We followed Jeff to his favorite stashes which soon became our favorites. For the first time this season, I choked on a cloud of powder snow. I finished my run gagging from the dry wake of powder that flew from my ski tips over the top of my head. Yes, the terrain this lift accesses is double-black diamond, but the potential humiliation you face if you miss the Poma sketched me out more than the gnarly terrain. If you don't get the plate securely planted and ready for take-off, you're potentially knocked off the uphill track and left to crawl out of the way in front of the audience of experts waiting in line.
Snowboarders have it the worst.
We saw one snowboarder fall after he grabbed the pole and didn't get the plate between his legs in time to start up the steep hill. The Poma yanked itself out of his hands and he had to scurry out of the way. After four misfires, he was booed away by the people he was holding up, waiting to catch their ride to untracked powder. It had been longer than any ski town should have to wait for the white monsoons. During a couple rest days, we enjoyed other activities such as Nordic skiing, sledding, and a mandatory visit to the Irwin Lodge in the backcountry.