Living at 9600 feet near the Continental Divide in Breckenridge, CO, snow in September is far from a novelty.  As a professional skier and backcountry educator, one could assume I would be skiing as soon as the first flurries hit the ground.  Skiing has been my passion for over 30 years.  Although the past couple early seasons, I found I wasn’t skiing as much as “I thought I should.”

Every November and December, I slip into hibernation mode.  My body and mind energetically align with the pagan seasonal calendar as daylight wanes.   The wood-burning stove in our 19th century cabin warms the December chill as my body slowly adjusts to the drop in temperature. I dream of surfing in warm, sunny Mexico.  Busy as squirrel, I prepare for the upcoming holiday season, dial in my gear and put my ducks in a row for the Babes in the Backcountry winter workshops.  At home, I stack abundant cords of pine beetle kill for firewood, store the garden tools and gather my resources for approaching 6 months of winter.

My early season rhythms do not resonate with the hustle and bustle of a ski town preparing for as busy season. Thankfully, coinciding with the Winter Solstice on December 21st, the return of the light (i.e. longer days).  I emerge  from my shell. Alive again, my body and soul now drawn to the snow covered peaks. The longer days evoke a new vibrancy in my attitude.  Energized, I am ready to conquer the world.  Armed with a ski pass and a couple of Telemark (PSIA) and Avalanche (AIARE) professional development courses, I begin once more to explore the snow covered mountains and implement the new information from the refresher courses.

For those of  you who have had similar experiences,  congratulations. You have made it through the darkness. Wave goodbye to the old and in with the new. 2010 is a year of “doing” rather than “to dos.”  In this new decade…make things happen while remaining calm, focused and balanced.  Fine tune your “to do” list and then get after it. Let things go that aren’t serving you.  Be gentle with yourself and others. Enjoy times with friends and family. Keep your eyes open, have fun and get out and play in the snow.

P.S.  Last night Breckenridge was finally blessed with 8″ of light Rocky Mountain Powder.  I hit save draft,  closed down the computer and strapped on my G3 Zests for a fabulous powder day.

Gardening is new to me.

Last July, with 3 days before my in-laws came to visit, I plunged into gardening as I had head first into Free Heel skiing 19 years ago. Looking around, seeing what others were doing and going for it.

My process is very different from my honey s. He researches, absorbs and quickly moves into action. I am process oriented, requiring a framework to go deeper. As with backcountry skiing and avalanche education, the more I explored the backcountry, my frame of reference widened and my understanding expanded. With my learning style, innocent is bliss. In gardening this can be time consuming and expensive. In the backcountry it possibly could be deadly.

Baba Hari Dass writes in his book Everyday Peace, Letters for Life …” Why is a teacher necessary? The answer is that they reduce the aspirants time researching and experimenting with different paths. You can learn to drive a car with out a teacher. But it will take a long time to figure out how to start the car, how to accelerate it, how to steer it and how to stop it. With a teacher you will learn these in ten to fifteen minutes. Also you will be saved from accidents if the teacher is guiding you. ”

This spring, after my first summer of experimenting, the fruits of my labors are already blooming. Sadly we are missing a couple plants confiscated by our squirrel population for their winter shelters. The top soil purchased full of weeds, has left me with several more projects and investigation to rid our backyard of these devilish predators, although beautiful spreading like wildflowers. Now with a framework, ?I am looking forward to further educating myself on low care, low water, high altitude gardening and weed control. Since gardening is one of many summer activities, I have a vested interest in streamlining my efforts. Now seeing the value in challenging myself to become a more focused learner, I also have a framework for this motivation.

Gardening has opening up a new way to reconnect with the earth giving me time to tune in, focus and enjoy my surrounding. Working with the land offers a deeper connection to both one’s immediate environment and the planet. Although as with backcounty skiing, I still enjoy the process. With my new endeavour, I have found a connection with the elements. As a new skier, gardening is opening up many doors and allowing me to incorporate life lessons into this cycle of birth and death. Playing in the dirt, working with the soil and listening to my environment as I enjoying the journey through the earth cycles. Like the bliss of a powder run, so is the experience of watching the plants and flowers bloom. Its a whoosh.

A virgins thoughts on Gardening.

• Use you Black Diamond Tele Knesis knee pad for comfy kneeling.
• Incorporate yoga into your gardening posture. Concentrate on your core to avoid lower back pain.
• Keen shoes work great as gardening shoes as they can be hosed of or put in the wash.

Thanks for any advice

Digging in and Digging it.

Leslie @ 9600 ft Breckenridge, CO