LEFT TO RIGHT The author atop Mount Saint Helens, WA, on his 10th day ever snowboarding, circa 1987. It was the first year they re-opened the mountain to the public following its massive eruption on May 18, 1980. Photo: Susan Kemp / John Erben Archives Paul Ferrel riding Mt. Baker, WA’s Easton Glacier circa 1990. Before splitboards were a common thing, and when bootpacking was the way. Photo: John Erben Back in the 1980s, my friend Robin Nagel used to talk about “Future People,” contrasting ourselves with them. She ex-plained that some of the Future People were already here. “Those ones are the space aliens,” she said. “They’re ready for the future now and are just waiting. The rest of us will have to train.” I hope those Future People are still waiting, because frankly our odds of sur-vival are low, and the math just doesn’t work without them. Sure, Elon told me I’m on the guest list for Mars, but he tells everyone that. You gotta have a Plan B. In my vision, Future People will breathe in carbon dioxide, coaldust, PFAS and mi-croplastics. Future People will eat like hus-kies—everything from Taco Bell to wood chips to discarded tires. They will drink seawater, sewage, medical waste, fracking fluids and Round-Up. Future people will exhale fresh air, good vibes and economic prosperity. They will pee sparkling water, champagne, coffee or kombucha at your chosen temperature. They will shit out sintered bases, Lithium, Narcan and cell phones. And, slowly at first, it will start to snow again. Don’t see you no more in this world, I’ll meet you in the next one. Don’t be late. THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL 101
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 22.1: Page 101
