Such a bittersweet time of year. As I write this, I sit in my living room with the windows wide open (even though it’s almost five in the evening), and I hear the snow melting. Patches of snow linger on the base of the hill outside my window, teasing us with thoughts of spring hikes.
It’s beautiful. No doubt. And I look forward to hiking, camping and pool time.
But I also look a bit higher and see the slopes that thrilled us this morning as we joined friends for a few runs. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and one could do no wrong on the slopes. I even hit a double black diamond (and did a couple of S-turns on it) for the first time 🙂
This was a summary of my stats earlier this week. While I love that my max speed is improved, I’m even happier about the increased averages. I’m getting better. Slowly and surely, but it’s happening!
Now my legs are rubber from the hill time, and I’m feeling super refreshed. Chris and I went up to the fire-pit and sat in the sun and watched people. I was going to blog up there, but I’m learning to embrace just being in a moment. And it was so beautiful.
Yesterday I hit a seasonal treat I look forward to each year. Taking a work break, I hit the hills for two hours, and I was on a slow lift and heard spring birds chirping as I watched the waterflow of the spring melt-off below me.
I thought the bird I heard was a phoebe, but when I shared info on that bird with my colleagues, I realized the call was a bit different. The good news is that I have made new friends this year, and some live at a nature conservancy. Apparently the woman knows everything about birds so I can ask her next time I see her.
I’ve mentioned them before, but I follow some bird-focused blogs – https://aussiebirder.com/ and https://oureyesopen.blog/ are some of my favorites. It’s going to be very awesome to find out more about local birds from local experts.
Anyway, winter is seriously losing its grip here, and I have to say it’s been an amazing one on the slopes. I now have a few slope buddies, and my skills are improved.
My soul still starts breathing as I look over terrain from the top of the hills. Here are some pics from this past year that show you why I love it so much:
2 responses to “The Meltoff”
Your stats are amazing, not that I understand them all. Still, you’ve had a marvelous year, and it has been such fun reading of your adventures. I’m still enjoying the memory of going down the slopes with you via phone.
That was a highlight of my year.