rocketeer

ok, now for something a little different

a challenge was put forward to me to see if i can write in a descriptive fashion and paint a mental picture without being emo

i think i can do it, but then everynow and then, on the wind i here the strangest sound. It is hardly audible, but it is definitely a sound, what could it be? Perhaps it is the voices of spirits, perhaps it is nothing, could it be a divine message, i don't know.

you see, stress and other factors weigh me down. I sometimes don't want to be emo,

Happy memories that stay with us forever will one day inspire us to tell stories, to amaze and fascinate the offspring of our offspring and in a cycle as old as time knowledge will be passed down. Dancing and singing, reading and writing, knowledge and wisdom is undeniable, we choose to study it we choose to ignore it, it is always there




on top of a mountain, the moon had come up, it took me 3 hours to hike there, when the moon began to rise above the mountains and i took that as a signal, i didn't know why but i had an overwhelming urge to hike to the top of the mountain.

It was cold so i put on my warm clothes, i think the thermometer read -10 when i set off, the clock must have registered a time close to 8.30, it was dark, but the full moon was rising.

There i stood at the base of the mountain, looking up at the ski-run carved out of the trees, my task simple, walk to the top following the lift line, i could do it.

covered up against the cold with my snowboard strapped to my back, this was going to be an adventure, i set off into the familiar yet unknown territory of the skihill, it was all the same, but dark

the familiar crunching of snow underfoot was the only noise breaking the silence, gone were the daytime sounds of sliding and grinding as punters fly by, this was my time to be alone and what i experienced was something magical.

Sunshine Ski Village in the Canadian Rockies is situated in Banff National Park, the air is fresh and there is no light pollution. The moon was full and clouds were nil, the stars that night have been etched into my mind, millions upon millions, shooting stars and satelites playing and danciong in the night sky and there i was resting, taking a break,

i had been walking for an hour and although i was not tired i simply had to stop, i was awestruck beyond words, never before had i seen a sky of such splendour

i sat there and listened, and there was nothing, no sound, not even an animal, the world was silent, peaceful and serene

onward i pressed, further, the summit beckoned

now before when i said my snowboard was strapped to my back i exaggerated a little, i had it on my back but it wasn't strapped

the temperature had dropped about 5 degrees since i set out and the snow now was becoming quite hard, icy and slippery, i learnt the hard way that one must choose carefully the path for the adventure.

i slipped, i tripped i stumbled and i fell

i rose in time to turn and i was hit by such a feeling of despair and fear, there it went, it disappeared into the night, i had dropped my board, silently it slipped into the darkness, now what

5 minutes of soul searching and i decided that i would find my board ....it was simple really, go to the lowest point and thanks to the fact that sunshine was situated in a snow valley i knew that the odds of finding my board were good.

for 45 minutes i searched, i looked and i wondered, i found my board, it looked so peaceful there, just sitting there waiting for me

i still felt a strong urge to make it to the summit, i had to go, i don't know why, but i needed to. I set off again, not from the beginning, but i had lost about 30 minutes of hiking time

like a man possessed i charged up that hill, i was beginning to tire and i desperately wanted to sit on top of the mountain and to look at the moon

The chairlifts sat idle,not moving silhouetted against the magnificent full moon that was now proud and dominant amongst the stars in the sky that was so incredible

i made it to the top and there i sat, on the chairlift, restnig and thinking, looking out over a still, calm snow valley

how different it was at night, the moon made sure i could see everything, the frozen lake, the trails carved through the trees, the jagged rocky cliffs,

for 60 minutes i sat there, watching, pondering, relaxing, admiring, never before had i ever seen anything so beautiful, there was not a breathe of wind in the air that night, nor was there a single sound,

i rose from the chair thought about my next move, i had my board and what came next was incredible,

i sat down, strapped in and sat there for another minute, the hill was mine, there was noone, nothing, just me, probably foolish to be up there by myself and riding down but the thought of failure or accident never once crossed my mind

i stood up and began the slide back down to village, warmth and a bed

carving slowly and surely i made my way down the hill, ever cautious of the icy and dangerous conditions, visibility was near perfect, the moon ensured safe passage

i made it back to my dorm, i showered and went to bed, i told few people of my journey, it was something i wanted to keep special for me





......ok, enough


now for those of you who know me, you know that i was in canada almost 2 years ago now

i have only told a handful of people about that night and how special it was


i can vividly remember every detail and it was at least 18 months ago, i will never forget it

i don't know if i wrote well, but it isn't emo

it took me back to my happy place,

my head is clear and my mind is calm

i can just imagine the chill on my face and if i try hard enough i think i may just be able to hear the crunching of the snow

i hope one day i will go back there, to sunshine to ride the slopes and to remember just how special that night was

....they are but words

i am smiling