Utah - Day 3 - Feb 27, 2013

After all these years of waiting to helicopter skiing, we finally were going to track up fresh pow pow only we were going to do it with a snow cat!!

This specially designed groomer's only mission is to provide fresh, soft turns for these happy looking skiiers.  We were lucky to be out with 7 other like minded people for this adventure along with two wonderful ski patrolers; Seth Orkin and Jono Greene.

The day begins with a fantastic breakfast at the Forklift.  Then you take the 8:30 tram up, which is 30 minutes before the public.  Two runs are had - one on groomed track and one in powder.  Then, it is back to the ski patrol shack for avalanche training.  Each person is given a transponder and taught how to search for others with it.  Sign the release and away you go!

We are all outfitted...we've been tested to be sure we are working by Seth and then it's onto the Path to Paradise and ultimately the Bookends Traverse...about a mile of traversing and hiking up.

Once we traverse to the edge of the ski area boundary at Bookends, we pop through a closed gate and we are into the back country!

The first chute is called High Alter and boy was I praying!!  The first few turns are tough and then it opens into a gorgeous untracked area surrounded by trees. 

Exhilarating!!!!!  At the bottom we are on a cat track made just for us and then we are down at the cat for the first ride up!!!

The next run was in  Lookout Chute.  Then the next run was one they had not done previously so they asked us to name it,  Our Group was led by Jono and Seth and our the skiiers were JP, JF, Seth, Scott, J&C Warren and Charlie. so I suggested, the The J'S have it, to commenerate all the J and S names in our group!
 
After that we did two in the Lion's Den.  The group was so great and everyone took turns going first and enjoying each other!

The final run was in Lower Pagon and what a run it was!!  Long and exciting.  John and Cheri got to go first.  John stopped by a cliff to watch Cheri make the final series of turns.  At the bottom, Cheri was hanging with Jono and all the sudden we looked up at John and all we saw were his skis straight up in the air!  Ut oh!  Was his head buried in snow?  Jono yelled to Charlie who skiied down to him......no - he was OK!!!!  The snow doesn't compact near cliffs and so his left ski began to collapse, he put his pole down to steady himself and next thing he knew, he was upside down!!  Charlie gave him a hand an pulled him right out of the rabbit hole!!!!

Enjoy!!