It's On

Summit County, CO, Grand Targhee, WY and soon to be Big Sky come turkey day. I've been up Bridger Bowl thrice, now. Each time with better results. The snow is here and this will be a winter to remember. Don't do anything foolish that would cause you to miss out. No injuries are allowed until spring. By then you'll be strong and won't get injured. Start hiking if you haven't already. You're behind the curve if you haven't skidded on something by now this season.

Here's Johnny

Johnny Come Lately, my alter ego for the day, finally got out of the recording studio to make a quick boot hike under the new lift at Bridger Bowl. The snow was spring-like refreeze and not completely making it to the lodge by now, many day after the last blast of snow that covered the Bowl. The new lift will complete the transformation of Bridger from a local hill with lots of quick steep, highly aesthetic shots to a ski mountain with long sweeping runs that gently roll to the bottom of the lifts. Every run returns you to the bottom of a lift. There are now only four lifts for experienced skiers, Alpine, Pierre's Knob, Schlausshman's (sp?) and the new Bridger lift. Though, there is unloading at midway there is no more loading at midway Bridger for a quick return to the Ridge without waiting in line with intermediates at the bottom who are accessing the old Deer Park runs. They all look nice without the lift towers although the new Bridger lift does leave from the bottom of Boot Hill. Still, that sweet line by the trees of deer Park is now without towers. I expect good things to come from the changes provided the the uphill capacity can truly be increased.

Ancient Mystery Solved

Finally, an ancient mystery has been solved by yours truly. The glass with liquid to the mid point is half empty if you drank the first half and it's half full if someone else drank the first half.

The World View

As best as I can figure, there are a lot of takes on the meaning of life.
To paraphrase the great philosophies… (Are any of them wrong?)

The Psychologist says, “The meaning of life is to avoid death.”
The Neuroscientist says, ”The meaning of life is to maximize reward.”
The Sociologist says “The meaning of life is to fit in.”
The Biologist says “The meaning of life is to reproduce.”
The Platonians say “The meaning of life is to improve the mind.”
Aristotelites say “The meaning of life is to be virtuous.”
The Cynics say ”The meaning of life is to live in harmony with nature.”
The Cyrenists say “The meaning of life is to receive immediate gratification.”
The Epicurusts say “The meaning of life is found in leading a moderate one.”
The Stoics say “The meaning of life is whatever it is and you should like it.”
The Liberalists say “The meaning of life is to live it freely.”
The Kantists say “The meaning of life is to do one’s duty.”
The Utilitarianists say “The meaning of life is to make the most number of people smile.”
The Nihlists say “The meaning of life is what you see is what you get.”
The Pragmatists say “The meaning of life is to live it.”
The Existentialists say “The meaning of life is what you make of it.”
The Absurdusts say” The meaning of life doesn’t exist.”
The Secular Humanists say “The meaning of my life is different than the meaning of yours.”
The Local Positivists say “The meaning of life is a bogus question.”
The Postmodernists say “The meaning of life is to keep evolution going.”
The Social Darwinists say “The meaning of life is to do what comes naturally.”
The Natural Pantheists say “The meaning of life is to care for the Earth.”
The Zoroasterites say “The meaning of life is to behave well.”
The Jews say “The meaning of life is to serve God.”
The Christians say “The meaning of life is to follow the teachings of Jesus.’
The Mormons say “The meaning of life is to be more like God.”
The Muslims say “The meaning of life is to serve God like a party host.”
Those of the Bahai faith say “The meaning of life is to grow spiritually.”
The Hindus say “The meaning of life is to be born well or try it again.”
The Jainists say “The meaning of life is to transcend the material.”
The Buddhists say “The meaning of life is to finish your chores so you can be free from pain.”
The Sikhs say “The meaning of life is to explore God all around us.”
The Shintos say The meaning of life is to live it.”
The Toaists say “The meaning of life is within each of us.”
The Confuciusites say “The meaning of life is in the good and bad of daily living.”

Don't Think Too Hard About It.

Homework? Okay, so maybe any new interview segment is a little like homework. Nobody really has the answer to the meaning of life. (Check out the Wikipedia page on it - fascinating.) I want first impressions or quick answers. Check out mine to see flippant responses. Basically it's Who, What, When Where, Why, How.
Who are you? What is your perspective? How do you think of yourself?
What is your hobby? What's spare time for?
Where do you do your hobby? How far away do you travel to participate?
When do you find the time to participate in your hobby?
Why do you do that hobby? What is your goal in doing it?
How do you manage to find spare time for your hobby?
Don't sweat the questions. I'm not expecting a disertation.
So this is once again an open call for your thoughts here. I look forward to spotting trends, distinctions and commonalities. Thanks in advance for your participation.

