How the f#*k did I get here, I asked myself. There I stood on top of another Alaskan backcountry bowling ball. It rolled right off and the next thing in sight was a few massive glacial crevasses on the valley floor 3000 feet below.
I took another step craning my neck in hopes of gaining anything more in terms of a view of my line. The bottom half came into view, holy shit it looked good. Deep and steep each snowflake catching the sun at a different angle sending up a shimmering array of color… enticing!!!
Another step gave me as good of view as I was willing to get. I could see the tiny chute I stood above; my only hope of a drop-in, ending in deadly exposure. There was this spine, though. It bordered the chute on the riders right and I could tell as long as I got over it I would be safe from being sluffed to certain death.
A few deep breaths, my mind racing, questioning whether or not it was the right move. I could still go back to the mellower couloir we had climbed. No!! I was ready; conditions were perfect, it was time.
“Ten seconds,” I said over the radio.
“Copy ten,” came the reply.
Drop…
For that one moment as my board teetered on the edge I thought again about turning back, it was too late, I was on slope and in my line, time to react.
I crossed the spine: safe. I began to descend, my face only inches from the slope, my back arm over my head dragging in waist deep blower. This was gnar. An image from my camera was burned into my head… don’t cut too hard right… stay out of the pepper!!!
Made it through the first crux, time to cut over hard and get on top of the main spine ridge. It was a battle, each spine taller and deeper than the last, I was breathing hard. I clutched at each spine trying to maintain control and keep from being pulled over backward by gravity. These things were getting steep!!!
“This is so sick!!!” I shouted at my helmet camera, “This is all I ever want to do!!!”

The feeling of riding spines that steep in snow that deep is indescribable. I have never felt anything like it, and for hours and maybe even days I was left with a strange sensation that permeated my entire mind and body. What a rush!

“That line was a battle for my life!!” I panted into the radio.
I made it, I was clear and in a safe spot, out of breath and pumping adrenaline hard. Later I would name the run “BarenJager”. I knew then and know now that it was the craziest line I have ever ridden.

“Looking at Ryland on top of the Baren Jager was the first time I have ever really been concerned for him.  He had been talking about this line for weeks but I never took him serious until the momemnt he was standing on top of the line.  It was the first time  have ever really been worried about him.  The size of the line was what had me freaked out.  All it would take  for him to get worked is for him to get  rejected by a spine, get sucked into a runnel and have the sluff grab his board and he would be at the bottom instantly.  I am not sure if I have ever seen someone ride a spine wall that big and that sustained.  He definitely earned his spine badge on this one.  Here is 2/3rds of the way to safety but far from done done wit this beast ” Jeremy Jones