Your 2008 Highlight of the year.

[BailOut]

This was a good year full of good things but if I had to pick just one it would be a canyon run I did on my snowboard back in February.

My employer bought all of us some half-day lift tickets at the ski area local to our office, Diamond Peak. I was still rather new to snow sports and snowboarding and had only been on black (advanced) runs for a few weeks but I was able to run with the "big dogs" - 2 of my coworkers that have years of experience skiing and snowboarding. All morning long I had been pushing both my skill and comfortability levels so by noon my legs were tired and I was a bit fried.

That's when my 2 buddies decided that Solitude Canyon should be our last run. It is inside the bounds of the ski area but is unmanaged and unpatrolled. Rather than a traditional difficulty rating it is simply labeled "Experts Only".

We had to break trail slightly uphill through about 3 feet (1m) of powder to get to the drop in point and as we rested there a wave of nervousness washed over me. I had never done any back country style stuff before and I was tired. No one had run the canyon since the 3 feet of powder had dropped a few days earlier and I didn't know if this meant it was too gnarly for most folks. Before long I was dropping in.

Right away I noticed that the powder supported me perfectly instead of pushing and pulling me like most of our wetter powder does. The adrenaline started flowing as I gained speed and the terrain became more difficult. All my senses became heightened, my tiredness lifted away, and though my legs were burning they held steady. I began to focus on picking my line, constantly judging the terrain in a disconnected sort of fashion. I began turning harder than I had to that point, throwing my body weight around perfectly to absorb impacts, to steer sharply or to correct balance imperfections.

The next 2 minutes were a Zen experience. I could see nothing but the terrain, I felt no pain and made no conscious effort as I caught air out of powder bowls for my first time, dropped off streambed transitions for my first time or floated over tree wells as I sent powder flying from the tree branches. I vaguely remember being leaned so far back on a turn away from a rock formation and through what would be a runoff channel in the Spring that I could feel the snow under my back.

I didn't hoot or holler or give any other outward sign of my internal joy. I just enjoyed the low sun breaking through the upper branches, the wind on my face and the sound of my board sliding through the snow.

When it was done I turned out to be the first one out of the canyon despite being the newbie. My legs were shaking uncontrollably and were so tired that I soon found it difficult to drive back to the office. Reality sank back in and the adrenaline wore off leaving me feeling worn out and tired, and also little "sun shocked" as I stood in the open to rest.

I can't wait to have an experience like that again.