Because You Didn't Ask for It.

As knowledgable and interesting as I am, I find it difficult to overcome my natural timidity to think that what I have to say is worth your time to read it. Therefore I am going to introduce a new segment to this blog. I will continue to try to stay away from politics in this blog, saving that for another space. However, since I define politics as how you get along with others, some political views might sneak into this segment in which I invite truly interesting people to comment on life here by each answering the same six questions. In the interest of fairness and to achieve a baseline, I will give my answers here now, hopefully to be followed by the genius of y'all as resposes come in. Don't feel the need to wait for an invitation. I'll post all the interesting ones I get.

Question #1) Who are you? (How do you define yourself?)
My Answer #1) I'm an Earthling. Where are you from?

Question #2) What is the meaning of life? (Why are you here?)
My Answer #2) To experience the wonders of life one adventure after another.

Question #3) What do you do to amuse yourself? (What drives you to get up?)
My Answer #3) I try to capture another rare experience of life. ex: Skiing

Question #4) How do you find the time to do it? (When do you do this?)
My Answer #4) It's incorporated into my daily life. I prioritize it.

Question #5) Where do you do this? (How far away from there do you sleep?)
My Answer #5) Since it's rare that quality snow falls on interesting terrain, it is necessary to live close to or in the mountains if you hope to partake in the great skiing of this life. I can always head toward the equator for warm weather activities.

Question #6) How do you do it? (How do you afford it?)
My Answer #6) I sacrifice all else for the opportunity to have the rare experience.

Essay Question: - open format - Tell us a joke or make a comment on whatever is on your mind. (What do you think?)
My Essay Answer) The three greatest experiences on the planet are, in order, skiing, biking, massage. The greatest thing on the planet other than mother nature is people. The greatest possession is friends.

Thanks for your input!

It Won't Get Done if you don't Do It!

Just go to www.UltraPrevention.Com

No Justice Under this System

The camera can't do justice to the views under this weather system. Yesterday's morning dusting of the peaks with snow is more significant than the camera can capture. The crystalline blue of the big sky is as cloudless today as pure cobalt. Yesterday's MTB XC ride to Mystic Lake was as relaxed as my pace so today I'll be amping it up with a day of MX. Flathead Pass was pretty mellow the other day. My riding partner, Duke Brown, might just enjoy that. You can get as much of a ride out of it as you care to. That's just it. Finding an activity that many participants can all do at the same time, each at their own pace, is hard to find. I guess that's why dining became so popular.

Have Not

I have many reasons to be thankful for my blessings, but of all the things I have, I mostly have things to learn.

I don't know about the Pope

But, Trestle Mountain Bike Park has some shit in the woods. I can't wait to get back to Trestle to learn the runs. I may have to put in a Whislter trip first, but I'll be back to Trestle. I promise.

Drop In

So Keystone has what it takes if you do. XC Master Larry Grossman shredded his hardtail 29er up the hill to meet Duke Brown and me for second run. We escaped without injury to try Trestle tomorrow. More updates to follow.

Pennsyltucky

It may be the Keystone State but PA has nothing on Colorado. With a Gravity Logic installment, Keystone serves up downhill with a flair for the family. Accommodating riders of every description, Keystone discriminates not against two wheels. Everyone with a bike can find a run they like on the mountain. Don't forget to pack the jewels, you're going to need them for the double blacks.

Summer Vacation

If you go somewhere, say the beach, and it is an hour away, then you should hope to spend at minimum two hours at the beach to make the trip worth the while. Most often the limiting resource is time when it comes to vacations. Great fun can be had for short money in the right places. So if you have a lot of time on your hands, get as far away as you can because it is unlikely you'll pass that way again for many moons.
When deciding on a location, consider your limitations and work from there. If you shrink when wet, don't go scuba diving. Time off could also be time to take up a new hobby or explore your neighborhood like a tourist. Happy trails you lucky kids with the summer off!

Miles

It's not the miles, it's the smiles. Although it's not exactly true, I am going to consider for a while that smiling is living and frowning is dying. If I keep that in mind I ought to end up smiling more. Could that be a bad thing? Mind you, what we might consider negative experiences also influence our lives, sometimes more powerfully than some positive events so the so-called negative ones aren't to be dismissed as not part of life. I just try to focus on the positive. I try not to waste my time on hate and violence. There is so much else to put energy toward. For all the mistakes you might make in the course of a life, smiling isn't often one of them. Light it up and spread a little cheer. If nothing else, it's polite. And as my buddy Duke reminds me, wave, because you never know until it's too late if they have a gun. Smile and wave, a choice for life, approximately.

Honor thy Mother

Mom always said, "If you can't say anything nice..." So if I miss a day on this blog it's either because I'm out adventuring or am looking for a good spin to put on life, approximately.

