February 5, 2022

Sunshine and powder graced Barrman’s life this past week. It was week of celebration and connection. He escaped the city and went to the mountain with Big Boarder. The report said 12 cm of fresh snow and 41 cm’s for the week. It was knee deep in the trees and the world was as it should be.

Even the sun decided to shine down upon the world of the intrepid ski buddies. They connected for a few runs with Cookster and friends and they found some fresh lines at the top of the world.

Big White was champagne powder glory.

The local ski hill got some much needed snow this week. A fresh coating of white blessed the alpine and the word was out. On the day of the fresh snowfall there was a line at the bottom of the Ridge that took all of five minutes to wait in. Big Boarder laughed, “dude I guess we have to share.”

Barrman smiled back, “sharing is caring. Something the world needs more of.”

Amidst all the noise and protest in the outside world, Barrman was grateful to escape to his mountain home. While people sat camped out in Ottawa and on the border protesting for their freedom, Barrman never felt so free as he plunged down the untracked lines in the Easter Chutes. 

Knee deep in the chutes, the buddies descended the steep and deep and found first lines in the trees as they rode to the bottom of the mountain. In the moments of powder glory the so-called real world felt like another universe.

Another world away. 

Two days later Big Boarder returned to the hill to join Barrman in search of the last vestiges of the powder from the week before.

Barrman made it out for first tracks and beat the rush of people escaping the city. It was a Saturday and the sun gleamed overhead in the deep blue sky. 

With the sun came the crowds.

Barrman had skied the trees and lost his wife Kaydee along with their friends Mullyman and Karbella somewhere on the slopes. It was busy and he wasn’t sure if he would find them again. 

He was ok with it because he knew that Big Boarder was meeting him at the Powder. Sure enough they arrived at the same time. The line was long but the two buddies soaked up the sun and celebrated their connection.

“Dude, what a long train of cars to get up here,” Big Boarder smiled down at his skiing buddy Barrman. “It sure makes a difference leaving home at 8:15 instead of 7:15”

“I bet, the girls and I got out first tracks at 8:30 and there was no one out yet. We did some runs for Karbella’s birthday. Cruised the fresh corduroy on the groomers.” Barrman looked around at the mass of people, “it got pretty busy now, I lost the girls, not sure if they went up or not.” Barrman shrugged as they approached the gates to load the chair.

Minutes later they were bound for the heavens.

“Hey Cookster and I did the chairlift challenge yesterday before noon.” the skier looked over at his boarder buddy, “wanna try the same thing except this time we do a run on each chair.”

“That sounds like fun. As long as we can find some powder in the trees on our way there.”

“Ya dude that is the only way to go.” Barrman smiled over at his snow boarder buddy and they slid off the top of the Powder chair.

20 runs and 8 chairs later they were on the way to the final chair. They disembarked from the top of the T-Bar and looked down the sun kissed slopes. Sun Run is an appropriate name for the run down from the top. 

But the two ski buddies elected to ignore the green run from the top. They steered their boards back to the shoulder of the cliff and rode Camels Back, a black run, to the top of the Bullet. 

It was 3:00 pm and they wanted to take a last run on the Black Forest. Could they make it? 

They traversed the hill and found a stash of powder in the steep trees toward their final chair. From there they got into some more tight trees. Unbelievably, they found fresh snow on the last run on a Saturday. 

“Living the dream buddy!” Big Boarder burst out in a grin as they sat down on the last chair of their day, “mission accomplished! Wish Karbella a happy birthday for me.”

Big Boarder left the mountain and Barrman caught up with his wife and friend at The Globe to enjoy the entertaining sounds of Jon Bos. It was a birthday celebration for their friend in their mountain paradise.

While people were driving endless miles protesting for freedom in the glorious country called Canada, a group of ski buddies were living their best life.

Freedom is a concept that is hard to define but on that glorious sun filled day there were some friends that experienced all the freedom they desired.