[Powder]

A friend of mine says she's never skied first tracks. She sees people scoring blower face shots in movies and says it looks so untouchable, so unrealistic. Question follow: How do you get first tracks? Does the snow just fly up in your face when you ski through it?
It reminds me of what Cody Townsend once said first tracks: " The only thing I can compare to it is meeting your dream girl . It's the tension of the initial eye contact melded with the ease of her drifting your way and whispering into your ear, ' Hey Cody , come this way'".
Of course, there are those coincidences that align to make your miss firs tracks. You set your alarm for 6 p.m.- not a.m. You forgot your season pass and get rejected by the liftie just as the chair starts to spin. Or the light turns red at the key intersection, and you're stuck with second or third tracks. Which are good, but nowhere near as good as being first. First tracks is like being Neil F-ing Armstrong, where the stars and moon align to make you the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
But back to my curios friend- "What do you think about when you're skiing first tracks?"
Thoughts- money, relationships, hardships,school,work and chaos-cease. You're more present in your practice than Buddha in a downward dog. Ultimately, the only evidence of your dreamy first track is the mark winding through snow-covered trees.
Although first tracks may not be a tangible wealth, this upside down world in which we live and operate like overmedicated robots in A brave New World is a better place because of them. They give back in the form of smiles. And smiles are love.
Formed by tiny super-cooled and frozen cloud droplets, the journey this infallible substance traveled to worm untracked powder snow acts as an amazing amalgamation of Mother Nature.
Atop such perfection, question marks orbit a skier's head in an incessant loop- is this the right aspect? Will it better there- deeper, lighter, fluffier?
Your spine tickles, as excitement for nirvana balloons. Prayers of gratefulness go out, ski poles click twice , and then?
I'm reminded of Cody's words once again:
"The moment I push away from the edge and feel gravity take over is the moment when all peripherals vanish and my mind's singularity becomes the upcoming turn. From there it is all about the sex. It's just 'Ohhh, that felt good. Mmmm, that was nice,' all the way to the bottom."
Indeed, first tracks are the ultimate score.