More from the Mountains

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It's not often that I stick around at the end of a ski day to chill in the parking lot or meet up with friends in one of the bars at the base; but when I do it's because I find it hard to drive away from a still sunlit sky, slowly settling into sunset; the delicious rush of fatigue sweeping over my body, giving way to warm boots and a dry beanie, the very purpose of the wagon's tailgate saying linger for awhile.

Of course, there's also the undeniable charm and pull of friends and the ever-hopeful possibility that the ski man of my dreams is out there waiting to bump into me and spill his beer and fall madly in love.

It's been an incredible season. I've had the great fortune to land just when the storms hit, to avoid any of the 8-10 hour drives along Highway 80, to ski with a lot of different people in a variety of places. Maybe that's why the season seems to have passed so quickly. I mean, it's still here and there's a lot of snowpack, but the end is out there lurking. I'm always a little depressed when Daylight Savings rolls around. Ski season, even with the huge early start they had this year, always seems too short. But that could just be separation anxiety.

It's time to start thinking about the slow climb back up to long endurance runs and nights out on the bay, cold and wet, with my paddling crew. And to look at sales on 2010 demos skis. And maybe find a place to live. I miss you already ski season.

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