prodigious powder

Incredible Emigrant Gulch snowboarding mission today!

Emigrant Gulch, Paradise Valley

Lincoln and I met up with Grif and JR this morning in Emigrant and headed up past Chico Hot Springs Resort.  Grif brought his ferocious little Kitty Cat to help up get up the old mining road to gain a higher position before we started hiking.  We trekked for about two hours through warm but overcast weather and some snowfall.  I was lagging behind the boys, taking pictures, shivering in the wind, worrying about avalanches, bemoaning my sore hip flexors and wishing I was in better shape, when I began to question my desire to be a backcountry-er.  At one point I came to the definite conclusion that despite how many inspiring and glory-filled climbing books I've read, I absolutely do not want to climb Mt. Everest (now Lincoln can finally relax).  But the descent banished all my foolishly negative thoughts.  Lincoln found a fantastic face which we were able to drop into from a protective stand of trees.  The face opened up into beautiful, untouched, wide open, smooth-as-butter snowfields that had us laying down absolutely glorious turns.  The run fed us into another perfect run, followed by another, and another, and another.  This afternoon, the slopes of Emigrant Peak were filled with our joyful hooting and hollering as we all reveled in the thrill of fresh, prodigious powder turns.

At the bottom, JR, Lincoln and I all grabbed ahold of the tow rope strapped to the back of the Kitty Cat and Grif pulled us back down to the vehicles.  We had a blast being towed behind the snowmobile together, conjuring up all our old waterskiing skills to avoid crashing into one another.

After the day's exertions we stopped at the conveniently located Chico Hot Springs Resort to soak in its restorative waters and drink cheap beer.  On days like this, its hard to deny how sweet life is out here in Paradise Valley and I'm happy to have friends to enjoy it with.