Monday, January 25, 2010

Lets Do It Again

A reader of this blog ask for this essay to be published in the Blog.


This group BC skied at Mores Creek Summit area this past Saturday January 23rd and enjoyed great Pow.


Brandon, thanks for the pics!


Chago
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Lets do it Again

I have been enjoying the Mores Creek Blog for a while and now have the opportunity to contribute.  I am a relatively new BC skier, so I’m not comfortable pontificating on snow conditions, terrain, or basically anything else useful.  What I do feel qualified to comment on is the fresh exhilarating experience of my first forays into the backcountry.



I have long enjoyed being outdoors, and the winter is one of my favorite seasons. Even though I have been a mountain biker, a climber, and a skier for some time, backcountry skiing was still intimidating, and not without reason.  I’ve been lucky to have climbing mentors, biking mentors, and now skiing mentors to help me learn quickly and safely.




I always think it’s cold when I get out of the car, but a few hundred feet up the trail a jacket seems like an encumbrance.  The higher I go the better the scenery gets, but I have to keep my eyes peeled for snow and terrain conditions if I want to learn.  This doesn’t feel like a burden though, conversely the sense of personal responsibility is exhilarating.  It is me and my buddies, and we are all responsible for each others safety on some level.




Once I get to the top I notice that a pristine slope waiting for my signature (my writing is very messy at this point), but I’m in no hurry to drop in.  We have a bite to eat, dig a pit, and only then is it time to strip the skins and glide down.






Not all the skiing is fun.  Bushes try and grab my tips, and crust appears uninvited, but it’s all good.  When I’ve finally run the gauntlet of snow snakes and flat spots and arrive at the bottom one thought runs my mind.  “Lets do it again”.


B.M.