Skiing the Steep and
Deep Spacewalk in Jackson Hole – Avery Stonich
Rating: ****
In this article Avery Stonich
writes about her thrilling experience backcountry skiing down the “Spacewalk”
and the safety precautions that are necessary for extreme runs like this.
Avery had first gone to the Jackson
Hole ski resort last year with her husband, and after an amazing experience
skiing fast hard-pack under blue skies and a bright sun, she knew she had to
come back again. This year the conditions were different though. 19 inches of
snow meant there had been delays while the resort bombed the backcountry runs
to clear snow buildup- a measure to prevent avalanches. The specific run they
set out to do, the “Spacewalk” was only 12 feet wide and featured a slope of
over 50 degrees in some sections. As a safety measure they hired a ski guide
who knew the area well. They also carried beacons, shovels and probes for the
worst case scenario. She says descending the slope was one of the most exhilarating
things she’d ever done and the feeling of accomplishment and overcoming fear
helped boost her confidence and build character. She’s already planning to
return next year to conquer another part of the mountain.
This article was really interesting
for me to read because I love skiing and I love being on the edge when I’m
going down a run. Unfortunately because of where we live, I haven’t done any
real backcountry skiing and am limited to glades and powdered sections of ski
runs. She also mentions multiple times how important it is to have proper
avalanche safety training. I’ve always looked at avalanches like freak
accidents that you only hear about in the news, but this has helped me realise
that they’re very real in the world of backcountry skiing. I hope one day to be
able to go to Whistler or somewhere with some great backcountry skiing, but I’ll
be sure to be well informed about the area and avalanche risks beforehand.
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