EMISSION 2.5 – “Mission Peaks”
I thought I had experienced Mission Peaks. I had made the “hike” and skied its incredible terrain. It wasn’t until filming EMISSION 2.5 with Justin O’Hara and Kyle McIntyre that I realized how far the Mission Peaks terrain actually went. I truly had no idea.
Our mission was to find the perfect location to build a massive jump. I imagined I’d be shoveling and drenched in sweat before 10 am, as usual. I put Justin in charge of choosing the jump site. We made the usual hike and then proceeded to pass up what I thought were 50 or 60 perfect places to build a jump. But Justin kept trekking on.
As I finally grew short of breath and ready for a Snickers, we finally came upon it. A perfect windlip larger than most of the largest terrain park jumps. I should’ve known that Justin would keep trekking his healthy heart until we finally found a site that required literally not one scoop with a shovel. Well done, well done indeed.
After clicking into his skis and sideslipping the face of the jump, Justin and the jump were both ready to go. He proceeded to do every trick he knew and even a brand new rodeo 720 with a style that was incredible to watch. My focus was filming, Justin’s focus was landing pretty much everything he tried, and Kyle’s focus must have been getting some epic hiking shots, because when I looked later than night over my footage, wow.
What I saw and experienced when I hiked out further than I ever had before was an incredible ridgeline that went on for days. It offered unbelievable cliffs, chutes, and spires that climbed starkly into the blue skies. There were eagles soaring around and sunshine that illuminated the sunny cities and roads below. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t know this terrain was easily accessed by Chair 2 at Mission Ridge.
I will be back to this area and you should go to. The scenery alone is worth the hike and the face shots are just the fudge icing on an already delectable brownie. Of course we are talking backcountry terrain, so get prepared before you go. We are talking beacons, shovels, probes, and most importantly, knowledge. It is well worth the price of admission (your choice of a short, medium, or long hike from Chair 2). Enjoy!
Emission 2.5 – “Mission Peaks”