Bodine's Bliss

Tanya Cross Country Skiing --Shasta, CA 2008 (Tomasito photo)

Bodine’s Bliss

When the Lassen Ski Lift opened, most of the little valley slopes between the top tower of the lift and the base became “ski runs”.

There were strict rules about cutting trees in the national park but several were cut so the skiers could have a safer slide.

But off to one side a small stand of little forest trees were left in their natural state.--very dense and very near each other. Adult skiers were not interested in skiing into this forest or through these small trees—but the little kids who used the lift were. The kids turned this miniature woods into a maze of little kid ski paths—none of them machine groomed, of course, and only used by kids.

Since I was the curious type and since this out of the way forest was usually quiet and peaceful I liked to hang out there too—it was most often empty of all humans since there were not a lot of little kids on the mountain at any time.

There were little birds back there flitting about and sometimes calling each other—that was usually the only sound.

The manager of the lift asked me to draw a ski map for the patrons of the Lassen Ski Lift Area which I happily did—I always like to exercise my artistic abilities—and, since I was the "official cartographer", I got to name some of the the different ski runs and special spots on the mountain when I labeled them for the map.

Since I had seen old Les Bodine back on these kids' ski paths once or twice and since he was the only other adult skier I had ever seen curious enough to explore them, I named the little woods and the kid's ski trails “Bodine's Bliss”--and later on, when the management posted professionally lettered signs designating the runs--the sign posted there was "Bodine's Bliss". That pleased him.

Tomasito, 2009

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