Like diving or snorkeling, visiting a zoo, and wandering around an aquarium, I was practically the last person off the mountain (with the exception of ski hill staff zooming by on snowmobiles). As the last vestiges of daylight drifted by, 2 snowboarders zipped past me as I approached the bottom. I am sure they were coming from the very top of a Blackcomb glacier as the lifts and gondolas had been shut down and closed for about 15 minutes. (Blackcomb glacier is so high up that it takes quite a long time to make it back down. It was afterall, the site of the 2010 Olympic downhill skiing event!!!!)
The nice thing about being a snowshoer on a ski hill is that you end up being one of the last ones off since you cannot wizz on down like everyone else. Because working our way down is slower, we had time to enjoy the marvelous views and sunset the entire time which I probably would not be able to do had I still been able to ski. My vision cannot keep up with fast movements which either makes things a messy blur or triggers an annoying double vision episode throwing me into a fit of vertigo.
As we marveled at the glory of the sun setting in the mountains on the way down, it occurred to me of what an unforeseen opportunity the NF2 created. I never in my life imagined to snowshoe up a ski hill! Doing so set us apart and gave us some solitude. We were off doing our own thing and going against the grain of everyone else. I am sure people looking down at us digging into the hill thought "Wow! What alot of work! Who in their right mind would do that when you can just take this nice high speed transit and race your way back to the bottom?" I know I would have thought that back in my carefree days without the concerns and effects NF2 inflicts.
Yet, what those who may have been bewildered over my craziness missed is what an incredible empowering opportunity lay before me. I don't know. I think I might venture to say that I enjoyed tackling that mountain more than I ever did skiing effortlessly down it. Equally satisfying was to be able to turn around and have the ability to enjoy the view all the way down. No way did I want to ride the gondola back as Harley suggested. I would not do that unless I had become intolerably cold on the verge of hypothermia or frost bite for fingers and toes. I wanted to prolong the experience as long as possible.
I took GREAT pleasure in being LAST!
click the following link to see how to sign "Last", also the same as "final":
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/LAST/3770/1
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