skiing, snow, and more skiing!!

I love to ski. Those four words sum up my Christmas break mind-set. Everyday I wake up, chug a mug of hot chocolate, head up to Alta, ski unbelievable snow all day, come home, make a fire, and watch a movie. Sounds pretty good right? There is only one flaw to this lifestyle; there is no time for anything else. By the time I get home, my legs are so physically exhasted, there is no energy left to run (plus it is too cold!). Unfortunately blogging is usually out of the question too, and when there is time, the only thing I want to write about is skiing! And I know you all love to hear about my obsession again and again... So I will keep it brief.

Christmas Eve was possibly the best day of skiing I have ever experienced. After taking a few laps on Wildcat, I met the Dynastar representative, Aaron. He hooked me up with some enormous "Huge Troubles", a big freestyle powder ski. Soon after Tanner skied up; we had agreed to shred. But then something phenomenal occurred: Sage Cattibriga and two other pros walked up and greeted Aaron. He introduced Tanner and myself to them, and then invited us to take a few runs. We hastily nodded in approval, and proceeded to Collins. Stoked to try the new skis, and throw down with my favorite pro, I could hardly contain myself on the four minute ride up. At the top we hung a right, and took the High Traverse out to High Rustler. We didn't have a chance to catch our breath; Sage immediately dropped in over a minefield of rocks. Pumped full of adrenaline, I followed suite, and pursued Sage and Aaron down the steep face. The skis flew over the crud, making butter out of the chunky crust that was the snow. The pros were waiting at the bottom as I pulled up, my legs burning, and lungs wheezing.
"Ready for another one?" Aaron asked.
"Of course" I lied, making my way to the line. This time we took the High T out again, but dropped in on the backside. The snow was much more agreeable, and we scoped out the area for do-able cliffs. Sage dropped in first, once again, and we followed, going full speed down the incline. The skis again performed, allowing me to slide and push around the snow as I pleased. Traversing out to thirds we came across a siiick band of cliffs and each dropped successfully over the edge into the soft snow. I couldn't believe how easily I was landing these big 15 foot drops, the environment and general stoke factor was so productive... We took a few more runs full of high speed descents with big drops and deep snow. Each one had unique lines taken by the pose, and were some of the most enjoyable of my life. At the end of the day, Aaron and Sage congratulated me on some sick skiing, and Aaron let me keep the demos a few more days. We promised to meet up later on in the week, and he would hook me up with my own pair. All in all, a very fun Christmas Eve.

Along with skiing with the pros, the holiday was very enjoyable. Spending time with my family and in the snow makes Christmas so very magical. It truly is my most favorite time of the year. I have attempted to document the magic, but with a busted camera that I often forget, the products have been questionable at best. Nevertheless, a few of the better ones are posted below...