Powder River Pass off of U.S. 16 west of Buffalo had received about six inches of new snow, but the rocky cirque that's easily accessible from the road was still a little thin for skiing. This area is almost always blasted by the wind, so terrain selection is important if you're going to avoid the rocks. Of course, I was a little too eager and the snowpack a touch too shallow.
The terrain is reminiscent of shots like Chivars Ridge on the south side of Teton Pass. After a lap of boot-top powder turns, I headed further north for my second lap where it appeared the wind had deposited more snow. Five turns in, my left ski smacked a rock buried just below the surface (that's what happens when you're skiing a 25-inch base) causing me to eject out of my ski, and land face-down on my left thumb. Of course it didn't hurt enough to keep me from taking several more runs, but today, I can't bend the thing, let alone hold a ski pole.When I got back to the car, I discovered that my ski didn't fare much better than my thumb and now needs some attention. Yup, should have used the rock skis.
While the turns weren't anything spectacular, I did enjoy having the entire area to myself and the silence was deafening. This particular area is closed to snowmobiles and the snowpack in the Bighorns is still a little thin for off-trail riding anyway.
While I sometimes long for the terrain, accessibility and deep powder of my old stomping grounds, the enjoyment of just being out in the mountains was a refreshing reminder of the powerful pull of skiing and its role in my life. There's something about the sport that elicits joy from people around the world, whether they're doing it on a 400-foot hill on man-made snow in Minnesota or a 4,000 vertical foot Alaskan face. No matter where you live, how many days a year you spend on skis, or how skilled you are, if you're a part of worldwide tribe of skiers, that passion never leaves you.
1 comments:
Hi Mike,
It's been a gazillion years since I last saw you (on a train heading back to Orange County from the city, I thnk), but I'm delighted to see that you're doing well in WY and that you, like me, are an outdoorsman.
As a trail runner, I can relate to "the silence is deafening", and also what it means to be part of a tribe. My tribe is a smaller one than yours, but with no less passion.
I write a blog as well, http://trailtodd.wordpress.com, and perhaps you can take a look when time allows. The photos in the blog are all from Harriman State Park, right here in your original stopping grounds - the O.C. :)
Be well, and always stay in the moment. ~Todd Jennings
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