No more Meteo-Morris on wepowder
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Advancedstauchaser op 14 October 2020 · 18:35Lively discussion on the Dutch site about Meteo-Morris no longer being affiliated or employed by wepowder.
The automatic snowfall maps with the pretty colours have gotten better over time, but still need some good ol' fashioned brainpower to give the detailed advice. Morris' written PA's and advice on where to go have been the real value-add on this site. Here's hoping @Arjen can find someone to fill some pretty big boots.
*message edited by stauchaser op 14 Oct 2020 18:50 (5% bewerkt) -
AdvancedStorpotatisen op 16 October 2020 · 13:50Wait, wot, why? -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 20 October 2020 · 22:21I'm bummed but best wishes to Morris. -
opisska op 21 October 2020 · 11:47What a shame! Very few people have single-handedly changed my life without ever meeting me as much as he did. -
AdvancedArjen op 22 October 2020 · 09:41@Stauchaser Yep, working on that one. 😃 -
AdvancedPichel op 25 October 2020 · 12:26Bummer! Not much time left and we may be missing the first serious powder alerts -> see front rolling in tomorrow through south alps / Airolo / Andermatt / Engadin. Please get the ball rolling again!
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AdvancedFuschetto op 8 December 2020 · 18:48Sad news.
I hope the best for Morris. And a long life to We Powder. -
Jenson op 4 January 2021 · 15:52No Farewell, no bye bye, no tribute. No nothing. I always thought Morris/WePowder is the same or he is the founder.
@stauchaser What happened? Why is he off? Did he get fired from the company he created?
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Touristieism op 4 January 2021 · 19:05I'll post a quick response as there has been some speculation on the Dutch site as well that Morris has responded to there. I'll translate part of it here for you.
Morris has stopped with Wepowder, after 15 years to focus on other things in his life. Wonderfull years mostly with lots of great trips, but also a few very tough moments were we lost friends and had to deal with the aftermath of that. He dedicated so much time to the site and weather forecasts, but that also meant he did not have as much free time as a normal person needs because when you are a snow guru everybody want a piece of your time 24/7.
Morris is focusing on new things and went back to study after realising in the last decade how fragile the mountains and our environment are.
A big thank you from him for all the memories and great years!
So Arjen, who has been running Wepowder with him for more than a decade, will continue the site as normal. With help from the technical team. The Dutch site has already picked up with great content, also from regulars posting their own trip reports or content. Weather is taken care of by a new and very good forecaster, I'm sure there will be regular updates for the English site too when we are all allowed to travel again. Maybe you can post here what kind of content besides forecast you are most interested in and I'll see if we can translate and crosspost more.
For those wanting to give him a farewell, you could start a topic with your favorite powder moment that could not have happened without Morris' forecast. Or a short story or thank you, whatever you feel is best. If you hit over 35 posts in that topic I will compile them into a little book and send it to him as a memory. So start digging for pictures!
See you in the mountains!
*message edited by ieism op 4 Jan 2021 19:17 (1% bewerkt) -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 4 January 2021 · 19:22I did a trip Verbier->La Grave->Chamonix->Andermatt->Airolo->Madesimo->Corvatsch->Andermatt 7 years ago, following Wepowder/MeteoMorris forecasts. I have an incredibly obnoxious trip report. Do you really want that?
*message edited by Chester_Tartsnatcher op 4 Jan 2021 19:23 (3% bewerkt) -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 4 January 2021 · 19:25First section, more if requested:
>>>>
Well my wife ran off with my dog
And my truck engine is blown
So I headed off to ski Yurope
Seeing how I was down
On my way to the airport
I picked up some Cheez Whiz spread
To go with my new outfit
It's Orange - a rhyming dread
On my way through the security scanner
The TSA dude grabbed the jar
Of the dairy byproduct mystery
And this he said from afar:
"This heayah jars a threat
"To our national security
"And to our bodily fluids
"Not to mention our liberty
"I'm taking your jar of Cheez Whiz
"Even if it's not aerosol
"So get on out of heayah
"Before you go in the body search stall
So I left the security area
And I knew I couldn't be wrong
That this incident would give me
A new hit Country Song
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
I was troubled and downcast
As I headed to the gate
What was I to do
To get some orange and not be late?
