Crispyhouse

The snow is falling in Montana. Kicking off a great early ski season and heading into the holidays with the entire Mtn open, and a few powder days already under our belts, the extreme sledding season is also kicking off like gangbusters. This saucer jib over a retaining wall was highly anticipated and poorly executed but thats the hard knocks of free-sledding. 

Well we made it. After being taunted by its pinnacle peak towering over Montpelier VT Dad and I have conquered the great Camel's Hump. We tried to get off early but seriously folks this is hiking not an everest expedition. Our biggest hike this fall, and also the second in two days, we got to hike in early winter as a late fall snow had blanketed most of the mtn. When we got to the top it was clear skies and almost no wind, awesome 360 views, you could see all the way to New Hampshire with Mt. Washington and across lake Champlain to New York. Sweet as. We even broke out the camp stove and had a cup of hot chocolate to celebrate. Overall an awesome hike, dad even took a sweet digger on the way down and bloodied his face, what more could you want! Now its time for thanksgiving and gearing up for the move back west. Being back in New England has been fantastic as I've gotten to re-appreciate the landscape and hamlets in contrast to the giant peaks and enormous prairies of the west. But seriously its snowing in the rockies right now and there is skiing to be done so lets go and get this season started. Coming soon...new skiing section of Crispyhouse!!! keep your eyes out for some crazy ski photos and new Crispyhouse sponsored stunts.

So they only missed Bike Week by a couple of months but Devon and Becky were in the full spirit of things when they came by for a visit last week. Fully decked out in leather and chromed Harleys I met them in NH for a tour de force of my homeland. Starting with a trip on the boat out on squam lake for a taste of New England lake life and some foliage views. Then they got to see the ivy league high school that is holderness, seeing both their jaws drop as we walked the pathways past the library and the new turf field was fantastically hilarious. Then I took them to see Crispyhouse in all its glory. To finally be able to show Devon, whose house I was at when the fire happened, was a great moment for me to connect my life in the west with my world in the east. Hopefully now he better understands some of my stories and quirks. 

Starting to get more advanced with this blog thing as I have added a brand spankin new feature to the site. Now there are more photos than ever!! I know aren't you as excited as I am to escape the photographic doldrums of the single photo I use to encapsulate every post? I know I am so new for this fall I have added links to picasa web albums. Just click the link beneath the post photo and it will take you to the gallery of photos, you can even view a slideshow. Sweet huh? I'll work on updating old posts and everyone know as I go, but for now enjoy the barrage of pictures!

Had to get out in this wonderful Vermont foliage. I have decided to go in true tourist fashion and be a shameless leaf peeper. This hike was a bit more than expected when we decided at the peak of Mt. Hunger that White Rock summit wasn't that far away at all and we should make it a two peak day. My legs now remember what that choice entails. Regardless a great kickoff hike to get out in these woods again and get dad to sully his pristinely clean hiking boots. 

Whoa I didn't know that I was coming back to the last throws of summer! Went over to NH to pick up the truck and snagged a couple of hrs on the boat with dad. I think that completes my trip from Lake Wanaka to Squam Lake one week and one half of the world, same obnoxious glasses. No worries there will be several more lake excursions before winter but for now I gotta find a job, bummer.

Well the sadness has come I have left the dear adventure of New Zealand and returned to the bustle of good ol' America. I'm partway along right now, taking a few days to lay low in LA before continuing my trek back to the homelands of the East Coast. The goodbyes in NZ were hard and it is a place that I already miss. While it was not the most successful or smoothest of trips it is going to be a special one always. The grandeur of the land and the kindness of the people encouraged me to explore and the friends I met along the way opened my eyes to so many more doors. I leave behind Dave and Amy with an unfinished expedition, the hardest part is that we won't finish together as we set out, but overall this too will work out.

Now that I have had a few days of perspective to look back at my time in the south south pacific I am realizing that I did far more than it really felt like. Almost every week was a new adventure, a new traveling challenge that always paid off with a beautiful vista or a crazed event. I am wiser and more confident after my season abroad, almost more importantly though I have learned to value my sense of wonder. The ability to remove your logical thinking and appreciate something for its standalone beauty without needing reason or purpose. A continuing sense of wonderment mixed with unquenched curiosity keeps me moving and discovering new people places and myself. Thank-you New Zealand it has been an influence that will happily shade me for the rest of my life.

