What it does

I have to admit I forgot how intimidating below zero weather could be to a high school girl trying to work her freestyle skills. How tough for anyone even, (I didn’t see Mr.White out there today…). But I was comfortable and happy in this weather. Perhaps it is the DC puffy coat and the DC denim over half inch thick patagucci longjohns, but I don’t think that was it. The striking black and white wingtip colorway of the comfortable and highly effective DC SuperPark Boots kept my toes working. My NXTZ neckie kept my sensitive and many times frostbitten face warm and protected. Its not even pink- my face that is. Said neck gaiter is a double layered non goggle fogging green, black and brown camoflague. No pink on that either and it was a recent gift from alumnus Jeremy Thompson. These NXTZ items are all the rage according to my housemate Dan Landy. Dan thinks they are about as cool as glassy swells. I think it’s a pretty good gaiter and appreciate it but I don’t think that was it either. My Smith Double Layer Beanie and Smith Prodigy goggles? I don’t think so. The source of my warmth and fine attitude on such a tough day I mean. No I am pretty sure, in fact I am very sure that I was warm and comfortable “standing around” out there at nine thousand feet above sea level in the ten below air on creaky dry snow because of one special girl. She was not intimidated and she did not take a break and she hiked and dropped and hiked and dropped and then hiked and dropped switch…Oh did I say switch? Yes switch and not only that but switch backside and again and again. And she rode better today than yesterday and better yesterday than the day before and this pattern has gone on for each day no regard for the weather. (Yeah we took yesterday off but I'm establishing her pattern. Her story. )

Shelby Simpson.

What else can I say? I can say NO-ONE does her run. And I can say that Im sorry for the late start to ski season and the lengthening of Kayaking season back home. It’s on me. Or maybe it is Shelby’s fault that it was seventy degrees warmer back in VT than it was here today. Everyone knows my heart is at home and today my heart was so swollen with pride at the work she did that it not only kept me warm out here but you can open your doors to the warm air and listen to the rivers tell her story. Believe it. Riding is not about contests and it is not about pictures and there is no picture for this story because riding is about heart and you don’t see heart. You see what it does and today I see Shelby Simpson showing me what riding is. Thanks SS.