TURNS ALL YEAR 100 Months

Skiing has always been a passion. Skiing all year was just a way to enjoy my passion year around. This story is to CELEBRATE a number - ONE HUNDRED months.

October 1998

I was still a teenager, just out of high school.  My journal entry on October 10th, 1998 when my streak began was:

I've got my skis, poles, boots and pack ready for the first ski of 98-99. Its not a beautiful day for it but I'm ready whatever the case may be. Well, I have to cruise before I'm left behind; I'm going to Muir today.

That day I broke my ski jumping a cliff while skiing down with my old man and brother, Ned Randolf and friends. It was one of those miserable days that only Rainier could offer, and only a few regulars like those above, would enjoy.

It was at this time that my brother and I began climbing and skiing a lot more with two guys that would become our best of friends, Ben Manfredi and his brother Troy. I'd met them a few years earlier at White Pass. They had the same outlook that we did. That is, they liked to ski and they liked adventure. It was a perfect match. We would set off on many misadventures. As my twin brother and I went off to Western Washington University we spent more time skiing and kayaking than we spent at school. While this didn't help my grades, it did keep the streak alive.

Over the years there were a few challenges to my streak. August 29-30, 2001 - DOME PEAK. My brother and I wanted to keep our streak alive. Ben agreed to bring his skis along too, and so off we went. Back then, I could hardly afford nice gear. Everything I had was as heavy as you could imagine. We hiked over 30 miles for less than a mile of skiing. I remember asking Ben where the snow was and when we arrived at Ilswoot Ridge he commented on how much less there was than he had thought there would be. I don't remember if we were angry at him or not. I don't think we were. We thought it was cool just to be in a new place. Carrying the skis were just part of our motto. "If you can't ski it, why climb it."

When Ben died in November of 2003. Neither my brother or I were interested in skiing. It seemed to have lost its heart. The idea of a streak that we had began with Ben didn't seem right to continue without him. But for some reason skiing was a way to escape, and to remember. We figured with the memories of him inside of us, he was there skiing along side just as he always had. As such, we went to the Hogsback, a familiar place.

Before Ben passed away, another skier began skiing with us. Sky Sjue, who Ben labeled as his great creation, or Frankenstein was a great addition to our group who had remained the same for a long time, just Ben, Troy, Josh and myself. After Ben passed, Sky was part of introducing us to other skiers, along with other skiers introducing themselves to us. This was nice. Some of these people are: Sam, Casey, Paul, Hannah, Dave, Tony, Lowell, Ross, Christy, Phil and many others. I'm sure I'll get myself in trouble by missing someone  Wink

On my 100th month (january 2007), I think back to some of the best trips I've ever had. Some would've never been had I not been forced out the door to do, when i rather would've done nothing at all. If there's no other redeemable quality than that, then this is enough alone to justify turns all year.