Marmalade Daydreams

Oh, everything's nice. The sun is at my back as I sit in a glass-enclosed atrium this Mardi Gras afternoon, surrounded by august snowy peaks, weary body slowly sated by pints of highly-hopped muscle relaxant, mind floating between the brass bands swinging out the bar's speakers and reflections on the three wild days I've had so far, soaring and swooping down soft mountainsides, weaving between trees and cliffs, literally floating inches above the ground suspended in a shallow sea of dry ice crystals. Yeah, I'll try not to rub it in, but...

Sunday was a sunny day where the locals were complaining of "ice" (in reality, slightly crusted packed powder), where I had a good time schussing and sailing in warm sunlight under bluest skies. That night, the snow started, and when it was all over, about 24 hours later, over a foot of the light powder for which this region is famed had covered every surface. Yesterday, between the incomperable conditions and my ever-growing confidence in the positive outcome of pointing my greased platforms straight down a steep declivity, could have been my greatest day ever on skis if not for the ceiling dropping around 2 PM, rendering the mountainside (and its resident obstacles) invisible. Either way, it was pretty stupendous -- invisible mounds beneath the soft snow directing my rented Volkl Mantras (om mani padme hum) this way and that, and I could just sit back (not too far) and enjoy the ride.

Today was also fairly wonderful, despite my aching body (though falls in this newly-cushioned world are immediately painless, pulled muscles play catch up while you sleep). I pushed through to explore parts of this mountainscape that previously intimidated me, either with aformentioned cliff and dense forests, or with the hike-to access. And now I feel fully satisfied -- I've expanded my limits, decreased my cowardice, uncovered the hidden areas, and worked my body senseless with two days to go. Perhaps tomorrow I'll either take some time off or try something new -- Snowbird's up the street, or I can turn in my rentals for telemarks... I guess I should also fill out my grad school applications. I'm sure it will work out. Another storm's supposed to roll in tomorrow -- I guess that might make up my mind for me...