Springtime in Whistler
Only hardcore snowboarders and skiers cling to the vanishing glories of winter at this time of year. Guilty as charged. The snow is usually soft and wet, but the blue skies and intense sun are more than enough to offset those minor inconveniences.
Early in the day, the snow gets carved into a nasty chop that makes even those with young legs think twice about doing too many runs. That's not the point of spring riding. The idea is to see and be seen in as little clothing as possible. Those of us who shudder at being described as "outdoorsy" nonetheless earn the rep by thumbing our noses at the carcinogenic rays.
Once the shock absorbers are worn out, we hit the sundeck. The Roundhouse at Whistler Mountain has an outdoor barbecue that gives us the opportunity to ingest unhealthy quantities of burgers and fries. That thereby gives us the energy to spend the rest of the day in the anaerobic pursuits of napping in the intense sun.
Before succumbing to the delights of repose, we managed a few runs. One of which took us to the top of Whistler Mountain. Rather than rush into physical activity, we stopped at the top of the Peak Chair to take some photos. One of my favorite subjects is what I call the alien in the mountains.
To be geographically correct, this peak is called Black Tusk. It has always struck me as a giant alien planting a monstrous sitzmark.
One of the fringe benefits of going to Whistler this time of year is that it gets me above the allergy zone. The horrendous allergy attack I suffered last week still manifested its effects until I got into the high alpine, whereupon my sinuses miraculously cleared and I felt reborn. One doesn't appreciate breathing until it it is interfered with. Now I'm back in thr allergy zone, but I am now immune. I have breathed the clear mountain air at 7,000 feet and it totally nuked those evil histamines.
Rather than post a photo of my relatively unattractive self, I leave you with a photo of the delicious Reiko in her element atop Whistler Mountain.
11:24:35 PM 
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