Day 273

the top competitors from yesterday's round were back on the mountain today. some barely one hundred pounds, the little skier children shredded lines and shot rooster tails on a different and more gnarly slope than the first. my duty was similar to yesterday's- set up tent and fencing and audio equipment and then ride and run the official scoresheets from the judge's to the person waiting in the office below. apparently one or a couple of the judges were pro skiers and it didn't surprise me to hear it because my first impressions of them had definitely made me wonder why they seemed so cocky and terse.

and so, after a late night show on friday and a six am to six pm saturday on the mountain and now this eight am to four pm final day, i'm ready to chill. to montana.

me, nate, benji, and garreth, nate's visiting friend from new zealand, are heading down. the vibe is good and i realize that this trip with friends does not include any of the original camp crew.

four chill guys have packed a rusty and rattling two door jimmy with snowboards and follow southbound night mountain highways. dreaded and bearded faces peek out from in between boards and backpacks at the custom's officer at the border crossing. he asked if we had any weed. we didn't and don't.