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This isn’t necessarily a "line" but it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever hit because it was a natural step up feature. Justin L’Heureux shot it and actually brought me to it to see if I thought I could hit it naturally. You can see my first attempt hitting the wall. It actually was super compression and I hit the wall several times before making it on a backside 180. It’s just cool because it looks like the moon. Photo: Justin L’Heureux
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The third couloir from the left that slants to the right above the exposure at the bottom is what Annie and I rode. The other angle is from the top, POV style. Photo: Annie Boulanger
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This is a POV shot from Bella Coola. One of the biggest couloirs that Annie Boulanger and I both got to ride. They just had a major avalanche event, and our guide said there was low probability, but high consequence if anything did happen. I had that on my mind as I walked the ridge. My heart was pumping, it was a leg burner! Photo: Annie Boulanger
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This is the view from on top of that Bella Coola photo I took from the Heli.
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This is my shot from my iPhone looking at a line in Bella Coola that I did. I got dropped off on the little bench there on the left. We did a tow in with the hell and I jumped out. I nearly shat my pants when I realized I had to hike up and over those cliffs because they were way too big for me to hit. The one thing I know is that nothing ever goes as plans and everything from a helicopter looks so much smaller until you get on top of stuff and realize that you’re dealing with monstrous terrain! Haha... This one worked out, I had some awesome turns, great snow, epic views of Mt. Saugstad in the background.
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Here’s a pillow line from Whistler backcountry, one of my favorite places to be hands down. This was from 2012, the last time that these pillows probably existed. I always love hitting pillow lines because half the fun is now knowing what the heck is going to happen. On this particular pillow line the compression was pretty big time on this pillow, but there was enough snow to soften the blow and make it to the bottom. Photo: Courtesy of Leanne Pelosi
Editor’s Note: #My5Lines is a new series highlighting five of the most gorgeous mountain-inspired lines on earth and insight into each one from the folks who know them best.
The mountains are an inspiring place for me to be. I guess that’s why I keep going back to them year-in year-out. And no matter how many times you go back, it’s always different.
Changing conditions, snow, and your own vision for what you’d like to accomplish make it test your limits and give back to you in the form of confidence and gratitude. The best times are the days you find a freshly powdered zone, pick out a few things to ride and try to make it to the bottom, unscathed. Whether it’s a slash to drop, or doing a trick off something natural — any day that one of my ideas becomes reality is a good day!
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