The Old Lift #9

Today is the last day of ski season in Telluride. It has been fantastic. Last year, the ski resort replaced the old, slow Lift #9 with a new high-speed quad. While this is a valuable upgrade, something has been lost.

Here is an ode to the old Lift #9 that I wrote several years ago:

Snow skiing is often about speed, but there is a place that will slow you down. Lift #9 at Telluride serves some of the most incredible advanced terrain in the world. And it goes slow. With over 2,100 feet of elevation gain spread over a mile of mountain. The 35+-year-old triple-chair lift routinely takes 13 – 15 minutes to get you to the peak.

At the end of the ride, you arrive at the top of the world. From this vantage point, you can see forever. The runs served by Lift #9 are long, steep leg-burners that will challenge the most advanced skiers. It is easy to spend an entire day just running the terrain served by this iconic piece of dated technology.

The allure of Lift #9 is not, however, in the runs it enables you to make. It is the ride itself. During those 13+ minutes you can meditate in a truly zen setting, brainstorm crazy ideas, write a song or a poem, or contemplate the big questions of life. What is the nature of objective reality? Is the journey really the destination? What is my purpose? You can also have a real conversation with an old friend with breeze, trees, snow, and sunshine as your only distractions.

You can also give serious thought to the tree full of Mardi Gras beads or the one full of panties. What is the deal with the panties? Were they lucky panties? Old and ready to be thrown out? Worn last night? What was the motivation to expend the energy in planning and effort that went into getting those panties in the tree? Some questions are unanswerable even on Lift #9.

Lift #9 reminds me to slow down and take it all in. These precious minutes are worth savoring, especially if you get to share them with someone special. Enjoy the ride.