It's been two years since I last strapped into my snowboard for a good ride down a snow-capped mountain. I've participated in a couple jib-sessions during those years of inactivity, but those don't compare to the moments when a man can take advantage of gravity and swiftly float down a white mountain ridge.
On Dec. 16, 2008, I hiked to the top of Mt. Glory and enjoyed some powder on the ride down. We drove to the parking lot on top of Jackson Pass, 8,400 ft elevation. The drive in and of itself was great; it wouldn't quit snowing.
After we parked and suited ourselves up, we took off on a 45 minute hike up to the summit of Mt. Glory, 10,086 ft. elevation. This peak is located on the north side of the road and parking lot. The trail was a nice snowpacked foot trail, there was no need for snowshoes. The trail was easy to follow and hike, though we did stop multiple times to stop ourselves from sweating. We didn't want to get all wet and then have it freeze us out of having fun.
The wind started to pick up and our cheeks got a little chilly, but that didn't stop us from hiking the 1,700 vertical feet to the top. From the top we strapped our glorified pieces of wood to our feet and headed down the west side of the mountain that takes us to "First Turn". The riding was great and well worth the hike. The snow wasn't the best I've seen, but after 2 years of no snow-riding I was very happy.
Overall, I loved the hike. Just being in a winter wonderland and getting my heart pumping to see some spectacular views was what made the trip awesome. I couldn't stop myself from talking the whole way up, asking questions about avalanche prevention and detection. I do have to say, I felt a lot better about being up there knowing that I was equipped for an avalanche with a beacon, probe and shovel.
I hope there are many more of those moment to come this year. Maybe I can convince my hard-core wife to hit the slopes with me.