The 4,000 Foot Slide

Seems like it would be tedious hiking back down the volcano, right? Well, not when you don't have to walk!

For the descent, our guides outfitted us with snowpants and a slippery butt apron (for lack of a better word) - then taught us how to brake and steer with our ice axes. Moments later we were sliding down narrow snow chutes formed by previous groups. Most were roughly 8 inches deep, but one section had a 6 foot trough which looked like fun, until you went down and were repeatedly launched into the air and slammed back on your ass by the bumpy ride!

How disappointing that I had forgotten my video camera!

After roughly 30 minutes of descent (mostly sliding, though occasionally running & flailing downhill through the snow to connect up to the next chute), we reached the bottom. Mission complete!"