Yurts and Peaks

The fact that I haven't updated the blog in awhile should not be taken as evidence that I have been leading a boring existence with nothing to report. Actually, my computer has been neglected while I traipse around the mountains with my mt. guide husband who was home for the week. Plus, it was SPRING BREAK 2008 so I could neglect the thesis with impunity.

Less than 24 hours after starting the Powder Keg, I was off on an adventure to a yurt in the mountains near Logan, UT with expert photographer Tommy Chandler (photo editor for backcountry.com and the person responsible for the fact that there are actually nice images in this post for a change) and fellow poseurs Evan Stevens and Sarah Budge. After slogging in for a few hours with a pack full of food and wine, we reached our humble abode for the next three days.

Tommy, Sarah and I got in some afternoon skiing while Evan slept off his wicked flu. Afternoon sunlight made for pleasant temps and great views of all sorts of fun terrain that we did our best to track out on day 2. Being a photo model has never seemed like a good fit for me, but now that I realize it can just mean going skiing I think I found my dream career. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a big market for people who can only ski well in 30 degree hero snow. Oh well, guess I will finish grad school after all. Day three dawned with stormy weather so we packed up and skied out early, stopping on the way out to session some cool pillow lines and random limestone spire lines. We called it ski bouldering, because the lines basically involved a few really technical moves and were over before you knew it. It also seemed like bouldering because I was really, really bad at it. Falling into the soft snow was a lot more fun than decking in the talus though. Anyways... I digress. All in all, a great trip in a cool mountain niche that I probably never would have made it to on my own.

Spring Break 2008 went out with a bang when Evan and I went for the morning jaunt to the summit of Mt. Superior and skied the south face back to the road. The National Freeskiing championships were going on across the street at Snowbird, but I am still convinced that all that cheering was from people looking across at the little yellow speck picking her way down the massive white, imposing face of Superior. OK, OK, they probably weren't cheering for me because I sidestepped the most intimidating part through some rocks, but Evan bravely made jump turns on the slightly-too-firm to f@#* up snow so maybe they were cheering for him. Classically, we forgot the camera on one of the most clear and beautiful days of the winter, but let's face it, this post looks a lot better with Tommy's photos than it ever would with mine.