Woosh

Woosh, woosh, woosh. Oops, excuse me, coming through; oh what a beautiful tree.. Woosh, woosh, woosh. Hard right turn – woooooshhh.

Eventually the run is finished and you look back up the mountain in awe. It’s There isn’t much that can give you as great of a rush as snowboarding down a mountain at speeds sometimes exceeding 30 miles per hour. Today is a terrific day with mind-boggling snow conditions. There is enough powder on the ground that you would sink if you were to stop the continues zig-zags, slides, and carving. Any skier or snowboarder can tell you the thrill of going down a mountain, but few can convey the beauty (and danger) of doing it in Park City, Utah.

My brother is an avid skier and he oftentimes takes me with him on his journeys to such exotic places. Snowbird mountain was where I had the most thrilling and inspiring snowboarding experience of my life. The sounds and beauty of the nature there just can’t be described in words.
You stop for a moment to admire it, knowing well that you will need to rebind your bindings to get back on your feet. The hassle is worth what you see. Spruce and pine trees covered in a heavy layer of snow swaying to and fro from the heavy winds at such high altitudes. Then you look down and see a family of porcupines – some scurrying around looking for food, and others just looking for a way to stay warm.

WOOSHHH. Those damn skiers always cutting so close… Don’t they know it’s rude to spray snow on someone taking a break and admiring the view? Enough is enough; your friends and family are waiting for you to get off the mountain.

Woosh, woosh, woosh. A photographer taking powder shots all the way on the other side of this 30 “lane” slope!! I just have to get this perfect shot now.. You start cutting across the slope making sure you have enough powder trailing behind you to make a trail, at the very least, to the height of your head. You’re ready, focused on making the perfect pose and getting for what will be a beautiful snapshot. The photographer now focuses on you and is lining up the shot. Just a few more seconds…..

WHAM. You suddenly feel the impact of another rider. You fall to the ground spinning, tumbling, and sliding down the slope. You can’t get up because it’s too steep and you can’t regain your balance. You start attempting your very best to at least SLOW DOWN because the edge of the slope is fast approaching and you really don’t feel like falling down a cliff to your death just yet.

ICE!!

Perfect.. Really; the last thing you need right now is an even slipperier surface so you can’t stop. You close your eyes and hope for the best..

Peace.. Calm.. Quiet.. You see in front of you a tree – no longer covered in snow because all of it just fell, burying you. You also see the poor skier you collided with whose skis are now broken in half. You take a minute to recollect what just happened..

The cliff ended up being only a few feet high with a forest backing it. The skier seems to be conscious and you seem to be physically fine as well. “Not the safest way of cutting across the mountain, now is it?” he asks to you with a smile on his face. You apologize incessantly and he seems to understand that you’re only a beginner and in no position to replace his skis. A short conversation ensues and then you both start heading back down the mountain to rejoin your friends and family. You on your snowboard; he on foot.