a fly day like no other

whatcha me call it ridge
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This year seems to have been blessed, i spotted a moose just as we were landing, closer than ever before, the conditions are perfect for an Australian attempting heliskiing where she should never be and i got to see some AMAZING northern lights for the first time in 4 years!! Today was one of the best days I have experienced yet.  The snow was not the best that i have experienced but i really boarded the best i ever have done out here.  I was so confident i actually ate my first lunch out in the zone!!!  a HUGE effort for me.  Having an Australian version of Alaskan snow conditions out here just might have something to do with this.  Snow conditions are quite variable, from nice soft powder to wind pack to rock hard pack - so all these pro's and experts of steep and deep are tiring out pretty quick and i am FINALLY in my element.  I chewed up these runs like never before and i didn't get tired. We set off at 11.15am after having avalanche, beacon and heli training.  Had a really mellow day of 6 runs, just taking our time and enjoying the fine weather a clear warm sunny day has to offer us before finally making it back to "Man Camp" around 5pm. I couldn't quite say that i had an element of style or grace to my snowboarding today, but my guide made we walk over to the edge of the run and check out to see if i was going to be OK and i looked down a 50 degree slot that was a few metres wide for an 1800 metre vertical slope and heard myself say "Oh yeah sure, that is going to be no worries".  Never would i have ever thought to have said that.  We went down Watcha me call it ridge both in the morning and finished up there for the last run, we took Cartwheel a couple of times where i got to cartwheel up the top of cartwheel on my second run.  Then came Butterbowl and Guilt Trip.  All up 6 runs on a pretty sweet day of riding.  I felt quite pleased with myself with my group saying how tired and tough the conditions were.

happy camper
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It is just after 11pm now and my roomie has a nice red wine snore going before i screamed - "IT'S THE NORTHERN LIGHTS"  well he got up in a hurry.  We had a brilliant toxic green smear move like a slow sliding snake right across the entire night sky.  Truly amazing - just wish i had the right camera hardware to catch it.  But the memories of today will truly last a lifetime.

a day of firsts