Slice of Life Break

I wake up groggy eyed and hop in the shower. When I get out I turn on our boot heater to high and put some cereal in a bowl. I sit down to eat breakfast. It's overlooking Winter Park. It is sunny and looks like a beautiful day. By the time I finish breakfast, check the snow report, check the edges on my skies and load up the car, the rest of my family is up and moving.

It is 10 o'clock by the time we are at the hill. I sit on the bed of my dad's new Toyota Tacoma and start to strap on my boots, coat, helmet and adjust my goggles. I then Start to hike up the short hill to the trail. I pop on my skies leaning forward in my boots to test the flexibility. I then push off skating and pushing with my poles building speed. I'm slowly get faster and faster. I then tuck my hands over the small of my back holding my poles. I bend forward at the waist leaving my knees straight. The wind is blowing against my face.  I push onward. I see a flat stretch ahead and deicide I have enough speed and come out of my tuck and start skating again. I make it to the other side and hop in line to catch the lift up. I get on the lift and stare down checking the conditions and scouting out the mountain. I see people skiing underneath me. I know it's gonna be a good day.

I hop off the lift and get blast by a fierce bitter wind immediately. I start to ski for the cover of the trees. I get in the trees and the wind immediately stopped. There is an undisturbed silence all around me. I then turn down hill and go. Right pole, left pole. It just comes to me. My hips turn back and forth like a pendulum. My chest is always facing down hill. I am leaning over my skies. I am looking two turns ahead of me my skies go where I guide them.  It's like walking. I never forget and it comes naturally. The trees blur by my. My skies cut through the powder like butter. It feels like I am floating. Just gliding.  I skid to a stop at the bottom. I just came off a big jump. I go down the cat track and go to the lift hoping on it for another eight minute ride of a four minute long run. My the time I come off I have another thirteen runs of experience under my belt.

I wake up the next morning and have a strange sense that I am going to have a little bit of Deja Vu.