And so it begins. For me, there is aways a bit of trepidation. I'm a ski widow, on and off, until late spring or maybe even early summer. Sometimes, I get to tag along, sometimes I stay home - there's life, a kid, dogs, work, that get in the way of just being able to pick up and go.
I'm a worrier, so there's also the worrying about traveling and him skiing big mountains and driving up scary roads in a blizzard. I hung on for dear life driving down the mountain from Val D'Isere last winter, but the scariest drive, believe it or not, was going to Killington at night in a storm that came on quickly. The plows weren't out and even 4WD vehicles were off the road.
For him, there is no trepidation, just the anticipation of another ski season chasing mountains - skiing the mountains he hasn't skied before and going back to old favorites. Tomorrow he leaves for Whistler and the travels begin. It's work, as well, as play - he's a ski writer, so he's very happily on the go to wherever the next mountain is.
It's more than that though and I owe Bill Kering, author of The Edge of Never book, and writer and director of The Edge of Never Film, a world of thanks. Because I never really understood what compelled skiers to do this - the passion, the something in their brain that tells them they need to go ski, the dreams, the whatever it is that compells them to do this until I read his book I first heard the term chasing mountains in Bill's movie and it's an apt description, because it's more than chasing snow.
For anyone who has a dream, by the way, The Edge of Never is a really good book. Bill's story, as well as the story of the skiers in the book and the film, tells the story of what you can do when you dream. Here's more on the Edge of Never.
For more on chasing your dreams, whatever they may be, here's an article that I wrote quite awhile ago, but is still very relevant.
For those who are interested in virtually tagging along this ski season, visit Mike's About.com Sking site or join him on Facebook or Twitter.
