Dec 19, 21 Snow, Snow, Snow

Light puffs of snow flew over Barrman’s shoulders as he descended the untouched field of powder dreams. Every turn of his legs launched a fresh tuft of snow into the air and into his face.

Face shots.

Every skier’s dream is to get snow blown into their face by hurling themselves downward into deep lines of fresh powder. 

Barrman and his friends were living the dream.

December 17 Big White opened the Gem Lake Express Quad chair as well as the Cliff chair. Barrman and his wife Kaydee were at the bottom of the Ridge as the chair started to spin. At the front of the line stood Cookster and Braffster, they were keen enough and early enough to be first in line. 

Barrman smiled as he slid up to the line, “honey one day we will get up early enough to be on the first chair with those two.”

Kaydee laughed in reply, “maybe one day. Not today!”

“I don’t think it will matter all that much.” Barrman smiled as he looked up at the blue sky and creamy untouched runs.

“Woohoo!” a cheer rose from the people standing at the bottom of the Ridge Rocket chair. The gates sprung open and Cookster and Braffster slid forward to load up and head for the heavens.

It was the start of three epic days on the slopes of Big White Ski Resort. The two skiers rode the chair and surveyed the mountain in search of where to go first.

Barrman looked over at the Alpine T-Bar and saw some people riding to the top. “Let’s go up the T and head over to Gem for the opening. Blue Saphire should be pretty awesome.”

“Sounds good, I like that run.” Kaydee’s eyes lit up as she took in the cold crisp bluebird morning.

They slid off the chair and cruised down to the loading area for the T-bar. There were already a dozen people in line and the T-bar was spinning away. But no one was going up.

“Should we wait or do a run?” Barrman looked around, a nervous energy was surging through his veins. 

“I don’t care, but I think if we want to get first tracks in Blue Saphire we need to wait here,” Kaydee replied.

“I think you’re right. Besides, Big Boarder is on the Gem already. He texted me and told me the line was pretty long. It’s the first day and it’s busy.”

“I think it will be worth it. No changing our minds now,” Kaydee smiled and shook her head.

They stood and waited agonizing seconds as the T’s kept spinning around mocking the waiting snow riders. Every second that ticked by Barrman felt like he was losing turns. Just then their friend Mullyman slid up on his skis and stopped outside the line to say hi.

“Hey, Mullyman, you should jump on, there is a single up ahead maybe you could join him,” Barrman called out to their ski buddy.

“Naw, I think I’ll do a lap on the Ridge,” Mullyman replied and turned his skis downhill.

Barrman shrugged and waved, Since Covid the desire to share space with people has waned – even outdoors. Riding single on the T bar is not what it used to be. Back in the day people would try their best to pair up.

A boost of energy surged through Barrman when he saw the people at the front of the T load onto the lift. They were only sixth in line, his body pulsed with the energy.

And frustration.

When he saw three of the pair of snowboarders in front of them go up single he used all his inner strength to refrain from saying anything to the lifties.

Of course, he couldn’t help but comment to Kaydee, “if you can’t ride in pairs you shouldn’t ride the T-bar.”

“Patience honey… We’ll get our turn.”

Only moments later, the two were at the front of the line. They slid into place and the T-bar surged them upwards.

“Here we go honey, what a beauty day. It’s times like this that make getting up early really worthwhile. I feel sorry for the poor people who don’t know what they’re missing.” Barrman looked down at his skiing sidekick. 

Kaydee was bundled up against the cold and the wind, “Ya, they are missing the frigid temps too,” She laughed and looked toward the snow-covered powder fields. “But it’s a small price to pay for all this.”

As they slid toward the top of the mountain Barrman could feel his excitement climb as well. They reached the top after an ascent of one thousand vertical feet. They dismounted the T-Bar at an elevation of seventy-five-hundred feet. The two stopped at the top and soaked in the magnificent view of the Monashee Mountains.

“Let’s go, honey, those people are taking our fresh lines,” Barrman shouted in glee and started off down the slope toward the Gem Lake chair. 

Crisp fresh groomed corduroy snow crunched under his skis and he felt the exhilaration of another day on snow. He popped into the trees and felt snow caress his calves as he carved a fresh line in beside the groomed run. 

