THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I shot this image of Wy'east December 6th, 2021. So far this year we've had the driest spring on record, the hottest summer on record, and one of the driest falls on record, until today, the day after I shot this image. This volcano, along with most Oregon volcanoes started to receive snow, finally. For seven months a year, my entire being is preparing for snow, in the snow, editing videos and photos of snow, studying weather, setting up goals. I recon I average 18 hours a day consumed with snow during these months. I used to go stir crazy when it wouldn't snow during the beginning of the season, now I pivot and find other avenues of happiness; hikes, running, work on other projects, etc. I still struggle somewhat inside my mind when it doesn't snow, but it doesn't beat me down like it used to. I love this sunrise image. This is where I grew up skiing and snowboarding, where I have flown in helicopters shooting snowboarding/skiing on massive park jumps, where my daughter, Cooper, is named after the resort where her mom grew up skiing, built backcountry jumps, summit to snowboard down, what I would look at while growing up in Portland. Wy'east has a huge piece of my heart, looks gorgeous in this photo, and I'll always remember this was the last day of dry conditions for the season :)