 years, had to go. Took my kids skiing march this year, and I have just been eat'n up with it since. Got a few ski trips planned this year, one coming up soon. Maybe second split I'll get some duck hunting in. Few old pics below...

This is Australia 1986 (our summer), ski lift operator during the day, bartender at night...





Below is my ski pass in Austria 1984/1985, called Skiwelt now...You can ski to 7 different towns, at the time it was the biggest Ski area in Austria. We didn't have internet back then.




Plan on doing a few ski trips this season. Took my kids march this year, first time my kids have ever been, and first time I been ever since I went on my first duck hunt 2003. My out door passion has pivoted to the past, so if you don't see me posting now you know why. Hope to get a few hunts in 2nds split, but who knows...

I'd die with any of that air.

I've never been snow skiing. Hope to take the kids in a couple years. I was born in colorado (parents were trout fishing on the platte river) never returned till I went up there with my wife when we were dating. Now we go just about every summer camping. I like to return in the fall for elk hunting.

Well if there was ever a need to believe in short-stopping this is it. How could guy skip the entire first half of the season if corn feed ducks up north wasn't real.

Condolences.

False, I don’t miss the pics

Great pics

Wait....So you missed all of the 1st split to plan for a ski trip “coming up soon”...??? Man that’s lame. Lol guess you just been busy trolling the ski forums instead of THF. Just messing with you and hope we get to see some dead ducks in the momarsh later this year

I went skiing one time in ‘97. My two roommates went too. I met an old gal that introduced me to Taos homegrown weed, New Year’s Eve. We all had one hell of a time, My buddy’s son got old enough to hear the story last year around the campfire. The story like all others got better after 20 years.

You should change your name to something more 80’s, my vote is chaz

Wow, I thought you were joking when you said this a couple weeks ago, something wrong with you Guy, lol.

Good luck in your next adventures, can't wait to see pics of you camped out in your truck at the base of the mountain by the ski lifts cooking dinner.

I know your dog has got to be pissed at you.

In my day, they used to say if Texans were meant to ski BS would be white

Do it while you can

I haven't hunted ducks at all this year.... just putting the hammer down on the does so far.

I never realized how much your boy looks like you.

I've been sidelined big time. Went opening North zone weekend, then left early the next week to head to the Gulf Shores, AL area for the Sunbelt Conference volleyball tournament. Was a great time, weather was perfect and we made a vacation out of it. Sat on lots of patios, cold beers, and seafood.

Then Sunday 8 days ago on the way back we got the text that some parents got the Kung Flu. Big outbreak at least 10 folks, most likely from the arena. Sure enough, before we got back into TX my wife started with a fever and body aches. We've been dealing with it for over a week now. I'm pizzed that it cost me a week of hunting. I planned on hitting it dang near every day. As slowly as things are getting better, I'm just hoping I'll be able to hunt next weekend. On the bright side, since I can't taste anything it's the first Thanksgiving in history that I probably LOST weight.

I've never hunted/scouted more and had fewer birds to show for it. I need to change up my scouting routine. It's not working this year. I haven't skied in nearly forty years. I do miss it sometimes but I agree with others. You need to see a doctor. I'm sure there's a pill or shot for that. Thorazene or some such concoction

Didn't miss a thing by not hunting I assure you. Though could have worked on your tan with the weather we've had.

X2
You can send Tara south to spend the winter with me and the pudelpointer while you are skiing . I will put her on some birds. Cricket does fine hunting with other dogs. It’s been pretty good in my neck of the woods.

Larry, bummer about the covid. Your dog is probably pissed too...

Thanks, she is. She has been giving the back yard critters all they can handle. Three rats in the last week. My wife loves it when she comes up to her and drops one at her feet.

Skiing?...... uh, NO. Heck, I pulled a hip muscle this morning on my regular morning walk (which sucks 'cause I'm surf & wade fishing the flats in Rockport this week)

Skiing is fun if you're young. Old farts end up in the emergency room. Ask Sonny Bono how his last ski trip turned out.

Boy I bet you have some stories from back then. Nice daffy btw!

So where did you go skiing?

Before my time, but wasn’t that water skiing?

Naw, Tara is not pissed, she loves her Daddy and that tail wages all day... She has already fetched 100 dove and 5 teal. We will get some hunts in, probably will not be till Jan, maybe end of Dec. We will see how it goes, I'm just not focused on duck hunting right now. But I will be.

