3/4/17—INYO NATIONAL FOREST WALKING INTO NEW LAND We started under the light of a fading moon. My headlamp led the way for the first few hours. I have broken free of the treeline and am rounding a corner that has been hours in the making under a slow, steady pace. A long valley formed by rugged peaks curves into the un-known. Fueling up, my excitement builds as the rising sun spotlights high peaks lining the north side of the valley. Lines that I have never seen strike forth from the puzzle of granite. Moving now, I am over-whelmed by the landscape. A distant observer might view my slow pace and the distance yet to be traveled with empathy. But this new land is coming at me too fast. It frequently stops me in my tracks as new discoveries reveal themselves. You only get one chance to walk into a new land. For more than 20 years I have been seeking new landscapes, new vistas, new mountains to ride. It is the most exciting thing I do as a snowboarder—nature’s work is greater than my imagination. Walking into new land is like meeting a stranger for the first time. Sometimes you may be treated with a high five or a hug. Other times, it may be a cold handshake and an intense stare. The conversation grows with each step. Over time, you start speaking the same language, reach an understanding of the conditions and the scale. To know what is good to go and what is off limits. To understand when a line is open for business and when one closed. This is the key to big mountain riding. SIERRA MOUNTAINS 051
The Snowboarder's Journal frequency 15.3 : Page 51
