ASK LEVI
Special Edition |
 |
|
March, 2007 Dear Levi, What's it like to ride Pebble Creek in Idaho? Thanks, Lauri |
Dear Lauri,
Why don't you come on out and see for yourself.
Levi
And so I did....
March 1 - 3, 2007. I had the opportunity to ride Pebble Creek. A small, mostly unheard of, ski area in Southeastern Idaho. Located in Inkom, about 20 minutes from Pocatello, you'll find Pebble Creek nestled up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It's a quiet, peaceful, laid back and unassuming place. But don't let appearances fool you. The cliche "don't judge a book by it's cover" was created for places such as this.
Levi and his family were kind enough to take me in for a few days and show me around. Those of you who are used to resorts like Copper, Vail, Whistler, or even Killington, will find Pebble, also known as "The Rock", quite a different experience. There aren't sprawling parking lots from which to catch shuttles to the mountain. There is no bustling base area with a Disneyland feel. There are no high speed quads. As a matter of fact, there are only 3 lifts at Pebble. Of those 3 lifts, we only really used the main lift. We used the "triple" a few times when Levi tried telling me that the line for the main lift was LONG (about a 4 minute wait). I laughed. And the lower lift serves only one trail that's a very easy. There is no apres-ski nightlife. No bar in the lodge to hang at. Here, it's all about the snow. And you better understand that! No games here kids. :)
Before this adventure, I visited both Copper and Winter Park/Mary Jane in Colorado and The Canyons in Park City, UT. So this was not the first "Big Mountain" experience for an unfortunate East Coaster like myself. But upon arriving at the base, I instantly felt a slight tinge of vertigo. I can't quite place what it is about Pebble, but it definitely throws you off balance to try to look at it in one glance. It's just so, tall. Also, Pebble is only 12% Beginner, 35% Intermediate, and 53% Advanced. So most of the mountain is quite steep.
So day one comes and Levi, his wife, Tanya, and I are on the main lift. A somewhat slow, 3 seater, with no bar, that climbs some of the steepest trails I have seen to this point in my life. The discussion turns to "What should we do for a warm-up?" So the general consensus is "Max Out" to "Stacey's" to "The Canyon"... Now I'm getting excited! I finally get to ride the infamous (to those of us who know Levi) Pebble Creek. We get to the top, move a little to our right, and Levi starts to strap in. He says, "Ready?" And I look at the trail, then Tanya and say "Are you kidding me? We're doing THIS for a warm up?" Tanya just smiled and said "Yes." Talk about an eye-opener. This was a black diamond trail to me, not a "warm-up." So, what can you do but ride it? Right? And off we go....
Day 1 was as "powdery" as I had ever experienced. There was definitely a lot of crud and the snow was bumpy and heavy. So having Levi around as a teacher was quite reassuring. I don't think I've ever ridden with anyone who has taught me more. On top of that, Levi will never let me ride anything he doesn't think I can handle. And luckily for me, he thought I could handle it all. So we hit the groomers, the bumps, the steeps. We pretty much covered it all in one day. Visibility was poor, so we couldn't hike, but it was an amazing day otherwise.
As for the bumps/moguls, whatever you want to call them, I have had very few good experiences getting through them. I can't say I ever found them fun. But Levi knows how to make everything fun... especially making Margaritas. (There's a "fill line" on a blender for a reason, Levi.) Anyway, back to the mountain... By the time I left Idaho, I had gone from completely incapable of tackling a bump run, to being able to get down with confidence and a tiny bit of grace. :)
The next fear to tackle, STEEPS! "The Rock" is the steepest trail at Pebble. With powder on it, it's not so bad. But it sure is an adrenaline boost to stand at the top and look down. It's the kind of run that I found myself "scooching" up to on my behind because I really didn't think I'd be able to enter it safely while standing. And, like it's name implies, there are rocks in some places. BIG rocks. So you have to keep your eye out for those. Although it wasn't the most graceful of my rides, it certainly was a nice way to look a fear in the face and kill it.
What I liked most about Pebble is that you never felt bored. The terrain was varied and steep. You could ride super fast down the blue groomers. So fast that your eyes watered even while protected by goggles. So fast that your ears pop during the descent. You can hike about 15 minutes to some crazy out of bounds areas that have the look and feel of rocky desert terrain that you might see in a Sci-Fi movie or Afghanistan (not that I've been there). There is plenty here to keep you occupied for quite a few days.
My least favorite part of Pebble, (I have to be honest to be fair) was the cat tracking. There are quite a few places where you really have to bomb to get to where you want to go. I've never really been a fan of flat-based riding with no turns or speed checks. But at Pebble, you have to get used to it. There is one track though, from South Bowl back to the main area, that had Levi's dad not been with me on skis, I would have been walking, for WHILE.
Each night, bed time came before 10:00 PM. Riding long, steep, bumpy trails all day is enough to wipe me out! By the last day, I was ready for the Lava Hot Springs.
Lava is a town in Idaho about 30 minutes from Pocatello. They have Hot Springs which are little outdoor pools of pure, hot, mineral water. The bottom of the pools are gravel from which you can feel the water coming up from the earth. http://www.lavahotsprings.com/hotpools.html There is truly nothing better than soothing your battered and worn body in these pools after days of hard riding.
On Sunday, I didn't want to leave. Not only had I wanted more of that mountain, I had grown to love Levi's family. Alex and Miranda are two of the most amazing kids I've ever met. And Tanya was just the most wonderful hostess with a warm heart to match her warm smile. I learned so much riding with Levi. Things that can't really be quantified. Things that only riding with someone better than you will teach you.
Pebble Creek is a one of a kind place. It's not overrun with steezey kids trying to impress anyone. The people who ski and ride pebble know what they're doing. They drop cliffs, they carve the most beautiful turns, they ride hard and fast yet are always in control. They are chill, say "right on" and smile when they hear you're from somewhere other than Idaho. They welcome the stranger on their mountain. They make you feel at home. But don't be fooled, they are all about the snow. This is a serious mountain. Make mistakes here and you could get hurt. (Where your helmets kids!) But it's also beautiful, fun and easy to fall in love with.
Did I mention that it's just $35/day?
- Lauri Durnin
Ask Levi your questions below, or email them to editorial @ shredbetties.com :