With my Spirit Animal Cheez Whiz
Back in the security trash can
What other orange food byproduct
Could I get now in post scan?
I searched the snack food items
To replace my lost Cheez Whiz
I wander in search of a totem
From neon lit biz to biz
And then it struck me clearly
From a Frito-Lay Display
A Cheeto was what I needed
To clear the air today
So I accepted the Flying Cheeto
As my new Spirit Animal
And I climbed into my seat
And set off for the Swiss Capitol.
On landing in Geneva
My entry was in the lurch
For in my luggage did customs
Perform an illegal cheese search.
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
For those Yuros are protective
Of the fine cuisine they eat
And won't tolerate abberations
In cheese or mystery meat
In time the douaniers
Became mostly satisfied
And into a Swiss train
My cheetos and I did slide
So on to Martigny
Where Mulletizer picked me up
And wound up into Verbier
To sit and drink and sup.
The next day dawned stormy
With a foot or more of fresh
So on up to old Savoleyres
We did a powdah sesh
From Savoleyres To Attelas
But not Gele - it's closed
We rallied powdah turns
And faced the powdah hosed
Vallon d'Arby looked awesome
But for time we were quite stressed
And instead raged around Tortin
And Oh man I'm impressed.
Then across a traverse wicked
Into a col we poled
And into more deep powder
In the Col des Mines I'm told
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
The Col des Mines was awesome
In shin deep pow we played
Then back to get Ms. Mulletizer
And off for more pow we made
After shredding across 2 vallees
We sat down to a feast
And dranked and talked and laughed
The apricot schnapps not the least.
On rising next morn early
At 5 or so no more
We packed the car and headed
To the bakeries back door
There met by steam a curling
From croissants freshly baked
On down past Martigny
Old Mulletizer deftly braked
Then on to the Autoroute
In early France we rolled
And recounted fond memories
Of La Grave, that land extolled.
By 10 we were ensconsed
In the telepherique parking lot
And laughing ladies shouted "ouvre la bouche"
And spritzes of Chartreuse we got
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
So up into La Meije
We lifted one again
It's been so long last I did this
At least 7 years and 10
The Vallon it skied so sweet
And so did the Chancel side
It was only yesterdays powder
The source of Ecrins pride.
Then on to the birthday party
At the Refugio Chancel
It's Fils' 40th birthday
And man did he give them hell
From Pot au Feu to Genepi
We ate and drank and talked
Until the Euro Disco
At midnight that I balked
Those thumping Euro crazies
Dancing shirtless did perspire
So I huddled away in my bunk
But some earplugs I did desire
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/X4gpzsRkTwUerSaKxeLynUOOf61fMHA1IjsH...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hmGpDOXDzdsEm-J0F_GDs8-YwmobtosurB6x...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0ahAZz1SZoyjfQuLbF_4sDFIDuSpCYcaeFB2...
On morn the wasted partiers
Did gently break their fast
With coffee, cake and liquor
Their sobriety did not last.
<<< -
Touristieism op 4 January 2021 · 19:51Yeah man, everyone is sitting at home dreaming about traveling. We could use a trip report don't you think?
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ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 5 January 2021 · 05:48Well my wife ran off with my dog
And my truck engine is blown
So I headed off to ski Yurope
Seeing how I was down
On my way to the airport
I picked up some Cheez Whiz spread
To go with my new outfit
It's Orange - a rhyming dread
On my way through the security scanner
The TSA dude grabbed the jar
Of the dairy byproduct mystery
And this he said from afar:
"This heayah jars a threat
"To our national security
"And to our bodily fluids
"Not to mention our liberty
"I'm taking your jar of Cheez Whiz
"Even if it's not aerosol
"So get on out of heayah
"Before you go in the body search stall
So I left the security area
And I knew I couldn't be wrong
That this incident would give me
A new hit Country Song
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
I was troubled and downcast
As I headed to the gate
What was I to do
To get some orange and not be late?
