Day 8 -- 12/03/10

[dr. Fred Grimmer]

FRED GRIMMER joined us for his first tour of the season, remarkably in his third month of recovery after major back surgery.  Fred showed good lungs and no pain as we climbed up to Powerline saddle, which is quickly becoming one of our most traveled entries into the BC above Little Cottonwood Canyon.
We moved at a sufficiently mellow pace to allow for some video of the day.  The little appreciated fact about shooting video in the mountains is that the shooter has to move quickly enough ahead of the group to get the approaching shot, then play catch-up after getting the gear shut down and packed for the climb.
The avalanche forecasters estimation for the day: "only the deranged would go out today."  for low hazard and mediocre conditions.  Usually, it's best to heed the forecast, but today they were off the mark and we skied  three great lines off Benson Ridge and had a good ride home down the Cardiff face from a high point on the ridge.  The exception was the lower mountain which was crusty and tougher  going.  But back country skiing certainly builds skills and strength for skiing all kinds of conditions -- some blissful, some brutal.

Day's Vertical: 3,700.  Year to Date: 27,900.