What inspires me?
In these times of relative peace between winters, now is a good chance to reflect on some of the things that inspire me as a skier and author, with some of my words and photos.
My main influence over the last 2 decades, as you can probably tell, has been freshly fallen snow. Each snowflake is unique, and there are many millions of them in each snowstorm. Imagine the insane amount of variables involved when you get a thick carpet of fresh white fluff building up in the back yard, or on the mountainside, creating a field of deep powder.
The classic snowflake crystal has 6 sides, or arms, but every snow crystal is a variation of that: some have been broken apart by wind, some have gathered together creating large goose-feather snowflakes, and some have been morphed or bonded together by subtle temperature changes in the air. It is actually pretty rare to find a perfectly formed snow crystal, and they don't tend to last long before transforming!
Seeing perfect stellar snowflakes in the air, or just settled on the ground, is like briefly glimpsing the soul of a storm before it is whisked away by a gust of wind. Those lucky enough to have skied a deep fresh bowl of frosted flakes may have had a few instants to connect their soul with the soul of the storm, another living being. The stellar crystals can create an amazing network of connections between snowflakes, filled with air pockets, and the snow-rider charges through this as if floating on air or in a cloud.
My main influence over the last 2 decades, as you can probably tell, has been freshly fallen snow. Each snowflake is unique, and there are many millions of them in each snowstorm. Imagine the insane amount of variables involved when you get a thick carpet of fresh white fluff building up in the back yard, or on the mountainside, creating a field of deep powder.
The classic snowflake crystal has 6 sides, or arms, but every snow crystal is a variation of that: some have been broken apart by wind, some have gathered together creating large goose-feather snowflakes, and some have been morphed or bonded together by subtle temperature changes in the air. It is actually pretty rare to find a perfectly formed snow crystal, and they don't tend to last long before transforming!
Seeing perfect stellar snowflakes in the air, or just settled on the ground, is like briefly glimpsing the soul of a storm before it is whisked away by a gust of wind. Those lucky enough to have skied a deep fresh bowl of frosted flakes may have had a few instants to connect their soul with the soul of the storm, another living being. The stellar crystals can create an amazing network of connections between snowflakes, filled with air pockets, and the snow-rider charges through this as if floating on air or in a cloud.
Another major influence in my adult life has been mountain scenery, especially when coated with a fresh blanket of white fluff! Some terrain looks absolutely stunning when the sun comes out after a storm.
Especially amazing is when the snow-covered mountains glow orange and pink in the sunset:
Light has always fascinated me, especially the way natural light plays on the landscape to create different atmospheres:
... And then, of course, there is the powder riding itself: the deeper the better!!! ;-)
When the light powder crystals fluff up over your shoulders and into your face, that is close to the pinnacle, or Shangri-La of mountain activities.
Surfing waves of white gold is our preferred pastime in this world!
When the light powder crystals fluff up over your shoulders and into your face, that is close to the pinnacle, or Shangri-La of mountain activities.
Surfing waves of white gold is our preferred pastime in this world!