4th of July Skiing
Happy 4th of July. Have fun, be safe, and celebrate each other.
On the continental divide I can touch the rays of the sun. So high up the mountains reach to the daytime moon snow- covered and warm. A run-off pondlet collects people as alcohol soaked skiers and snowboarders hike the slope to the ever-winter ridge, plunging K2s and Rossies again and again into the lip bluing mountain oasis. Bikini babes in goggles line chair lifts. This oasis of winter sits high on the summit where sun hungry skiers bask at high altitude, next to Rossie lined bar-b-q huts on the 4th of July in the snow. Clothesless partiers streak the grass limited summer slope filled with snow addicted, summer skiin’ people. Three runs of slush, grass and rock welcome people from New York, California and Texas, an oasis at a cool 45; refuge from the city down the slope. Flatland natives join mountain aborigines a mile from the sun at a mid-summer party with fireworks, snow, sun singed chests, goggle tans and K2’s or Rossie boards and skis. Lift ops in shorts load straight Rossie wearing mountain junkies on the mid-way lifts. People tailgate in the parking lot and socialize with snow drinks from the lodge and mid-mountain huts. The oasis feeds the desires of summer-bored ski bunnies for sun and snow, while loyal ski fans slide down the expert slope. In the season of snow, extreme experts descend the slope indenting stretched-out S’s in the powder bowl with their Rossie Double X’s, enjoying warm 30 cloudy days and cold 1 days in the sun. The white terrain of A-basin becomes home to the real winter people— not vacationers looking for the packaged ski-in ski-out resort oasis. Purists run their boards with speed and style, floating over fluffy snow. Run after run indigenous skiers carve through fresh snow until day turns into night and the lights of cars illuminate the slopes where no snowmaking machine burdens this year-round oasis. March snow lies on top of January’s and February’s, making my Rossies yearn to stay forever, not wanting the lifts to stop. And people pray for more of Ullr’s gift, to last through summer’s melting sun. But now in this winter oasis, Rossies carve one last run down the glacial slope, at a summer snow party with crazy people and friends enjoying the Colorado sun.