Sawtooth Ridge
By: Darian
My ski team and I were on the Northstar Ski Mountain and were about to hike Sawtooth Ridge, which is an extremely steep mountain with multiple peaks, cliffs, and stunning views. There was a huge snowstorm before we went because otherwise there wouldn’t be enough snow and Sawtooth Ridge would be closed. There was an abundance of fluffy, powdery, and soft snow. I remember that a few people on my ski team were nervous and some wanted to hike Sawtooth Ridge. Also, I felt kind of anxious but also excited because I love skiing in lots of powder. To be able to hike the mountain, we had to take our heavy skis off and carry them and our lunches up the exhausting mountain.
At this time, it was my first year doing ski team and I was really enjoying it so far. Also, I had known the team’s coach, named Wallace, before because my brother and I used to do ski lessons with him. There were six kids on our ski team including my brother and me.
When we started hiking, I was amazed by the scenery which was snow-covered trees around us and a narrow path leading us to the peaks. I couldn’t see anything but my team, coach, and the breathtaking scenery all around me. The terrain was getting steeper and zig-zagging while following the narrow path to the first peak. Also, the air was very fresh as I smelled the refreshing and sharp scent of pine trees.
Around 15 minutes into the hike, I started feeling extremely tired. I could feel the aching pain in my legs and it was torturing me. I was sweating a lot, and I could feel the hot sensation as the skis I was carrying weighed heavily on my shoulders. I was thinking in my head, “Are we close to the first peak yet?” Other kids on my team were also getting tired and they also felt the aching pain. Some of them were even feeling like they wanted to give up or take a long break. We weren’t even halfway through the hike to the first peak. After taking so many breaks, we finally ended up making it to the first peak and having lunch there. I felt proud and had a sense of accomplishment. The view of the snow-covered mountains from the first peak where we were having lunch was incredibly stunning.
During lunch, I remember talking to some of the other kids on the team about whether we wanted to hike to the 2nd peak. After a long break, we all decided that we were going to try to get to the 2nd peak with our skis on because the path only had a slight incline. We made it to the second peak and decided to continue to peak 3, where we were planning to ski down after we got there. Peak 3 wasn’t so far from peak 2 but was so insanely steep that we tried to get as much speed from a small decline before the steep incline. My brother, Caspian, ended up getting close to the top of the steep hill to peak 3 but the rest of the team and I didn’t get as far up. Caspian had small and wide skis that helped him get up, but he still couldn’t make it to the top. My skis were getting stuck in the fluffy powder and that was a challenge to keep going.
As a team, we then decided to start skiing down from where we were instead of making it to the top of peak 3. The trees were covered in snow, there was so much powder, and it was my favorite skiing experience. We were skiing in a line while following our coach, Wallace. There was a small cliff (about a 10-foot drop) that we skied down, too. The cliff was also covered in snow so we could ski down it. We were making our own fresh tracks in the knee-deep snow winding through the lush trees. There was also a small creek towards the end of the mountain partially covered in snow that we skied over. We finally got to the bottom and everyone really enjoyed it!
This memorable experience made me stronger and more resilient because of how hard the hike was, and yet, I conquered it. I can use this to power through other difficult situations in my life. Also, I can use the determination from this experience to help me in other scenarios like sports games. For example, in basketball games (especially towards the end) I get really tired, and sometimes I even have another game right after, so I can use mental strength to get through it. I will always remember this incredible experience and how it changed me.
