An Ode to WINTER...

I don't know what an "Ode" is but it sounds poetic, regardless the Fam went Snowboarding for the final time this weekend. Thanks to Al Gore we can now enjoy winter sports far into what has traditionally been SPRING, (you really need to hike up your Carbon footprint people). It had been awhile since we traveled to Sundown (Dubuque Ia.) so we headed north. According to the Office, Sundown was sporting a 5' foot base and groomed packed powder, while technically true, it was much closer to five feet of SOLID ice with sugar on top. Being reluctant (read "broke") to purchase our own boarding gear, we need to rent equipment where ever we go, the state of this rental stuff varies from place to place but it will get you down the hill, that being said, for those of us who are "goofy footed" (right foot forward) they simply turn the mountings around on any given board that have been THRASHED by all the 'regulars" (left foot forward). What this does is put the ripped up edge on my heel side so all my backside cuts become SKETCHY, if not downright dangerous...(footnote here, I WILL own and WEAR a helmet the very next time I strap into a snowboard) You can guess where this is leading right? My "normal" wipeouts became epic on the ice block slopes, and I've been popping ibuprophen since Saturday evening. I may even purchase my own Board for next year (fingers crossed) cuz in the immortal words of Mr. Hooper, "I can't take this abuse much longer"...other than that, with the arrival of DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, the Tuesday night Roadie rides begin again, Tis the first green of spring!