« Poor Tax Part II: Health Care | Main | The Meatrix »
November 06, 2003
Snowboarding as salvation...
As I've mentioned before, living in Mammoth is a strange thing. The anticipation of this very day by so many residents is definitely one of those things that makes this town strange. Today was opening day on the Mountain. The first day we could get back on a lift and ride down without breaking a sweat. Mind you, only 1 chair was open and 2 runs (one on either side), but that didn't stop the whole town from showing up. Summer's are great here, but as far as money goes, its the dry time. By this time of year, most of the worker residents are dirt poor, with barely enough money to pay rent. Its times like these that try a man's soul. The anticipation of riding again is more than just a playful wish for the return of a fun activity. It is anticipation of a time when all ones problems will fade away under a blanket of fresh powder. It is THE solution to all one's particular, immediate problems. Once you're on that hill flying down, nothing else matters. For many, from now until June when there's no more snow to be ridden, nothing else matters. In this sense, those who had a rough summer, or at least are in a rough spot for one reason or another see today as the second coming. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. Can't pay you're bills? No problem, you can still ride. Not sure what you're going to do with the rest of your life? For the next 6-8 months, the issue will not surface in your mind.I took my first hesitant turns of the season today. It only took a short amount of time before I was rocketing down the hill carving big Ss in the snow. While I am not as zealous about boarding as many of the locals, I have to admit there is a little of that feeling for me as well. I remember all the fun I had last year and how nothing mattered while I was out slaying the mountain. I have many goals in my life, and it will be a struggle to keep them above water (or snow as it were) when there is that much fun to be had so readily.
Posted by wonko at November 6, 2003 11:15 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.wayfargone.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/159
Comments
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)