1) The narrator recalls a day of powder snowboarding in Utah at age 19 with two friends, Errol and Skylar. 2) They discover an untouched bowl with a small cliff and decide to hike up and jump off multiple times. 3) After Errol and Skylar successfully jump, the narrator is hesitant, recalling two friends who died in an avalanche months prior while riding out of bounds without proper safety gear. 4) But the narrator pushes past the hesitation, jumps successfully, and acknowledges to friends that danger is simply part of the sport they love.

1. Hyde 1
Ashley Hyde
Jessica Frogley
English 2010
10, December, 2011
Memoir
Just One Time
I remember being nineteen, like it was yesterday. The days when snowboarding was
more of a lifestyle to me then a hobby. There were many people here that I have met that moved
to Utah and worked two jobs to afford the “lifestyle”. Just to get the opportunity to ride the
snow, “the greatest snow on earth” Utahans are so fortunate to have for the nine months out of
the year. For me it was an escape from reality, and the inversion down in valley that I gazed
upon while on the chair lift. When I stood on the top of the mountain in snow up to my thighs,
gazing into a small bowl of untouched powdered snow. Time seemed to stand still, everything in
my life seemed to make sense in my life at that one moment.
Two friends, Errol and Skylar, and I got on the Great Western lift at Brighton Ski Resort.
I noticed that the flakes that fell were as large as cotton balls as they gracefully soared through
the air. As I gazed across the mountain rage there was little visibility, I could hardly see the
chairs in front of us. When it snowed that hard I found myself sweating from all the strenuous
riding in the deep heavy powder.
I dressed myself in the usual layers, on top I had my new puffy jacket, two shirts one long
sleeve, one short. A scarf, my black beanie and triple layered on the pants just in case I got snow
in my but. I noticed that the chair exit was coming soon so I hurried and changed the music

2. Hyde 2
playing on my ipod to something more upbeat to sing along with, Michael Franti “ I have to have
the right tunes on a day like today”. I said to myself as I adjusted my scarf back before we got
off the chair.
With one foot strapped into my snowboard, and the other stood firm in between my
bindings. The three of us got off the chair all at once, I always laughed at this part it always looks
like a shit show. We congregated for a few minutes up top to discussed where we would be
heading for the first run. On this kind of beautiful powder day it did not matter where we were
going. I just wanted to get going.
We started our descent down the mountain. The snow felt light and granular like sugar.
The three of us stooped into the tree line that we had followed on the left. The three of us began
to zigzag in-between the tight trees like Jedis, fast and on Queue. Each of us were yelling out in
burst of excitement as we pass by each other. We came to the bottom of the trees into an area
called Hidden Canyon that contained a small bowl of snow. We were amazed that there was no
tracks from other riders.
As the Sun shined over the high Wasatch Range, we looked at each other with
amazement, “like sugar it is so sweet” I said to the boys. As we looked around we noticed that
there was a small cliff located on the lower left side of the bowl. We were ecstatic with the
amazing natural feature we had come across on such a great powder day. Everything seemed to
be going our way. We had decided to hike the cliff a few times before we made our way down to
the bottom to the chair life. The three of us unstrapped and made our way over to the cliff. With
me being unstrapped I decided to check the landing. Making sure that there was enough room
for us to clear the cliff and land in different spots safely. Not wanting to land too far out into the

3. Hyde 3
bowl and disrupt the layers of snow. Safety was always a topic but it not something you think
about when you are nineteen.
I began to hike back up towards the boys at the top of the cliff. It was a difficult thing to
do. The snow was thigh deep and with me being 5’3 maneuvering in it with out a snowboard
strapped on was not easy. I got back to the top of the cliff where the boys were sitting and
waiting for me while I strapped my board back on. My heart felt heavy, I could feel my body
sweating from the hike. My breaths were short and heavy, I could tell I was anxious.
The three of us discussed who was going first. Errol expressed his interest, I said “go get
it dude I still can not catch my breath,” “sweet” Errol says and he shuffled him self into a take off
position. Seconds after that he shoots his body off the cliff, shouting with excitement as he
tossed his body in a 360 degree turn while grabbing the middle of his snowboard. He landed and
wave of snow flew from under him. I remember looking down the mountain and he was covered
with snow from head to toe. He had a huge grin on his face.
Next was Skylar, after we checked to make sure Errol was out of the way, it was clear
Skylar was already in the air. Tossing his body in a 180 degree and landing much further then
Errol. I thought that Skylar always made jumping off a twenty foot cliff look so easy back then.
I gazed down at the both of them and at that moment I knew how lucky we were.
I had an instant flash back of a few months before. I though of two of our friends Atilio
and Jerry and I felt sick. The two boys that were not so lucky on a perfect day that seemed to be
just like today. They boys had been riding all day at Brighton Resort in an area near here. Atilio
and Jerry took the Crest lift then exited through the back of the ski boundary area and out the
gate. They stood over a bowl a bit larger then this one. A cornice broke beneath them, causing a

4. Hyde 4
sizable avalanche of fifty feet wide and six feet deep. Jerry somehow managed to maneuver his
board into the top of the mountain so he was not pulled down. Unfortunately Atilio was swiped
down the slope and into the slide. Atilio died that day of suffocation, while Jerry managed to
survive. Neither of the boys were wearing the proper safety gear; a shovel, beacon and probe to
help the situation. No one can say for sure, shit happened right? Maybe Atilio would have
survived if the proper gear was worn.
Thoughts like that made me shake and feel uneasy. Having the thoughts of “what the hell
am I doing out here.” Then I heard “Ashley, what the hell are you waiting for just jump all
ready,” Errol yelled from below. I smiled and snapped out of it. I realized that shit happens we
just have to make the best of it.
I returned my head back into the conscious thought of what I am doing at that moment.
With my heart beginning to race even harder in my chest. So hard I could even feel it in my
hands. I slid down the hill towards the cliff, thinking to my self no backing out now. As a
jumped I remember yelling something along the lines of “pow-pow” and landed short of the
boys. We all shouted again with excitement. The tree of us laughed about how covered in snow
we from the leap. As we unstrapped to hike up once again I turned and asked Errol and Skylar,
“do you guys ever think of Atilio and Jerry when you do this type of riding out of bounds?” “Yes
I do” Errol stated, “ I just cannot let it keep me from doing the thing I love to do more than
anything in the world” “even if you die Errol” I asked? “Yup” he said. “Shit happens Ashley,
we just gotta go with it.”