The Nature of Cool

Somewhere in radioland I heard a discussion of the definition of 'cool'. I think they all missed the boat with their answers. To me, Cool is the opposite of Spazz. The way it came to me is in the reaction one has to the pinball heading for the flippers. Either you are cool and wait for the right moment to flip the correct flipper or you flail like a spazz flipping both flippers together wildly missing. The concept scales up to life, approximately.

Lemonade

Since it's been snowing like crazy, I decided to go skiing. Note to self; get up earlier. It gets warm by noon but the skiing was better than I expected. It was a beautiful day of off and on snow on the mountain and green valleys below. Go for a walk but take a bike or some skis.

Value

I don't believe that money is something to gamble with. It is too necessary and should be more of a sure thing. To risk my life to ski an aesthetic line is another story. That line will only be unspoiled for so long and if you have the opportunity to ski it first you shouldn't knock it. It's a rare occurrence that all the factors align for you to bet there first on the right day. Rarity has value to me. Transient things like performances are live and only in the moment. You were either there to partake or you weren't.
When it comes to more durable assets, there are few things that I'll ever have exclusive use of that are competition quality. I'll doubtfully have a race car or a race-ready motorcycle. A dog, running shoes are possible and perhaps a tennis raquet could be had. Even a bicycle I would race could be bought. Skis, ah, skis are the one item that you can get that are of the same quality that racers get. Some skis, that is. Check your brand. See if your skis are rare. Take a piece of life when you can. Buy yourself the one luxury you can max out on. Get a video game console for the race cars.

Animal Update

The Bighorns have been down by the road for about week now. Two black bears, a mom & cub, crossed the road in front of me. The elk are herding in the low grasslands and the whitetails are grazing daily in the yard. The Rangers are hazing the bison back into the park. Spring has sprung.

What You Get Used To

Buy the best. You'll only buy it once. If you aren't satisfied with it, there is nothing that would satisfy you. Life is what you get used to. What do you want to get used to? Why not surround yourself with excellence? It rubs off.
For example, one day you labor over the purchase of an item and you enjoy your purchase until one day when you have a doubt. How do you know you'd have liked the other one better? You got used to using the one you bought. There is no way to have gotten them both and used them both equally to finally decide which one the the good one. Some things you can do that with. Underwear comes to mind. But by the time I decide I have some I like, there is no way to find it in the marketplace any more. Skis are the same way. They are transient things that will come and go in your life. Be sure not to fall in love with inanimate objects. They, too, come and go.
If you have to make a choice, choose the goods, it bring everyone up with you. Vote for the goods. Enjoy.

Six Foot Italian

If you're a six foot Italian, you probably want a fifty inch pole. Ski pole height is a preference, but the rule-of-thumb is that in your skis, on the snow with the tip in the snow, your forearm ought to be level with your elbow at your side. To fake it in the store, invert the pole and grab it under the basket with your elbow by your side. Your arm should be parallel to the floor.
Once you know your length, you need to decide on shaft composition. What is it made of, aluminum, carbon fiber or composite? It's a weight/strength thing. Also, the shape may be different. Fat, thin, tapered and corrective angle are all choices. For regular ski days I like thin, carbon fiber poles that are easy to sit on on the chairlift and don't suck the heat out of my leg, not to mention that they are light. For powder days or backcountry, I like adjustables, short for ascending, long for skating and uneven for traversing. Powder baskets are a must.
Grip choice is usually the one that comes with the shaft you like. Corrective angle grips are great as are styles that allow the strap to detach.
If they look good, too, buy them and put your name on them!

And over

With new snow in the mountains Saturday I took a day off but went back up Sunday. With the delusion that the boot track would still be there I took the same route, solo. Plod, Trudge, Seek, Rest became the ascent cycle for another three hours. Fortunately, the skiing was at least twice as good as Friday. So it went from one grade above 'Survival' to "Palatable". Don't be rushing out of your warm place to hit the slopes here. If you long for winter, seek out your local ice skating rink and take a spin during the public hours.

Comedy of Terrors

Today's adventure was an arduous hike and some lousy turns down the front of the local closed-for-the-season ski hill. My partner was Vermonster Iain Massucci. He's a young, strong telemarker who busted at least as much trail as I did. Three feet of sugar at the top tapering to three inches at the bottom. All we needed was one inch since it was so dense that you didn't sink more than an inch or you had a problem. The turns were poor but the hike was hard in a good way. The lesson of the day, however, is to budget for a pair of skins. The one hundred or so other slope tool users almost exclusively skinned past us often lapping us as we trudged upward. My thinking had always been that skins are useless in a chute but they do make the approach faster than any other method. Get some skin!