With my Spirit Animal Cheez Whiz
Back in the security trash can
What other orange food byproduct
Could I get now in post scan?
I searched the snack food items
To replace my lost Cheez Whiz
I wander in search of a totem
From neon lit biz to biz
And then it struck me clearly
From a Frito-Lay Display
A Cheeto was what I needed
To clear the air today
-
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 5 January 2021 · 05:48So I accepted the Flying Cheeto
As my new Spirit Animal
And I climbed into my seat
And set off for the Swiss Capitol.
On landing in Geneva
My entry was in the lurch
For in my luggage did customs
Perform an illegal cheese search.
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
For those Yuros are protective
Of the fine cuisine they eat
And won't tolerate abberations
In cheese or mystery meat
In time the douaniers
Became mostly satisfied
And into a Swiss train
My cheetos and I did slide
So on to Martigny
Where Mulletizer picked me up
And wound up into Verbier
To sit and drink and sup.
The next day dawned stormy
With a foot or more of fresh
So on up to old Savoleyres
We did a powdah sesh
From Savoleyres To Attelas
But not Gele - it's closed
We rallied powdah turns
And faced the powdah hosed
Vallon d'Arby looked awesome
But for time we were quite stressed
And instead raged around Tortin
And Oh man I'm impressed.
Then across a traverse wicked
Into a col we poled
And into more deep powder
In the Col des Mines I'm told
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
The Col des Mines was awesome
In shin deep pow we played
Then back to get Ms. Mulletizer
And off for more pow we made
After shredding across 2 vallees
We sat down to a feast
And dranked and talked and laughed
The apricot schnapps not the least.
On rising next morn early
At 5 or so no more
We packed the car and headed
To the bakeries back door
There met by steam a curling
From croissants freshly baked
On down past Martigny
Old Mulletizer deftly braked
Then on to the Autoroute
In early France we rolled
And recounted fond memories
Of La Grave, that land extolled.
By 10 we were ensconsed
In the telepherique parking lot
And laughing ladies shouted "ouvre la bouche"
And spritzes of Chartreuse we got
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
So up into La Meije
We lifted one again
It's been so long last I did this
At least 7 years and 10
The Vallon it skied so sweet
And so did the Chancel side
It was only yesterdays powder
The source of Ecrins pride.
-
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 5 January 2021 · 05:49*
Then on to the birthday party
At the Refugio Chancel
It's Fils' 40th birthday
And man did he give them hell
From Pot au Feu to Genepi
We ate and drank and talked
Until the Euro Disco
At midnight that I balked
Those thumping Euro crazies
Dancing shirtless did perspire
So I huddled away in my bunk
But some earplugs I did desire
On morn the wasted partiers
Did gently break their fast
With coffee, cake and liquor
Their sobriety did not last.
*message edited by Chester_Tartsnatcher op 5 Jan 2021 06:00 (23% bewerkt) -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 5 January 2021 · 05:50********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
We stuffed our packed with bottles
And carefully skied to P1
To download those and kegs
One attached to Mulletizer's bum
Then the rest of the day we ratted
All around that sacred ground
Until the wind came up
and the snow it started down
Then Mulletizer had to go
Back to the land of dad
And then I got a message
That made me oh so glad
Darshan from Chamonix
Was heading down La Grave Way
And the snow it closed in hard
Promising next a powder day.
When Darshan he did arrive
We wandered around the town
Up to the old Church
And La Neige it did come down.
Next day it dawned bright blue
With 30 cm and more
And Risque d'Avalanche just at 3
Instead of a dreaded 4.
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
And so we railed the Vallon
Not once, not twice, but 4
Not just from top to P1
But from top to the Valley Floor
That way the day was spent
Lone raging pow in steep chutes
And spent the night wandering imbibing
Of meat and cheese and fruits
Next day it broke bright blue again
And this day was the treat
They opened up the poma
Up on the high Girose teat.
5 Girose laps we made in bitter cold
The pow was thigh deep and light
We skied until the sun was down
And set to drive at night
Along the Romanche we began to roll
When a slapping sound did tell
That tire pressure along a ledge
Was really not doiung well.
