Difficulty: 8.0-8.5
Pitch: 40-48

Description: North-facing complex of tree runs, chutes, glades, and gullies in extremely varied terrain. Steepest at top. Trees and exposure seem to protect and gather snow. Farthest portion often little skied as early traverse required to return to Wildcat lift via gravity. Those willing to hike back-or even drop to road and return by shuttle bus-can find uncut snow and excellent crud days after a powder dump.

The Peruvian Lodge lies below Westward Ho, separated from it by Little Cottonwood Creek. There used to be a footbridge that crossed the creek at the lodge. As snow built up on the bridge, the track across got narrower and narrower, and the handrail lower and lower. It was great entertainment to watch people gather speed in the track packed through deep snow as they approached the bridge. Some would lose their nerve and swerve off the track into deep snow short of the bridge. Great, cartwheeling blowups resulted from the sudden deceleration, the kind it takes a half hour to recover from, snow stuffed in every wrinkle of clothing, skis lost, hat and goggles missing. Really fun to watch.

But that was nothing compared to the occasional victim of the bridge itself. My roommate bit the dust there once. Picture a guy hurtling toward the bridge. He's about to take it on the fly as required by the Powder Hound's Style Guide. At the last moment, he gets a little wobbly and hits the bridge off center. Halfway across he nicks the railing and spins into it, hitting it waist high. Inertia keeps his upper body going. He rolls over the rail, holding on desperately, skis dangling. Half the population of the lodge seems to be in the windows howling. With incredible effort, he gets turned around, gloved hands now clawing into the snow on the bridge itself. As the inevitability of his fate dawns on him, his face becomes the perfect picture of resignation and dignity. His hands slip inexorably toward the edge of the bridge and then, without a cry, he is gone into the bottomless snow below. The East German judge's score reflected politics. The rest of us gave him perfect points for style.