Seven minutes and 2500 vertical feet later they arrived at the bottom of the Gem Lake Express quad chair. Big Boarder was standing at the front of the corral for the lift, waiting.

“Dude! You made it up, the line looks pretty small, I was worried.” Barrman grinned at his buddy.

“It’s a lot better now. The line was pretty long when I got here. I managed to get first tracks this morning, it was pretty epic. Waiting in line was a first-world problem.” Big Boarder turned his snowboard and headed toward the turnstiles and loaded the chair. 

“Not much of a problem, mine was the fact they groomed Blue Saphire edge to edge. So I had to look for fresh snow on the sides. I wasn’t expecting it to be fully groomed. Kaydee liked it though.’ Barrman looked down at the small figure of his wife. 

She smiled back up at him, “first world problems indeed.” 

The day continued with fresh turns in deep snow. Big Boarder had to go back to town at lunchtime and Barrman and Kaydee continued their tour of the magical alpine of Big White Ski Resort. They hooked up with Mullyman for a few turns in the afternoon and rode till the end of the day. They felt satiated and fulfilled. They topped off the glorious day by going to the Globe and watching Jon Bos fill their souls with some live music. The coronaverse seemed like another world.

That night it snowed again – hard.

Big Boarder and Barrman connected for more turns in powder. As the day carried on it kept snowing. Big fat flakes of wonderful snow continued to coat their world. Every run seemed like a fresh track was there for the taking. 

“Buddy we’re stealing again. What a beauty day. I can’t believe how deep the snow is.” Big Boarder laughed as the two ski buddies slid onto the T bar for another lap. 

“Looks like we are skiing by braille, it’s a total white out up here.” Barrman took off his goggles for a second as the Tbar pulled them up. It was hard to tell what was up and what was down. 

“This way we have it all to ourselves.” Big Boarder replied.

“I hope we can find our way to our favourite bowl.” Barrman pushed off the T and left it for Big Boarder to release it. “I’ll lead.”

The two adventurers scanned the slopes in front of them, “It’s hard to tell the difference between the sky and the ground. Powder awaits us.” Big Boarder strapped into his snowboard and the two left the top of the mountain in search of the best way down. 

“I think it’s this way,” Barrman hollered into the abys behind him hoping he was right. All he could see was white. 

He slowed down in search of the way he needed to go. Just then Big Boarder cruised by, “I need to keep up my speed  to make it across the flats.” 

Flats? Barrman couldn’t tell what was flat or sloped. It looked like Big Boarder just went down. Oh well, nothing to do but point his skis down and hope. Ahead his buddy was standing up to his thighs in snow. It must be deep. 

Suddenly Barrman stopped and sank into the huge drift. The next thing he knew his head was buried in snow and his left leg felt like it was being bent in the wrong direction.

The two snow buddies were stuck.

They could barely tell where they were but they knew it looked pretty flat. Barrman felt lucky to be on skis. They kept sinking to their knees and even their hips, the snow had gotten so deep. Now they needed to find the steep.

After what seemed like a long time but was probably less than ten minutes they finally found the chute they were looking for.

“That was quite the work out man. But this is going to be epic.” Big Boarder caught his breath and looked at the virgin snow below him.

“Wow, sweet man look at the snow! Go go go, whoooo hoo!” Barrman shouted with glee as he turned his skis downward.

Then he stopped. He’d sunk up to his hips in light fluffy fresh powder.

To his left, he heard Big Boarder laugh, “Beauty man! There’s so much snow I can hardly move. Unfuckinbelievable!” 

The two buddies went hard the rest of the day and never even stopped for lunch.  By 2:30 the snow riders were exhausted. They rode down to the bottom of the Ridge and stopped at the lodge for a quick beverage and a chocolate bar to get enough energy for one last run. 

“Talk about living the dream man. What a day it was.” Big Boarder grabbed his snowboard and walked toward the lift, “ready for one more?”

“My mind says go go go but my legs say no no no,” Barrman grinned from ear to ear. He put on his skis and slid into the line. “One more run it is.”

“Knee-deep in the trees that’s what it’s all about.” Big Boarder looked down at his ski buddy as the chair whisked them skyward.

“Sure is man, times like this nothing else matters. Gotta keep living the dream…”