So curse and thrash above the rage
Of the river far below
We dug out headlamps and did replace
A flat tire in that snow.
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Later in Cham sushi was had
Before a drink or two
Then off to snooze a z or so
While in more snow it blew.
On waking my pal Darshan
Was feeling not so well
So off he sent me to Grands-Montets
Where pow that day did dwell.
No lines, no crowds was this the place
I've heard in stories all?
All day I got the ball massage
From powder deep and tall.
Next day from Argentiere to Lavancher
We rode the chowder light
Teetering o'er the cliffs and drops
Until the time was right
To Vallorcine I got a ride
And rolled past Gornergrat
On and on into the night
Finally to old Andermatt
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Jenson op 5 January 2021 · 12:12A very nice story Mr Tartsnachter and sounds like one hell of powdrish trip!
Actually I don t really have a story when we followed Morris` advices. We had to find it by ourselves, or maybe Livigno some years ago was a great advice.
When we were in Japan back in the day we had a great winter one time with snow almost every day and one bad winter with only 2 dumps in 16 days. Once back in Canada we only had untracked lines when we did catskiing, otherwise competition was quicker than we were. And the winter at that time also wasn t best...
And in our favorite spots in Austria we are there to catch most of the dumps anyways but the competition there also gets bigger and bigger.
But all the stories about the hidden gems in Switzerland and the Savoies were so nice to read and the pics so epic to watch. The Video of Morris and buddy some years back when he did a swiss roadtrip also visiting Mürren inspired us to go to Mürren some years later and it was good times. Not that much snow, and not the biggest resort, but only a few freeriders and some great lines. We had first lines for one or two days...which is pretty good nowadays.
Morris` weather forecasts with all his experience with genua lows and all the stau-scenarios e.g. have just been the SHIT!!!
Sad for us and all his followers here and in social media, good for him and his time riding surf-and snowboards.
So Morris, bye-bye and hope to see you back on wepowder someday... -
AdvancedStorpotatisen op 5 January 2021 · 19:05Truly a nice story from The Tartsnatcher! Thanks.
I'm afraid I cannot match that, but I do remember that one time when Morris had us drive from Zurich, via Murren, to Macugnaga. A long drive, but according to rumours around town, it was well worth it... 😃
= -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 6 January 2021 · 01:25There's more, but I couldn't post it. Let me see if I can now.
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ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 6 January 2021 · 01:28Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
There Birdo met me at the train
And set me up in time
And introduced me to his girlfriend Serighna
I couldn't help but rhyme
Next day brought storm on the Gemstock
But old Danny knew a sleaze
On through the Gotthard Tunnel we drove
To ski Airolo Trees
Airolo was meters deep in snow
And much too much they had
82 cm that night
Tits deep the skiing's rad.
The lower tram and half a drag
Were all the lifts in play
Steep hidden trees face deep in snow
Was all we did that day.
By evening a plan was laid
To head for more deep snow
Off to a corner of Italy
A place called Madesimo.
Past Lake Como and Lugano did we drive
In Birdos faithful van
Past Chiavenna and Campodolcino
Was the driving plan.
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
In blinding snow, on tiny curves
Through tunnels small and old
Up to a land of Baker deep
The snow it lay in fold
On mornings entry the story stays
Too much snow for lifts on high
Over breakfast did we kvetch
And moan and whine and sigh.
So the lower trees did we ski
In tits deep snow again
And in the gondy did we make
A new friend Italien
We queried Robbie as to routes
He seemd the skier d00d.
He cautioned us as to the dangers
And beckoned us to food.
So after laps of chest deep snow
To his clear yurt we went
Below the Larici gondy
The transparent circular tent.
He plied us with wine and meat
And cheeses and breads and fruit
But when it came time to pay
He became a stubborn mute
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Refused to take our Euros
Or hear of renumeration
The only thing he would take
Was good vibes in compensation
In that afternoon, the freezing levels did rise
And at the bottom: rain.
From wet and slop one emotion arose
And that was of disdain.
