Sometimes it about riding with the crew...Sometimes it's all about the pow. Today the pow won out.
6:30 a.m. three inches of snow on my car. It's heavy enough to stick well but
light enough to move around easily. Nice…it's gonna be a great day.
Sterling lift, 8:00 a.m. My friends are late and the lift ops are still digging out. Twenty minutes later, still no friends, but I ride up with someone I met in line and have seen around a bunch. We get fresh down Smuggler's Alley woods as our first run with six inches of snow on top of a hard, crusty base which became softer closer to the bottom.
Second run…M1 to Doc's and the new woods, which are quickly becoming a favorite. I wish I knew where to pop in from the very top instead of half way down the trail. Anyone? The steeper pitch was fun, as well as the run out that rides like a creek bed. Riding high on the "banks" provided plenty of fresh.
Runs three, four, and five…various lines through Attitude…steep and fast, wide open, glorious turns. Rode alone the first time through...like a meditation in glory on snow. Second time, ran into Big John and Hugh halfway down and we hung together back to M1. The lift lines got looong. Met up with Kristian in line and took him along for round three. Sixth run down Shakedown scouting for some obscure line near a big rock on the right…missed it, oh well, still fun.
11:30 Lunch break to refuel for an afternoon of hiking. Coffee, hot lunch of Thai Kitchen ramen, and chatting with folks in the bar. Made a new friend.
12:00 Run seven…Hiking out back with new friend…all the way up…in the lead making small-step boot pack…sorry to all the tall guys behind me ;). Fresh tracks, cut left onto what must be the Sterling Pond trail, and rode it a long ways…farther left than I'd ever been…past the cliffs. Sweet and deep once we finally found a good fall line to ride out. Run eight…all the way up again…our boot pack had disappeared and the new friend took the lead this round. Drop in even further out this time for a long, sweet face shot filled, luxurious good time. Light was waning when we get to the upper lot.
3:00, time for one more. Worm hole to one of my favorite spots. I had purposefully saved it for last with the hopes no one else would go for it in the meantime. No one did. More face shots through steep chutes. The drop was filled in and is no more. The pitch lessens, and I ripped through wide open glades, threadin' needles for fresh…not stopping…until…I hit a small tree luckily with non-essential parts that can sustain a good bruise and not interfere with future days on the hill…still it hurt, and I stayed down for a minute until the pain subsided and the spot of impact went numb (in a good way). The remainder of my run down to
108 went smoothly, effortlessly, beautifully.
We have been blessed and absolutely spoiled with yet another outstanding
powder day :)
Happy New Year!
Rachel
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