Journal entry filed at MTNOPS.com. Get an account and start recording your days on the hill.

It seems like ages ago, the years where snowboarding dominated my life and my passion. Much has changed since those times, friends have moved on only to be replaced by others. Responsibilities and priorities have transformed and nothing seems quite as simple as it once did. This is not simply my tale, but the weight that rides on many shoulders.

Part of life is transitioning from a self centered existence to one that supports and is supported by others. The key it seems is to remember those solo days and manage to honor them from time to time. Snowboarding has always and will always be a massive part of who I am and how I exist. It is not simply a sport but a meditative moment in time. A time to be free of stress and submerged in Nature.

Back in the day, I would start to obsess over opening day shortly after the 4th of July. These days my mind is too consumed in the immediate to exert any energy thinking of the future. However, once the day is within sight, things change, I instantly morph to that naive teenager, eagerly checking weather, gathering gear, imagining runs of fresh, consumed with the process and the potential.

Opening day arrived this year with a phenomenal amount of snow and temperatures more apt for January. I peddled my way over the hill in the bimmer, braved the season's pass line of tall teed college ripsters, and found myself back in the fluffy kitty. Alone with the snow, some good tunes, and my ride, living in the moment for a moment.

And at the close of the day, I returned to the reality of reality, flush with a renewed appreciation of my life and my family. The kid in me needs refreshing occasionally to keep up with the primary kid in my life.

And for the time being, life triumphs.