Happy New Year! 2012 has got “Nowhere-to-go-but-up” (snow-wise) written all over it! So we decided to boot UP Suicide chute (or “Country Lane” as it’s known once you ski it) with buddies and awesome locals Laura Dewey (North Face Masters Champion) and J-Rey (Champion of LIFE).
View of Suicide or Country Lane from the road

The first pitch isn’t really that bad, but it’s super FUN! Ice/rock maneuvering…We’ll call it “Soft Ice.” Happy to have a whippet on hand…Crampons wouldn’t have been a bad idea…Vibram soles make me happy

A Pic a snapped with my phone…

Bottom of the chute

Almost there…

Self-portrait with my sweet new helmet (Thanks SMITH OPTICS!) and Little Cottonwood canyon in the background…

Dewey and J-Rey getting ready to drop in…

Laura snapped a pic of me making some turns in the surprisingly nice snow…Nothing moving either. Didn’t feel like I was running from a bank with money bags hanging out of my pockets and the cops on my back. Yeah, that’s what the Wasatch feels like right now (if you’re out there….)

I definitely wasn’t taking any pictures while I was semi-gracefully balancing my ski tips between rocks and trying to find a wide-enough part of the choke to put an edge in. It ended with a sweet little straightline over blue ice. YAY! SOMETHING EXCITING TO SKI!! Yeah, this picture definitely doesn’t do justice!

And, Dewey on the APRON making it look easy. Good luck at the North Face Masters, Dewey! AWESOME corn snow (January corn snow, that is) on the lower apron.

So yeah, everyone and their grandma apparently has skied this line. That’s OK, it’s something to ski that isn’t a crowded groomer or fingers-crossed-wind-buff…Might just have to go back tomorrow and do it again! A short, but great, mission. Now, if it could please snow, that would be awesome!