Winter's End Game

When I was growing up in rural Rappahannock County VA in the 1970's, there was very little to do beyond farm work, skiing, climbing, hiking and canoeing. High school sports were limited to basketball and baseball. In 1970, my 8th grade year, (high school was grades 8-12) two new teachers from some far away place introduced two new sports: cross country and track.
As it turned out, those were perfect sports for a school with lots of hilly farm fields and a bunch of "hollow boys" (as in, from up in the hollows) and notably, no track.

In the first five years of Rappahannock County cross country, the school not only won the state championship every year, they won it with a perfect score of 15 (the first five runners were all from RCHS). And if that weren't enough, the "trackless track team" was district and regional champs and state runners up.

Many of the members of those early teams were lucky enough to go on to be intercollegiate competitors... several of us continued to run many years past college. .. even to today.

In the 40 years since that first year, I've often reflected on what it was that made those years, those teams, so special.. indeed, remarkable. Of course, the biggest part is pure heart. Those teams were nothing but heart. But there was more.
The pure joy of running thru the mountains regardless the weather.. the camaraderie.. the innocence of not ever knowing failure (or at least not acknowledging it)... and on those long runs, the realization that if you were hurting, so was everyone else... and that the one who could deal with the most discomfort would win.
.. and more often than not the one in front got great refreshment from a fresh mountain wind on his face and the first drink of ice cold spring water...
The magic of those 5 years has never been forgotten.

Over the years since, there have been many occasions and challenges where quitting would end the discomfort of the moment... but that would be breaking the faith with my teammates from all those years ago... and in my heart I'd never savor the fresh mountain breeze the same.

This year has been a very long winter in a tough economy. We have seen several of our good friends and business partners close their doors... a real loss to the community... and here we are, entering our 18th season.

Our snowbanks are quickly eroding in the warm rains, the 2010 guiding season is upon us, and we've just finished boiling maple sap for the year...
And not so coincidentally I think, that sweet treat, also, only comes at the end of winter..

Yes, I think it's almost Spring!