Gone skiin'

I could try to describe the great calm that comes with riding a ski lift to the top of a mountain or the clarity that comes with the first ski trip of the year (the reason NaturalBlog took the weekend off), but instead I think I'll complain about the bane of any mountain: Snowboarders.

When not dusting off their designer snow-pattern camouflage jackets and pants, they're shouting DUDE as they cut in front of the NaturalBlog's carefully maintained pizza wedge.

Maybe these transgressions aren't so bad, but riddle me this: Why oh why do they plop down on the mountain in little clumps?

I'm not talking about the sit-down at the top of a ski-lift, when boarders reattach their free leg to their snowboard. I'm talking about mid-mountain respites, usually in the middle of the slope. They're like little pinball bumpers, or small pocks of acne scarring a beautiful mountain face.

Is snowboarding that physically strenuous? Are snowboarders prone to boredom? Are they momentarily overcome by the munchies? Your suggestions are welcome.