Sweet Riding

I went to Jay Peak this weekend. It's been about 28 years since I was last there. I didn't remember a single thing about the mountain - not the way the slopes were carved into the mountain side, or the chalets and condos, or how much snowfall they get.

OMG, do they get a lot of snow. They had 30 inches (almost 3 feet) on Friday alone. It snowed all day Saturday AND Sunday! It was sooooooo lovely - feet and feet of soft and powdery goodness. It made everything so hushed and subdued. The sound was dampened. And the quiet was so good for the soul.

I felt like I was scuba diving - that same reverent hush that you feel when you are under water. That same sensation of being cut off from contact with other people; that feeling of isolation; and that oneness with your surroundings.

There's something so amazing about being in a winter storm and being on the slopes. You are so swaddled in with clothes and padding and helmets and safety features. You feel utterly invincible and yet, you stand on that board and feel the elements and take it all in as if you were standing there naked.

You ride your board, surfing the snow dunes like they were waves cresting on the ocean, totally lost in the sound of the whooshing and the glide of the board on the soft surface. Feeling the flex and flow of the board under your feet. Surrendering to the momentum of the hill, the silkiness of the mounds underneath your feet, the wind in your face and your hair, the movement of the trees as they gust and blow. Almost like they are cheering you on.

Talk about a totally amazing ride!