noreaster epique.

play the hand your dealt, or chase
the greener side of the fence, or both.
Storm day ski early at Roundtop, cut
out at lunch. Gather road beta on the
way home, gather intertubez info while
eating, say what the hell, why not?
gear shuffle load the car. depart 4:20,
then again at 4:30 after lap around the
block for forgotten gloves & hat. traffic
is gnarly, roads are manageable 40-50mph,
feels like the plow has been thru within
the hour. after 5hrs of semi truck & deer
roulette the IceBox is welcome sight.

short nights sleep, solo searching dawn
patrol is on the agenda, get out early and
get lost without really going anywhere.
5am wake up, on skis and heading out
at 6:30, sweet. up to BaldyGrove for
poptart snack break, then out to the
overlook to take in the sunrise...

heh, not happening today, there are all of
these frozen little bits of Lake Erie falling
out of this cloud that surrounds me. linger
and get chilled, move back to treed shelter
quickly, then on up to the Breakfast Bowl,
missed the spot I was trying to remember,
lack of pitch is evident regardless. Beeline
to the mainslope and find sweet soft snow
love down to the lodge.

8am warmup w/ Chipper, then back out with
a flexible plan...look for more pitch. Swap skis
from Jaks to Bros, Jaks not doing it for me today.
skin back up to Baldy Grove, have a snack, look
at the steeps then out to the overlook. Can actually
see more than 50ft, so check out the front face.

no. shit. it's filled in! it's been skied yesterday,
but there's more snow in there than I've seen in a
long, long, looooooong time. fuck it, gear up for
the descent and drop in qwik snap.

whoooo hooooooo!!!!!! steep and deeep powder
snow, this is dreams, sublime massaging
weightlessness attached to spring loaded
bouncing gravity. dip a hip just that little bit
and maybe, just maybe, slut out a crystallized
face shot. money money money....play in
Springer's then down into FlatRock and
Cathedral glades.

Jedi white fluffy tree skiing at it's best.
Choose the line and turn with impunity,
no concern for what's underfoot, lay into
'em and schuss on down thru the forest.
Silent loftiness over the natural terrain,
let 'em run and ski the spaces, looking
way ahead and thinking on your feet.
as good as it gets.

tour the mtn on the up tracks, hit the same theme
for two more descents, then up and over to the
main slope, calling a day as the HASH is gearing up
to head out. Apres' scene was chill good times,
everybody with fresh powder ski stoke in their
eyes, good food and beverage in our bellies,
love of winter in our blood. Good times indeed.