Got up early, left Whit sleeping at my place while I headed up the road to Smuggs. She was a bit worn out from our day of skiing yesterday. I have a bottomless appetite for powder though, and it's up there for the taking. So off I went, and powder I would have.

   In the same place where Ben, Will & I triggered a slide on Wednesday, another one let go today. These aren't the type that present great danger. No fracturing, just kicked up surface powder that sloughs downward from each turn. Just deep enough sloughing to sweep you off your feet; but certainly not deep enough bury you. Anyway, this time I was more aware of it and pulled off to the side before the brunt of it caught up with me. I watched with wonder as the bulk of it slid on by. It looked almost like it was alive. Some kind of liquid energy hissing and flowing down the mountain. It seemed like it would never stop coming down from above, so I decided to surf the moving snow once again and wahoo with the same big, fast, swooping gs-ish type turns I was making while still ahead of the slide. Very fun.

   BTW, Jspin & E, this is the same place that a chunk of snow came rolling down and splatted on your camera lens on Sunday. That day, the chute was kind of wind treated as I recall. But still, very fun & as a bonus, the rest of Sunday was powderrific. The three of us connected a few different shots on Madonna for one very long and mostly off piste run - containing pitches & space of various steepness & width. All with powder - some untouched, some loose. Sorry you couldn't join us for the last run E, as you saw on the video Jay & I shot, it was fantabulous untouched powder for the entire descent. Of course, I can't complete a day of skiing with you guys without some kind of dramatic wipeout, can I? Never fails :) Did you ever figure out what was going on with your boot??

     Okay, back to today's skiing...

    I did one more lap through never-never land, and the only tracks I crossed were mine at the top. Even those were already very faint, as the winds & falling snow were covering things up fast. I strayed from my old faded tracks right away, and made turns in nothing but untouched powder, once again, all the way to the bottom.

    By now, I was soaking wet from head to toe from all the snow that sprays up when leaning way over with speed. With the brutal winds blowing the lift chairs back 'n forth, I decided I didn't want to subject my stinky, wring-me-out I'm-soaking-wet self to another lift ride.

    So I headed home for a warm shower and to spend some quality time with my girlfriend. She had to leave for Burlington around noon, at which time I threw on some dry ski clothes & headed back up the mountain road for some more powder.

    Some people say that skiing powder is better than something else. Hmm.. I dunno about that, but if you have the choice, choose both.

    Life is beautiful these days.


mpd

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