IN THE DEEP

Yesterday was a spiritual experience in the backcountry; in a rare location that's skied only 15% of the season by Powdercats, Soda Mountain's "expert terrain" is even most spiritual to them. Facing south, the terrain is often burned to crust by the sun; giving the steeper runs higher slide potential. With careful safety monitoring over the past few days, PC safety manager Eric ok'd us for entry. No monoskier had ever been taken to Soda before. After about 12 new inches last week and sunless skies, the terrain was mint for its inaugural turns of the season. PC Guide Scully was chomping at the bit.

We scored a gorgeous, chilly bluebird day and spent the morning on the south side of Soda until the climbing sun began to cook the top layers. Craig was gifted with the virgin run down Tasty Wave. We followed with The Tube, and finished the south with the Funnel. The Funnels' rocky couloir-like narrow chute gave them the most testing terrain, with rocks to one side and trees to the other. Kent parked me somewhere in the middle to film for Genchi, and I panned them as they all blazed by.

We stopped on the ridgeline for lunch and finished the day with two runs down the backside on the north slope, a wide open glade with scattered trees and a windlip the size of two men that the monos took turns jumping off. Cambell jumped both runs the highest, but blew the bucket off his Praschberger on the second landing, bolts and all.

We had a great group with three monos, Andy Campbell (UK), Lucian Smith (PA), and Craig; two three trackers including Chris Canfield from Breck who skis with poles (I guess that would make him a one-tracker?) and local Courtest Ski Patroller Ron McMorris; and Luanne Burke, a speedy little VI x-racer with her guide Mau Thompson of Adaptive Adventures and previous coach of the US Disabled Ski Team. Not bad for a first year; all these skiers floated through the near-knee deep powder with ease.

We were also lucky enough to have two photographers and a writer from Skiing Magazine, hopefully to push through a feature on the event sometime next winter season (09-10).

But all in thanks to Dave Genchi (SCI), Powdercats Videographer that was injured on Buff Pass in 06, who will be making the video of Legends of the Deep with the goal to expand this day into a world class event for adaptive skiers and riders to show their skills in the powder and gain bragging rights, as these guys did, in the coveted terrain of Routt National Forest. Thanks Dave, this is indeed your brainchild. Hope you're here next time...

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