"Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!"

Here's an old song from the 10th Mountain Division that's perfect for this time of year. A few of us enjoyed singing it yesterday in the Crystal Mountain backcountry.

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TWO BOARDS
(Words and Tune from Austrian Ski Song "Zuoa Brett")

The years may have more than one season
But I can remember but one,
The time when the rivers are freezin’
And the mountains with whiteness are spun,
The snowflakes are falling so fast,
And winter has come now at last.

1st CHORUS
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
What else does a man need to know?
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
That's all that a man needs to know. 

The hiss of your skis is a passion;
You cannot imagine a spill!
When, Bang! — there's a godawful gash in
The smooth shining track on the hill.
What's happened you can't understand;
There's two splintered boards in your hand.

2nd CHORUS
Two boards and some snow down your neck, Oh heck!
Your skis are a hell of a wreck.
Two boards and some snow down your neck, Oh heck!
Your skis are a hell of a wreck. 

I care not for government taxes,
Take everything else that I own.
But leave me my boards and my waxes,
In the mountains, just put me alone.
The snowflakes are falling so fast,
And winter has come now at last.

1st CHORUS
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
What else does a man need to know?
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
That's all that a man needs to know. 

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The above lyrics are from a little booklet published by the 10th Mountain Division Association for their reunion at French Lick, Indiana in 1989.

You can hear the tune for this song by clicking the following link on the 10th Mountain Division Descendents website:

10thmtndivdesc.org/songs/Twoboards.mp3

You can see a picture of the 87th Infantry Glee Club in 1942 (perhaps singing this song) on the Denver Public Library website:

digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll22,15879

There were apparently several versions of the song.  In conversations with pioneer skier Dale Allen, Chester Marler uncovered a version in which the last stanza went like this:

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I care not if government taxes
Take everything else that I own;
Two hickory boards and some waxes
And I'm free in the mountains alone.
If death finally finds me in Spring,
Inscribe on my tomb what I sing:

CHORUS
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
What else does a man need to know?
Two boards upon cold powder snow, Yo-ho!
That's all that a man needs to know. 

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Enjoy!

"You take the kids, the car and the keys, just leave me my wax and my skis!"

"Two boards upon cold powder snow, yo ho, what more does a man need to know?"

good stuff, Lowell.

If you check out Lowell's link to the pic, the Denver Library has quite a few other cool pic's online of the 10th Mtn Div. in action in Italy and training in Colorado and at Paradise.