Jeeze, I never wrote anything about Baldface!?!

Seriously?

Holy epic adventure that was.  And such a weird contrast to the month I had just spent overseas. 

I had worked a long, 14 or so hour shift on the last day, gone out for a late dinner and didn’t make it back to the hotel until like 11:00 PM…and seeing how I had to leave for the airport at 3:00 AM, I saw no point in going to bed.  So I packed…and drank.

Got on a plane and flew for two hours to Amman, Jordan at 5:00 AM, then a short layover followed by six hours to London; another short layover and then about ten hours to Seattle.  I had time for a relaxed SeaTac dinner and a couple of latte’s and then hopped on another plane to Spokane where my dear friend and kindred spirit picked me up and we and two new quality dudes all went out for a late dinner and beers.  Then, of course, despite the intermittent, poor quality, drug induce state that vaguely resembled sleep that I experienced on the airplanes during the previous 24 hours, I could only get about four hours of shuteye…perfect. 

Then NEXT morning, we all drove three-ish hours to Canada, got on a helicopter (which, by the way was AWSOME!!!) and flew into this remote ski lodge outside of Nelson, B.C.  

I then proceeded to have the best four days of riding deep champagne powder, freshly served up every day for my riding pleasure.  I also got to hang out with a lovely group of dedicated snowboarders and industry folks, riding, riding in the snow cat, sharing meals, stories, and libations.  To top that off, because seriously, it obviously wasn’t ridiculous enough, among the wonderful people I met up there, I met and rode with for three days my first (and arguably only) snowboarding hero, Jamie Lynn. 

The whole thing was completely surreal.  And it felt like some kind of otherworldly reward for my hard work in Iraq. 

Thank you universe, I feel like I owe you one. 

Cheers!!!