So into the van we hopped and drove
Down into Chiavenna town
And wandered streets and alleyways
But the weather had us down
Too North, there was too little snow
Too south there was too much
We scanned the options in between
For just the right snow touch
Sankt Moritz was an option told
The Engadin positioned well
For storms to dump while staying cold
The snow deep and light and swell
On to the Swiss border
Where they didn't like our styles
And questioned us and took our passports
Before we got any more Swiss miles
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ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 6 January 2021 · 03:34Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
In Pontresina, rooms were tight
So to a pensione we rolled
And found that to our delight
There was price and comfort extolled.
Sankt Moritz has lifts abound
To the Corvatsch we drove
The Swiss Precision managed well
The snow that lay in loads
Couloirs, pillows, rolling meadows
Filled with tits deep fluff
Goggles packed, beards encrusted
All the perfect stuff.
West backside couloir slayed
With sloughs and spooks galore
By end of day I'm cooked and done
What can one want for more?
The long drive back to Andermatt
Is cold and dark and gloom.
Landing back at Gasthaus Sternen
All too glad for bed and room.
Last day in Andermatt is blown
With Gemstock still in storm
So pow was ripped and glad tiding shared
At Natschen as is norm.
By 2 the storm had shut
The draglifts even there
So the time had come to pack and leave
And head off elsewhere.
My only regret
Is not roaming East
To ski just a bit
With the IBK TR-tistes
********************************
Oh the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Took My Cheez Whiz Away
Yes the TSA Took My Cheez Whiz Away -
ExpertChester_Tartsnatcher op 6 January 2021 · 03:36the end
-
Advancedstauchaser op 6 January 2021 · 12:13We were around Innsbruck something like 10 years, riding mostly the smaller areas in northern Zillertal. We still had 3 days before the flight back home when finding good snow got a bit too hard. Stumbled on this website called wepowder for the first time. Wherefrom we gathered that, apparently, there was good snow to be ridden in a place called Arabba.
We had never heard of Arabba before.
Seems we also weren’t adept at using booking_com or trivago at that point (or maybe they just didn’t exist yet), because we called a hotel in Arabba to inquire about accommodation, and the landlady informed us that we might have trouble getting there, because of ”too much snow on the road”.
That sure got us interested.
So, with wepowder snowinfo confirmed, we drove thru Brenner pass down to the Dolomites to our first Meteo-Morris -advised powder alert.
- - - -
Besides the immense utility of weather forecasts, which have been invaluable over the years, wepowder also turned out to be a just a treasure trove of information on the Alps. Not only did we find out about and visit Arabba, but dozens of lesser-known areas (secret spots, they used to be called) that sometimes only had like 2 lifts and no crowds that compete for pow (though this is getting more of a rare occurrence lately. Everybody wants to ride powder).
Anyhow, in the decade since Arabba, Morris’ powder alerts have been our guide to when and where to go in the Alps - or, as was the case during the January drought in 2020, to the Pyrenëes - with astonishigly reliable results. We always ride powder, sometimes catching 2 powder alerts in different parts of the Alps during our longer trip.
As for myself, since 2010, there have been 2 people that have influenced my riding. There’s Jeremy Jones, who pretty much inspired me to buy a splitboard with Deeper. And then there’s Meteo-Morris. And I haven’t really ridden my splitboards that much, because we’ve always known when and where to go for the lift-accessed powder. Thanks, Morris.
JK
on behalf of Chasingthefront crew from Finland
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Touristieism op 7 January 2021 · 18:46I enjoythe stories powder brothers! Lots of familiar places, seems like you know whats up. Next time you go from Madesimo to the upper Engadine make sure to check if the Maloja lift is running (you have to pay cash, so bring some CHF) .
And if Airolo is too busy, try Cari or Nara with a sudstau. -
Touristieism op 7 January 2021 · 18:46I enjoythe stories powder brothers! Lots of familiar places, seems like you know whats up. Next time you go from Madesimo to the upper Engadine make sure to check if the Maloja lift is running (you have to pay cash, so bring some CHF) .
And if Airolo is too busy, try Cari or Nara with a sudstau.
