I stand on top of the Top of The world and stare in awe at what I see.
A mid-May landscape of brown and white stares right back.
Nothing to do now but hike and train, ski EVs to get ready for the big game.
Nice also to get away from the spring break madness that has taken over the mountain.
This year, March 13?
The only access it was to ski the run I had last time.
Plus, undercutting that entire area to get across wasn’t an option.
Shut my eyes for a second, deep breath and I push off onto March corn.
I ski the upper, sparsely spaced old growth trees without incident.
Below in the debris zone is where my ski was supposed to be.
I could see two specks of black, and a tip of a ski in the melting carved runout.
Getting down to it was the issue.
There was no hucking the drop this time.
The answer lies in the river of water and mud trickling to my right.
The next sequence is an ad lib that has no basis in snow science or widley accepted backcountry protocol.
I don’t give a shit.
Sometimes you have to do what you have to get your ski.
First time for everything.
Stood on a bushy bench looking down and considered my future.
Throw side stashes like a spear into the debris pile below.
Realize gravity always wins, commit to the muddy ass slide over the ledge and air it.
Land onto the debris pile below in a spider monkey position.
Wallow/ swim in the snow to find and retrive AK JJ.
Use as a support to get to the Sidestashes.
Get on em and get out of there.
The slide went over the first roll and down near the traverse out from Tele Line.
The crown was just under the cliffs to the skier’s right of my gully.
It was about a foot and a half deep, the debris looked a day or two old.
Underneath is loose and unconsolidated to the ground.
The end is near.
Rescue mission a success.
I skied out with three, being careful not to clothes line myself on the traverese out.
Another first in my fifteen seasons here.
Prouldy displayed my hard earned, slightly muddy trophy on the bus.
I laughed and confirmed.
Talked about the state of EV and the crazy year on the way in.
EV season started two months late and ends a month early.
No much left in between.
