Riding the Roof of America

I must admit that I didn’t fabricate the ingenious title for this post: it is the title for a ski flick from Poor Boys Productions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgTrcMqQM0U).  I will, absolutely, make the claim that the title does pertain to my current lifestyle.  My sole obligation is my bouncing gig at Cecilias which is more like a social event than an actual job.  I truly think this current state my life is the nearest I will ever be to a perpetual weekend.

My snowboarding progresses.  Before I continue, I will remind the audience that we are still in the month of November.  Today marked my fourteenth day on the slopes; which exceeds what most people can say for their entire season.  Many of the locals stew in their own glee when they haughtily profess that they are way ahead of their normal schedule with ten days on the mountain.  I hate people who play the “one up” game so I happily keep my notable number secret and pretend to be impressed with their slain days.  Fourteen days for a poor boy from CT… not too shabby I’d say.  It looks like my goal of 100+ days is attainable.

Breckenridge continues to open more terrain.  Today they opened peak 9 with three trails.  This was a magical feat because the crowds melted and were conservatively spread around the mountain reducing slope traffic and life lines.  Even now, Breckenridge is only around 8% open and the conditions are predominantly man-made.  This is far from a complaint.  The snow is as soft as any fantastic day of New England skiing and the runs are far more exciting.  I know this is redundant but my point is to convey how different this experience is.

My main riding buddy has been my roommate Chris.  Chris is a great skier who has been enjoying the fresh, untouched snow in the tree’s that lay off several trails we have been frequenting.  Eventually, I grew envious from stories of knee deep freshies and thrilling lines; I began to yearn for these experiences myself.  Heeding the advice of a coworker, I decided to brandish my “clunker” Nitro snowboard and head into the trees myself.  Chris was certainly correct.  Fresh snow, challenging lines, and a secluded winter wonderland was what I experienced.   I also had the pleasure  of riding on fresh snow with absolutely no base.  Without a base, the natural features of the mountain are a very real part of this particular riding experience.  My board became the victim of assault from rocks, roots, and stumps.  After three long runs in the trees my board had enough; evidence of this came from the three NASTY core shots that the bottom of my board received.  Needless to say my fun in the trees has been postponed until the storms start dumping and the risk to my equipment is null.

I’m seriously considering purchasing a used snowmobile.  I know that the owning one of these machines goes against everything that I set out to do in Colorado; HOWEVER, the purpose of this purchase would be for one reason, and a damned good one at that.  A snowmobile can provide quick, effortless access to back country terrain.  Sledding up back country bowls is the most (human) energy efficient way to get a great day of untouched riding in; it will open up doors that would otherwise be bolted closed.  A prep talk from a friend back in CT runs through my head before I make every decision out here, “Do everyone favors, don’t say no to anything, live like everyday is your last, open doors everyday…” etc.  What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Tomorrow will mark the second Thanksgiving I have had without my family.  Though it won’t be the same without Mom, Dad, and Rob… (miss ya’ll) there will be a feast to devour and good company to enjoy.   Posts to follow.

Happy Turkey Day!