Cougars, Calamities and Classics: Dear Sunshine…
Dear Sunshine Village,
I must admit that I’ve had my doubts about you in the past. You’ve been rather busy and your tendency to have flat spots that cause me to have to seal hop or unstrap my board and walk give me an unhealthy dose of rage. That being said I must thank you profusely for the absolutely fabulous, pillowy, buttery, marshmellowy powder that you provided yesterday for me and my fellow Reflector editors Katie Turner and Kelsey Chadwick.
In all my years riding have I ever experienced such a collection of stellar powder. Angel Express up lookout mountain albeit windy was a dream. I’m not the most learned or graceful of snowboarders but I felt I could do no wrong carving through the fresh pow’ that adorned the mountainside.
Riding up the Continental Divide Express my companions and I felt we had possibly died and entered the great beyond for the fog that consumed the top of the mountain, but what better way to go than to be able to experience such frozen delights. Riding down the South Divide into Cat Track corner the powder was literally knee deep. I don’t know how many cliches I can use in one blog but I’ll just say it was fan-fracking-tastic. Towards the bottom of said run we hit one of your infamous flat spots and I found myself angrily unstrapping and looking up into Sunshine Meadows.
It was quite a surreal moment for me as my anger vanished immediately. I don’t believe in Heaven but if there was such a place it would be Sunshine Meadows in January. The serenity and stoic nature of the place didn’t completely take away all the worries and cares I carry about these days but it certainly felt as if they were lifted just a little by said stellar mountain ranges.
Even riding down the gondola to check out the Goat we were practically giddy with the chubby snowflakes and fabulous tree runs that you had to offer. So I must thank you Sunshine. I have a busy next few months ahead of me and you were like an Oasis in the desert of my stress and I look forward to hanging out with you again one day.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Hipkin
