Saturday, February 7, 2009

Day 272

the elk valley night air smells of rolling mallow smoke. thick and smooth. i step into the night and imagine that a cabin dweller somewhere has kindled their stone fireplace and the grey ghost has caught another and then another's attention and inspiration and now, from down below in the middle of the valleybowl, the snow and ice and now my strides have noticed the full building of this drifting smolderscent.

i spent all day on the mountain today. our little events volunteer team was running a ski competition and we got there under early, starry darkness. besides set up, registration, and take-down, my main job for the day was relaying the scores from the judges' perch to the office below. to do this i would leave our spot on mid mountain and catch the lift to the top and ride down through the trees to where the judges were positioned. they were watching the competition from this side of the valley bowl while the contestants shredded down the opposite side. i'd pick up the cards for each round and ride down the whole mountain, swhoosh, and take the information to someone in some office. then i'd ride a lift back up and carve to mid mountain and repeat the same process as each round ended. is that even a job?

by the time we'd finished and left the sun was well gone from the sky and fading pink strokes stained darkening clouds.

fresh air. fresh snow. fresh life.


and i'm reminded.

'stand below the shadow of a mountain to be made small apart from my spiraling stride.'

1 comment:

Unknown said...

'stand below the shadow of a mountain to be made small apart from my spiraling stride.'

and it feels fine and good...