Well, first day of the 2014 ski season in Colorado.
We went with Arapahoe Basin for our first runs. They had 18 inches of snow and a blue bird day. The snow was great, the skies were blue and my wife was HOT zooming down the runs!
It is on days like these that one can sit back in awe of the grandeur of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and wonder what powers of the universe created this scene for me? I am not religious by any means, but I am very spiritual. I truly enjoy letting my imagination run wild as I traverse the mountain tops on the ski lift or going down the mountains on skis.
I find it amusing how one can become both inwardly reflective on their mission in life, or their current goals or even whatever happens to catch the fancy of a mind in a zen like state. In many cases though, it is as the wind, the thought comes, whirls through the roads in the mind, and leaves. As the thoughts pass, it leaves a sense of peace. tranquility, and adrenaline rush unlike many other sports.
There is a sense of touching the essence of the universe, the mind behind the curtain, the vastness of the mountain range and the beauty of the moment. It is thrilling to take two sticks, plant them firmly on your feet, and push yourself down a hill.
and enjoy the living hell out of it
There is also the outward point of view, how did the universe create this place? How did everything come together just so that I could spend time here having more fun than should be legal? and the thoughts cascade down the mountain as you shift your weight for another turn.
Your mind shifts to the sheer fun of feeling the cold spike of the wind on your face, and the sun at your back. Your feet instinctively know where to shift, how to dance on the snow to keep you upright. Faster… faster… your eyes water and your grin spreads across your face. You hear a loud WHOO HOOOO.. and realize that it is coming from you. Seconds later you hear another YEEHAW! from your right somewhere down the mountain. The combination of camaraderie in skiing, the excitement of flying down a mountain just on the edge of control, and the fellowship of shared adventure in this wilderness sport, is both peaceful and thrilling.
I truly hope that Lynda and I are able to do this in our seventies and eighties, maybe not as fast, maybe not as much, but to share a life of adventure and true love of a sport, that truly is…
Priceless.
