Five feet can be a good or bad thing depending on the context. And even within the context of snow, it can be a good or bad thing. I remember when five feet of snow was a very bad thing while trying to drive from Billy's house to my college dorm. My roommate actually contracted a severe case of pneumonia that day helping idiots like me trying to navigate Honda's amongst the drifts. On Sunday five feet of snow was a very good thing. Kristin and I went snowboarding at Mt. Hood Meadows for our first session of the season. Last year at this time, Mt. Hood Meadows lived up to its name -- literally. Vignettes of butterflies, grass, and...no snow come to mind. This year the only butterflies were in our stomachs while gaping at a freshly white-coated Mountain.
We attempted at first to go up Saturday, but a series of unfortunate events pushed the trek to Sunday. But fate was on our side. Friday and Saturday shook snow out of the clouds with violent winds, but Sunday the clouds and winds relinquished to sun and lots, and lots of powder, or "sugar" as I like to call it. I had never seen such outstanding conditions upon Portland's most trampled playground. Mt. Hood was shining. We stayed as far from the crowds as possible, hugging the eastern flank most of the day. The scenery was indescribable. And to stay true to that statement I won't attempt to describe it beyond a few fleeting adjectives: Silver. Floating. Breathless. We were but vapor above the corporal Earth. If I had pictures, I would post them. But your imagination will probably suit the imagery best anyway; lenses have a knack for distorting proportions.
The end of the day brought with it a celebration of our new favorite length: five feet. With our feet emancipated from our plastic snow vehicles, we leaped into snow that crested our chests. The day was heavy, but our spirits were as light as ever. Snowboarding on that much powder can't be too dissimilar from flying; speed is the only tool fighting gravity. We were indeed, light. For those of not fortunate enough to experience Mt. Hood last Sunday, let me remind you of something that rang hollow only a year ago: it's only December!
