Backcountry Skiing

Some friends of mine from work are avid backcountry skiers. I have always respected and looked up to them for doing it and was interested in giving it a go for myself. Well my day finally came. Yesterday John and Bill took me on my first backcountry adventure up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Silver Fork. I rented some good AT (Alpine Touring) gear from Black Diamond for about $40.00 and another friend from work (Tim) let me use his beacon, we were on our way. I knew it was going to be physical, but I was in for a shock. The climb started at about 8,100 feet and stopped just shy of 10,000 feet. My legs were pretty well blown by the time we got to the top. It has also been about three years since I have skied in any form, so the first few turns were quite ugly I must say. By the end of the run I felt a little better and was at least making turns that made me feel better, but I am sure were still way off par. The powder was awesome. At the point where it was time to climb back up and go at it again I was pretty well spent and knew that if I went again I would be in trouble so I decided to take a break while they skied back up for another run. The rest did me some good. After some initial cramping in my thighs I was able to pull off my best turns and really had a ton of fun. I could tell I had fun because my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was a great workout and a fun experience. I think I will have to have another go at it. Hopefully I can find some cheap AT gear this year…