Season Pass

This story was written for Corona Extra Canada, for their Winter 2016 "Closer to the Sun" campaign. This is post 8 of 8. The original blog can be found here. 

The snow is melting, the sky is warming up, and one by one, lifts are ceasing to turn. Mitch and I have said our good-byes to the mountains and are on our way back to flatter panoramas. The truth is, we aren’t quite ready to leave. For the past two months; frozen lakes, freshly groomed runs, and scenic summits have been our playgrounds. But Mother Nature has a natural rhythm. Spring’s slush will soon give way to June’s solstice, and by that time we will be bobbing in the ocean, neck-deep, with the aquatic company of seaweed and seals. Though the Pacific will be a refreshing treat, Mitch and I would never trade our mountain moments for anything.

Some people travel around the world in search of an endless summer- they chase the swell seeking new horizons and a never-ending glow. These globetrotters are unaware that by jumping the equator and skipping seasons, they are actually missing out. The truth is, winter brings what summer means. Perhaps they will not ride an epic wave, but among giant crests they may find a perfect, powdery line. A vibrant sun won’t sink into the ocean, but will, instead, illuminate an entire range as it dips into the crags. The list goes on- and is as long as the peaks are tall.

Mitch and I began this adventure with the intention of capturing the mountains- though we found this task rather impossible. The truth is, you cannot capture something so grand, so majestic, so immense. You can only pull away pieces in the shape of memories: the first run of the day, the chill from atop a glacier, the fresh perspective of a new summit, or an evening unwinding with friends. If you are lucky, you may also take away valuable reminders: slow down, engage your senses, be immersed in the moment, and focus on what really matters. Whether your beach chair is in the sand or snow, or in an office in Toronto, you can come to find these moments by making waves in your daily life, and then pausing to soak in the tide.

Heading home is beautifully bittersweet, as all good things must come to an end. Skis will be stowed, mountain bikes will shred where boards once did, and après ski moments will be traded for lakeside beers and sandy toes. But the powder will return again the following year, and with it will come new friends, breezy summits, fresh journeys, and all of those heartfelt things that never quite melt away. 

(photo credit: Mitchell Taylor)

This campaign was full of spontaneity, brewskies, and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-ski-pants adventure. To read these stories chronologically, start with the first post, "From Beach to Peak", where we head to Whistler, British Columbia.