My little pup and everyday assistant has been coming up big for me lately. From a handy tour partner to wingman she has taken each role and ran with it. She does everything with me and Christine and is a real trooper throughout. She has been a bit out of shape this winter with the black out dates in one of our season passes at our favorite morning walking spot before resort skiing. That is all over now though and we have been getting after it and whooping her ass all over the mountain. She has been a good sport and is starting to get back into game form.
^Murphy is resting up at the top of our hike up Pole Line pass to one of our new meadow skipping spots near Basin. It was a new zone for us and we found some good prospects for a few walk to shots that we could score later in the year without lift tickets for my four legged tour partner.
^Some gnarly sufrace hoar that I found on my morning hike with Murphy. Huge. Remember that layer
^This is the northeast face of what I am calling warm water canyon at the top of pole line pass. It looks like a cool little subridge pow shot that gets good morning light this time of year. Just needs a little more snow, but could be promising for morning pink light before lifts turn.
^This pitch is the other side of the canyon and is a southeast face that keeps good light throughout the afternoon and has a killer background. Could be some good shots with more snow, but is a bit more of an exposed slope. Good scouting Murphy.
^Then the next day Murphy came up real big with some wingman work for me. I sent her into the house this particular morning with a little X-mas box for her momma Christine. I followed her in and when Christine looked in the box I got down to one knee and asked her to be my wife. She actually said yes and I think that having Murphy with me helped my cause. Nice wingman move Murph.
^Murphy decided to celebrate the engagement with some good old fashioned snow bank playing on our back patio snow pile. She earned it.
^The morning view on my way up to Alta the next morning with my new fiance Christine when one of my all-time favorite songs came onto the radio and gave me a classic moment. Loving it right here.
^Christine is enjoying some lunch on the patio at the Goldminer's on a really nice day at Alta. We had some fun smashing some bumps and working our lazy asses into shape. The snow is not coming, but we are getting ready for it when it does.
^We finally got a little bit of new high density snow which was pretty good looking and we got to work with an early up at Alta with myself, Steve Lloyd, Jason West, and Candy Froerer. In this photo Jason and Candy are getting geared up at the top of Collins while Steve takes care of business in the Patrol shack. We headed out toward Rocky Point to find some goods.
^Here Steve is framing up his shot for Jason on a little backlit subridge while Candy watches and learns from the master. "Yes Grasshopper".
^Jason West slashing the turn and making it look like art. That is how it's done.
^Candy is all smiles at the sight of Jason's turn and is pumped to get back up for another lap of that goodness for herself. She's lovin it.
Feeling pretty good about everything right now and all the help that Murphy has been in making it happen. Getting into shape, a little scouting, getting engaged, and then getting a few shots done with Steve on a gorgeous morning. Things are going rather smoothly here in Utah for the mean time. Riding the flow.