I had my post all ready to go until I went out clomping around in the snow with my buddy John “Yukon” Staab today in our snowshoes. As you can see, John is “smiling like a butcher’s dog.” John enjoys life and has great enthusiasm for all things outdoors. John elevated it up a notch, took up mountain biking, got lights to mountain bike at night with the rest of us crazies, and joined LA Fitness and is a rabid spin class guy. I told him about snowshoeing and he went out and bought them right away and is enjoying yet another outdoor activity. Besides being an avid fisherman and skier, he has all these new activities many of which he shares with his son. YOU GO JOHN!!!
A couple of weeks ago, I was skiing in the Adirondacks with my buddy Mike Smith. I told you all about him in a previous post( hit the previous posts button on the blog). Mike always introduces me to the Backwoods Ski Club gang from Gore Mountain. I was riding the gondola with them when I noticed some black stickers on their helmets which said”80+”. When I inquired, they all enthusiastically said their ages were 80+. I told them what an inspiration they were and they said look in the next gondola car. There were a couple of old woodchucks there who had 90+ on their helmets. I introduced myself to them and said they were remarkable. They said they had been skiing in the Adirondacks all of their lives and didn’t know any better.
Two years ago, I was skiing at Mt. Rose in Nevada with the Eric Durfee contingent and we noticed a bunch of guys just ripping it thorough the trees with baggy clothes and full face motorcycle helmets. When we finally caught up with them in the lodge,they took off their helmets and out flowed gray hair and gray beards. They apparently had been skiing together since they were 16 and they ride motorcross together all summer. The youngest guy was 62.
I don’t go to reunions any more. I really don’t want to sit around with people who go home at night and take a hot bath and watch Brian Williams and the NBC Evening News. No offense to Brian Williams but I would rather go out after work or on the weekends, and enjoy the slopes,or the trails on my mountain bike,or running or these crazy snow shoes. When I get home, I take a shower, eat like a teenager, visit with my family, and then fall into a coma snoring like an 18″ Poulan. Life if good!! Like I said in one of my previous posts, I want to go out with a big Giant Slalom turn and rip it into the Great Beyond. Bill McCollum, the veteran masters racer and columnist for Ski Racing Magazine says, ” I want to go skidding accross the finish line of life, missing parts, leaking oil and screaming GERONIMO!!!” Bill has it figured out. One more thing to consider when you take another look at Yukon John Staab is what is said by the heralded Christian preacher Chuck Swindoll. Chuck says ” one thing I have learned is that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” How true. It is not too late. Read the book,” Younger Next Year”. I referred to it in a previous post. The authors have great enthusiasm and attitude. If you live that enthusiastic lifestyle, God bless you and keep up the good work. If you have not, grab life by the horns and go for it!!! Thanks for reading and God Bless.