Your didn't miss much the first split. Hopefully things pick up the second split

No, not me, I know how to ski, and I ski under control all the time, I do not wreck. Sonny hit a tree at high speed, no helmet. I think of it in terms of throttle. Say scale 1 to 10, full throttle is 10. I say 7 you are starting to gas it, 8 to 9 you are really pushing it and wreck is very likely. I normally ski 5 max, that is half throttle. The clip below is me coming down the hill my daughter videoed it, this is NM Red River "The Face" March this year, it is black, it is step, but it is groomed.

This is a pic from the top of The Face.



She took the easy way down, then got a video of me coming down the The Face, I'm on the left side of the run. I'm going a 2 or 3 here, it was last run of day I was pretty tired. And I had not been skiing since 2003.



This is my daughter, her first time skiing, day 3, pretty steep blue run. She is probably going about a 6 or 7, and all most takes spill at the end, especially when I start stoking her..



Girls always ski under control, guys over do it. Nearly all ski accidents are men. My son would not ski with us, he was going full throttle all the time, wrecking all the time too, and not listening to me.

Snow skiing, when keeping at half throttle, way safer than duck hunting, headed across the lake dark 30 in the morning in sub freezing temps, wreck and you probably die.

I have not gone yet this season. I go in a couple weeks, but I'm getting all new equipment, my gear is 30 to 35 years old, technology has change big time. New gear will cost me 2 to 3 grand. I been researching the new skis I want, who I want to tune them, and who I want to fit my boots. Just bought my skis the other day from a shop in Denver I researched, and I'll drive into Denver, get fitted for my new boots, get my skis, then head to the mountains. I'm going to Arapahoe Basin Ski area first, then I'm head to Winter Park where I ski bummed 2 years and was on the ski team the last year I was there. I have not been there is 30 years, so I'm excited to visit my old stomping ground. I looked up my old boss (Winter Haven Ski Lodge owner), gave me my first job there, and was sad to read he passed July this year, RIP Bill Brown (aka Wild Bill).

https://www.skyhinews.com/news/obituaries/obituary-william-andrew-brown/

Pic here of me (left) and Wild Bill (middle) in his bar, early 80's.

Cool
Australia or Austria?

Both. I did a ski season in Australia, and another in Austria. The first set of pic I posted is Australia, second set of pics was Austria. I didn't explain where I was in Australia, it was Perisher Valley. Definitely different skiing through eucalyptus trees. The Australia pics I posted was Smiggin Hole, bottom right of map below. I worked the lifts there and the pics are from the top snow cornice there at the peak, you had to hike to it.

You going to try and grow your hair out again

Seriously, have a great trip Guy...enjoy the trip!

Today was my first hunt of the season. It sucked, and from what I heard from the guys I hunted with today, I didn’t miss much the first split.

I enjoy skiing. It’s a lot of fun.

Do you need someone to run your boat this season while you’re on the slopes?

Well I got 2, the gatortrax and the momarsh. And I have to say, the thought of selling one has crossed my mind, and buying a bass boat/fishing boat/v-hull/maybe camo/outboard. I really struggle which one I would sell, lol. The logical/pragmatic side of me says keep the gatortrax, the emotional/adventurous side says keep the momarsh.

But when I'm really mad at them, it is nice to have 2 boats for backup. The biggest duck itch I have had so far this season is to hit some old walk-in spots I have not hunted in years. There is a lot to like about walkin hunting, especially when you got good spots that boats can't get to...use it to your advantage. Set-up and go is so simple, and great way to stay in shape.

"All my rowdy friends have quite duck hunting , and they seem to be more in to hitting the slopes........nobody wants get up at 2:30, everybody just wants to sleep on in.
I myself have seen my bluebird days, and I have seen my friends in the back of the hole...and I need to find me Guy who still wants to go....but nobody wants to get out and blow that call....and all my rowdy friends have settled down. And I think I know what that Guy meant when he sold his ole duck rig....and MoHunter still out there shooting drake pintail sprigs, and ducknbass still at the ramp fixing his brokendown chit.....

Still miss it?

The Face is not bad UNLESS it gets icy (which it does a lot) - then you just slide down sideways. I love that last area you sent the video of - like heading to the right and going through the trees - Never seems to be a line at that lift.

