Chairlift Conversations

Stevens Pass Brooks Chair. Photo by Amy Galbraith.

I woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground this morning. I gathered up my gear and headed out to the resort for some solo turns. I like riding by myself to a certain extent. It's fun listening to my music, and I never have to wait for anyone. On the flipside though, I get bored. I don't always feel like talking to whoever is sitting next to me on the lift. Yes, it's great to get to know people, but sometimes I just want to chill out and listen to my own thoughts. Whenever I sit down on the chair with a stranger, I get that anxiety that forms when you sit down on an airplane. "Do I talk to them?" "What if they never stop talking?"

I don't know. When I think about it, I've never had a bad conversation on a chairlift. I've met all kinds of characters. One time I was night riding at Stevens Pass in WA and a crazy big dude with long hair, and a beard even longer than his hair, told me that he got buried head first 15 feet down in an avalanche in Wenatchee Bowl the week before. I guess his buddy saved him within minutes. Believable? Maybe...Another vivid memory is when I got to ride the Thunder chairlift in Jackson Hole with the man who always wears fur. Not just a fur coat (which is extremely long and gaudy by the way), but a fur top hat and I believe fur pants as well. The only words I remember him saying were "Yep, the animals know how to do it." ...what?? I always wondered how bad that suit smelled at the end of a long day of riding. Maybe I don't want to know.

Job Update: Yesterday, David went and interviewed with skateboarding website and got the job! He will be working customer service, internet, and many other unknown tasks for Go Skate or Go Home , a skateboard merchandise site. I am also going to be filling in the gaps of needed money by working for Jackson Hole Babysitting . Sounds like a pretty sweet gig, and I'll be able to make a little extra dough when I need it.

On another update, I just wanted to give my congrats to my wonderful boyfriend whose photo was chosen as the "Editor's Choice" in the Washington Trails Association photo contest. It will be featured in their January/February magazine...so proud! Here's the photo:

Little Polka Dot Dress. Photo by David Duffy.