Across a treacherous reach of steep mountain terrain a lone skier races downhill - expertly working a spine of snow with a watchful eye on the slough - a potentially deadly avalanche in the gathering wake.
The breathtaking rugged expanse beckons the skier beyond - but within seconds - the trail ends in a staggering sheer rock face.
For a split-second, the sports enthusiast fathoms the dilemma, then suddenly shoots forward
In one Divine moment of Grace - the skier slices through the sky without hesitation - and somersaults artfully in a dazzling series of awe-inspiring tucks until he straightens up miraculously to land sturdily on strong legs.
Now, the thrill-seeker is propelled forward in a dynamic burst of energy on down the slope into the unknown reaches below to tackle the next challenge.
The event is X-treme Skiing - captured with precision and poetic luminosity - in the spell-binding documentary "Steep".
North American skiers who popularized the sport include Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Glen Plake and Scott Schmidt.
A handful are featured in the well-crafted breathtaking documentary.
One of the first practitioners of the dangerous death-defying sport was Bill Briggs who descended Grand Teton on June 16 in 1971.
Swiss skier Sylvain Saudan is another stand-out participant who invented the "windshield wiper" turn in the mid-1960s.
Skiers give a nod of thanks to Briggs for a number of miraculous descents previously considered impossible which were captured on film.
"Le Ski Extreme" - a term the French coined - best describes the exhilarating thrills now rampant in the slope sport.
"Extreme skiing" exalts big mountain skiing - and free skiing - and encompasses all aspects and methods of descending spines and lines in uncharted terrain.
But, danger lurks at every bank of snow.
A twisted ankle or a slight miscalculation at the wrong moment - in a handful of incidents - has led to disaster and death on occasion.
According to experts in the field, this distinguishes true extreme skiing (in the French sense) from just the spectacular and dangerous on the American turf.
Directed by Mark Obenhaus, with a keen penetrating lens, "Steep" follows a posse of ski enthusiasts who crave thrilling heart-stopping chills on the pristine remote peaks of God's most astounding natural creations on the face of the earth.
Tops in the field of their emerging sport - the sports enthusiasts engage in spirited conversations about their escapades, pine about the adventures that await, and envision the exciting challenges ahead as they push the sport to ultra-extreme levels.
"The mountains are alive," one young athlete noted with great reverence in his voice.
"They speak to you, and if you don't listen, you will surely meet death."
Another was inclined to get mystical.
"There are quite a few Blackbirds flying about. I believe they are the spirits of the skiers who have lost their lives up here."
In fact, during the course of shooting of the extraordinary footage for this captivating documentary, one of the featured athletes suffered a fatality when he attempted to save a pal fallen in a run.
"He was much too young," his wife said softly.
"But, he went in a way he would have loved."
Clearly - the documentary underscores what death-defying depths ski extremists are willing to go to - in a bold-faced effort to satiate their cravings.
The skilled enthusiasts lit up when they talked about skiing "without boundaries" and the potential challenges that lurked ahead.
"Unlike a resort", one jokes tellingly, "There are no rules."
In fact, the rugged lot often seek adventures off-the-beaten tracks, where no man has skied a line before - or ever attempted to - at least.
In one scene, an experienced champion surveys a photograph of a mountain ridge, gets a drop on the scenario that looms ahead, plans the line, then goes for it.
The steeper and the bigger the conquests, the more enticing the challenge.
Some of the footage features skiers zigzagging lines down slopes with a 50 degree angle.
"You can feel the pull of gravity," a seasoned skier noted.
The athlete was forced to caress the slope and work diligently - mindful of the mighty natural forces of nature (the unseen and the foreseen) - and all the while tenderly absorb the lay of the beauteous land.
At any given moment there could be a flare up or sudden intrusion - capable of throwing off the skier - and headlong into a dangerous tumble.
Some noted they engaged in the sport for sheer fun.
A skier featured in the "Blizzard of Aahhs" (ski documentary) joyfully revealed his hopes and dreams to the camera-crew.
Essentially, the die-hard thrill-seeker wanted a kick-a** good time and - he joked - "he usually got it in spades."
"Blizzard of Aahhs" showcased the extreme talents of cliff-jumper Scott Schimdt, bad boy skier Glen Plake, and precision skier Mike Hattrup.
"You remember the first time you caught the video, where you were, who you were with," one dude excitedly recalled to the filmmakers.
Aahs was so impacting, he ran the reel continuously on end.
Other young adventurers - newcomers to the scene - pined for the adrenalin rushes their heroes on video had experiencing in the flesh and in the raw.
In fact, young ski enthusiasts have been lining up their options, and heading out for adventure in recent days.
One smart cookie realized a run he wanted to undertake was not possible because of a sheer drop on a rock face.
So, he broached the problem by learning how to parachute.
Exhilarating, no doubt.
For many, a landmark achievement in the sport, amounted to a stab at the slopes in Chanomix.
As far as the filmmakers and interviewees were concerned, an athlete did not made the grade as an extreme skier until they had fought and won over a spine there.
But then, along came Valdez, in Alaska.
For centuries, the awesome peaks perched quietly, away from the prying eyes of the world in all their undiscovered bounty.
The awesome beauty of the remote landscape appealed alright, but it was the remarkable quality of the snow that lured most.
After a wet snow falls - a cold wind from the north rolls in and sucks out all the moisture - which results in a texture to the snow that is unique and unmatched anywhere on the planet.
"The snow feels like velvet as it swishes against the leg. It's heavenly."
Ah, a whisper from God...
After the pioneers featured in "Steep" mapped the ranges - they were soon up-and-ready - to helicopter fans of the sport in for exciting trial runs at Valdez's new adventure playground.
In the question and answer period after "Steep" screened, the Executive Producer noted the documentary was made for those keen on the sport already, and others ready to discover the wonder of its possibilities.
Sony Classic picked up distribution with the intention of screening the entertaining documentary in limited markets around the country.
For those of you ready for the Extreme-ski experience - remember - if you spy a blackbird soaring high above the others - it's undoubtedly our young ski enthusiast who left us too early - presiding over the mystical canyons with an eye-out for the initiated who may have lost their way.
He does so with quiet majesty!
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