I don't ski a ton but love doing it. I skied Sapporo, Japan ('72 Winter Olympics were held there) in 1986 - neat to do something different, but I prefer smaller places like Red River.

Ha ha! I must admit, one thing I love about snow skiing is not having to get up a dark 30. Lifts open at 9am, so sleep in, easy into the morning with coffee, big breakfast, watch the sun rise over the mountains, ski all day, lifts close at 4pm, plenty of time to unwind, pour a whisky, start the BBQ, watch the sun set, pour another whisky and not have to worry about getting up at dark 30.

The Face gets icy because it is steep, and many rookies ski it and "slide", that makes it icy. But best lines to take is off to the side, like the line I took, everyone goes down the middle. This was my first trip to RR, great spot, love it. If I went solo, I would ski that Platinum lift all day, and the run below in red. The top is black, bottom is black (The Face), groomer all the way down very nice. We stayed at Best Western, right there by the lift I circle it in red.

Sht happens. Half the birds, it’s called hunting migratory birds. I have shot limits 5-6 hunts, with my guests faring 1/2 as well on average. As you get older, you just soak in the sun, your fellow companions and four legged friends, and count your blessings.

Beautiful pics

Did you pick up your snowboard & boots yet?

Not yet, real soon tho. Not getting snowboard, getting skis. Got my truck camper all rigged with propane heater, carbon monoxide sensor...

Are you really driving and sleeping in your truck? I don't think they are as lenient on vagrancy in Colorado. Agree that you are too old to snowboard, my mistake.

Yes I been doing that for years and don't try and stop me!

Day 1 Friday 12/11
Leave after work around 5:00pm...Home made sandwich for dinner on the road...

Day 2 Saturday 12/12
Get to Colorado Rest Area 2am...Catch a little shut eye...




And got this in case you are worried about my set-up...



Saturday morning, just me and the truckers, temps in the high teens, brew some hot coffee and hit the road to Denver to get my skis and fitted for boots...


Killing time in a Denver park eating lunch waiting in line to get fitted for my new ski boots...


Saturday afternoon, got my new skis and boots, headed to the mountains, stayed in motel Idaho Springs...



Dinner...my little webber rocks on this trip...

Day 3 Sunday morning, my favorite breakfast, you know it, Huevos Rancheros...on my new compact camping single propane burner rig...







4 degrees in the morning, but blue bird day, off to legendary A-Basin.



Only 2 left lefts were open, first pic is the Mountain Express the bottom lift, the other pics are off the Nenawee Mountain Lift..top lift..





My favorite run there far left, it was like a half pipe..

After skiing A-basin, headed to Winter Park got a ski-in ski-out condo at "Iron Horse Condominiums".

Sunday night, fried crappie with my home made tarter sauce, and oven cooked potatoes....

Day 4 Monday...

Explorer lift....





Lunch (H2O) on the Looking Glass lift.....



View off my condo balcony..



Monday night dinner...From Hirsch's Meats Plano Tx.



Salt and Pepper only...







With twice baked potato....

Day 5 Tuesday...

No ski pics, cold and snowing all day..Below are some pics of the condo, good spot I'll do this again...





Their coffee maker didn't work, good thing I brought my own....

Tuesday Dinner, BBQ chicken wings and yellow squash...

Day 6 Wednesday....

Explorer Lift...


Patrol station at top riding Explorer...



Pic of the top of the Gonadal, just got off Explorer...



The finally opened up the Mary Jane area.... This is the legendary Iron Horse lift...



No lines just how I like it...

Bottom of Mary Jane Trail looking right on lift..



All pics below taken riding up the Iron Horse..













Wednesday after skiing, started making the drive home. Drove till about 12AM, that put me at a rest stop in NM hyway 64, slept 6 hours and back on the road was home by 3:30pm Thursday. It was a great trip. Did not crash any which was my goal, because I got a messed up right shoulder, I'll be getting an MRI in about a week. I tweeked it early teal season throwing a decoy, I been trying to rehab it but it is getting worse I think. I'm not sure I'll could even shoot my gun. I shot all dove season with it messed up, but it is worse now I think.

Great pics. Great trip, looks like conditions were good.

Are there no Whataburger's up there?

You need a big [censored] fire extinguisher

Rotator cuff, rehab then surgery. Get it done as soon after the season as possible.

sweet trip and great pics Guy. I tore my ACL just looking at the original pics