3-15-2013

And the crux of the crux was a few consecutive big steps across boulder tops, with a couple feet of snow perched on top, and water rushing beneath. I planned my moves, visualizing them, as I unbuckled my pack straps (so I could shuck it just in case I toppled). I planted my poles just so, reached one ski out, and tentatively weighted it, tamping it down to pack a step, taking measure of the snow’s yielding, feeling the base beneath, the point of compression where it would support me. It’s wild the degree of proprioception sensitivity one can develop over the decades of doing this stuff, feeling the snow subtleties through the soles of these rigid plastic boots. Real-time feedback, and appreciable consequences, tend to reinforce the learning.