Skiing On The Clouds

“Crunch Crunch CRUNCH.” Sweat drips down my face with every step. Breathing is demanding at this elevation. Getting more fatigued with every step, the thick snow cracks beneath my feet. “Crunch Crunch CRUNCH.” My legs feel like giving out on me; it doesn't help that I'm carrying 50 pounds of gear on my back. I can see the jagged line of snow at the top. I'm almost there, one more step, one more step, I think ignoring the hundred more steps I have in front of me. “Crunch Crunch CRUNCH.” I keep going and going and going. Now I truly am on my last steps. I can feel the sweat freezing on my face as I step over the top. I take off my face mask, and my helmet just to see they are obscured by frozen sweat. My goggles have been similarly fogged up making it impossible to see much of anything. My head is full of thoughts: Why did you do this? That was awful! Who in their right mind looks at a mountain and chooses to do this? I look up from my frozen goggles now, and my thoughts become tranquil. 

I stare in awe into the vast landscape. I pat myself down and pinch my arm checking if I have died of exhaustion, but I was too cold to feel it. I don't know if I'm dead or alive, but either way, I know I am looking into heaven. 

Mountains, cliffs, and massive ice structures stretch around me further than I can see. Clouds form, and this is the first time I've seen clouds like these. They are forming in the distance but also at a lower elevation than I am standing. 

As these low clouds roll in, I recognize the sun is starting to set. I take my equipment off of my back and begin to put on my ski boots. I need to meet up with the rest of my family before nightfall; but all of a sudden, I am hit with a variety of vivacious colors. The clouds have been propelled by the wind right underneath my feet. My eyes gaze, wider than ever, as the sun sets over the sea of clouds. Although my feet are still on the mountain, I feel as if I am striding on clouds. As the colors emerge, the clouds fill with oranges, yellows, pinks, and even purples. 

As I check that my ski boots are on correctly, I walk around the snow once more. “Crunch Crunch CRUNCH.” I stand motionless for a little while longer, soaking in as much as I can. Finally feeling content I take my skis off my back and plunge deep into the clouds, leaving them to shimmer in all of their beauty.