Warning: Cliff Area

Warning: Cliff Area. WTF, how did I get here? I was skiing at Snowbird with Bob Hood and as we got on the Peruvian lift, the operator said Mineral Basin just opened up. We went up and went into the tunnel and came out in Mineral Basin. Bob said let's go left which I did but I guess I went too far left. There was about 10 inches of powder but it had been wind blown and was crusty. I followed some tracks up a knoll and started down. I got funneled down towards a chute and my right ski stopped but I kept going and stepped out of the binding. Ouch! I had been nursing an Achilles tendon strain and this seemed to aggravate it. The next order of the day was to find my ski. I had a pretty good idea where it would be and I started digging and found it right away. The powder was pretty deep and I had to build a platform to use to put my skis back on. With skis on I looked up and saw that there was only one way down. Right by the sign that said, Warning: Cliff Area. A skier came up behind me and said it did not look good but was going to try it anyway. I watched him make two impossible turns down the chute and then he scraped off some powder that was covering a slab of ice. He said it was not too bad, but watch out for that ice. I surveyed the scene and realized that a climb out in that powder would take all day so it was down the chute. I somehow made the two impossible turns and was heading for the slab of ice. I dropped down below it heading down the fall line but gaining speed. I made a quick turn to the right and came to a stop. It was so steep that as I stood on my skis I could put out my right hand and touch the mountain. I waited until my heart rate became manageable and then I side slipped down until I got to some less steep but reasonable terrain. I made it down to the chairlift where Bob was waiting and he asked where I had been. Just enjoying the mountain, I said.