‘Tis the season to be jolly, not because Santa is on his way (despite what the malls desperately want you to believe), but because snow is falling. Sure the changing colour of the trees is nice, but what we’re all dreaming of is a blank canvas, the absence of colour, white, pure, fluffy snow. Waiting is hard, there is always so much hype. The nights get colder and longer, shred porn premieres abound, the new gear is in stores. Snow shows, first snows, first resorts open up, all leading up to that first epic, first chair, first turns of the season. No matter when you finally get out and ride snow, or where you scored your first turns,  who you got to share them with, or how thin the coverage ended up being, or what the snow was like, but we ALL know why, why we go to such great lengths for those first turns of the year. We know that some things just aren’t so important, whats important is that we get to ride, because its fun, because we must, everything else seems somewhat inconsequential in the fall.

October 3, 2009. "First turns of the season are always so delicious."

After many (or few, or no) months off the snowy slopes, we all need it bad, we’re desperate, consumed with snow forecasts, plotting road trips to the highest, coldest places we can think of, anything to get those first turns soon, NOW! I hate to say it but I’m not as desperate as many, in fact this October less then any other year I can remember I feel calm, patient, like I’m viewing the hype from the outside. I haven’t lost the stoke, I have it in spades, its just that my season has already begun. I hiked a lot this summer, and did not hesitate to hike some more the moment there was enough snow (barely) settled on the ground to make turns. I kicked my season off on a beautiful Saturday, October 3rd and it was glorious. I’m not the only one either, there are a lot of (lucky) people who have already gotten out to ski, board, gt snowrace? For the luckiest (or hardest working), their season never ends, they either chase the snow from hemisphere to hemisphere or they find it by travelling to the highest places, gruelling ascents, making turns all year regardless of conditions or sacrifice. if you are jealous of these people (and to a degree we all are), then use it as motivation to make your own sacrifice to make this a season (or calender year) a one to remember, its all up to you, get your priorities straight!

Be it scrounging a few dollars together for a seasons pass, using up your sick days (cough H1N1 cough) when it dumps, or just getting to a hill, any hill, as often as possible to do what you love to do. But savour these early feelings, because soon all that preseason hype might subside. All the hills will eventually open and you’ll hear people whining about snow quality or the slow friend of a friend you’re riding with, horrendous lift lines, shitty parking, ice, rain, you might even get pissed off by some of it yourself. Just remember that back in the fall, before the snow was sticking to the slopes, you would have given your first born for a turn, any turn. So enjoy it, revel in it, both the highs and the lows of the season, because for be it mediocre or epic, you’ll still miss it when its gone, that I assure you.

I’ll leave you with a couple more pics from my opening day of the 2009/2010 season, the snow is falling!!!

Go out and get some!

By SplitBoarder.

and the trail begins, we'll have to make some major elevation gains before we can even consider strapping in.

Berries getting buried. Sorbet anyone?

Fresh and deep snow. Still, boulder fields are not a wise terrain choice, neither is a lake.

Good enough for you? More then good enough for me...

Early season obstacles are fun to play with.

soft and quiet, enjoying every moment.

final lap and the afternoon fades, a long hike back to the car before dark.