Slim Shady

This post is dedicated to my friend Raja who discovered and shared this couloir with me in 2004. We miss you Raja! It is HOT in Las Lenas right now. The corn is good around 10:00. There is still some powder to be found, but it is a good time to explore new lines and ski the old ones that you haven’t skied yet. The first time I skied Slim Shady was with Raja in 2004. He had just discovered it and was super excited about finding a new line. Since then I have skied it every year. It is one of those lines that will get you puckered at the top, even more puckered in the middle, and makes you laugh at the bottom.

The hike up to Slim Shady is not for the faint of heart. It’s not super long, but as you are jumping from rock to rock with exposure on both sides it gets your attention.

And then there is also a little rock scrambling, which is always fun in ski boots.

By the time you reach the top, adrenaline is surging through your body and then you look down the couloir. It is about 50 degrees the whole way down and at its widest will fit a 200cm ski. During my first look, I usually ask myself why I just hiked to the top of this. And then I remember it is for the laugh that always comes at the bottom.

My first couple of turns were really good; soft powder snow. And then I hit the breakable crust. Breakable crust is probably the least desirable snow for this descent. There are two chokes that are not much wider than a 150cm ski. In good conditions, you can straight line through both cruxes. In breakable crust, you can carefully bridge your skis across the granite and somehow inch your way through each crux.

Once you have wedged your skis through the crux, you are almost finished. The last crux is a straight-line. The straight-line always looks really intimidating. Almost everyone takes a moment to gain the courage to send it. The best part about the straight-line is landing in the powder field that is always there.

The rush of emotions that fills your body when you land in the powder field is overwhelming. No longer are you puckered, all anxiety leaves your body, and you look up at Slim Shady. You can’t help, but laugh. Really?