There are so many incredible beaches in this country every turn presents a new private cove and perfect settings for evenings on the beach. this one is called Giesepies beach and is on the west coast. Was a great place to rest after a hard day visiting the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. Its the trips out of Wanaka that have let me fall in love with this country. Every time i visit another place there is so much beauty and peacefullness.

A few weeks ago Dave, Amy, Katrin, and I went skiing at treblecone. It was the first time that it had snowed here in over a month. An absolutely whopping 15cm! So it was a kiwi powder day, and in fact with the tussock grass that is planted all over the slopes on these mountains, they don't need nearly as much snow for the terrain to be really skiable.

There were still a few grassy spots but overall it was a wonderful day. I was in a great mood as I jumped off of almost anything I could find. There were so many natural terrain features to play with, small cliff drops and great gullies. We even did a short hike up to the summit to get some fresh powder turns. It was the first day in New Zealand that I felt like I had skied hard. Today I woke up sore in the back and felt good that I was tired after an actual workout on the hill.

The day warranted an apre beer of course so we sat on the lodge deck and looked out over Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. It was a beautiful mtn to ski on. Not the most challenging of terrain but loads of fun and the views were a constant reminder of how much beauty we are surrounded by in this country.

This week, after another snowless week, Dave, Amy and I decided to go on an adventure to Jackson's Bay. The bay is on the west coast of NZ and is nothing more than a wharf and about ten houses. We went on the recommendation of Jeremy, my boss in Montana. I couldn't have found a better trip to pick up my spirits. Just to get out of the routine of Wanaka and and to explore the grandeur of New Zealand reminded me of how incredible this part of the world is. The 2.5 hr drive took us past deep blue lakes and snow capped mtns. a highlight was a huge waterfall adjacent to an arctic river. I braved the river and explored the waterfall, rewarded by a brilliant rainbow in the mist.



Upon getting to Jackson's Bay we took a short hike through a jungle trail and found a deserted cove to fish and watch the sunset. I threw out a makeshift line and immediately hooked a fish. WOW. Within 30mins all three of us had caught fish and had our dinner. Not to mention I got to see a wonderful orange sunset over the Tasmin sea.

After sunset we met some fisherman unloading their catch of lobster. Their boat was teeming with spiny lobster apparently the fishing in south NZ is amazing right now. After making friends and getting tipped off to a great deal on free oysters in Bluff, the southern tip of NZ, our new fisherman friend gave us two kilos of top grade blue cod that he had caught that day. We were set for a Feast!


Finally we found a campsite on the beach and grilled our catch over an open fire enjoying being under the bright southern stars and crescent moon. It was a cold cold night with about 1/2 inch of hard frost covering us by morning we woke to another clear sky day and fished some more off the end of the wharf before heading back to Wanaka to relax and get ready for another week at Cardrona.

Here is a photo that Dave, Amy and I took the other day on a walk by the lake. As depressing as the snow situation is right now it is consoling that there is so much beauty surrounding us and it keeps my spirits up to get outside and walk around.

We are now in the third week of the season and its starting to look bleak. While we are finally open there is only one run with snow and now we are in the middle of what is supposed to be the two busiest weeks of the season and there is still no work. This is not good. In the world of ski instructing, to lose these busy times is to lose the money you depend on to make it through the rest of the season. Talk has begun of abandoning ship. While we are all used to being impoverished ski bums it makes everyone acutely aware of finances. If work doesn't pick up in the next two weeks many people, including myself, won't be able to make the season and are faced with the grim reality of leaving.

While it is a bleak perspective on the situation those are the risks that you take when living this lifestyle. Sometimes things just don't work out and you have to find a way to keep afloat. So now with optimism that things will pick up and it will work out, I must also be realistic and begin to look at my other options. Bummer I know but thats just the way it works sometimes.

