The snow was insanely deep at Whistler. In fact, it was too deep. It was cold, but the snow was both dry and thick. Very difficult to turn, and when you fell, you just sank in about two feet. Very difficult to get up on a board when you try to push off with your arms and they just sink into the snow. The first few runs were frustrating. Also, despite the heavy snowfall, the main runs were icy, bumpy, and that meant a hard day on the knees. I was bounced around all day. But despite all that, and the sub zero temps, I had a fun day out there. Snowboarding is almost always fun for me now that I have a better feel for the sport.
The luck: I hiked up to Spanky's Ladder with Sang to try it out for the first time. A run named Spanky's Ladder is definitely intimidating, and looking down from the top was a gut check. Sang skiied ahead towards a supposed chute called Sapphire, and I strapped in and tried to follow. Halfway down the hill, the front strap on my right binding fell off, and I lost control and did a face plant. I was frozen and also buried in the snow, but more troubling, I couldn't find my strap. I couldn't see Sang, who was down below a ridge downhill. Uphill all I could see was deep snow. The strap had to have been eaten by the deep powder. If it was gone, I'd have to hike back up a hill in waist nearly waist deep snow, and I was not only tired but frozen.
But I didn't have many other options. I managed to unstrap, then I began taking one step after another, counting two seconds between each step to catch my breath, back up the hill, retracing my path. Miraculously, I found the strap about 15 feet up. But I looked at it and the screw had fallen out. How I would find a half-inch screw in all that snow was beyond me, but then I spotted a small dark spot a few feet away. It was the screw.
Another 10 minute hike down to Sang, and I managed to put the strap back on with my snowboard tool. The run down from there was particularly satisfying as I basked in the glow of my good fortune. If I hadn't found the strap and the screw, you'd be reading lots of !@#$%%*&'s right now.
I can barely lift my head, my neck is so sore. I couldn't do a single crunch if I tried, my stomach is so sore from trying to pick myself up out of the powder so many times. The last run of the day, I tried to tackle some ice hard moguls and I actually managed to carve a few in sequence. What fun!