Outdoors

Floating through powder, turns rhythmic, in the zone, I am startled by a voice above. “Watch out for the … porcupine!” What? Did he say porcupine? My naturalist senses kick into action and above me, within spitting range, crossing the bottom of Boomerang is a blunt faced, waddling bundle of long spiky hairs.

In some cultures, three is a lucky number and now it has become mine! Yes, I am embarking on the journey to my third Olympic Games. At the ripe old age of 29 I feel that I am finally ready to compete at home in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. It will be a dream come true and an honour beyond words.

2010 started under the lunar shadows of an auspicious occurrence, a blue moon on New Year’s Eve, not to be repeated again until August 2012. This unusual celestial event, a second full moon in a calendar month, got me thinking about some of the exceptional local nature experiences that happen “once in a blue moon”. Sometimes perceived as commonplace to us, these are truly rare for many people around the world.

It was a clear powder day mid season in 1993. We had taken the Face Lift and saw a boot pack leading to a nice pocket of snow below the rocks of Lizard Bowl, took off our skis and started the quick ascent. Just 13 at the time, consequences were never considered mostly because we didn’t realize what they were. Hiking the saddle into Curry Bowl, it was the same thought process. “Wow, someone put in a boot pack, let’s drop in too!” Transceivers? Nope. Shovels? They’re too heavy! Probes? What are those? Knowledge of the terrain? Not a clue.

Winters first snow reads like a book you don’t want to put down: drama, unique characters, mystery, and one-of-a-kind illustrations mapping out a compelling plot.

In summer animals are concealed by a thick drape of plant foliage. As the sun falls toward the horizon, leaves drop, and a white canvas stretches over the landscape revealing animal behaviour. Winter is the season to read stories in the snow.