By Nielsen Greiner EBS COLUMNIST
On the morning of Dec. 10, I hopped on Swifty with two skiers. “Can we put down the rain bubble?” I asked, only half joking. We all let out a grim laugh as raindrops spattered the blue shield.
This month, I had a first—I went snowboarding in the rain, and in December at that. Do they make windshield wipers for ski goggles? I don’t know about you, but winter motivation has been a little hard to come by. It’s almost Christmas, can you believe it? I think it’s okay to not be entirely stoked.
Not only that, but it’s December and if you’re like me, you’re almost over all the people coming into town—before most have even shown up. My blood pressure and heart rate rises at the mere thought of infuriatingly slow drivers, crowded lift lines, long waits at restaurants and full bar stools.
And yet, tourism and busy holiday seasons provide many of us with the money to pay the bills and live in a town we love. Whether you’re employed in the food service industry or retail, shoveling snow, driving a bus or working on the mountain, every day brings another opportunity to choose positivity—no matter the snow conditions—and show kindness to strangers. You live where people vacation; a day on the mountain is always a win, and a smile can make a visitor’s experience all the more enjoyable.
I can almost guarantee that the small effort of turning your head and saying a quick, “Hello, how’s it going today?” to the person next to you on the chairlift will lead to many enjoyable conversations and moments of laughter; it certainly has for me.
Don’t beat yourself up
Apart from what you do for others, how can you take care of yourself as the busy holiday season approaches?
If you find yourself needing to hit the personal reset button, here are some options to consider.
Spend time outside away from the resort; take a walk in your neighborhood, dust off the cross-country skis, or go for a mellow tour—of course, read the avalanche forecast, go with a partner, and don’t forget your beacon, shovel and probe. Be safe out there!
Take a whole day off and don’t leave the house—yes, preferably when it’s not a powder day.
If you go to the resort, then go with friends who will force you to slow down and take it easy, instead of trying to “get after it” every lap.
Pick up a new hobby that doesn’t involve adrenaline, or even going outside—knitting, anyone?
If you spend most nights out, then try taking more nights in—time to crack that book you’ve been wanting to read. On the flip side, if you spend most nights in, then try taking more nights out—time to catch up with that friend you haven’t seen in far too long.
Here’s one way the wild recently took care of me. Since I have a “Green” pass and can’t ride the resort on weekends, on a recent Sunday morning I drove a few miles to my favorite five-mile hiking loop to beat the blues. As I entered the openness of the sagebrush meadows, my heart opened up along with the view.
As the low-lying sun struggled up over the conifers along the creek, its wintery light dispersed whatever ailed me. My shoes crunched over frozen snow. I stopped at my favorite aspen and Douglas fir, and, startled from a silent revelry, took a moment to listen to the happiest of Townsend solitaires as they performed their bright song in the darkest of months.
Nielsen Greiner is an aspiring writer and outdoor enthusiast based in Big Sky. He loves snowboarding and splitboarding, mountain biking, long day hikes and truck camping in the woods, and has a thing for books, coffee, trees and birds. This summer, Nielsen lived out of his truck while traveling through Canada and Alaska for two months. To read more, visit nielseninthewild.com.