Per Cent Age

I want to take only a moment to explain why life seems to go faster as you get older. It was once pointed out to me that it's like a roll of toilet paper, seemingly going faster at the end. It's a percentage thing. For example, when you are two and your mom tells you to wait until next year, well that's half a lifetime. At fifty, next year is a couple of adventures away. As a kid every day is full of hundreds of adventures. Waiting one fiftieth of a life is nothing compared with half a lifetime. To be younger means to be able to put aside adult necessities and have more adventures. No wonder it's so hard to get young again. Life burdens us with so many responsibilites. I'm convinced that stress makes you older. We stress most over things we care most about, family, friends & finances. Eliminate those cares fro your life and you will stay a lot younger. Somehow it doesn't sound like a fair trade. Carefree is a two way street. It really doesn't matter if you die. It's if you lived that counts.

Up in the Air

The off season is a good time to get on the motorcycle and work the upper body. Get it off the ground if you can. Soon enough the backcountry will be clear enough to get the downhill bike up in the air and you'l lwant to be in good shape. Mud season=MotoX season.

The Weakest Link

If you are packing for a trip and you can't decide whether or not to pack a raincoat, look to see if your partner has one. If he doesn't and it rains, you screwed up packing one because you are going back because he doesn't have a raincoat.
If you are riding alone in the backcountry, the idea of the weakest link is more literal. Keep your chain lubed and carry some tools and water. Jah might protect the innocent and the ignorant, but don't press your luck. It's funny how your enthusiasm can change once you've got your second wind. You might have set out from the house meaning to take a mellow ride and some kids pass you going up some hill and the next thing you know you're in the next county. Pack enough to get you home. Have Fun!/

By a Nose

The single thing I can do to improve my life is to work on my breathing. In through the nose filling the lungs from the bottom to the top and out through the mouth releasing the air from the top of the lungs first. Learn to do that at all times without thinking about it and life will improve.

A Little Dab Will Do Ya

Try to ride clean. That is, without putting your foot down even for a moment or a 'dab'. A step is worth two demerits. Riding clean takes complete concentration. It requires thinking ahead. Once you have two feet planted on the ground again can you lower your guard. Mental strength is the component that is hardest to train for. Those of you who train in a gym have more than I can often muster. Tunes help, but there is little replacement for scenery. Ride clean!

Get Your Mind Right

It flashed to me that all the conflict in the history is between right-brained and left-brained people in the world. I think everyone should realize which they are and learn to be aware of it. It makes me question my whole childhood. Should I have been taught to bat lefty? If I had developed both sides better, wouldn't it have made me twice as valuable? If my left side worked as well as my right, wouldn't I be twice the person? I can sweep a broom either way, shovel to either side, I'm okay with a hockey stick in either hand, and I'm learning to drum equally with either side. Why start something with bad habits or limitations?
On that note, I have to hand it to switch riders. Duck foot stance and ability to ride switch has distinct advantages. That is a reversal from my previous position that anything that I don't do sucks. Kidding aside, I know a smart thing wherever I see it and I should learn to be more flexible in my mind. I can skid across the kitchen floor in my stocking feet with either foot forward. I feel like I could slalom water ski equally well with either foot forward. Still with all the goofy-footed skateboarding I've done all my life it still feels weird going backwards/regular. I've surfed and feel okay either way but I do have a bias.
So why do I feel so much better with my left foot forward on the bicycle? I want to go off every jump left foot forward or there could be an issue. I coast lefty forward. I bunny hop lefty forward.
Brain scientists tell us that if we practice our weak side, the other side improves even without practice. So practice your 360s to both sides and take off with both feet. Get in touch with the right side of your brain.

Sitting Still

I rented an old Dennis Miller DVD from Netflix and I thought it curious that Dennis said that life is moving. So in an effort to keep from dying or at least just living I took a spin toward Leverich Canyon on my Santa Cruz Mountain Bike with the studded snow tires mounted. I got past the Suburu that was high-centered but mostly it was a shake-out tide to check the bike but mostly me. I broke a good sweat, the goal, then treated myself to a motorcycle ride. Also a good shake-out trip. Note to self: replace rear turn signal.

Up, Up & Away

I got one of those phone calls that only people who live spontaneously get. I had five minutes to get myself and a camera together before the sun set too low. Thanks to Shannon at Apex Helicopter Flights!

