As I was cruising the slopes this afternoon with my camera, trying to capture that one shot that epitomizes today’s conditions, I snapped this photo.
This is Dan.
Splayed out there smack dab in the middle of a blue groomer, ripe for teasing and mockery. It might seem a little cruel, a touch heartless, to publish Dan at this very vulnerable moment, especially when you see the action shot below…
Ooooohhhh, that’s gotta hurt! (Right?).
So why would I chose these shots to show everyone what today was like on the slopes? I’ll let you in on a little secret. Dan was having a ball. Not because he’s one of those glutton-for-punishment types (at least not that I know of), but because he was out with a bunch of friends, enjoying a fun day on the mountain.
I talk about Dan like we’re old buddies, but the truth is I met him less than five minutes before snapping that shot. I cruised up to Dan and a few of his friends in my “Brundage Snow Reporter” jacket, asking if it would be alright if I took pictures of them for the photo of the day. They greeted me with friendly smiles and sparked up conversation, and even some light-hearted teasing. I knew instantly I asked the right group of strangers for help on my photo project.
Dan’s friends were all pretty great skiers…
Conrad... hey Cuz
Confidently ripping turns in front of the lens…
My sis Patti!
Flashing those smiles I’d seen just moments before…
My new Cuz Margo!
and just what I was looking for in order to show the slope conditions.
My son Garrett!
(It had started snowing a couple hours before, and a couple inches was softening up the slopes. A whole bunch more snow is expected overnight, but we’ll get back to that later.)
So what on earth went wrong when it was Dan’s turn????
The truth is…nothing. He was hamming it up for the camera, as you can see when I put the time-lapse photo sequence in reverse…
See, Dan skis just fine. He was just out there on the mountain, enjoying the company of good friends, meeting new people and sharing some laughs.
Dan and his pals asked if I wanted to come ski with them the rest of the day and I would have LOVED to, but, duty calls. Hopefully our paths will cross again. There’s a kindred spirit among those who laugh and giggle with friends on the slopes…
And with the overnight forecast calling for 8 – 14 inches of fresh snow, I’m betting the prevailing attitude tomorrow will be quite different…
So as we prepare to begin 2010 with a “No Friends on Powder Days” race for freshies, it’s nice to end 2009 with a little low-key silly togetherness. Don’t you think?
- April
This article was on the Brundage Blog for December 31, 2009. What a way to ring in the new year!
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