MISSOULA, MT, Jan. 29, 2016 – “If you want, you can wear this,” said Carl Sievers, owner of YurtSki, handing me a slick black helmet with a pair of goggles attached.
My reflection in the goggles seemed stretched, almost putty-like as though I was a monster in a kid’s show; the kind of creature who despite warts and a hideous exterior was the kind of monster that kids felt sorry for. Carl’s voice was calm. He had non-judgmental eyes and the kind of mountain man beard that inspired a generation of hipsters but unlike a trendy millennial whose fashion would change with the wind, Carl’s beard likely wasn’t going anywhere and if I didn’t make a choice regarding the helmet, neither would we.