Footwear

In addition to the pictured gear, My boot allow me to step into my ascending Vert Snowshoes, crampons, teleboards, straight alpine skis w/a Marker Griffon or Jester binding or just Noboard, Snoskate or Snurf. Pictured are my Volkl Selecta Snowboard w/Catek bindings, my Rossignol Phantom SC87 skis w/Marker Duke Alpine Touring Bindings, my Stockli StormRider XLs with Rottafella plates to accept the NTN binding currently mounted on my Stockli Scot Schmidt Pro Model StormRiders. All based around my Garmont Prophet NTN Boots. photo by Pam Bussi

Friar Jaque

I chalk it up to low levels of stress. Others chalk up the fact that I look younger than my chronological age to the fact that I get more sleep than other people my age. I get nearly as much as I want. Don't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep, in a quiet, dark place. I prefer to do most of my rehydration before bedtime and bathe my cells while my battery recharges.

Last Day

Today was the last day of our lift-served season. Lackluster would best describe it. Nonetheless, you have to make the best of every day and every season. Tune up the bike but don't put away the skis yet. Snowbird will be open into May.

Tryouts

Spring training may be over for Baseball but biking season is upon us. While you still can't get up the singletrack in the mountains you can still get down the slopes, on skis. Some of the best training for biking is skiing. I had the pleasure today of testing the 2011 Volkl AC50. It behaves much like the 2010 AC50. It truly is an all-condition ski. I had it in all conditions and it performed admirably everywhere. So many skis are great this season. For the cost of skis these days, it makes a lot of sense to try as many as possible before taking the financial plunge. You certainly don't want to have any reservations about equipment you trust your fun and life to. Get something you are so happy with that you will never question the decision to buy them. Have unimpeded fun!

Loyalty

Loyalty seems so under-appreciated these days. A loyal customer in these tough economic times is a beautiful thing. They deserve extra special treatment. If someone goes out of their way to return for your service, you should extend your generosity and the cycle will grow. Everyone wins. Start off being nice. You can always get mean later.

Free as the Wind Blows

Born free. To live free requires that you live honestly. Since you sign every act with the quality of your touch, you more than admit your words and actions, you proclaim them. To live with no regrets may not be possible but it is closer if you live honestly. The truth will set you free. Do and say only things you will not regret, truth. Most people regret things they have done or said. Lies must be kept up and hurtful actions cannot easily be undone. The harder regrets are of those things not done or said. Love and live honestly and you will have no regrets.

Double Up on the Hydrogen

Like the clouds rain water onto the land that drains into rivers that flow to the sea and cycles back into clouds again, you should drink clean water and sweat it out. Like water in a stagnant pond, if you don't exchange your water (~77% or your body) you too will be a stagnant pool. If you had to wait for every cell to rid itself of its waste through the urinary system, you would clog up first. Let the water take a short cut and sweat it out. Avoid drinking water with heavy metals or a pH that is far from 7 or delivered in plastic containers. Drink way more than you do now and you will begin to feel way better. Salud!

Good to the Last Drop

These are the days you trained all year for. You skied on days that were less than great just for the practice if nothing more. Now you are strong enough to ski all day making lots of high speed turns through deep snow on steep slopes with limited visibility, snow in your face and barely able to get a breath for laughing so hard. The snow is here. Check the reports. Drop in!

Stand Up

Okay. I admit it. I was wrong about it snowing many feet of snow this week. We'll have to settle for a couple. As penalty, I will never try to predict the weather again. We'll all be glad of that.

Time is Sunny

April is a month of snow and sunshine. Timing is everything. Make sure you take advantage of new snow by getting after it before it turns to cement by noon. As I earn my fiftieth year I seem to wax philosophical about time. How many good winters do you get? How many are good snow years and how many of those do you get to take advantage of? Even if you are around, are you off duty? How many deep days will you get in a lifetime? How many x-factor Grateful Dead shows did you catch before Jerry passed? Were you there when it went down or did you just read about it in the paper? Get outside. Yes, stop reading this and get outside! It won't get done if you don't do it!

Silence of the Trams

Everybody is closing just as it is starting. I just did my taxes and have secured my financing for the early Whistler Bike Park trip. Take a hint. Grab some morning powder and start getting in shape for bike season!

A Light Year

It's really been a light year locally in terms of snowfall. I'll be lucky to break 80 days for the season. Under one hundred is unusual. I figure I've gotten in about 1,800 days in my lifetime. That's about ten percent. It turns out that you haven't lived half a million years until you've passed your 57th birthday. That's a very finite number. You'd be lucky to live a million hours. Value every one.

