Just to preface this, generally I can handle myself in most resort-deemed glades and enjoy some of the unofficial paths people carve out; over all I'd consider myself moderate skill for riding off trail. Coverage in NH has been a little thin this season and today there was finally powder so I was itching to play in the woods. Towards the end of my day on the mountain I decided to try out a path through the woods that I'd been eying for a couple runs that went off the side of the resort into National Forest. Maybe 100 yards down the trail there was (what looked like) an exit for the path so finally I decided to give it a shot. Right inside the entrance to the trees there was a steep 4 foot pitch (more like icy drop) into tight single track and I hesitated to go into the woods at all but figured I'd go for it anyway which ended up being a terrible choice.

The first ten minutes in the woods was on some medium steep hillside with tight fast turns between trees and it took all I could to keep my speed down and stay in control. After that it dropped to a pitch that would be about Double Diamond worthy and crazy narrow. There were tons of drops off boulders and fallen trees and even a couple trees people had to duck under. All of these things would normally be fun for me if there was a wider landing but there's no way in hell I could stick this stuff. Also, I should mention now, that exit from the woods I had seen further down the trail? I have no idea what that led to but I never saw any way out of the woods.

At this point I realized how deperately over my head I was and unclipped from my board to take a breather and pull a few layers off. (Did I mention I left my helmet back in the car? I'm a smart one!) I knew there was no way in hell I could ride it out and I didn't want to try hiking back up all the steep trail I'd come down already so I did the best thing I could figure: sat on my board, grabbed my bindings rodeo style, and hung on for the steepest sledding of my life. I've never relied on my board to help me so much in my life as today and when it was just me and my board in the middle of the woods I really found a new appreciation and attachment to it. (I was also by myself. Definitely a smart one. In my defense, I did call my buddy who was in the lodge to let him know where I was annd that I was working my way out.)

Finally the grade bottomed out a bit to something I could actually ride (and it was pretty sweet back there once it eased up) and I came out onto a groomed trail way down the mountain. Has anyone else ever gotten out of jam and grown to love their board more than ever?

tl;dr: I was stupid and got myself in a spot, but my board saved me from an hour of hiking out!

Also, I realize how dumb it was of me to go messing around in the woods alone and without a helmet, but at the entrance to the woods I really expected to be able to duck out of them 100 yards ahead, not down the entire mountain. Also also, I have tons of respect for any skier or rider that can actually ride that shit... super technical.