Ninety-five percent pain, five-percent fun...

Yesterday morning, I decided to make a few last turns in Deer Valley and decided to ski one of the Daly Chutes at Empire Canyons. My sights were set on Chute #5 that I have never skied, so since the snow had perfectly set overnight, I decided to boot up, from Empire Lodge to the ridge. The lower portion is easy, but climbing up Chute 8 on my ski boot tips both challenged my balance and was a grueling ascent, the harder part being – as it always is – the area near the cornice that is always vertical and demand even more hoisting than there's energy left in the climber.

As I climbed and kept my eyes opened, I had to admit that Chute #5 was past its prime and was no longer skiable without ropes, so I settled on Chute #4, the next best option after Chute #6 which had far too many saplings and bushes sticking up... Fifty-two minutes later, I was ready to launch. The cornice looked formidable but for the most part, except in some shady area, the snow was creamy and just right. The descent took me not much more that two precious minutes, but God! Did I savor each one of my turns..