Like Tim Nickles’ recent post on time away, I am just back in town from a four week sabbatical. Actually, more like shock therapy. Every fall I make the mandatory homage home to see the folks and then head to the beach to get in one last use of my shorts.

Spending 10 days at Mom and Dad’s house is all about eating tons of great food and logging some serious couch time.

Then, of course, with family strewn over three adjoining states, the visit turns to driving on interstates and highways to visit the relatives (I also vie for stopping to boulder en route). Between family and rendezvousing with old friends from high school and time’s passed, it’s usually a whirlwind style trip.

This trip, the light at the end of the whirlwind was the beach! Jumping on a plane, I headed south to Nosara, Costa Rica with my girlfriend and four friends. We decided to try something other than dirt bag beach camping and threw down some loot to rent a house on a beautiful beach and amazing surfing.

Besides everything being slightly damp from the rainy season- which had apparently ended the before we arrived – the “upscale” life (read: not sleeping in the sand every single night) was a welcome change.

The rainy season, by the way, brought 52 inches of rain in October alone, with seven inches falling in one day!

Nosara is a beach break that gets a really consistent swell. With beach breaks, though, you have to work to get out (whereas, in point breaks you can swim in behind the break, enjoying an easier “approach,” as it were). Luckily, the first few days the waves were around five feet, a great size for getting back into the swing of things. By the end of our trip, the waves had grown to about 10 feet.

While I have been surfing for a few years now, truth is, I still live in Wyoming, the Cowboy State. When the waves get taller than me, and it’s a beach break, I’m getting crushed.

There are a lot of really good surfers in Nosara. I saw flips and spins and some nasty slashing, but unfortunately, no barrels.

My game plan: Hold me breath, relax and usually float to the surface.

As a full-time snowboarder, I’m infuriated to realize that the intimate relationships formed between surfer, board and ocean does not yet exist for me. That level is something to strive for … in any sport or life pursuit.

Nosara has great food, great people and great surfing. A movement to preserve its natural beauty in the face of rising development has protected the land adjoining the beach. This allows the lush jungle and abundant wildlife to come undisturbed, right up to the beach. When we looked at the beach, all we could see was jungle with an occasional rooftop up on the hill.

And now I’m back in Wilson at the foot of Teton Pass.

Being away from home for a month is a long time. I was really glad to get back. I always realize how great this place is as I was just as excited to get back as I was to leave.

Here in Jackson, there is unfortunately not a ton of snow yet. A lot of people are griping and have crappy attitudes because it’s not snowing. … Don’t tell them but I’ve been getting fresh tracks since Wednesday!

Hairy Porter fries a mean chicken and is a helluva snowboard instructor. It remains to be seen if he’ll be back onthe slopes this season inspiring the next generation of knuckle draggers.