The couch surfers around me are slowly waking up one at a time. Two of them appear in their early 20’s and are speaking to each other in German, I can’t understand them but I know they are talking about skiing. The camper they just purchased is parked out front ready for them to take off to backcountry ski BC after the New Years Eve party this communal house in Vancouver is throwing.
The night before everyone was sitting around trying to get over the awkwardness of sitting in a room with a dozen people you just met 10 minutes ago. “How many people live here?” One of the German asks the room, unsure of who actually is living here and who is a couch surfer. A guy with his hood pulled over his head and red glazed eyes from smoking bong hits all night starts counting on his fingers. “6.. I think, maybe 7” he answers. He was unable to remember all the names of the room mates, but assuring us he was one of the people living here.
I’ve been checking snow reports multiple times a day, hoping that it would be worth it for me to head up to one of the North Shore Vancouver mountains. The start of the season has been slow, and I’ve only manage to skiboard a hot minute while passing thru Colorado, and one washed out day in Whistler, not much of a skiboard tour yet. With some convincing, maybe the Germans have a seat for me to the Kootenays, where snow is plenty and I can continue on my way on my winter long back packing skiboard tour.
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