The First of Winter 23’
The 22’/23’ winter started in late October and today, January 9th 2023, there is an additional 6-11 inches of new snow accumulating in the Wasatch. Thus far, our snowpack has seen ups & downs but began soft, playful, and unharmed. In November, history repeated itself and the Wasatch was cursed with warm temperatures forming a prevalent persistent weak layer. But as mother nature keeps providing new snow, the greater community keeps its fingers crossed for a healthy snowpack & our winter becomes one for the history books.
BUT on to the meat & potatoes. Life’s natural progression initiated a new chapter and I am turning the page from a year long injury.
In January of 2022 I broke my right scaphoid bone and five months later doctors placed a one inch screw through the wrist in anticipation of my body growing around the screw.
The recovery has been more about pushing mental patience than physical patience. Because of this I find myself waking up before dawn to catch sunrise or running after work with a headlamp. No matter the weather I stayed consistent in training and adjusted to not hinder progression.
As of January 9th 2023, my wrist is feeling strong and I’ve regained alot of mobility.
Being relatively recovered, I have logged 27 days splitboarding around the Wasatch and have rode some of my deepest days of my life. Many of these days are accompanied with friends but for the vast majority, I am by myself with myself.
I’ve discovered an odd feeling of self-love that comes with silence and solitude. Similar to that of mediating, sitting in a tree stand, or being solo on a trail run, it’s the dampening sound of snow that brings peace, clarity, and imagination to life. The fleeting moments are desirable and keep me wanting more.
The act of splitboarding and my relationship to it is no different than the yin & yang. A delicate balance of intense aerobic exercise paired with an effortless glide riding downhill.
This journal entry is nothing more than self reflecting moments of awareness in & out of mountains creating a push/pull consciousness. I have a drive to push harder, go farther, ride steeper, but need to stay humble in finding progression over a life time. Walking this line is a delicate balance because splitboarding is my way of connecting to mother nature during winter and progressing what is a mental escape of reality. I have every intention to continue this path and grow along side it.
My winter is only ramping up and I welcome new days of joy & resistance with open arms.
For those reading this… I wish you the best in whatever direction life takes you and hope you have something that promotes personal balance. If not, try new thing because life is what we make of it.
