A few weeks ago, I had a not so epic crash while snowboarding at Keystone Resort. I was alright, but the lid to my water bottle, in my "supposed" waterproof snowboarding backpack popped off and soaked my Samsung Epic 4G phone from Sprint. Lets just say, ruining my Epic was a low point for the season.Luckily for me, Nick Zappo and the fine folks over at Sprint were able to hook me up with a replacement. The replacement phone that I was sent was the HTC EVO Shift 4G. Although I loved my Epic, I've got to say that the Shift was the perfect replacement, and a perfect mountain phone.Here are my 5 reasons why the HTC EVO Shift from Sprint is the perfect mountain phone:1. Reliability - I have yet to drop a call or lose a signal with this phone. I've taken it deep into The Outback at Keystone and still had a great signal strength.2. Size - The streamlined design of the Shift can be thrown into any pocket without even the slightest of discomfort.3. Mobile Hotspot capability - My laptop always accompanies me on my long weekend trips to the mountains. Whenever I need to upload some photos or video to the Snow Squad site, the Mobile Hotspot capability on the Shift always has me covered in no Wi-Fi hotels and car rides.4. 5.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder - If you've followed any of my Film with the Snow Squad days, you know the camera on the Shift is perfect for documenting what's happening and what I'm doing on the mountain.5. Media Player - I don't know if it's a little vain or not, but I usually snowboard while listening to my SquadMix playlists. The Media Player on the Shift makes this happen in a beautiful way.Check out the rest of the features for the Shift here. I think you'll agree that it's one the finest phones currently on the market.- James Gardiner