BY LESLIE REGO
It has always been a desire of man or woman to explore remote areas, to go where no one else has gone, to be the first or, if not the first, to attempt a new route or a new method. Recently, this held true with the first unsupported solo trek across Antarctica—a magnificent feat—by the 33-year-old Colin O’Brady.
Terminology for untrammeled snow is fascinating. In ski parlance, on a powder day one can lay down first tracks. Long lines form to be the earliest up the mountain. And then, later, after the run, one looks down from the chairlift to observe if the figure-eights made by the edges of the skis are symmetrical.
Years ago, I happened to be in New York City during a blizzard. I remember walking down the middle of Fifth Avenue by Central Park—not a car or a soul in sight—and making fresh footsteps! I looked back in delight at my tracks, marveling that I could be the “first” along Fifth Avenue.
After a snowstorm, we can be a pioneer. We can forge new territory. Pristine snow gives us the opportunity to be the first “explorer.” Placing your foot deep within the snow and seeing the indentations emerge one after another is exhilarating.
Studying the large expanse of snowy ground, I tentatively lift my leg and lower it into the snow. My leg descends and descends until the snow comes to my upper thigh. I continue on, one deep step after another. The undulations of the snow make the intimate territory appear foreign. For a brief, illusionary period of time, I am an intrepid explorer laying down first tracks into unknown territory!
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.