Warming up to Cool down

Every year, around this time, something special happens. Everyone that you know spontaneously becomes an expert in winter weather forecasts and projections. It is as if everyone has a Farmers Almanac engrained deep in their psyche.
You will hear people referring to winters of the past, drawing upon a history of snowfall to generate their predictions for this coming season. You will hear people hopefully proclaiming that this, in fact, will be the BEST winter ever! And I guess that would be subject to personal preference.
Some remain neutral, sharing the facts they have gleaned from meteorologists and reliable sources. Others, will embellish upon professional predictions and tailor make and prophesy a winter that is best suited to their personal needs, schedules and riding style.
Those that subscribe to the belief in an impending Armageddon, will tell you that this year will be different, and that it isn't natural, and that world record snowfalls shouldn’t be celebrated but rather feared.
There are those that dwell in the valleys and the hollows that dread the approaching winter, they know nothing of gliding on top of untouched snow, or how the powder fills every crevice of your being when your style exceeds your skill. They don’t know that often times you break through the fog at the 10k mark to a brilliant sunrise over a sea of low hanging clouds.
But as some prepare to wallow, there are those of us who are dusting off gear and applying a presumptuous pre season wax to skis and boards.
I don't know what this winter is going to be like. The one rumour that seems to continue to rise to the surface, is that this winter is going to be COLDER. I am unsure whether that means more snow than last year or not but I know there is going to be plenty of snow to shovel and plenty of ice to chip. So along with a fresh coat of wax on my board, I am servicing snow blowers and sharpening shovels and scrapers in preparation to beat back another awesome winter.