Friday, April 2, 2010

Life is like a box of chocolates

You never know what to expect. Sometimes, like this morning, you get up at 4:30, drive to the canyon, get out and start putting your boots on, and wonder what the hell you’re doing this for. Second day in a row of being up this early. Weariness aches all the way to your bones. It’s 12 freakin’ degrees, and the wind is blowing snow in your face at 40 miles per hour. Visibility is so bad that you leave the camera in the car, assuming there’s no point in having it.

For some dumb reason, probably because you’re already there and it would be silly to pack it in and go back to bed, you start hiking. But really you’re dreaming of pulling up a chair at the Original Pancake House and diving into something warm and sweet that you don’t have to work for. It’s dark, it’s cold. No living thing is naturally active in these conditions.

And then you stick your pole in the snow. It sinks 2/3 of its length before hitting something hard, and you realize that even if the wind is blowing and it’s cold and visibility is poor, this snow is too good to leave alone. So you slog away for two hours breaking trail through snow that’s up to your knees most places, and where it’s not, it’s up to your thighs.

At the top, there’s a huge, blank canvas of untouched white. The sun has come out, the wind has subsided. Most of the world is still in bed, wholly unaware of the bounty.

Three laps later, you still can’t wipe the stupid grin off your face. In fact, it’s frozen there from 3,000 vertical feet of continuous face shots in snow that’s as light as only something that’s 94% air can be.

(photos courtesy of Mike M. because of aforementioned idiotic move of leaving camera in car.)

As we started the last lap, Daren, who’s racing his MTB tomorrow, said “I don’t care how bad I do in the race tomorrow, this is totally worth it.” Um, yeah. There’s another 8-12” forecast for tonight.

12 comments:

  1. Why do people try to fight the seasons? Early in the year when there is no snow people are stressing about skiing and putting away their bikes, but now that its the best skiing its been all year people are so quick to hang up the skis and force spring and summer on themselves. I say go with the flow.

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  2. Funny thing... your experience for the past two days just described me. weird. im getting up again at 4:30 tomorrow... are you?

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  3. I guess that combined with your feelings for last years hell of the north means that I wont have to worry about you as competition tomorrow?

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  4. Nate: Toledo bowl.

    Forrest: I know, right? Who schedules bike races in March, though, that's what I want to know. No races until June when I'm emperor of the universe.

    JPizzle: I think this is your first comment here. Welcome. And no, I won't be getting up at 4:30. I'll be getting up, just not at 4:30.

    Pat: knock yourself out tomorrow. I regretted doing that race all year. Won't make the same mistake twice. You'll have to hold off Mike H, though.

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  5. Fix the moment in your mind and rejoice because the pancakes didn't rob you of the sweet snow.

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  6. Steve A: I think that statement should be canonized. It's like Yoda and Isaiah rolled into one.

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  7. If you don't like what I like then I'm dumb, wait you're dumb, no we're dumb, no I'm missing somethin, no you're missing something, ooh, look, pretty colors.

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  8. Why not do it all? I got face shots with Mark this morning and ran into Bob while riding a lap on a sweet desert single track this afternoon. Is this a Pretty Great State or what?

    Mark, Dug and Mike, I'll get a few pictures to you Sunday. In spite of my photo skills, a few turned out.

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  9. No, I am not full of it, in August I am enjoying mtn biking and fly fishing. You dont see me trying to get snowboard turns in. I might wish it was winter, but I am not forcing winter on summer.

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  10. Sounds like an awesome powder day! Sweet deal man!

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  11. April is bound and determined to atone for the sins of December and January.

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  12. grizzly adam... thou speakest truth!

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