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Andrew Parker of Laramie goes airborne out of the half pipe Wednesday afternoon at Winter Park Ski Resort in Winter Park, Colo. Temperatures reached near 52 degrees Fahrenheit and provided riders with warm spring conditions. Winter Park closes for the season on Sunday, April 19. AAron Ontiveroz/staff

Yesterday, April 8, I took a nice mid-week trip to Winter Park to ride the nearly closed mountain. This Sunday (April 19), the park will close until next season. Though conditions were not nearly as awesome as my trip to Steamboat last weekend, the warm weather provided a nice spring day to mess around in the terrain park during the afternoon. Mostly, I photographed my two buddies as they worked the jumps and half pipe. Nobody suffered an injury nor did anyone die. In my book, that is a great afternoon.

Me taking taking a snapshot and riding the hill. Moments later I fell and suffered a concussion (not really). AAron Ontiveroz/staff

The first part of the day was spent in search of powder, but like the Chicago Cubs and Dennis Kucinich, luck did not favor us. Josh Oxner and Andrew Parker, the guys I rode with, decided to cut down into the trees from the top of the mountain. We rode into an icy wonderland of pain and exhaustion — it was like sitting through a Madonna film or eating a Taco Bravo before bed.

Upon escaping near death, we went back to the car, drank a beverage, changed out of our winter gear and returned to the terrain park. Since the mountain was unbearably tiring, we chose an easy day hitting kickers and riding rails. Like I said before, I mostly shot my buddies, and took gnarly pics of myself cruising down the hill campaigning for Kucinich in 2012.

Overall, a day on the mountain is better than a day in the office, but then again, so is almost anything else.

Joshua Oxner of Cheyenne grabs air somewhere in North America ca. 2009. AAron Ontiveroz/staff

Technical Information:

subject: andrew parker, joshua oxner, and aaron ontiveroz all of laramie

location: winter park, colo.

camera body: 2 canon mark IIs

lens: 15mm and 70-200 mm (bottom photo only)

ISO: 60-125

f-stop: between f-5.0 and f-13

cons:

the photo to the right would have been better if ox was farther to his left so he could be more in contrast with the sky. oh well, at least i got to ride a little.

Andrew Parker (right) and Joshua Oxner ride the half pipe at Winter Park on Wednesday, April 8, 2009. AAron Ontiveroz/staff