I was there. I was with them when it happened. The day: Dec 31st, the year: 2002 The place: Star Valley Ski Resort. Fresh powder had been falling all day, and the Ski patrol was out blocking off runs that were potential avalanche hazards. It was one of these runs that my friends and I decided to go down on our snowboards. As we reached the top of Suicide Summit, we could feel the temperature drop and the wind pick up. The chill cut through us like a knife through butter. We started off Jeronimo Run, then we quickly cut off through the trees. "Jeez, how many trees are there?" Ben complained after running into his fifth tree. "Don't know" his brother Everett laughed in response. We finally made it through the trees (each person running into one, at least once.) We had just started down the run when the ski patrol spotted us. "HEY! YOU! STOP! THAT IS A RESTRICTED AREA! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO START!" the leader of the ski patrol yelled down from the top of the hill. Just as soon as he finished yelling that sentence, a low rumbling started just below the ski patrol leaders feet. The avalanche had begun. "Oh my god" said Everett to no one in particular. I echoed his thoughts. The ski patrol started shouting into his radio. Soon after that a siren started sounding. Over the loudspeakers, a calm voice (so as not to start a riot somewhere on the mountain) started telling people to get to the lodges and go inside and stay there. "LETS GO!" I shouted as we took off down the run, to either safety.. or doom. We got to the end of the run and split up. I went left, Everett and Ben went right. The snow beat a path behind us. Cold sweat was running down my forehead as I raced the snow down the hill. Muscles burning, eyes watering, moving as fast as I could down the hill, we met at a new run and went down it. The wave of snow knocking down more snow out of the trees, adding to its fury. Suddenly I hit a patch of ice and went flying. I rolled and fell off a ten-foot rock ledge, landing on my back. I watched as the flood of snow cascaded over me like a waterfall crashing onto the rocks below, cold and hard. Thankfully I was spared by rolling under the shelf of rock jutting out from the ledge. But that was not the end. I was buried alive under a ton of snow, and still had to get to the bottom of the mountain.... I started thinking, what happened to Everett and Ben? Are they okay? Did they survive? For that matter, am I going to survive? What was going to happen to me? Everything was dark. All I could see was the face of my glow- in-the dark watch which read 5:30 P.M. Darkness comes in one hour, making chances for rescue more difficult. Since I was under the ledge I could move my hands, so I started digging through the snow. After what seemed like an hour, but according to my watch it had actually been only ten minutes, I started seeing light. But suddenly the snow shifted, burying me again and shutting out the light. I started to become distraught. Realizing that I am the only one who could save myself, I decided to take action. My snowboard, still strapped to my feet, would act like a shovel. So I was able to work my snowboard off my feet to my hands. I started digging with all my strength. Soon I was able to dig myself out. I stood looking down the mountain surveying the devastation caused by the avalanche. Even some trees had been uprooted. I then set out to look for Everett and Ben.