I don’t expect you to read the whole way through, but thank you if you do.
Another year of grinding out school work early in the morning to make it to the hill by lunchtime.
Another year of throwing myself off cliffs and rails and jumps my body would later regret.
Another year of cold and wet drives home in an old subaru; the heat still doesn’t work.
All this for the love of skiing.
For the friends who do it with me.
The mountain I’ve called home since I was a kid.
Just a small east coast mountain, nothing impressive.
But I know this mountain like the back of my hand.
Every side hit, every drop, every shortcut through the woods, every box and rail.
I’ve probably slid that fat 20 foot tube about 50,000 times.
I’ve been proud to call this mountain home.
For the past few years especially, I’ve been up here almost every other day.
As I rise up the mountain on the first lift up the excitement rises as well.
Just like the thousands of times before, I take my usual warmup lap through the park.
But now I’m ready to throw down as well.
And as always, some group of kids no older than 12 will be going huge.
But it’s always been a comforting feeling seeing the young kids do so well.
And speaking of progression, it’s so cool to watch people do better throughout the season.
You see the same guys here day in and day out working on expanding their bag of tricks.
I’ve skied with these guys for about four years now.
Even if the snow is bad, I know our time together will be good.
However, this last week of the season though I’ve tried to enjoy their presence even more.
Next year we’ll all be in college- going our seprate ways.
I might see them over Christmas break if I’m lucky.
But the sun is beginning to set, I don’t have time to think about the future.
I have two hours left to ski before the lifts shut down at six.
I’ll be off snow for eight months give or take, so I better go big.
I start trying 5s instead of 3s, 4s and superfeds, instead of my usaual 2s and kfeds.
I want to get a few last clips for my season edit.
My phone is dead.
It’s time to just live in the moment.
It’s still about 60 degrees and people have been going hard all day.
The s-rail is beginning to tip over.
I take one last ride up the lift.
Everyone’s at the top of the park, getting ready for the last lap.
Barks and hollers ring out across the mountain as we line up for a train.
The clock strikes six and we go.
Upwards of 50 people taking that last run through a melty park.
Utter chaos, but pure euphoria.
The s-rail was finally knocked down.
But it’s over all too soon.
At the bottom everybody says goodbye.
I share fistbumps and high fives with good friends and people I barely know.
But we all share that same love for skiing.
It’s when I get to my car when reality sets in.
I’ll miss this mountain.
I’ll miss everyone I’ve skiied with here.
I’ll miss making all these memories.
So I guess, see you later :)
