Our crack of noon start is nothing to be proud of. Skiing in light of the setting sun, however, is joy. We dance with our shadows. Crisp wind sneaks over the ridge and keeps us awake. I can smell a storm on the horizon, or am I dreaming? The huff of my breath and gentle scrape of my climbing skins are the voice under. Great engelman spruce stand as grandfathers along the track. We find soft snow; gentle turns arc our return to the valley.
Now, sitting here in our little house in the woods, I’m just thinking how much I appreciate all of you. Have a merry bells happy holiday!
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.