This is part 4 in a series documenting our week in Park City. You can catch up on Part 1, and Part 2 and Part 3.
We rode at PCMR on Friday, despite a few inches of fresh, was a little icier than I would’ve expected in some places, but in other places it was good. We ran some in bounds chutes that just sap all your strength absorbing the ruts, shot a lot of blue/double-blue runs. Dropped in on some really gnarly glades that were open up top but as I dropped past this ridge, got super-steep and crowded with larger evergreens. Not surprisingly, conditions in glades were awesome. Knee deep pockets of powder and for the most part un-tracked. I shot some video which might edit nicely, but when I previewed it, it just looked like trees whizzing by real fast.
At the end of the day, cruising down Home Run, I got wasted by some 9-year old who decided to stop schussing about and immediately make a straight traverse across a super-busy groomer without checking up-hill, to meet her folks who were (equally stupid) just hanging out on the side of the trail. I saw it coming; when she made that cut she could not have been closer to me unless she had been on my board. They saw it happen. I tried to brake hard on my toe but couldn’t stop in time, and contact between (i think) my board and her ski boots/skis sent me flying upside-down. (In hindsight, I should’ve just pushed her out of my way; I mean, I was waaaaaay bigger and stronger than she was!)a
I landed hard on my ass and dropped a massive F-bomb when my head hit a split-second later. I could hear the mom saying “OMG you totally cut him off!” which was nice, because at least they don’t blame me for their stupid daughter. They asked if I was OK, and I said I thought I was. Mom made the daughter apologize. Shit happens, y’know? Nobody got hurt, and that’s the best thing because 200 pounds of me swinging a 163cm blade into the air could’ve majorly f*cked up their kid. Please look uphill when you want to traverse a busy slope!
My helmet kept me from getting seriously injured. You should always wear a helmet, if for no other reason than to protect you from all the other idiots on the slopes who don’t pay attention or don’t know how to ski or snowboard.
