January 02, 2015

Day 40- January 2, 2015

Another tired day after so much hiking and skiing. But the sun was out, wind was light and the snow was still pretty good so I headed up in the afternoon for a couple of laps in the Canyons backcountry. Snow was decent, but it's quickly turning to re-crystalized surface hoar which makes that distinctive swooshing sound (loud snow). Skied upper Big Mac, then traversed into the Craggy Bungus trees. Then off to Square Top...

I had a rather new and clueless person ask me, "Do you have backcountry gear?" It was a rather pointed question with attitude. I just laughed, because when I go skiing I look like the poster child /definition of backcountry skier with gear. Under "backcountry skier" in the dictionary there is a picture of what I look like on an average day. Old-school beanie hat, I-shred sunglasses, shell jacket with half my gear stuffed in my jacket so I look like I'm 9-months pregnant, stuffed backpack, alpine touring boots, alpine touring bindings, alpine touring skis, extenda-poles, and a fairly hippy attitude. If it's not totally obvious to you that I have gear, then you are totally out of your element in the backcountry and you'd probably better head back to the security of the resort...