A friendly gesture rarely has consequences that surface later, and eventually leave you with a hill to climb, or in this case, a hill to fall down.
Waking a little later than he hoped, he hustled down to the tram for the long ride up to the top and the back bowl skiing he had come to assault. Missing breakfast was of little help but he figured he would make one long run, usually taking 45 minutes or so, and then hunker down at the lodge and chow down.
The tram was always a rush. Looking out beyond the resort at Steamboat Springs to the mountains in each direction left him feeling small, but vital. So when the tram halted, his gaze pulled in and studied the faces within. No panic of course, these were all seasoned skiers who understood the risks and the random technological breakdowns that slowed progress and dampened the anticipation.
One rider, this wild eyed cat from San Francisco, struck up a conversation with him, and they shared stories, and more. The dude was telemark skiing, judging by the thin skis and small boots. An older, and more demanding form of skiing the backcountry, but one that most the local hippies he was familiar with gravitated toward exclusively.
By sharing more, he is referring to the large fresh brownies the dude pulled from his backpack, and offered him one. This was a no brainer, literally, as he was starved. Little did he know or suspect of the “organic” ingredients and the greater effect on his mind, as opposed to just his hunger.
Leaving the tram station he first noticed his unquenchable desire to laugh, and he did so for a long while as he walked teary eyed to the slope. Was there a left and a right ski? Why were his goggles so foggy? Which way was down? And then after wrestling with his skis for too long he fell flat on his face, spread eagle, and skis stuck deep in the snow.
Laughing again which was his only way of making sense of his condition and situation, he began the long and precarious descent, weaving, falling many times, and often just sitting in the deep snow, laughing.
Oh, he made it down eventually. Just wish he had those brownies again though. Yeow!
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