Today was probably the best day skiing I've had in three or more years (and I ski a lot, so that's no small feat). I honestly don't know if I've ever skied such deep blower powder (pushing my pole into the snow, it went all the way to the handle before hitting that ice layer) with bluebird AND the upper traverse open. First tracks down the Hummox/Draft Dodger area on multiple laps and Wall Street were beyond sensational.
On a more serious note, though, dropping off a pillow-drop cliff above Ghost Bowl, I came out of my bindings and fell into a Bergschrund below the cliffs. I was buried up to my waist, and the edge of the hole was probably 4 or 5 feet above my head. I couldn't move my legs, and ended up using my shovel to dig myself out. Climbing out of the hole, I saw my skis sitting at the edge of it, still perpendicular to the slope. I'm still not entirely sure how it occurred, but what I know is that I aired about a 10 foot cliff, aiming for a pillow that I was going to turn off and air another 5-ish footer into Ghost Bowl. Somehow, after landing on the pillow both my toe pieces released and I fell straight down into the Bergschrund. Thankfully, I went in rightside-up and no snow followed me in.
Ultimately, it was a serious reminder about how dangerous the Alpental backcountry can be and about using safe skiing practices. My friends were probably less than 100 yards down hill, but they couldn't hear me, I couldn't hear them, and for some reason (perhaps because I was buried, perhaps because of the distance) they couldn't pick me up on their transceivers. I suspect it was scarier for them than for me, since I knew I was ok. But I digress. Be safe out there and, when you are skiing waist deep pow in the back/side-country, make sure you keep your eye on each other.
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