Powder Surfing

Skiing can invoke many sensations. Perhaps my most profound was skiing an aptly named couloir "The Turkey Chute" into the aptly named "Avalanche Canyon." It was a classic bluebird day in the Tetons and we had intentions of skiing powder in a chute which I had skied twice before that the season. Enjoying lunch and a view on the summit, another party caught up with ours and intended to ski the same run. Having first rights we down climbed into the chute and were a little too hurried. We assumed that there was not that much new snow since we had last skied it so we decided to ski without analysis. I ski cut the top of the couloir and then gave it a couple of good hops - bounce bounce bounce - no action but wow! it was knee deep and cold smoke! I started making turns enjoying the stoke of skiing in such a cool spot in such good conditions when on the 6th turn, the toilet flushed. One thing that you can generally count on while skiing is that when you stop everything stops but not this time. I started feeling the tug of downhill acceleration and had one of those sensations of being completely in the moment reacting without thinking. I was fortunate to be in a soft slab near the top of the crown and was able to set an edge on the sliding surface while the slab flowed through my legs. It pulled me down twenty feet before flowing past me and luckily I was able to stay on my feet. The snow slid down and around the dog leg in the chute and sent up a powder cloud that was intimidating. I was standing there completely humbled and started to shake uncontrollably. Luck was with me that day. ~ J. Nielski

intense.

Back in 1993 my roomate suggested that we take a break from the books at U of Idaho and head up to an area on the Idaho -  Montana border called the St. Regis Basin. We slogged in with overnight gear and my then 2 year old black lab mix McKenzie. The first morning brought beautiful sunshine, stable slopes and unseasonably nice corn for a Superbowl Sunday. Unfortunatley Nick complained of ongoing chronic achilles soreness and he opted to stay at the tent and bask in the sun.  Kinzi and I skinned our way up a south facing slope just getting the 10am sun. We made it to the crest of a ridge and looked down the other side. The view revealed steep lines into another basin and even more killer terrain. We opted for a corn line to the bottom and back down the basin to the tent. I made short radius tele turns at the upper steep part and then opened it up a bit more as the slope eased to about 35 degrees. A fun 5 foot air possibility caught my eye and so I went for it expecting Kinzi to go around the feature. I launched it and turned around in time to see Kinzi decide to go straight fall line and shoot off the rock! She landed it pretty well and we kept skiing on down. Kinz is almost 17 years of age now and I still look on that day as a peak experience with one of my best friends ever. Here she is with my one year old daughter. -- Max

Old ski buddy - Kinz "plays" with new ski buddy - Pipes.

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The year was 1990, the place Hilo, Hawaii and myself and a few friends paddle down around the corner to Graveyards. A thick lipped left - hander that throws perfectly over head on every ride. Although the set up is fickle, when it is working it is machine - like in its consistent perfection. This spot is rarely crowded due to the long paddle and geographic concealment from the road. The wave itself breaks into a stack of rocks that would stop a Mack truck. I do not want to find myself face to face with that volcanic feature under any circumstance. This factor consequently makes for an adrenaline boost as I paddle effortlessly into the the drop, see the lip throw over my head, fade back into the tunnel all the while heading directly at the pesky rock. As I exit the barrell I cut up the shoulder of the wave at a steep angle and soar... launching self and surfboard  into  the  wind, spray and sea - splash! The drop, the shack, the pre-rock exit into flight all re-play in my head as I paddle back to the peak to catch another. The sun is on my shoulders, I am wearing well worn trunks and Hendrix is in my head. - T. Tubular

 - Send us Your "Peak Experience" (750 words or less please) and if we like it we'll post it on this site & send you a Mountain Surfing tee shirt. If there is a hi quality picture too - send it!

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