B
irds woke up with the
first ray of the sun and
searched for food. My
guide and I followed
them and started our
day hike from Shail Shikhar Heritage Inn
around 5:30am on April 2, 2019 in
search of a new adventure. Chairlift
ticket counter was closed. We leisurely
crossed the skiing slopes wrapped in
crud. Snow guns were switched off.
A mobile snow gun was absolutely
stationary. With arrival of spring,
the guns had lost their charm. The
gray guns connected to the artificial
lake that was still mostly frozen were
employed to spray snow on the skiing
slopes, especially, during big winter
events when the sky failed to shower
enough snow. Red nets marking edges
of the skiing runs had fallen and some
of them were rolled into bundles. It
was a transfer-to-store time for the
nets and guns. After hiking the serene
slopes we stopped at Tower 10 for
breakfast.
Although it was sunny yet the
sprinting wind confused me at the
tower: Should I continue with the
day hike from Auli to Gorson Top
or not? The wind severely poked the
silent trees that squeaked instantly.
I waited until soldiers from nearby
Indian Tibetan Border Police (I.T.B.P.)160
Volume 4, Issue 1 | June 2019