Here's to a new season.

This season is bound to be different than most.  We caught a glimpse last year in March, and although it was all new to us at the tail end of last year we must all start a season with some unknowns.  I for one am curious to see if we receive the same guilt that was dealt to backcountry users last year, a proclamation that we should resist taking any chances, if not resist backcountry skiing all together for the sake of overloading hospitals.  At the time it seemed a noble feat, only to have our hospitals stay empty with a premature reaction to the virus in my own opinion.  Fast forward to now, and an un-arguable increase in cases and our hospitals actually full and radio silence, no preaching or guilt being bestowed on the backcountry community. Just some interesting thoughts I've been curious to see play out.  Time will tell. 

Either way, I've been exploring the usual early season haunts per the usual, more for exercise than snowboarding, and there has been some good early season snow mostly lacking base. The kind of snow that you make those early season butt puckering turns in.  We all know what that means,  your so stoked because your skiing again, but ridiculously scared cause you know at any moment you could hit a rock and fall and impale yourself on a stick.  It usually has me riding pretty reserved, waiting for that day when the routine turns from more about exercise to more about snowboarding!  That day finally arrived last Sunday.