Life in Wanaka has begun to settle in. I have settled into my house and we have filled it with roomates not only to keep the rent down but also to keep the house warm. The current tally puts us at five. There is the American contingent of Dave, Amy, and myself having come down here together. Then there is Kenny from Belgium that drives the supply truck for Cardrona and Katarin from Bavaria that also instructs skiing. It should be a fun house, we had a party the other night and combining all the friends we have made here was great, I met people from all over the world that have come here for the same reasons as I have. The entire town of Wanaka is an international mixture of people coming purely for the winter. Hardly anyone lives here in the summer but come winter time it is a mecca of the southern hemisphere skiing scene. I have never been so closely involved in such a hotspot and it has an entirely different crowd of people than I met in Montana.

The town of Wanaka itself is incredible as it sits on the southern tip of a lake surrounded by sharp mountains. If anything the views are startling and a constant reminder of how remote this country of New Zealand really is. Even as it has grown into an international destination, especially for adventure sports there is still a very small town mentality my nearest equation is to think of America pre-Wal-Mart and that is where everyone is at. Internet is not widespread, only at pay cafes and a single grocery store feeds the entire town. The irony is that the winter crew fills it with a modern vibe and people here come with the focus to ski and of course party. Looking like a good winter so far. Hopefully it snows soon and the Mtns. will open.

Pat has hit the south island. i just finished three days of training at Cardrona ski area and now we are waiting for just one more snowfall to get the season underway. this picture was taken on top of a mountain overlooking Lake Tekapo, a stop on our way to Wanaka. now i have moved into my house and discovered a few things. NZ has no idea what central heat and insulation is. this place is freezing. also things are expensive here. food and even internet are out of control so it looks like mtn diet again and most likely internet once a week. otherwise i am looking forward to the adventure of working at this place. there are loads of fun people and as i settle in there are going to be endless adventures to undertake. i hope everyone in the states is having fun basking in the summer sunshine and getting nice tans. cause truly, its frickin freezing down here mr bigglesworth!

big news! i have a mailing address again. yeah. it is
patrick gannon
148 Aubrey rd
Wanaka, NZ

don't worry about postal codes this place is that small

This is the beautiful land of fiji. the yasawa islands off the east coast. we travelled up and down the entire chain. It was an amazing experience to be on an island where you could walk around the entire thing in under ten mins.

so i have made it to the island country of New Zealand. After spending five days in the islands of Fiji I am back into winter mode. My body is totally confused as to what season i am supposed to be in. Right now we are all in Christchurch trying to buy a car to drive to wanaka and use for the winter as soon as that happens i will be off to the mtns for the beginning of work on the 18th. it has been an incredible adventure so far. once i get internet on my own computer i will put up some pictures of the gorgeous islands and my first of New Zealand. for now i am safe and happy working on getting this life started. cheers

Arches National Park. This is probably one of the most famous rock formations in the world. Its really striking when you see it up close. Its real name is delicate arch and its only a short hike on slickrock to get to it. This is one of the must sees for any visit to Moab. I'd been wanting to go here since my last trip to Utah and it was nice to finish this National Park tour with such a distinguished landmark.

This is just the other side of Coral Reef National Park. Basically a huge ditch in the ground where the earth has seperated. Really cool slot canyons and huge red rock cliffs. After driving through the park on route 12 there are all these cool plateaus just hanging out in the prairie. I felt like I was in the movies.

Escalante is in the middle of nowhere. It was made a national monument in 96 by President Clinton and is bigger than Rhode Island. This view is off the side of route 12, by far one of the most spectacular roads I have ever been on. You can see forever and its all this crazy mars landscape. If I were a settler or a old time cowboy I would be so pissed that I had to travel over this terrain. The coolest thing though is that in a place like this geology makes sense on a huge scale. Here you can see firsthand without any doubt that yes this land used to be an ocean and yes the earth moves, and quite a bit. Its like there is a huge rift in the land.

so this is the crazy world of Bryce Canyon. and all those little spires are called Hoodoos. Hiked down below the rim and got to wander in and out of them all day. A really fun walk as there are trees and wildlife throughout the canyon floor then you hike up through the desert layers of colored sandstone. I was going to spend a few nights here but got called away when i got a message about me NZ itinerary. now don't be too mad. I am leaving on the 6th of June and headed not to NZ directly but somehow weaseled a free 4 day stopover in Fiji. Oh yeah baby here comes the beach. For now I am hammering out the details and hanging out in a few cool forrests in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Can you believe that this park is bigger than Rhode Island!.

