I gasp.

The air is thin.
My lungs burn as I breathe in the frozen air.

I look through my fluorescent goggles,
gazing across the terrain.
Gigantic mountaintops hide behind the mist
as delicate crystals float gracefully across the sky.
Pine trees sit still, struggling to hold the weight of the snow
as a skier glides effortlessly across the bowl.

I reach behind my head
and remove my frozen beanie.
It crackles under my soaked gloves.
My sweaty hair instantly cools in the slight breeze.

The silence is blaring,
not a soul in existence.

I look around.
My mind is clear.
All the chaos is gone.
It was never here.
Untouched.

I want to stay,
but the sun slowly fades,
darkening the glittering fine powder.
I must go.

Now it’s only me, my board, and the Mountain.
I look down at my snow covered boots,
shift my board to edge,
and dive into heaven.