Got of work early today to hit the slopes.... My co-worker and I were thinking about skiing up from Brighton over and down into Grizzly Gulch to meet up with some friends skiing at Alta. Ultimately we chose not to, just because the avalanche reports were showing a really high danger on most of the terrain that we would be skiing. Ultimately we ended up just skiing at Solitude. Great decision, we ended up getting some really good lines in Evergreen. As anyone who has skied a Utah resort knows well.... You have to work for the best lines. We worked for it! It was a 20 minute or so traverse to get just a few short moments of the fresh stuff but it was totally worth it. On our second traverse I thought I would try heading off a little higher at a fork, and there were a bunch of rocks leading off on the higher traverse. Just below the rocks was a 20-30 foot rock cliff/drift I had seen one guy skiing it, and figured it'd be worth it to try my luck at the hike. I led out a line of skiers over the rocks. Well led for a few seconds at least...
I decided to boot pack up over the rocky edge. About four steps in, my boots slipped on the ice covered rock under the few inches of new wind drifted snow. It was a yardsale. Somehow my skis managed to cling together at the top of the cliff as I went sliding off down 30 feet into snow, ultimately landing up to my chest in snow, only stopping when my boots hit some boulders under foot.
I somehow managed to do some rock/tree climbing to scurry back up to my skis and finish the traverse to one of my best lines this season.
Nothing like a little ice to keep you on your toes. I am so thankful that I was able to make it out unscathed and with a huge grin on my face. Lots of people aren't as lucky. Grateful for the opportunities to ski with friends and enjoy some of the best terrain/snow on earth..... what a lucky gift, to live near the mountains.
Don't Stop Breaking Down the Doors
Kam