More Fun

Everybody wants to have fun. I want to have extra fun. More fun can be achieved with preparation. When opportunity knocks, you won't have to knock it. Take today, for example. It was a powder day, a bluebird powder day. My skis were waxed. My laundry was clean, the vehicle was sufficiently fueled. I ate right, not only in the morning but all throughout the day before to assure maximum performance for the expected day's skiing. I got lots of sleep.
About sleep; I have noticed that like that last song you heard on the radio before getting out of the car, the last tv show I watch before bed influences my sleep. If I watch kung fu or James Bond then I thrash all night fighting my nightmares. I have also noticed that when I fall asleep watching comedy or a show with a laugh track that my night's sleep is restful and i wake up in a better mood.
We are victims to our lifestyles. My machines train me. My phone taught me to do a new trick called 'making sure the phone is in the charger correctly every night'. My skis have taught me to wax them. My body... Chores suck but life sure is easier when you get them done when they are supposed to be done. That reminds me, gotta switch the laundry.

Powder to the People

I have to force myself each year to remember why the ski areas close with more snow than they had at any time during their open season. It has some things to do with migrating game and migrating employees and sports enthusiasts who venture off to their high-water sport locales. It also has to do with the fact that no matter what phrase they use to describe the lightness of the snow where you live, it all turns to cement by 1pm on a 50 degree April day. Your best hope is for a good corn season if it snows hard in Early April and gets warm by tax day for May Day corn. This weekend is the last blast at many areas or a bookend to the last week of skiing. It has been a tough season for me to be able to get out skiing. Today represented day 72 for me this season, well down from the usual 100 days or more I would normally have by now. Get out there and enjoy the last blast of winter whether you want it to end or not.

Life is Camping

Life is camping. How long are you really going to be here anyway? Practice a trend toward low or no impact living.

Why don't they make windmill blades out of solar cells?

How much does Won Ton Soup weigh?

Never break more than one law at a time.

I'm from Earth. Where are you from?

The Past, Present and Future

When you sit in one place on Earth, everything you see on Earth has happened in the past. The farther away the sighted object, the more in the past is your vision of it. When you move across the Earth you begin to live in the present. The things you see ahead of you are much less in the past when skiing or biking toward them. Those things may become part of your future. You have foresight when in motion. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. The same could be said for humans. If I were to bet that you are vitamin D deficient, I could be a rich man. Get outside. It won't get done if you don't do it.
And on the nature of Fun:
I have come to believe that there can be an equation for Fun. Though not yet fully completed, the chief descriptor for Fun is the Slope of the Learning Curve. It seems to me to be reasonable that if you are getting high returns on a small investment in a new endeavor, you will be smiling. In other words, if you take up snowboarding for the first time and find it simple to learn you will be having fun. Lots of great riding without much effort, how could that miss? If you take up tennis and after a few lessons you can play a game without hitting the ball out of the court you will be having fun.
The important thing is moving forward, participating in life because it's the journey, not the goal that means the most. For however great what comes after it is not this life, which makes this life special, not the prize later that lasts forever. This is the heavenly time. Don't waste it. Why do think they call it 'the present'? Let your knows be your guide.

A Smile-a-Day

Don't forget that you live where you live on purpose and that humans are children of the sun. You won't get the best performance out of people by locking them in a windowless cubicle everyday. If a little sunshine on your face brings it a smile, it will probably do the same for the other people who live where you live.

A Perfect Seal

Staying warm starts at home. Other-than-cotton underwear and socks go on first. Then the next-to-skin upper layer followed by the lower layer overlapping the upper layer at the waist providing you with a perfect seal. Kneepads, if you are so inclined and I like to wear a pair of polar fleece shorts for on-the-chair warmth over that. A mid layer for your upper body tucks into the shorts on colder days. Pants and jacket complete the ensemble. Only your foot and single sock go in the boot. The elastic cuff at the bottom of the pants is a powder cuff meant to go over the boot to keep out the powder snow. Hat, goggles, gloves, lift ticket, smile.
*For extra warmth add a balaclava.
**Don't forget your mp3 player.

Have a Seat

The lift is easier to load than most people make of it. Ski up to the 'Stand Here' block imbeded in the snow. Have your poles in hand unstrapped from your wrists. When the chair arrives at your butt, sit down. There is no need to grab the chair with a hand. The llifty is there to hold the chair for your. Just sit down.

Nirvana

A day off is a day to clear up all of those tasks nagging at the back of your mind. Not until they are tidied can you relax enough to reach Nirvana, that blissful state of feeling caught up enough to take some time out for yourself. It might be zoning out in front of the tube or getting an afternoon massage. The more you got accomplished, the more you can relax. You've earned it. Time to ourselves is so precious. I would like to maximize my time, in general. I would like to always perform at a high level. In an effort to achieve these aims, I have studied the components of good performance. After all the factors were weighed, a pattern emerged. High performance, for example, on the race course was a result of at least two days of preparation. Having a good run means you have to be having a good day. And after studying the components of a good day a pattern emerged. A good day is when you are able to fully release each of the five human energies in the same day.
The five human energies are:

• Physical Energy; the energy of the expression of the joy of movement.
• Emotional Energy; the energy of being a social creature, sharing
• Intellectual Energy; the energy of solving puzzles
• Creative Energy; the energy of art and building
• Sexual Energy; the energy of the libido

Partake in the release of the five energies and you will have the best chance of having a good day. Your performance on the race course will improve because not only is the laundry done but your personal health has been attended to so you are free to reach Nirvana.

