The avalanche danger is quite high, so we ski the trees today. The combination of the slope and the trees make that type of terrain safer when avalanche conditions are like they are.
Murray, T and I hike the up track to Heather Ridge, but we do not go above treeline. Once the trees thin out, we stop and take our skins off our skis. I have not skied the trees here and am a little nervous. The trees lower down on the slope look awfully close together, but both T and Murray tell me I can do this.
Here we go! The snow is very thick and the lack of slope makes for a slow ski down. I panic and fall a few times, but I manage to navigate my way down and get used to skiing the white spaces in between the trees. “Don’t look at the trees!” is the rule. The trees are not too close together after all.
We come out of the trees at the lake in front of the lodge. A walk around part of the lake and across a meadow, and we are on the up track of Red Cliff.
The runs are steeper here and the wipe outs more numerous. I think I need lunch! We stop for a quick lunch and Murray skis off to find our other group and ski a run called ‘shoom room’. T and I find our up track and ski a less challenging run on Red Cliff (no wipe outs!) and then head back to the lodge.
Murray and the other group arrive back at the lodge about an hour behind us. It was a great day of tree skiing and I am sure I will win today’s award for most wipe outs!