This was the month that started my passion for making turns all year. Willamette Pass was open and rumor had it that the snow was in pretty good shape. So, my buddy Andy and I headed out to see what was up. I was just coming off a minor back surgery due to a herniated disc (which is why I didn’t get November turns) and didn’t want to hit it too hard, so we stuck mostly to the groomers, which were in nice condition. We did manage to get down SDN a time or two though, as the snow was in decent enough shape that I didn’t jar my body around too badly. It so happens that this was also the day I met Todd, whom I knew from work, but had never rode with. Todd and I would later become good friends and backcountry partners as a result of this meeting. Overall, it was a good day, and very refreshing to be back in the winter environment after another long hot summer (which was made longer by injury). It was also the start of something special…..month one of Turns All Year….
Note: I only have one photo from the day which survived my computer crash from a few years ago, and it is of the ski run from the bottom of SDN. Due to it’s unimpressive nature, I substituted this shot of me in the very same place from a few years ago, after a 30 inch powder dump in March. Photo taken by Andrew Sahalie.
