Waiting For The Treeline

The snow was starting to pick up. Wind, too.

Isobel and I'd split off from the others to tone down the pace and work on a few things (she's new to snowboarding). Last season, I'd tentatively agreed to help her. She'd gone a couple times as a kid, but it'd been many years since she'd tried snowboarding again. In less than a day, she'd progressed from standing up to linking turns faster than any student I think I'd ever had. So, this season, it's been more about getting comfortable with different types of terrain so she can see what this snowboarding thing's really all about.

That's how we found ourselves lapping the upper mountain today while the temps continued to drop. I like teaching, but it's been a while since I've done it professionally. Between demonstrating a couple things and then letting her figure out how to copy them, I was kind of shocked with how quickly all my old tips and tricks came flooding back into my brain. Once she was carving confidently and playing with different turn sizes and shapes, I let her lead so I could watch and follow, acting as a sort of body-guard to protect against anyone who might get too close or try to speed past.

When there's no one coming, though, I also take the chance to play a bit.

Since the falling snow was stacking up, it naturally kept her from going too fast. With a quick look to make sure she was still working on turn shape up ahead, I tipped my board fully onto its edge and ripped a toe-side turn up the wall of the trail like a surfer on a wave. Slashing the top, I kicked up a spray of powder and weaved back down and across the slope.

Up ahead, I'd seen a roller with a rut set into the right side where people had clearly taken to jumping off of it. I scanned back uphill, over my shoulder, finding no one. In front of me, Isobel was cruising without issue. So, feeling good, I'd swerved over toward the side of the roller at the last second and set my heel-side edge. With a swell of nostalgic excitement, I felt my shoulders start to wind up out of muscle-memory. Everything slowed down and I popped off of the nose of my board, spinning through the familiar angle and waiting until I saw the treeline before closing my shoulder and then setting my toe-side edge as I landed.

I rode away smiling, but still processing.

Sure, putting on my old "instructor hat" had been for Isobel, but pulling out the miller flip 540 had been for me. And I love that snowboarding can be both.

---

Our Daily MAP Year Prompt
160/365

When's the last time you did something and found yourself thinking "HA, look who's still got it"?

If you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along. And if something stuck with you while reading, I'd love to know what it was.

onward.

For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here.