Skier Wally Mozdzierz (pronounced MAHJ'-jesh) hears the snow crunch and feels the contours change beneath him as he glides swiftly down the mountain.

Downhill skiing for him is different than most: He is blind, and has a guide to help him navigate the terrain.
    
Thanks to several sports groups, he and others who are blind get snow sports lessons - and for some, it is a way to defeat depression and a sedentary lifestyle that sometimes accompany being without sight.
    
Mozdzierz has taken some tumbles, hit some trees and fallen 50 feet off a cliff into a pine bough. But he continues to tackle some of the steepest and most challenging terrain, including the toughest-rated double black diamond runs.