A Break Between the Storms

The seasons turn and the years roll in circles.  On this rotation, I find myself living in Salt Lake City and skiing at Alta in 2011. After years of vagabonding, the drifter nests, and reaps some fine powder as a coincidence or reward-- depending on perspective.

It's been a fine early season here in the Wasatch, and a fine bookend to DPS' opening in Utah.  Our good friend and talented, industrious photographer, Oskar Enander is in town for a month. I love skiing and powder,  but also love the reward of combining the surf with creating beautiful imagery and moving pictures.

Our first day of shooting was a fun one. We were joined by Jamie Pierre-- a character who stands out and entertains with his blunt wit and outspoken candor.

Jamie is one of the most prolific cliff droppers in the history of the sport, and it was fun to talk with him about trajectory and landings. We got on top, and he told me he was going to sky out and tap a snowy branch on a tree in the distance. It all seemed a hair wild, given the amount of out needed to hit the branch, but he was cool and calculated about it, and two minutes later he was sailing through the air, and tapping the branch exactly as he said he would. He then flew past the tree and careened into a big bomb hole on his side.  Look for the photo in some magazine, on some newsstand next season.

We traded a couple of airs and then settled into the shaded North Facing Powder of Grizzly Gulch for a few pow turns as the sun set down the canyon.

Oskar and I headed back yesterday and scored some fine shots behind Alta. As always, the "A" shots are reserved for the coming catalog and magazines, but here's a B grade from the day out with Jamie and Oskar- a feel good air behind Alta.  

Until the next low pressure pounding….over and out.