Just out., January 18, 2002, Page 33, Image 33

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here is a moment of truth at the top of
the mountain every time I get dumped
from the comforting drone and faraway
thoughts of the chairlift. Coming down
the ramp, we are funneled to a 15-foot-
wide chute that leads us to the delta of ski runs.
The wind rages with so much force in the chute
that it pushes us backward even though we’re
pointed downhill.
The bottleneck of people are squealing and
hollering in stunned delight and defiance to
Mother Natures will. 1 look hack up the hill
into the yellow, glowing floodlight, and it looks
like the gates of hell have opened and every
snowflake, tree branch, skier and snowboarder
is being sucked backward into it.
But my only choice is to follow Alexis
Anderson, the boarder 1 rode up with from Ski
Out. I’ve been trailing her most of the after­
noon. She is a regular at Mount Hood Mead­
ows and is my only other beacon down to the
familiarity of the base area besides the surreal,
sporadic lights high in the whited-out sky.
“Can this be my last run?” I think every
time I come out of the chute, hoping to keep
up with Anderson before she disappears like a
spirit into the dancing haze of snow.
But something strange happens every time
the wind catches my back and whips me over
the crest of the first hill— as if my mass and sub­
stance are mere afterthoughts, as if I have
Dashing through the snow
T
Ju st Out straps them on for a ski adventure
by
M elissa S ayler
B
Members of Ski Out test their fortitude in the gloom at Mount Hood Meadows
PHOTOS BY MELISSA SAYLER
always been capable of flying.
1 realize 1 love it. I’m relaxed and
with gracious, funny people.
And this is the first time in my
14 years of skiing in the Northwest cor­
ner of Oregon that the snow is as light
and buttery as the Rocky Mountain
powder I’ve skied in years past.
Although the weather is some of the
worst, this snow is absolutely some of
the best— capable of making me feel
like I’m floating.
After taking a two-year
break from the sport, I am also skiing
better than I ever have (thanks to my
mom’s new shaped skis— I had insisted
on holding onto my long, ruler-straight
skis until now). My turns are snappier
and more controlled. I feel like I actual­
ly might he a good skier, although cer­
tainly not wild and courageous.
With every run, this sport I thought
I had given up seems to be crashing its
way back into my heart— stinging cold,
biting wind and all.
owe the pleasure of the experience
not only to Anderson, my mom’s skis
and the somalike yellow spotlights
I
P r od uce d & H o st ed
ning to disband after several years of engaging
in weekend trips. The remaining members
thought they might fall into the custody of the
Adventure Group, but Reich decided to keep
Ski Out going as its own entity.
This year he is making it even easier to
convince people to join by taking advantage
of Mount Hood Meadows’ 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
shift— leaving Portland at a leisurely 9:30 a.m.,
allowing for an extra hour or two of sleep.
Gone are the days of having to pull on your
long johns at 6 a.m. to get to the slopes by 8,
or having to wait until noon to get the dis­
counted half-day ticket.
by
G o d d es s S ev er in a & M ist res s E mber
but to Burt Reich, "the benevolent dictator”
who organizes Ski Out. And to the other 10
people who joined us as we set off in carpools
from Portland this gray morning.
We are a group of men and women; snow-
boarders and skiers; advanced, beginner and
intermediate; small and tall; blond, brown
and mustached. Or, as two of my skiing part­
ners quipped, “We are gay men riding long
sticks and lesbians strapping on stiff boards.”
Good humor abounds, and there doesn’t
seem to be any agendas, competitiveness,
impatience or complaining. We are free to
go where we like, by ourselves or with any­
one else, as long as we make our rides home.
And for shy people like myself, whose top
10 list of most mortifying experiences includes
thrusting myself to the mercy of strangers for a
daylong activity I’m only mildly confident
doing, it is a total relief to be surrounded by
this sense of freedom and ease. As a matter of
fact, I am having so much fun, I surprise
myself by not scheming, even once, to hide in
the trees and make snow angels for a few hours
to pass the time— as I used to do when my
parents packed me off with ski groups as a kid.
Reich has made it a priority to encourage
this level of comfort since taking the helm of
Ski Out two years ago. The group was begin­
ut even though much has changed with
Ski Out and the sport itself, some things
never change. After six hours in the
weather we endured on this day I feel a great
sense of accomplishment. Between my frozen
nose, burning thighs and aching fingertips
there is great satisfaction.
As I step into the lodge and unzip myself
from the confines of my soggy layers, for a fleet­
ing moment I feel positively butch for surviving
the wind and snow. The radiating fire, shot of
whiskey and warm, decadent chocolate cake
send blood burning back into my cheeks and
toes. I revel in the newfound verve running
through me and the reminder of why skiing and
snowboarding intoxicate people so much.
As Ski Out member Joe Wedman puts it:
“Oregon can be quite confining during the
dead of winter with the constant rain. I enjoy
being up on the mountain where it’s usually
dry. I love the snow on the trees and views as
far as you can see. It’s a lot of fun to be out­
doors with other gay people, and skiing is the
perfect winter excuse!”
Wedman also keys into the most important
lesson I learned this day. It had escaped me dur­
ing so many years of skiing by myself in New
Mexico, Colorado and Montana, which is part
of the reason 1 gave up on it. It’s never so much
fun as when it’s shared with other people. J H
SKI O ut generally heads to Mount Hood at
9 :3 0 a .m . every second Saturday and fourth Sun­
day. Meet in front o f the Hollywood Fred Meyer
Starbucks, 3030 N .E . Weidler St. Visit
www.skiout.org for more information.
ALTITUDE — the gay and lesbian ski week at
Whistler Resort near Vancouver, British Colum ­
bia— is Feb. 2 to 11. Visit ww.outontheslopes.com
for details on parties, lodgmg and skiing.
OUTBOARD — the gay snowboarding event at Copper
Mountain, two hours west o f Denver— is April 4 to
7. Visit www.outboard.org for more information.
MELISSA S a y l e r is the Production Assistant and
resident sports lezzie at Just Out.
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