Friday, January 30, 2009

Up the Mountain

Ah, it's a beautiful day. Just below zero temperatures and sunshine.
I didn't know where to go this morning, but then i was talking to somebody on-line, about beauty; -it's up the mountain, i go!
I take my epoke skis, which have bindings so that i can wear winterboots, which are better to climb the mountain, once i ski to it.
The wind is blowing,a South wind, soon i take my jacket of.
It's nice to hear the wind in the treetops, sometimes a breeze swirls around me.Till i come to the top of the esker. I love being in the wind! Snow is blowing.
Good thing i am not on top of the mountain opposite the valley. I love looking at it though. So, wild!
I loved the groomed trails in the beginning of the week,
but nothing beats cutting once own trail. There is incredible joy in that. Even when it gets a little out of hand, and i can barely pull my skis out.
Going uphill is quite ardeous too.
That reminds me of the beauty i am after. Nobody said it would be easy.I remind my self to go slow, one step at the time. And! I realize,i actually already am in the land of love and delight. I enjoy All, in between steps.


Yes, the snow is deep. I keep going till i find a nice high lunch spot. Higher and higher I go. Finally i reach a point i aimed for. Then the mountain makes me laugh, because the snow is shallow here, mostly blown off. And after struggling in deep snow, here i can actually walk, so i go higher yet! And I laugh again because this is no place to sit down, it's like what i saw accross the valley.
Going down is always fun. I have to make sure i go slow, uphill i had to stop every 5 meters, being out of breath. But now i have to make sure all this Joy is not over too soon.
Sun, wind, snow and the big, big sky, how good can it get?

6 comments:

Anja said...

Beautiful sky, snow and mountain! but you even ejoy the wind, I wish we had a little less, it makes it uncomfortably cold.

jozien said...

It is a warm South wind!

RachelW said...

Jozien, I want to know more about those epoke skis! It would be great to be able to wear skis with regular boots, for hiking.

christopher said...

Thank you for taking me on your climb. I especially felt the part about having to stop every five steps or so.

jozien said...

Rachel, i really don't know much about skis. The epoke is a back country cross-country ski. What makes mine special is the binding. It's all old equipment. Jane Vincent, a friend, bought a cross-country ski binding for normal winterboots at the Sally-Ann. We both don't know where and if they still sell them in stores.

Christopher, your quite welcome!

Cicero Sings said...

Lovely pictures Jozien and that one of you is real cute! Breaking trail with a crust on top ... is interesting!