The Experience

The morning sky sparkles with remnants of last night's snow. The early morning alpenglow has left the high peaks and everyone is feeling the anxiety of being at the bottom of the mountain on a powder day. The group is listening to the guide as he explains the use of avalanche transceivers, but attention is divided. Some attention is focused on that ache for that first turn. Some attention is focused on the other members of the group - strangers sizing up strangers before spending the day in a shared experience. Then the guide brings the attention back to the task at hand - back country protocol.

The chair lift isn't moving fast enough - the first chair lift of the day never does. Exiting the chair and being on the snow chases some of the anxiousness away. The ski to the snowcat rendezvous is not exciting, but it is relaxing. At the 'cat' the guides and the driver are smiling and joking.

The snowcat is warm and comfortable, and soon the conversation and the scenery chases away the desire for instant 'beam-me-up' powder gratification. A window is opened and the clear fresh mountain air fills the cat. The guides are deciding if the warm up run will be on 'The Milk Run' or in ' Bubba's Bowl.' Suddenly the 'cat' slows, makes a big looping turn, and comes to a stop. Eyes seem to brighten and smiles widen.

The Milk Run

a sparsely treed glade of mostly medium angle, with a 5 foot base holds a topping of more than twelve inches of soft, dry powder. The group floats down through the trees. An occasional 'whoop' and more than a few giggles float up into the clear blue mountain sky. One skier barrels off the last roll and hits the cat road a little too straight on, earning big style points with a world class face plant. The rest of the group is quiet until he emerges from the snow grinning goggle strap to goggle strap.


The ride back up is filled with laughter and smiles. The guides are happy with the group's ability. The 'cat' climbs past the first drop off where the road skirts the edge of a steep pitch. The 'cat' lists to right, producing nervous smiles from the group. The guides, more acquainted with the roads and the 'cat's' ability, are unaffected. The 'cat' drops its passengers at the top of 'The Upper Glades' This run faces more to the north and is steeper and deeper. The trees are well spaced and there are rolls and big, soft looking bumps, providing the opportunity for 'air' and soft landings. And so the day goes - one fabulous run after another - "One legged Harry's , Short Eddie's, Pasture Creek, STS." Afraid of missing out on any turns at all, the group decides to eat lunch in the 'cat' on the way back up. Fueled by fresh deli sandwiches and soft drinks, the skiers carve up the afternoon into big soft floating turns and face shots.

At four o'clock the group, tired but wanting more, is dropped off at the edge of Purgatory Ski Resort. Although they are back on 'the groomed, ' the ski out and down to the base area is the proper way to end a perfect day of Durango backcountry skiing.