Writers on the Storm: 12/14 -12/18

You can never go home again. Tomas Wolfe told me that, and the older I get the more I’m inclined to believe him. 

But last week felt like pulling into the driveway. Like that wonderful moment spent sitting in my car when no one notices me pull in. Like staring into my kitchen, and watching my friends (whom I haven’t invited over) sit on the countertops and drink beer, expecting something for dinner. 

It’s been a long time since anything has felt like home, but last week was close. Powder will always bring me there, and the forecast looks like the long road North. Wolfe may have been right about home, but he didn’t say shit about the driveway. 

23 inches coated the upper mountain and over 10 inches blanketed everything below 8,000 feet. Yes, it’s still early season but 23 inches is enough to safely pad everything that had previously been unsafely obscured. Bury the lurkers! At last off-piste skiing has evolved beyond exploratory. 

Now we wait at the doorstep, for that special window to open up, that “everything goes” window. But wait we must. Until then, enjoy this. 

Words by : Jimmi Ryan- @jimmiryan

Photos by: Stephen Shelesky- @stephenshelesky