A typical day cross country skiing in Yellowstone: bull elk resting in the snow, bison wandering down the ski trail, wolf tracks and scat scattered on the terrain, and water running under the translucent blue ice of a frozen waterfall.
My co-worker, Marti, and I took an afternoon ski to Tower Falls—a rather small fall by Yosemite standards at 132 feet, but beautiful nonetheless. Watching the water flow beneath the waterfall’s frozen coating was mesmerizing. I also learned the best strategy for dealing with the appearance of a bison herd in your ski path—make a wide berth around! Of course as soon as we had broke trail through the powder and arrived at the other side, the bison had removed themselves. I think they just like watching skiers do extra work.
After the ski, my neighbors of about 20 feet away invited me to a superbowl party. I dined on elk, moose, and mule deer, along with homemade enchiladas and sushi—all well earned after my ski excursion. I’m glad I went as most attendees were Giants fans, and New England needed a representative. I didn’t have any Patriots gear, so I wore my Red Sox hat.
I realized how old I am when one of the teenagers at the party asked me who the creepy old guy was singing at half time. My friend Michelle and I have a strong opinion that rock stars should not be allowed to play after 50, which this teenager further vindicated. I'm not a football fan, but how can the Pats lose after a perfect season? Actually, I am glad. Us New Englanders like being the losers and underdogs; our teams have been winning too frequently of late. Let's give it another 80 years before the next national victory-it builds character.