Do We Take For Granted Our Ease of Access to TAY?

Where else in the country or perhaps the world for that matter can you have EASY access to snow that is within 60 miles of any habitable city 12 months out of the year? Some may know that I am attempting to chase a dream that many may deem impossible. Being that I do not have the thousands of dollars to train in Europe or South America during the off season, the next best thing is to live in a location to where I can not only train for OCR events but also skiing in the same day.

I think it may be easy for us to forget how fortunate we have it here in the PNW, especially for those of us who can resort to that "postage stamp" to get what ever skiing or riding we want/need to get in all months of the year. Aside from the fact I could use several more days at a racing camp to touch up on technique, it is nice to know that I can at least maintain some form of fitness throughout the year even if it means having to do repeat laps on nothing more than 100 vertical feet of snow.

I'm most certain I could probably find myself a good paying job somewhere in a big metropolis area far from the mountains with my masters in exercise science. I could follow the traditional trajectory of graduating from college, moving to a big city, find a job, date, get married, have kids, etc. I'm most certain family life is something to cherish, but I have succumb to the fact that I am not the biggest hit when it comes to the ladies. So for me to chase that 60-100k salary a year job in the big city and hope that I will find the one seems futile at this point in life. I'm more content in attempting to chase my dreams and if it happens, great, if not, at least I can lay in my death bed knowing that I gave it my best. With that being said, I try and remember not to take for granted the ability I have to practice train year round. I figure I have more control on attempting to reach my goals than I do trying to fulfill that cliche that "there is someone out there for everyone". 

With that being said, I'm willing to sacrifice that increased possibility of finding that lucrative high paying job in the big metropolis so that I can have more days like this and perhaps be one day closer to reaching my dream goal!

I for one have hated the last five years I spent stationed on the east coast. I don't take these mountains for granted!

Being a ski bum takes commitment, desire, sacrifice, and the grit to work meaningless jobs that never pay well but allow one to follow the way of the ski. Have a great winter.

What filbo said. It does take grit determination to be a ski bum, and usually a fair amount of sacrifice some where in your life. TAY seems to be chock full of those folks, I lost my way for a few years, but finding TAY brought me back to the fold. My routine check ins keep me on, the some would say single minded task of looking for the next turns! Yippee winter is coming!

Best of luck to you Donnelly in whatever you decide to do. I enjoy your YouTube videos. I met my wife at Western. My friends all told me that it would happen that way. That was 1989. We're still together...she is on the other side of the couch working on her master's degree. Aladdin is on the tube, and our three-year-old is making sounds from his room. Oh here he is now. He has a Nick from zootopia figurine that he needs me to stand up for him. We call it pootopia. Btw. We have made major changes in our life since Todd surprised us. We want Todd to appreciate untracked powder as much as his parents do. Lofty goal I know.

In late 2009, a major stepping stone for my professional career appeared... in Maryland. It was a step I couldn't take. It's a hard choice each time I look back at it, as the people, science, and resources were so good, but I'd make the same decision today.

This is a special place.

I'm 4th generation PNW and I try never to take what we have for granted. Living in Chicago for 4 years drove the point home - I couldn't wait to get back to "my mountains."

Arrived in 93 after bumming in Colorado and Utah and have spent the last 24 years skiing every line in the Hogback Cordillera out of White Pass. It has without a doubt been one of the last best places to ever want to be. To this day it still sets the standard for steep and deep to those in the know. Grateful is an understatement for the great luck that brought me here.

Arrived in 93 after bumming in Colorado and Utah

Phil! that phrase has SO MANY stories embedded in it, both prequel and sequel. Everyone needs to spend a week in a hut with Phil. The richest lives are those devoted to simply chasing adventures. We need to connect again, Phil! I'll come to white pass this winter!