April 3, 2016, Summit West

This was a perfect day for us to put on our backcountry gear (Jill's first time this season) and enjoy the sun.  West had a couple of sledders and a x-c skier with his leathers.  The conditions were perfect.  We took a nice line up and as we neared the top we heard music.  A  group of younger skiers had built a jump in the tree area and were using a rope attached to a limb as a launch site.  Here's the plan: climb above the ramp and ski down, launch on the ramp and catch the rope that gets you higher, then do a head over heels spin and land on the access road.  Things didn't always go according to plan.  This was fun to watch as they went higher.  OK, to the skiing €“ well, it was great because there was perfect corn snow with no one around.  Sometimes it's the simple things in the mountains with your buddy that mean so much.