The skin-trackBradZeerip just set
is absolutelyheinous. Switchbackingup
35degrees of icy suncrust; the transitions from travelling right to left are an
acrobatic feat thatworld championballet skierswould scoff at. Frombelow I
see him stumble ever sobriefly. And then as I followupwards, because there’s
nootherwayout of here, IwatchKyleEasby,GregSturch andAdamBurk
also struggle for their lives every time theyneed to switchdirection. And then
it’smy turn. I’m a sweatymess ofGore-Tex andburningquads and I fight
with everything I havenot to fall backwards. If I do fall, I’ll need to start again;
becauseweneed to get over theDome to ski home. It’s an epic battle that, after
some ofmyhackiest skinning ever, using trees, hands, and evenmy knees a
couple times, I eventuallywin. I knowZeeripwasmessingwithus. I imagine
him thinking tohimself, “Let’s seewhat theseOntarioboys cando!”
Andonceon top, as thewindcoolsmyoverheating, sweatybody, I start shivering
and reflecton theday so far:Todaywe skied for free.Well,maybenot technically,
because we’ll need to gorge on calories later to replace the multiple-thousands
we lost.We set off withBrad at 2,500 feet, we skinneduppast the not-running
two-seater chairlift (ShamesMountain is only openThursday throughMonday
and today isWednesday), thenuppast the oneT-bar, and into the backcountry.
Wedidn’t stop climbinguntilwe reached4500 feet and lookeddownon an epic
ridge revealing endless lines into the bowl behind Shames. And there were no
tracks anywhere.
Zeerip has been here for decades and soon sniffed out the best snow.When he
drops in, it comeswith anongoing commentary: “low-light alert, low-light alert,
good snow, good snow… “ And eventually, if everything lines up and he finds
good snow, it’s a “woopwoop” like anyother normal humanbeing.
He showedus some incrediblybeautiful spots, andwhile the skiingwasn’t as epic
as we dreamed it would be, it was still fantastic. This place after a good dump
wouldbe absolutely jaw-dropping.
WINTER2017
MLBLUE
69