So i made my way out of Arizona and have found new wonders in the mormon land of Utah. Other than a desperate lack of good beer the state has some incredible sites. I have been driving the senic highway 12 and around every corner is another beautiful vista. This photo is from my trip to Zion National Park. a shuttle takes you up the canyon floor and at the very end of the road you get to hike through the forrest till the trail ends at the river, but the hike is only begining. jump in the river and head upstream as far as you would like. the walls are straight up and it gets very narrow in some spots. Called, "the Narrows" for a reason I did this hike in the late afternoon and the angled sun on the walls brought out some incredible colors. It was also fun to hike in the river itself. Especially after spending time in the desert it was a great chance for some swimming and an evening cooldown.

So I did it, I visited the disneyland of national parks. The Grand Canyon, and while the crowds and development were kinda a bummer at times. The canyon itself is so incredibly massive and impressive that I still can't get my mind around the whole thing. I spent two days here and did a few hikes below the rim. There was just so much to see and do that I found myself very tired at night because of trying to take in so much. This is definately a place that i would like to go back to with someone else and spend a night at the bottom of the canyon or raft the colorado. it really puts you in your place.

To my homies from Prescott. Ok so i have left Arizona and i must say that i was completely astonished at how many wonderful things Arizona has to offer. My view of the state has completely changed. So Caitlin, Justin and Steph you may now laugh and i won't make fun of arizona anymore. that is till i ski it. the mountains looked tiny. this is a view of downtown Prescott, AZ at sunset. its a cool little downtown with a town common. i hung out here for a night before pushing to sedona. its a little off my chronological order. but there are a few people in AK that might want to see a little slice of home.

My campsite outside Oak Creek Canyon was amazing but the way out ended up being a journey in itself. I decided to try and find the main road out and followed some car tracks from a few hunters that had walked through my camp. Boy did I get lost. I wandered the back roads driving over crazy terrain for about 4hrs before I found a dirt road that took me all the way to Flagstaff. It was a bit worrisome for awhile but a sense of adventure kept it fun and if i hadn't been lost i never would have gotten this incredible picture that looks all the way back to Sedona.

After leaving Sedona I drove through Oak Creek Canyon and up an old logging road to find the perfect camping spot right on the rim of the canyon. Tough view to take while reading and writing in my journal. I feel like I am living the life of luxury with that awesome seven dollar chair from wal-mart. On my way into the campsite the road got ridiculously bad but my good old subaru carried me through the rocks and several herds of elk. Completely worth the effort. Little did I know that it was only the beginning of the adventure.

I visited Sedona on the reccomendation of a ranger at Joshua tree. I was not disappointed. Although the town is a bit touristy, after seeing the views I can completely understand why this is one of the centers for the new age movement. There is something magical about the red rock spires that surround the town.

I camped below this ridge on the north side of Joshua tree at a place called indian cove. Still learning how to use the new camera. The next ones will be better.

So the latest journey is a month long exploration of the southwest. Why not right? I have a month to kill before i head out to New Zealand, that is another story so I have decided to see this part of the country that is about as different from the landscape i grew up in as is possible.

    I started with a week in Baja Mexico with a bunch of friends from Montana, we roadtripped down and yes we stopped in Vegas for a weekend of insanity. Mexico was great as the house we stayed at had every toy imaginable. My favorite were the sea Kayaks. Surfing waves in a three person kayak was quite the trip, always ending in some spectacular crashes.

    After Mexico i parted ways with my travel companions and struck out on my own for a journey with several goals.

1. To see a part of the country that is completely different from where i grew up, and learn how to live in this kind of environment.

2. To spend some quality time alone in the wilderness reading and writing. I seem to quickly lose the solitude in my life and have found these kind of trips important moments to reflect on what i am doing and where I want to go.

3. To bask in some warm sunrays and swim in rivers before i head back to winter in New Zealand.

i seem to come up with new reasons everyday that i am on the road, but mainly i have come to the conclusion that i undertook this journey now because i felt i had to. something came to me while i was skiing alone one day and i decided that i needed to seize the opportuinity to spend some quality time with myself in a landscape that inspires me. So here we go