“Back Country” by Judy Keith

Spearhead Range, Near Blackcomb Mountain, Whistler, BC

The rotors slowed their circulating. We had all exited the helicopter according to protocol but were still ducking our heads while heading to our guide, Danny, despite being out of range of the heli rotors.

My heart hammered in my throat. Was I really going to do this? I’m only an intermediate skier; I never attempt black diamond runs, let alone double blacks. Moguls give me hives. I can just about manage three to four inches of fresh snow but if it’s any deeper my skis somehow tangle up. You probably think that’s impossible but my friends have videos to prove it.

I tried to smile at my husband, Darren, but he looked back at me with uplifted brows. Not a smile then, more a grimace.

I’m happy to be here, I keep telling myself. This will be the best day of my life.

Since Darren is busy talking to our guide, it looks like he’s no longer worried about me. My smile worked.

Then I remember the waiver we all had to sign: “Avalanches occur frequently in the terrain used for wilderness activities.” 

What The F – FREQUENTLY?? Had I read that correctly?

“The terrain used for wilderness activities may include but are not limited to dangers of cornices, cliffs, crevasses (why would we go there?) trees, tree stumps, creeks…” Don’t the guides know where the creeks are?  … “infectious disease contracted through viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi.” Yuck. I can’t believe we are paying for this.

In preparation for our heli ski adventure and before we got into the helicopter, we learned the basics of using a transceiver, which we’re all required to wear t in a slim harness around our upper body. ‘The transceiver,” our guide explained, “sends and receives signals and is a valuable search and rescue tool in case of an avalanche.”

Great.

I said I was terrified of being caught in an avalanche but was even more terrified that everyone else might get buried and I’d have to use the transceiver to locate my fellow skiers. We also have a backpack containing a probe and shovel – the probe to jab into the snow in order to determine someone’s location and the shovel to dig them out.

I’m sweating now, and we’re all surveying the terrain. The untracked snowy slope below us narrows into a forest. That means tree wells for sure. Maybe crevasses. Pine branches to poke me in the eye.

Enough. I turn and head back toward the helicopter.

Judy Keith is a domestic reverse snowbird, spending her summers in Muskoka and her winters in Whistler, BC. She travels back and forth with her husband and her dog. In the summer, Judy spends her days playing tennis and golf when she is not in the water or relaxing on the dock. 

She spends her winter days skiing, snowshoeing and playing bridge. Thanks to the   indoor courts in Whistler, she can play tennis year round. Dog walking is also a favourite year round activity. Judy’s been writing off and on but has trouble finishing a piece before moving on to the next one. Her goal for the next year is to write consistently and stick with the same story line.

See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.