Red wasn't scared though. She started her run with a hoot,

boarded down so fast I could only take two quick pictures,

and right after snapping this one (she's below me) I popped out of my ski and it slid down to her. So I was standing on this steep slick face with one ski, and I somehow had to get down to my other one. I took off my remaining ski, took one step and sank to my knee, took the next step and didn't sink at all, but I still wasn't taking the situation seriously and I took my next step sort of ice-skate style expecting to carve a turn with my boot and I started sliding. Then I fell hard on my ass and my feet shot ahead of me and I just kept going faster and faster until I was totally out of control. I was falling right into Red who didn't see me coming, and for just an instant I contemplated not screaming for her to move, since if I fell into her I'd probably stop or at least slow down, or maybe it'd be both of us falling which is always for some reason preferable. But I yelled and she got out of my way to let me shoot down the rest of the face, heading for the rocks. So I'm falling face first like a rocket, trying to get my feet in front of me, pushing with my hands and trying to see where I'm going but my hands are just kicking up snow so I can't see a thing, and from time to time I'd catch a glimpse of what's ahead and it'd be a huge rock coming fast, then things would go white again and there'd be some turmoil and then I'd be over the rock. After each rock I'd do a little high-speed damage check, and everything seemed fine but I knew if I was really hurt I wouldn't know it until I stopped. I kept flashing on the fact that I don't have medical insurance, and I had the feeling that something had gone really really wrong, that this was serious, and I had no idea how this was going to end and i just kept going faster and faster.

Then, after like 5 or 6 major rocks, I somehow stopped. I sat and waited for something to be in pain, but somehow pretty much nothing was. I had the wind majorly knocked out of me, and my butt and elbow definitely took some blows, and my bare hands were like claws from grabbing at ice on the way down, but other than that I was pretty much fine. This all happened right under a liftline, so every chair that passed wanted to know if I was ok, so I had to give each one a thumbs up that didn't look like a wave for help. And all day people recognized my red jumpsuit and asked if I was ok.

Here I am pointing out where I started falling and where I stopped. Note the rocks in between.

Something about seeing death and escaping intact is strangely relaxing, even if my hand wouldn't open all the way. Probably the worst part was later when I saw a ski patroller and asked if there are lots of serious accidents on that run, and he said they happen from time to time. I told him how I shot down the entire face and he said he knew, he saw it, and then he said "you have to be careful, this isn't Disney Land" and on the next beat he skied away, leaving me feeling like I'd just been caught shoplifting. Bastids.

I paid lots more attention to this sign after that little incident. I figured skiing's fun, but it's not so fun that i'm going to risk my ass.

I stuck to trails with mellower grades.

And we paid close attention to this sign too, not building a single snow cave the rest of the day.