tragic news

 It is with great reluctance and sadness that I announce the end of my Turns All Year streak. It died a premature death at 56 months, just 4 months short of 5 years. I squandered several opportunities to take advantage of what a 150+month TAY colleague described as fantastic corn conditions (not even suncupped!) here in CO this month due to a combination of the wrong days off, bad weather, awful nights on call, patello-femoral syndrome, and the priorities of training for a 5 day 500km bike ride this fall. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the charity of your choice or Alyn Hospital Pediatric Rehabilitation Center fundraising ride (http://alynride.org/?CategoryID=407)

 Dude... R.I.P. the snow's better in winter anyway....

 I feel your pain, this past season was the first season in 30 seasons that I didn't complete a helicopter. I tried a few, but just didn't "land" one. 

I feel YOUR pain.  I saw a perfect "easy heli" jump in a dream last night and got to take advantage of it.  I love it when I dream about skiing, but hate waking up to realize it's only August.

 Phil I heard a rumour that you landed a heli this last season but you were unhappy with it.

DP, you can start a new streak, eh?

Dave, you really need to reconsider this work thing.  It always seems to be getting in your way when it comes to skiing.

UL

Sorry to hear about the streak, dp. 

On the brighter side, think of it this way...

1. You skied at least once a month for over four and a half years and had some fun times doing it.  No downside there.

2. Now you don't have the problem I have about how in the world to stop the stupid streak. 

3. And last of all (as Trek says), you can always just start over.   You're still younger than I was when I started mine.

Isn't this the truth! I wonder if part of this was an unconscious desire to finally avoid those dirt encrusted suncups in September. We are tentatively planning a trip to Seattle in September- I might have to bring my gear along and start over! There is one guy in CO on the TAY website that has over 300 months in a row now. I suppose at that point there is just too much inertia to stop. It sure was fun, though. With the exception of some of those September days on St Mary's Glacier, when getting down was just a relief that it was over (going up was still fun, though) it has been great. 3000+ vertical for each of the past 4 summers on Rainier in great corn snow was more than half the motivation and the reward.

Want to feel better?  Nothing has changed. you just didn't ski last month. the "record" was just that, it was a string of events in the past that have no basis on who you are now..... (pass the bong....)

 Finn- I like that idea!