November 11, 2003, Stevens Pass
11/11/03
WA Stevens Pass
4542
11
Sometimes you just can't wait. I knew there would be new snow coinciding with a day off for this Veteran's Day, so a quick trip was made to a FREAKIN' SKI AREA!! After all of the noisy, grindy stuff I've been on in the past few months, I took the easy way out.
Out of bed at 4 AM, nosh on coffee and quesadillas en route, and cranking up "InAGaddaDaVida" at 5 AM, nary a soul on the road. Arrived before the dawn, with Channel 5 and 13 TV news trucks covering the big event - SNOW! I managed to avoid being singled out as the "Weirdo Who Walks With Skis To Get First Tracks", and hoofed it up about 300 feet on the old rope tow run. A finer base of rock and bushes I haven't skiied in about a year, and the weather was ideal: 30 knot winds, and sideways graupel. From the top, the first turn in the oatmeal/graupel was OK; the second was The Splits, with Ass Over Teakettle thrown in for good measure. Humiliated, yet elated to be skiing, I poled down to the lodge, and then walked up the last bit of Big Chief to about 4600 feet elev. The snow and conditions were MUCH better here; mere rocks and grass to anchor the new flakes. The pitch here was much more conducive to gravity's urge, so my turns were more in line with what I call skiing! Only one biff, and about 15 linked turns before the end was in sight.
Back in the car, I was all smiles, knowing that, in spite of "Opening Day", I had lain the very first tracks of the season at Stevens Pass, and earned every one of them. Listened to the Beatles as celebratory tunes, and knocking November out of the way.
Out of bed at 4 AM, nosh on coffee and quesadillas en route, and cranking up "InAGaddaDaVida" at 5 AM, nary a soul on the road. Arrived before the dawn, with Channel 5 and 13 TV news trucks covering the big event - SNOW! I managed to avoid being singled out as the "Weirdo Who Walks With Skis To Get First Tracks", and hoofed it up about 300 feet on the old rope tow run. A finer base of rock and bushes I haven't skiied in about a year, and the weather was ideal: 30 knot winds, and sideways graupel. From the top, the first turn in the oatmeal/graupel was OK; the second was The Splits, with Ass Over Teakettle thrown in for good measure. Humiliated, yet elated to be skiing, I poled down to the lodge, and then walked up the last bit of Big Chief to about 4600 feet elev. The snow and conditions were MUCH better here; mere rocks and grass to anchor the new flakes. The pitch here was much more conducive to gravity's urge, so my turns were more in line with what I call skiing! Only one biff, and about 15 linked turns before the end was in sight.
Back in the car, I was all smiles, knowing that, in spite of "Opening Day", I had lain the very first tracks of the season at Stevens Pass, and earned every one of them. Listened to the Beatles as celebratory tunes, and knocking November out of the way.
Nice move, Greg.
Us workin' folks are gonna hope that some of it lasts 'til the weekend... with a little luck we might even get a bit more ;)
Us workin' folks are gonna hope that some of it lasts 'til the weekend... with a little luck we might even get a bit more ;)
"With a Little Luck" is a Wings'.
Yeah, I'm with you, Greg. Every time I listen to Inna Gada da Vida when sleep deprived and malnourished, I am overtaken by inexplicable urges to do horribly self-destructive things.
Fortunately, in my case this hasn't happened since 1971, when I wore elephant bells with a 30 inch waist and quoted Kahil Gibran to anyone within earshot. Nice to hear that someone's keeping the dream alive.
Fortunately, in my case this hasn't happened since 1971, when I wore elephant bells with a 30 inch waist and quoted Kahil Gibran to anyone within earshot. Nice to hear that someone's keeping the dream alive.
Wow - that image reminded me of just too many things that I had blocked from my memory. I think I'll try to focus on snow and rocks for a while...
Greg
Just Like Dr. John said "If I don't do it somebody else will" :D Lets hope for enough snow to be riding lifts at Stevens by Thanksgiving. I always enjoyed the LONG version of "inagaddadavida" and by the time the song ended you'd forget the beginning and have to start all over again! ;D
Just Like Dr. John said "If I don't do it somebody else will" :D Lets hope for enough snow to be riding lifts at Stevens by Thanksgiving. I always enjoyed the LONG version of "inagaddadavida" and by the time the song ended you'd forget the beginning and have to start all over again! ;D
It never stops playiing in my head. Do you know the real
meaning of innagaddadivida?
meaning of innagaddadivida?
oh do tell
Why, yes Robie, I do know; thanks for asking.
The insert in my Iron Butterfly boxed set (which contains no less than three versions of the song), says that Doug Ingle was messing around with a lyric, "In the garden of Eden..." while drinking red wine on an empty stomach. Two thirds of a gallon later, when Ron Bushy asked him what he was working on, he slurred "In a gadda da vida..." and the rest was history.
Anything else I can help out with, you just let me know. Unfortunately, I'm expecting to be pretty busy skiing for the next 8 or 10 months, but I'll be sure and try to fit it in.
The insert in my Iron Butterfly boxed set (which contains no less than three versions of the song), says that Doug Ingle was messing around with a lyric, "In the garden of Eden..." while drinking red wine on an empty stomach. Two thirds of a gallon later, when Ron Bushy asked him what he was working on, he slurred "In a gadda da vida..." and the rest was history.
Anything else I can help out with, you just let me know. Unfortunately, I'm expecting to be pretty busy skiing for the next 8 or 10 months, but I'll be sure and try to fit it in.
Greg, as much as you hoped to have escaped the local news, Channel 5 did have a shot of you as you tightened your waiststrap one last time before heading up the hill. (I was wondering if the phantom skier was anyone I knew). Joyce, (channel 5 newscaster) did comment: "Is that a skier I just saw, and the other newscasters comment was, yes, it's one of "those" cross country skiers, ;D ??? and from the looks of this weather, I'm sure they're not going to have much fun. Well you seemed to have proved them wrong. Getting first tracks of the season and doing the infamous splits, and ass over teakettle move, gets a 9 plus on my score card ;D
Thanks for the reminder. I'm not one for personal glory in the chase for never-ending turns, except within my own household. A few friends told me about the unwanted notoriety, both on TV and radio. (Apparently there's some info sharing going on in the media!) Notwithstanding, I'd not give back any of those precious moments, even captured as a "cross-country" skier! I'm just hoping that the frozen base warms a bit now, so we don't have that wonderful sheet of Teflon beneath the entire winter base until March, ala last year!
"I'm still having fun, so I'm gonna keep chasing my tail!"
"I'm still having fun, so I'm gonna keep chasing my tail!"
It never stops playiing in my head.
Robie, the only time that drum solo never stops playing in my head is after a very hard night! ;D
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