Discovering the Zen of Skiing

Eden Utah January 30, 2011

Once again the annual Guy's Trip to Utah has come and gone. Travel this year, unlike last year's cluster-F, travel to Salt Lake City was uneventful and the group assembled from Seattle, Scottsdale, Burlington Vt., Portland OR, Missoula MT and Philly.

The four days of skiing were terrific with the first two in great snow and brilliant sunshine. Day four was spent in a steady snowfall (see pic) with powder conditions that got better as the day went on. Jon and Ethan put together a terrific video which can be seen on you tube..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XrDG6dXt1s .

An often repeated cliche is "The journey is the destination". The obvious meaning here is to take the time to enjoy yourself along the way and not be so destination or goal oriented. For most of my years skiing (so many years that the boys say I knew the guy who invented the sport), I have always focused on improving my style and or getting down the hill as fast as I can. For the past few years as my skills and stamina have diminished and the skills and speed of the boys have improved, I have found myself having a difficult time keeping up and dealing with the challenging terrain they love to ski. This trip has set me off in a different direction and has reinvigorated my interest and enjoyment in the sport and I now look forward to putting on the boards for as long as I am physically able.

This time around, with few exceptions, I let the expert group head off on their own and got into my solo skiing mode. I was immediately freed from the pressure of keeping up and facing down some slopes that want to make you throw up. Instead, much like my solo hiking, I now had the opportunity to often stop and take in the magnificent mountain vistas and enjoy the quiet solitude. Powder Mountain is a huge ski area covering almost 13 square miles. But because it lacks the hi-tech new lift systems and fancy apre-ski amenities at the better known resorts like Deer Valley and Snowbird, PM gets hardly any skiers.

After these four days, I have come to the conclusion that for me skiing is a social activity after the boards come off, not while they are on. Let me put on my helmet, turn on my music and head down the hill at my own pace without any distractions. I want to be put into a "white trance", I want to be as one with my surroundings and I want the time to think about all the good things in my life and how lucky I am to be where I am at that exact moment. I do not need anything to disturb the great high I am getting by feeling my skis gliding over the fresh snow.

Skiing by myself also affords me the opportunity to meet some very interesting people as I make my way back up the hill on the chairlifts. It's not that I do not find my family boring or that we ever run out of things to talk about, but it is remarkable how perfect strangers will strike up a conversation with you on a chair lift. Something about being outdoors, surrounded by beautiful mountains with very little to worry about except staying upright

My chair mates were varied to say the least and here are some who come to mind as I write this blog a few days after returning to Sunny and VERY COLD Scottsdale:

1. A seventy five year old guy from Atlanta who stays at powder mountain for three months and skis his brains out all for $150. His wife usually joins him on the slopes, but she broke her arm roller-skating a month ago. He is my new hero for staying fit and never letting age get in the way!

2. A couple of really attractive Japanese women who spoke perfect English and sold some tech parts that I would surely buy from them if I had the need.

3. A couple from Washington DC who grew up in Huntington Valley, not far from Abington where Paula is from. Turns out her dad was the St. Joseph's Hawk Mascot in the Sixties when I was at Temple. In fact she knew several of the guys I played basketball with in Philly.

4. A really interesting guy from Peahi, Maui who moved there in the seventies as a surfer bum, eventually started a clothing company, and now distributes his brand all over the world.

5. A semi-retired Surgeon from Dallas who spends his winters as a ski-guide and writing.

6. A college football referee who does PAC 10 games and who has done several Duck games. Got lots of interesting and insightful information from this guy. In fact, I asked him to ski a run with me so we could continue our fascinating conversation on the lift back up the hill.

All and all this was a very fun trip and I look forward to doing it again same place same time next year. The boards are now back in the garage along with my comfy, old, orange, rear-entry boots.

Skiing is not for everyone especially those who are eligible for an AARP card, or worse yet. Medicare. But for those of us who can put our ego's aside and enjoy the special moments it gives us, there is no purer individual sport that I know of.