Forbidden Fruit
Tram Face, Squaw Valley Ski Resort, California
Camera: Hasselblad XPan
What makes it special: Tram Face, front and center, the hallowed, tantalizing, forbidden fruit in our backyard playground, beckons the genuinely extreme to Squaw Valley.
The story: "Forbidden Fruit exemplifies Squaw's magic.
In line for early ups, our team piled in the tram. As we slowly rose I was transfixed by dawn's flames reflecting off a mirror of sparkling snow plastered on the steep granite wall. Before we cleared tower one the tram stopped, gently swayed back and forth in the light and its echo, and time slowed...Call it a gift.
This perspective of the golden granite face's texture drew my focus. Front row view, straight ahead is a mesmerizing line on the actually epic, always out of bounds, forbidden slope. The natural, flowing line lures, tempts, dares the quintessential to accept the challenge, lose the noise, consciously unconsciously drop in, commit to your fall line, react and survive.
Surrender to this hill and your moment together, but think long about it first; and bring your best. This brings out the best; it's required...This is serious...Mavericks for skiers.
Although it's all about the moment on Tram Face, it's not about just this moment or just this slope. It's about doing your best to live in every moment, all the time, anywhere and everywhere, forever...
It's about life...
Even the very best very rarely hit their zone, perform exact turns and achieve perfectly personal lines, but the truly dedicated aspire, trust the soul, rise to the task, risk it all and go for it.
Stillness in motion, there is a zone in everything and everyone; the trick is to find it and to stay in it.
It's just like life...
I hold the Hasselblad vertical, stick it out the window, and, driven by sense and emotion, fire away."
