Super Bowl Sunday Outdoor Program Style

Special thanks to Kristo J., Class of 2012, for writing this entry!

One o’clock pm, Super Bowl Sunday. Most people would probably be getting ready for the festivities of the evening. Our two small groups of Riverstone students, however, were already seven thousand feet up, silently climbing higher, each admiring the immaculate blanket around us, and steaming only slightly. Every once in a while, someone would point out a historical slide path, or some surface hoar, but for the most part we were looking up, and getting giddier as we approached the summit.

We had studied the season’s snow history and avalanche conditions, and were pretty confident in the snow pack, so as we crested the mountain 30 minutes outside Stanley, we were already preparing to descend. Stripping skins, putting down some calories, locking heels, and adding layers, it was only a few minutes and we were itching to hit it. For me personally, the first few turns were shaky… I wasn’t used to squeezing so much out of a run but after trekking for two hours to get there, I wanted to take my time. Soon I got the hang of it and settled in to a rhythm of luxuriously soft turns. On the way out we were all smiles, and already planning our next trip into the backcountry, each of us confident that with each other we could safely navigate the slopes in avalanche terrain.

That’s what Super Bowl Sunday is, Riverstone Outdoor Program style.