Boston and Back: French Connection Volume 2

Words and Photos by Ian Reynolds l STE Contributing Editor

Checking Chamonix off of my bucket list was not to be taken lightly.  I grabbed every brochure, map, book, photo I could to truly make the experience timeless.  Every photo created a memory, some that will live in my head for life, others that require a brief refresher.  While I can remember certain turns from pow days past, cliffs, tricks, jumps that have helped create some of the best ski days of my life, none of them would have been complete without the right company.  

Skiing is often seen as a loner's sport.  Much like the cowboys of the wild west, we are often viewed as loners, recluse's, troglodytes with long beards, little manors and an appetite for the outdoors; the reality is quite different.  We are a collective of like minded people all in the pursuit of the perfect day.  This creates a bond, one that not need be discussed but rather is an unspoken link between people from different places and different walks of life.

Traveling to France, and Chamonix was an experience in and of itself, but was made much more memorable because of the company shared along the way.  From the local waiter's and waitress's, to the rental shop employee providing direction to a private stash, the people make the trip what it is.  For all the strangers that welcomed me into their business, restaurants, and homes, it was whom I travelled all that way to see that made the trip something unique, my father. 

As the years pass, while family is still important, it becomes more difficult to pull away from day to day life, and take time with family.  This trip was something unique, no phone, no internet, no connection to what has become routine, just two people bonding, drinking wine, eating delicious food, and exploring all that the mountains have to offer. 

I'll spare you the family story, but ultimately, ski trips provide a unique bonding experience for any two people.  You share in an experience, and while two people doing the same thing, may have drastically different memories, it allows you a broader appreciation for the places and people you meet.  At every junction you are offered an alternative point of view, an opposing memory or experience, only opening your eyes to a larger world around you.

Whether skiing with family, close friends, new aquaintences, or complete strangers, the sport of skiing is meant to be shared.  The excitement that boils over after shredding an untouched line, the screams and shouts rejoicing the moment, are only as good as those you share them with.