Replying to The Fever

As I slouch in this warm, leather chair clicking on my keyboard, I realize that my condition may never leave. I take another long sip of smooth, steaming coffee and stretch my legs, taking a break from an old, faded edition of Powder Magazine. It seems as though I can never be cured.
Another sunny mid-October morning has crept upon me. But what can I do? My cold fingers are glued to the keys of this board, my eyes fixated on this screen. My time is now measured by something other than an amount seconds, minutes, or hours. But by lengthy Youtube clips of Chad Sayers climbing an ancient couloir on Baffin Island; or crossing an icy fjord of Iceland’s forgotten frontier. When I have finished the treks of Chad, I crave a larger fix. I need to watch Blizzard of Ahhhs until it’s memorized and study Into the Mind by the Sherpas until I catch every glimpse of spiritual symbolism.
What is this unconscious disease that has slowly gripped my life with its icy fingers? Ski Fever. You may have experienced some symptoms before. The beginning stages of Ski Fever are mild. Even in the heat of the summer sun, skiing may start to enter your mind a little bit more often. It will become a popular topic between you and your friends, skiers and not.
Once the hook is set however, more advanced stages of this constricting disability will begin to find form. You may begin to uncontrollably watch skiing clips or check out the new gear coming in from your favorite companies. But unfortunately for me, I have reached the climax of this disease. Every hour is spent reading articles of Powder Magazine. Every other minute has led to completing at least four hours a day of videos including every single ski video ever posted by GoPro’s youtube channel.
I can’t figure out how to talk about anything other than skiing. At night, my dreams are consumed with thoughts of the first dusting on the tippy top of my home mountain. Sometimes, in the sub-conscious state of a sprouting dream, my mind will let me experience the very feeling which every powder hog chases: that unearthly glide on a bottomless pillow of pow.
These moments ease my symptoms for a little while. However, there is only one cure. To go skiing. If you suffer from Ski Fever, there is a hope. What I can tell you is to fend off the consumption to the best of your ability. Just hang on. Winter is nearly upon us. Just get ready to slam the first snow. Power through this last bit of hardship until you check into nature’s hospital. Until the crisp mountain air can be your oxygen mask. Until the ancient, snow covered trees can become your nurses. Until the fluffy, white substance that controls you, lets you take over. It will be worth it, my friends.