The hectic holiday season is almost over, and today offered the perfect chance to re-charge on the slopes. The last couple weeks have been a flurry of activity. Opening Day was just 15 days ago, and since then, we’ve seen the arrival of the holiday crowds, visits from Santa Claus, a handful of delightful powder days, and a virtual onslaught of skiers and snowboarders enjoying family time together here on the slopes as it snowed, and snowed, and snowed some more.

Today offered a true reprieve.  As most folks packed up to head back home this morning, the sun came up on a gorgeous, relatively quiet day here at Brundage Mountain.  For me, it was an opportunity to catch my breath and enjoy that quiet feeling of being at peace, on top of the world.

A serene morning scene, looking down on Meadows Valley, socked in by fog.

Long Valley was also under a blanket of white this morning as the golden sun sparkled off the Brundage summit.

I paused for a minute in this surreal scene. The sunlight was just beginning to flicker over the top of the Salmon River Mountains and illuminate the snow ghosts with a peachy glow.

I found the fine lines of iridescent snow crystals almost mesmerizing in this pattern. It was a perfect time to take some deep breaths and look back on a busy, yet fulfilling holiday season. To embrace the spirit of starting a brand new year and leaving outdated notions behind.

Pausing for a moment at the top of the world, it’s easy to embrace the stillness and re-center your thoughts.

But, like these young skiers, there was something tugging against my stillness.

Gravity held out its beckoning hand, and asked me if I wanted to dance…

I took one last look around at the pristine snow-capped peaks drenched in the morning sun…

Then angled my tips willingly downhill…

because I simply can’t imagine a better way to get back into the groove.

– April