Many Steps Make Mountains

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Just another day” ran through my mind while heading out the door to meet up with the crew. We were headed out skiing near Truckee looking for some remaining powder left over from the last storm. I met up with three other local friends and we headed up the skin track.

We had all been skiing a fair amount by this point in the season. We were clearly more patiently enjoying the day and the company as compared to the early season rabid pace one assumes when it has been months since your last powder day.

We settled into a steady pace and glided up the valley floor towards the west end of the canyon. I love the peaceful rhythm of skis in the skin track. Just another beautiful day in paradise.

The snow was holding on the north aspects as we continued up. We took some laps and were surprised to find great conditions. Excellent company, gorgeous views, beautiful weather and smooth sunny California powder skiing was enjoyed all around. Sometimes, everything just comes together.

There are no ways to quantify just how good a simple day in the mountains can make you feel. To the contrary, sometimes backcountry skiing is really not too glamorous at all. At times, it can be quite the grind and downright uncomfortable, to say the least.

For every beautiful powder picture there are dozens of: early morning alarm clocks, cold temperatures and biting winds. There is rain when snow was forecast and finding yourself alongside raging rivers that do not readily welcome your crossing…

Nonetheless we keep pushing forward and coming back because we know. We keep driving through the night and climbing through the rain because we remember. Like a junkie chasing that dragon; we remember the times it all just worked. We remember the sublime beauty in that slash our skis made down the untouched snow. We remember that weightless moment dropping from the cornice wondering before our feet make contact with the soft smooth snow. We can never forget the joy in our friends yells as we catch glimpses of them weaving and jumping through the terrain beside me.

You can’t really put a value on the intangible joy a simple successful day, or even a single moment can bring; when everything is just as it should be.