Ruby Peyton coaching boardslides in the HCSC park lane.
Yes, chef! Ari Morrone, leader of the K-Unit, holds it down in the park when she's not running the kitchen!
Tricia Byrnes is the coolest!
Veronica Saint Jane led a learn to skate session in BOB on the Wy'East campus.
Christine Savage and Madison Blackley got this doubles backflip photo with Ruby Peyton behind the lens quickly because there is no patience in the trampoline line. p: Ruby Peyton
Madison Blackley, displaying a textbook 50-50 during side-approach coaching session.
Burton came to Boardwalk and hosted a make-your-own pizza night, complete with two Gozneys and the best pizza dough in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Pizza throwing is an art.
Thanks Mobility Duo for the perfect mid-week yoga session (the backdrop was pretty nice, too)!
There are few things more quintessentially summer than hiking the pipe at Timberline.
Christine Savage, carrying the team in her backpacks, per usual.
Coach Ruby in the upper rail section in the HCSC camp lane.
When you win the Heart Award and you get a brand new Nitro board! Yeah, Maddi!

A Glimpse at Session 1 at High Cascade with BTBounds

words: Mary T. Walsh
July 13, 2023

High Cascade Snowboard Camp. A magical place of summer snowboarding, endless skateparks, and legendary dodgeball games. A place where sun and snowboarding go hand in hand from June through August. Except when Mother Nature gets a wild hair and decides to blow in a summer snowstorm on June 18th.

There’s something remarkable about snow in June, and even though it closed the mountain on the first day of the session, you can’t be bummed on more snow. Especially when it means the HCSC camp lane is going to have a fresh and fast coat on it for the week. When Timberline opened up on day 2 of the week, the mountain was a sight for summer-weary eyes, and the Timberline Freestyle park was dialed.

For the fourth year, Beyond the Boundaries partnered with High Cascade on a women’s snowboard camp and a crew of women from all over the US convened in Government camp the for Session 1. BTBounds had brought it a couple of Mt. Hood ringers for the week–Madison Blackley, Kelsey Boyer, and head boss Christine Savage were joined by summer-at-Hood newcomer Ruby Peyton. Ruby had spent plenty of springs at Timberline, but this was her first official camp session. Tricia Byrnes was in town with USASA and joined up with the crew, too.

BTBounds had stacked plans for the week that was focused on snowboarding and sessioning features in the park–but also included whitewater rafting, a skate session with Seek Skate Camp’s Veronica Saint Jane, snowboarding-specific yoga with Mobility Duo, a Burton pizza night, wine tasting at Stave and Stone Winery in Hood River, celebratory dinner at Skyway, and a multi-day scavenger hunt with Nitro snowboards as the prize. The week was packed and went by way too fast, and it was incredible, thanks to the amazing crew of campers and coaches who attended the fourth BTBounds x HCSC session. One of those amazing individuals is Ruby, who brought an insatiable and uplifting sense of humor and excitement to the week. When she wasn’t helping the crew up their rail game, she was lighting up everyone in the van with hilarious stories. We caught up with the Montana local (who splits her time in Utah) for her take on her first week of summer snowboard camp.

You’ve spent a lot of time up at Hood but this was your first summer at camp. How was it? What did you think of the summer boarding and how did it compare to your past experiences up there?
I can’t believe that this was my first summer on Mt. Hood. I’ve always just gotten the spring pass for April and May. Being there in June, it rained far less and still snowed Ironically. We had a great week of sunshine after the Monday storm. Summer boarding was incredible–rope tows are a luxury.

How was the park? You were putting it down on the rails!
Props to the TLine park crew!! From kink rails to challenge features, big jumps to beginner jibs,  there was literally something for everyone.

What was a highlight of the week for you?
The entire week was a highlight–everyday was so amazing. Mt. Hood is full of magic and it was incredible to share it with BTBounds ladies.

A big plus was also seeing long lost friends from all over the world. Mt. Hood has a way of getting people together and sharing the passion of snowboarding. It is the place and people that truly fill my heart immensely.  

There’s something special about getting a group of women together to ride and push themselves and they’re snowboarding. Can you share your thoughts on this and what is meaningful to you in these situations?
I always say, the more you’re out of your comfort zone, the more your comfort zone actually grows! Watching all these girls achieve their expectations and go beyond their goals is so inspiring and powerful to watch. 

What is your favorite thing about adult summer snowboard camp?
First off thank you Mary and Christine for creating Beyond the Boundaries. I love how these camps create a space for women in the park. Whether they are afraid or just avoid it altogether, these camps make the ladies feel more welcomed and comfortable in the park! I’m just happy I get to coach and be a part of this beautiful program.