Jan 1, 2007, Dawn Patrol -- Whitehorse, Yukon Terr.

Paul and I were up in the Yukon for the holidays and after getting denied on our attempts to see some good northern lights we decided to get some turns in on New Year's Day. We had trouble finding good backcountry areas with accessible turns and enough snow so we headed out for  Mt. Sima, the local ski area in town. Their main lift was out of commission and the area had been closed for days as a result. From what the locals told us, the folks at the area don't like it too much when people skin up and ski down the slopes but we thought the holiday morning would be as good as any chance to get out on the slopes without getting turned around. Out of the house at 9:30AM -- what passes for an alpine start in January in the Yukon! -- we dropped the others off at the cross-country ski club and made it to the base of the mountain by 10:10. No one in signt as we put on the skins. On the slopes in the early morning light,  we passed a few guys working on the lifts and just kept our heads down and kept going up. A balmy 30 degrees for the air temperature. We made it up the 1100 feet to the summit by 11:00 AM, enough time to get in some nice turns in light fluffy snow all the way to our bottom, skiied right to the truck and then hauled off to pick up our friends and their skate skis back in town. Not a bad way to start the New Year!