Go, 2007!

Here is an amusing little piece of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's website (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/) today:

Moderating El Niño is on its way
For those still recovering from December's devastating rain and wind, take heart: Forecasters expect the next couple of months to be much milder.
- Wind advisory, flood watch in effect New

They didn't think we'd have the killer start to the winter, either. Don't let dumb meteorologists choke your stoke! Those guys don't even need to iron their shirts, now do they? Har har har.

EXCERPT FROM LETTER TO JAMES

Pardon me if parts of my prose sound delirious, as I haven't slept nearly enough for the past three days.

Thursday, I spent a long day skiing during the first truly sunny day of the last month. In that time, it's probably snowed fifteen feet. The skiing was incredible. I'll print a few pictures to send with the missive.







Casey and Jason tried a very big project in a silly fashion with me today. We wanted to climb and ski a new line on a very remote side of a big mountain. I preferred to attempt the trip from the end of the valley in which the line is near the head. The terrain there is old-growth forest and jungle-like underbrush. The rocks of the riverbed had a slick, icy coating from the moisture rising off the creek. It took two hours and forty minutes to cover the first mile. By that time, we all agreed that there was no way we'd complete the climb and ski today. So we slept for two hours, huddled in the icy mists of the drainage.

It still took one hour and forty minutes to return to the road in daylight. I was able to make a few turns down a small hill on Cascade River Road to legitimately call it "ski day" number twenty-two of the season.

Round Two is sure to follow soon. Ain't life grand? I'm sitting here in my room, wanting to meditate indefinitely as I stare at two 3' by 2' posters Jason gave me; they are shots he took of me skiing, one above big crevasses on the Coleman Glacier of Mt Baker, the other in front of a field of seracs on Mt Adams's Lyman Glacier. Jason was really excited about his new camera; now I'm really grateful for the amazing shots of me doing my favorite thing.

I just called my Mom. I started raving about these big pictures. She reminded me how I would collect maps of ski areas and draw pictures of imaginary ski areas as an eight-year-old kid in Texas. We agreed that some things can't be stopped - destiny and all that. It gave me a big chuckle. Twenty years ago, I was imagining ski areas. Now I see mountains and imagine different ways to ski them. Somehow it all makes sense.

Happy new year, my long-lost friend. I feel great affection for you and wish you well.