Autumnal Contemplations

Returning to the Balls Deep blog has become an annual ritual that is synonymous with Powder Fever. The interim days of September and October leave much to be desired in the way of skiing. Blasts of cold arctic air remind us of the inevitable. If it wasn't for the cool, low humidity days of autumn, which provide perfect friction and bearable sun for hard onsights and red-points, I'd be face down on the couch. New skis arrive in that long cardboard box promising deeper trenches, more flotation, or better edge grip on hard-pack. I set them in my kitchen so I'm sure I see them every day on my way to and from work. They beg to be taken on my commute to the mountains so they can feel the chilly air and excitement of early season snow blanketing Conifer, CO. Unfortunately they will remain in the kitchen, watching me every day under their scornful eye. One day they will be happily shuttled off to the local ski shop and mounted with hammerheads, creating a lifelong relationship. I couldn't bear to tell the new skis their first encounter with snow will likely be on a man-made white strip of death, dodging mediocre snowboarders & front range Groms, with low sagging, oversized pants. Don't dismay, greener pastures lie on the mid-winter horizon, where the Volkls will frolic in the side-country of Western Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and maybe even California.

And so, I'm stuck grading lab reports in my classroom watching the wet flakes hammer downward from the sky. All day the snow falls with little ground accumulation, as if the ground refuses to let go of the summer heat. Exhaustion from late nights, early mornings and squirrely high school students accumulates into a dull fatigue that permeates every day of the work week. Only the weekend trips to Shelf Road, Turkey Rocks, RMNP, & various other rock formations alleviate this syndrome. But soon we will be slashing the deep, skinning to huts, dropping layers, laughing on chairlifts and rising early for new snow. Multi-week and 3-day vacations will provide ample time for Western rambling and storm chasing. Soon.

For now I will enjoy the Aspens as they change from green to bright yellow. The early season snowstorms. The football and pumpkins. The cold & delicious seasonal microbrews. And of course, the annual Las Vegas climbing trip: 2000ft multi-pitch routes, strip clubs, and gambling.