Life is a continual gift of circumstances. Released for a few days from the Oceanside, California headquarters we affectionately refer to as TransWorld Media, I’m reminded of how many of life’s circumstances, pleasurable and otherwise, come directly from mother nature.

Working in an office surrounded by posters, maps, and lots of other snowboarding propaganda, I started to get a little edgy, to say the least. So, in an effort to curb my jones and shut my whining, my superiors agreed to cut me loose for a few days.

When Southern California riders need to hit the steeps and do some real riding–not the skidding and jibbing So Cal is famous for–they travel to Mammoth. A mere six-hour drive from San Diego ( it’s 400 miles, so hours vary depending on the driver) the resort has incredible terrain, everything a lowlander dreams about.

This past summer, the resort’s new majority shareholder Intrawest invested 25 million dollars in Mammoth for improvements. But no amount of cash can compete with the whims of mother nature.

The new "Panorama" Gondola, for example, is the first installment in a two-year project to replace Mammoth’s gondola system. The plush cabins whisk eight passengers from Mid Chalet to Mammoth’s 11,053-foot summit, and afford a panoramic view of the Eastern Sierra Mountains. During my stay, though, that view has been hindered by high winds, keeping the gondola motionless. But like I said earlier, life is a culmination of circumstances, and although one morning I stepped out to gale-force gusts strong enough to make me wish I was wearing a pair of gravity boots, the very next day I was blessed with beautiful conditions and every rider’s holy grail: first tracks

Today’s circumstances gave me an opportunity to experience the remodeled Canyon Lodge, on the east side of Mammoth Mountain, as howling winds completely shut down the mountain from 9:30 a.m. to just before noon. A rare occasion to say the least, and Mammoth’s strict policy of no refunds or credits due to weather conditions was exempt due to the day’s unusually strong forces.

The lodge has undergone a 1.5 million-dollar renovation, with the fourth, now called "Grizzly Square," receiving a new decor and an all-new food court. Of course, the most popular location was the coffee cart next to the door, where snowboarders and skiers tried to stay warm while they stared out the windows with hope.

Just as the Weather Channel predicted, the skies parted in the afternoon, rewarding the patient with blue skies, pow, and short lift lines.

A snowboarder’s happiness relies on the whims of mother nature’s seasonal forces. Right now, this snowboarder is happy. Thanks Mom. Can’t wait ’til tomorrow.