Demo Gear

In the last three days I have had the fortune of being able to test out the $1,300.00 Denny Hanson designed Apex Ski Boot, 2011 Hart F14 Skis and an Atomic Banger Snowboard from next year's stock, as well. And although after years of experience, someone can walk in off the street and with two or three questions I can select an ideal ski for them. My accuracy improves greatly if I 've seen them ski at all. But, still, sometimes I don't get it right.
I cannot overstate the importance of trying new equipment. As good as your old stuff feels, there are advances in gear technology that can actually improve your skiing instantly just by getting on the new gear. The money they want for ski gear these days should prompt every potential buyer to carefully seek out the gear that is right for them. Time spent trying gear in an A/B comparison way skiing each ski on the same run under the same snow conditions (read - the same day). Pick a day and test out three or four likely candidates for your new gear before you buy. The day lost skiing will enhance every day thereafter in gear you are happy with.

Animal Sightings

I want to be sure not to take for granted the fact that on any given day I might see at reasonably close range (read - ran out in front of my vehicle) elk, moose, deer, bear, coyote, wolf, puma, bison, big horn sheep, bald eagle, and a host of smaller mammals. Today it was deer, yesterday it was elk and moose the day before. Many days lately it's big horn sheep in front of the house I used to rent. How many wild animals do you see on any given day?

Friends

As beautiful as this planet can be the best things on it are your friends.

Be the Wax

During the time I spent in NZ, I met a man whose son designed the hull to one of the hopeful craft to race in the America's Cup. He imparted to me that the key to his son's success was his ability to empathize with or 'be' the hull of the boat in his mind in an effort to understand how the water meets the bow and how the two interact.
Ski wax is not too dissimilar. Understand how the sharpness of ice crystals or snowflakes at different temperatures want to interact with the ski base and wax. Gloppy applications are going to hinder not help a smooth glide. Uneven application will lead to uneven ski response.
Ski wax has a couple of jobs to do. It has to reduce the friction of the ski to the snow with regard to the base. The wax will also protect the base not only from moisture exchange but also some amount of physical damage.
Waxes come in different hardnesses. The harder wax is for harder snow with sharper crystals. Softer wax is more about breaking the surface tension of a rounded snowflake or water molecule. It has always stood to reason with me that if the wax truly permeates into the ski base, then I want the hardest wax at that level. As I layer wax away from the ski core I soften the wax until the desired hardness for the day's skiing has been applied.
This may take three or more coats of wax for one day of skiing. And by the end of the day you'll need to do it again for tomorrow. Try to wax carefully. It is the final step in a ski tune and follow through is not to be underestimated. Pay attention until you have both feet out of the project. Be the base.
The difference between not waxing and waxing for a day of skiing is the difference between having fun and having a lot of fun.

Boot Fit

Boot fit is a process. My personal story is that I went from a 28.5mp boot last year to a 27mp boot this year. When I first put it on I was wondering whether I would ever feel good in the smaller size. After working with the boot for a while I wasn't sure if I couldn't go down another size comfortably.
I had been sloshing around so comfortably in my old boots, I'd forgotten how much more solid I feel in a performance oriented fit. I like to describe it by referring to the 'bell curve' noting that under the bell are the great days when the boot feels perfect and under the end of the curve are the days you've crushed the liners out to ultimately an unbareable size. Under the first part of the bell are the days when the boot feels brutally tight. You have to go through them to get to the good days. If the boot starts off feeling great you have nowhere to go with it. It will pack out and you'll be bumming.
There are reasons you can get into such a smaller size than you think you can at first and not the least of them is that you ought not be buying boots in July north of the equator at sea level. If you do nothing other to the boot than buy it you'd be foolish not to spend the $35 or so for a pair of decent drop-in footbeds or better. In most cases these footbeds will provide greater arch support than the factory versions. The slight lifting and support of the arch shortens the overall length of your foot in the boot hence the second reason for a smaller boot.
Often skiers too soon reject the feel of a boot on their foot purely on the basis of a 'hot-spot' of pressure upon its first wearing. Forget not that most liners of quality ski boots made today have a moldability usually through a heating process to mold the boot not only to your foot on the inside but also to the boot shell on the outside of the liner. Aftermarket liners of higher quality are also available from makers like Zipfit. The custom molding often eliminates hot-spots and uneven pressure spots.
I went with a custom moldable cork footbed from DownUnder and even with my considerable experience, it took a couple of grindings to get them even. The key was being able to discern what isssue was the footbed and which was my turn. It took some experimentation but I finally was able to work out how to grind the footbeds to even out my turns.
Boot fit is a process. The key to it is your ability to communicate to your boot fitter just what is gonig on in the shell. It takes skiing it a couple of days and going back for adjustments. That's another reason to buy the boots near the hill. Don't worry about sounding like a pain to the salesman. He's expecting you to come back and wants you to give him feedback so he can help you get it right. There is no reason your boots shouldn't be warm and comfy with great performance once they are broken in.

