It all happened super fast and I left California in a tizzy. Applying to the Big Mountain Snow Safety course, getting accepted into it, getting laid off the next day, deciding to hit the road, finding a tenant while picking up a surfboard from FCD, packing up the house, and a million other chores. It was a lot in a short amount of time, but once I hit the road, all of the stress just seemed to gently roll away.
So, I pointed Lily toward Bishop to kick off the trip. I pulled into town, took a yoga class, then grabbed dinner with my close friend Ryan Smith. He’s been through similar stuff and at dinner I shared with him my stress about money and he encouraged me to consider all money spent as an investment in myself. Those were wise and helpful words that I’ve continued to embrace to this day. Thank you, Ryan.
It was early February and the Sierra had a lot of snow and the avalanche report was LOW at all elevations, a rare and awesome combination for the heart of winter. This made Bishop a great place to start getting into shape before the Big Mountain Snow Safety course. So, my first mission was a local line right out of town. Not only was this my first mission of the trip, but it was also my first time back country skiing solo which is something I’ve typically tried to avoid. But, I’ve skied the line before and felt comfortable with the conditions and the objective so I decided to go for it. It was awesome, and so fun to get out there all alone. No one to keep up with, no one to be held back by. It was my time to explore myself in the mountains and it was a spectacular day.
The next day I met up with my buddy Damien and we went out to ski a bucket list couloir. We ended up logging a pretty big day in one of the most gorgeous zones I’ve ever seen.
After two fun days in the back country, I then skied one half day at Mammoth and met up with my neighbor Vanessa and her littles ones before hitting the road further East. They are very close friends so it was quite special to see them in the mountains. Not to mention, Vanessa was pregnant and ripping. So cool and inspiring.
Given the conditions and my level of comfort there, I could have stayed in the Sierra for a long while, but I had to start making way toward Jackson, and so, onward I went.
