Mountain Times - Vol. 49, No. 53 - Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021

The Mountain Times • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 COLUMNS • 39
Livin’ the dream: Find the spirit of the mountains within you and seek the adventure in every day
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from page 37
couldn’t tell what was happening or when we were.
Our modern equipment felt almost soulless when
compared to the stories that resided within his one
wooden axe.
We were, quite simply, awed.
Until recently, the old mountaineer and his wife
had climbed these mountains together their whole
lives. Now, he climbs them alone — but always with
her. No matter how many years it had been since they
had hiked together, he always felt her presence while
he climbed these particular mountains. And so he
would hike. And sing a song to her. His yodel would be
picked up by the wind and carried to where it needed
to be. His song of love would intertwine with her
spirit, floating in the winds of the mountains.
We continued our descent, feeling otherworldly
but still following the well placed cairns that were
almost buried by the snow. As we approached the
So, as we begin 2021 and
leave this horrendous year
behind us, I encourage you all
to howl into the wind...
landing at Lion’s Head, Vespi surprised us by breaking
away from our little group and jogging ahead. We
paused in our hike to watch our little golden retriever
stand in the exact spot that the old mountaineer had
vacated an hour ago.
Vespi always loved to stand in silence atop mountains
and feel the winds swirl around her. She would
sit quietly for hours, allowing the smells and sounds
from miles away rise up and overtake her. I always
believed she was surrounding herself with wisdom,
as she listened to what the mountain wanted to teach
her. She was always attentive but not once, in all our
adventures, had she ever made a single noise.
Until this moment.
Suddenly, she let out a long, wolf like howl that
echoed the sorrowful yodel of the old mountaineer.
We heard her voice, full of awe and reverence, as she
sang into the mountain winds. We had never heard
her howl before and over the next five years of her
life, we would never hear her howl again. There was
something about this one spot in this one moment
that inspired her to combine her voice with the wind.
I’ve never wanted to understand a dog so much in my
By Merisa Sherman
Vespi, the dog, ventures out alone on the landing of Lion’s Head peak, a perfect place to howl into the wind.
entire life as I did in that moment.
But in some ways, I think I am learning. Vespi always
had a deeper understanding of the mountains,
and she knew them from such a different viewpoint
that I often followed her lead in the woods. I allowed
myself to be taught how to see and explore the mountains
from the viewpoint of a dog, albeit a wise and
experienced one. And, in her honor, every year I recommit
myself to the basic principles that she taught
me. So, as we begin 2021 and leave this horrendous
year behind us, I encourage you all to howl into the
wind, seek adventure in the every day ... and, as Vespi
showed me, may you find the spirit of the mountains
within you.
Looking back: Learning to ski for love, and the memories made in the process
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from page 36
I could see ski lessons in my future and wondered how
those would go. This romance could be over just as it
was beginning.
Before meeting Peter I had occasionally ventured
onto slopes beyond the Country Club. I skied at both
Pico and Killington…if you can actually call it skiing!
At Pico I always knocked my partner off the T-bar when
we got to the steep upper part. When I was on the chair
I had trouble figuring out the timing of a proper exit. I
practically jumped off each time which is certainly not
the way to do it. I took the gondola once at Killington,
thinking that would make my life easier, and I forgot to
take out my skis and down the mountain they went. As
you might guess getting up the mountain was as challenging
for me as getting down!
I definitely knew that Peter had his work cut out for
him if I was going to have any success on the slopes. Our
first venture together was on the infamous T-bar and I
had a proud moment when I didn’t knock him off. Then
the real challenge began, getting me down without going
from one side of the trail to the other. No nicely carved
turns for me, and turning to the left definitely happened
with a lot more grace than turning right. I did a snowplow
most of the way down…crossing in front of other skiers as
I made my way from one side of B Slope to the other. Peter
did his best to teach me but my lack of coordination and
fear prevailed and my “style” never changed!
Every Sunday Peter taught in the Junior Program at
Pico. While he was teaching I was happy reading a book
inside the Pico Ski Club building. At one point I offered
Peter did his best to teach me but my
lack of coordination and fear prevailed
and my “style” never changed!
to help an instructor with the really little kids who had
lessons on the “bunny slope.” They were so cute and had
no fear. Of course, I chalked that up to the fact that they
were closer to the ground than I was! By the way, the only
“help” I qualified for was bringing the kids back to the
lodge to use the restrooms. I had found my niche in the
ski world.
Skiing changed for me when we took a getaway weekend
at Stowe. We skied downhill on Saturday but the
temperature was frigid. Inside the motel were brochures
for the Trapp Family Cross Country Center. We went
there on Sunday and rented skis. I had the time of my
life! There were no lifts and no gigantic hills to traverse…
and very few people to get in my way! It was peaceful in
the woods and I could take time to enjoy the beautiful
scenery and views. Peter had a good time too and our
“accidental XC adventure” was the beginning of many
others over the years.
As time went by Peter split his time between
downhill skiing with his friends and cross-country
skiing with me at local places like Mountain Meadows,
Mountain Top and Blueberry Hill. They are all beautiful
areas and it’s nice to have choices nearby.
Unfortunately as we age our bodies don’t always let
us do the things we want to do. That is the time when
the two words “Remember when?” are used to start
many of our sentences. At this time of year, a “skiing
story” is sure to follow those two words
If it’s your turn to make ski memories, strap on the
skis and head down a mountain vertically or enjoy a
cross country adventure. Some day you will look back
and say, “Remember when?”