Snowmoto tour guide Mat Cox whooped, “Yeeew! Sunshine and powder bowls – what more could you want!” his cheers muffled by his helmet.
The murky snow clouds we'd been cautiously picking our way through for the past hour had suddenly thinned and cracked, allowing weak sunlight to paint the contours of the winter playground we found ourselves in.
We were dwarfed by a huge rocky outcrop and imposing corniced ridge that towered above, while a jumble of snow-choked ridges, gullies, tussock, and rocky outcrops fell away below us. Directly in front of us lay a sweeping bowl of untracked, windblown powder that had settled during a storm that had just passed. Almost on cue, Mat's Kawasaki KX450F roared to life, he clicked into gear, then surged his way into the bowl.
Our group of five riders followed suit, and moments later we were tearing wide, arcing slashes into the virgin powder. The front ski sliced almost effortlessly through the snow as the rear track churned us up the 45-degree slope, then with a smooth, controlled movement of the knees, the bike
