Report from March 13, 2024

Yesterday we went for a new zone.

A zone I’d never been to before.

When we got there, our eyes were ablaze…

The sun was irradiating a crystalline white snow surface full of playful features.

It appeared to be all powder.

I dropped first taking an air entry off the cornice.

“Whap!” went my skis as I touched down.

It’s always shocking to land in hard snow when expecting soft.

I completely adjusted my line ad hoc and skipped the air I had lined up.

I’d switched to survival mode in hooky, catchy snow that I’d assumed was creamy powder.

Still a fun run but not what I was expected.

Fox had a nice line down and we debated just heading home due to the snow quality.

We just couldn’t decide…

Eventually, I said “Let’s just skin up to the rocks and decide from there to keep going or not,” knowing damn well this meant going all the way up.

Fox knew damn well, too.

We laughed and threw on our skins.

The north wind that had kept us cool on the first ascent was less prevalent in the bowl skinned up for lap two keeping us warm and loose.

We made it back on top in 50 minutes and feeling good.

I was eyeing a very strange line that I wasn’t sure had any flow whatsoever, but I was down to try.

It turned out to be the neatest line I’ve skied all season!

A little air, a big blind knobby rollover, a spine I shoulda gotten onto (but didn’t know if it worked or not…), a few good powder turns, a sprinkle of sluff, some off-fall-line turns, then a big curtain of fall line snow littered with craggy rock towers.

I skiddered up to Fox and emphatically told him that was my favorite line of the season!

We were pumped.

Fox had skied a booming gully with big speed.

We clicked poles and slid downhill towards the lakes and home.

This place is a dream.

Thanks, California!

Photos