Snowboard Bindings

I went snowboarding today and I was reminded that the lead foot needs to be in the binding with a toe closure and the back foot needs to have a heel closure. This makes getting rest on the lift more easy. It makes putting the board on at the top of the slope easier. It has so many benefits for ergonomics and safety. The rear toe won't drag so much and you won't have to sit in the snow if you don't want to. Plate bindings, of course.

Going on Record

I've said it enough as early as Sept. 29th 2009 but this snow year is a lackluster one. Still, March may have come in like al lamb but my prediction is that it will begin to snow heavily on a regular basis starting March 26, 2010 and snow consistantly throughout April.

More Telemark

By the way, the turn I described yesterday is not a legal FIS turn. It is a correct turn. I happen to use the Garmont Prophet Boot in my NTN bindings. Curiously, I also use my Garmont Prophet Boots in my Marker Duke AT Bindings and also in my Catek Snowboard Bindings and in my Verts Ascending Snowshoes and in crampons all with excellent results. This ends a quest I've had for decades known to me as the Unified Boot Theory, one boot for any slope tool.

A Bold Assertion

It's time I went on record with this. I claim that I currently have one of the most unique telemark styles on the planet and that in the future everyone will ski like me. There, I said it and now here's why I think it to be true.
In the earliest days of skiing it was all tele because the only binding you had to hold you onto the ski was a leather thong. If that's the most complex binding you have and you are just a beginner you are going to start off with snowplowing. Once you improve and bindings get better the natural trend would be to do a sort of tele stem-christie turn to move along a little faster.
That is the predominate tele turn now. It hasn't changed much since then. Now with the new NTN boots, bindings and modern skis the new telemark turn is a parallel one. Not alpine parallel but telemark parallel. Skis together, carving on both edges new school style.
The result is that your feet are rarely furhter apart than they are on a bicycle crank. No deep knee bending necessary. The skier remains upright and in the fall line with his skis together carving two perfect turns with the inside heel lifted and the inside toe by the heel of the leading ski.

Rest

Rest is an important element to life. Humans asre rechargeable batteries and sleep and rest are when you recharge. Get a balance of activity and rest. Both are important.

Global Warming

Make no mistake about it. Everything humans do from breathing to trampling paths into highways and making fires in every place including under their range hoods and under their car hoods heats up the planet. The more people there are with 98.6 degree water taken out of the water system, warm the planet, take water out of the cycle and use it to heat the place up. People are warming the planet by our mere existence. So what are you going to do about it? Adapt! Educate. Don't legislate.

Wild Conspiracy Theory

I can't help but pass on the wild notion that pacifists are globally feminizing males by introducing estrogen mimicking drugs into the water tables. It's too absurd to take seriously, or is it?

Buckle Up

Today's tip is to loosely buckle your ski boots immediately after you take them off. It's the least painful time to do it and your feet will appreciate that the boots kept their shape all the while they aren't skiing. I suppose it works for shoes as well.

Howdy, folks!

This blog is my place to record those little notions I'd like to pass on to everyone so that they can learn from my mistakes without having to go through some of them for themselves. My hope is that someone gets some value from it, someday.

My first tip is that life is good and that it's even better when you are healthy enough to enjoy it. I have repeatedly noticed that injury makes you older. In the time it takes to heal an injury, the rest of you goes stale. Recovery to pre-injury levels of performance takes even more of you precious life's time.
I have also noticed that injuries tend to happen at moments of small lapses of attention.

Therefore, my first tip for you is that when you are participating in life, pay attention until you once again have two feet on the ground. The faster you go, the more attention you need to be paying. You can rest your attention once you have stepped out of both bindings or pedals and have both feet firmly on the ground.
Don't be looking behind you for things that don't matter. Fifty miles per hour on skis or a bike requires complete attention to what's ahead.

Which reminds me that I usually find it to be good advice to look as far ahead as possible. That't good advice for driving, skiing and life. (Does that mean that now that I've stopped growing I should be building my own casket?)

Let's keep this first one short and sweet and I'll return both my feet to the ground.