The recent snowstorm that blanketed our nation's capital sent most of the city retreating for the confines of their homes. I, however, saw this as the opportunity I had been waiting for...

During the sweltering heat of the summer of '96, I had a dream... That summer I interned for one of the nation's premier television networks, C-SPAN (premier meaning within the top five-hundred). On my daily walks from the Metro station to C-SPAN's offices I would wander past our nation's Capitol Building. My body may have been drenched with the warm sweat of summer, but my brain operated in a cooler climate — nearly always fixating on snowboarding.

It was on one of those sultry days that I realized the potential — my dream shot. I would return to DC and snowboard on the Capitol and document the event.

It has been a few years since I first used those daydreams to pass the doldrums of the commute. I have since graduated college, worked as a snowboard instructor in Lake Tahoe and I just recently returned to our nation's capital and the flat, icy terrain of the mid-Atlantic.

I may have given up two feet of fresh in the trees– a decision abhorred by many a reader I'm sure, but I have by no means given up my passion for snowboarding. And snowboarding has by no means relinquished its firm grasp on my thoughts.

The forecast was calling for one to three inches. Not enough. Not nearly enough. But it gave me a hope. The Pow Gods don't often bless this area of the country with fresh snow. When it did come, I had to be ready. I began to see my dream crystallize with the accumulation. One to three inches quickly became four to six and perhaps more. There was no question now. This was the opportunity I had been pining for.

I threw on my gear, grabbed my board and lured a friend to document either the greatest snowboarding moment in Washington, DC, or my arrest (or perhaps some combination thereof). The metro was awash in suits fleeing the epicenter of the city and then there was me, snowboard in tow, heading for its heart. Strange looks abounded for sure, but no matter. They were surely the ones missing out.

I approached the Capitol in near full sprint. There was more snow than I could have hoped for— at least eight beautiful inches layered the steps of this great domed building. With nervous anticipation I climbed the stairs and strapped in for what I am willing to bet was a Capitol first. My first descent covered the staircases with an ollie to clear the police tape. Merely a test run. I had banisters in sight.

Once again I raced up the steps to this shrine, the place where the most important pieces of this country's legislation were debated and enacted... My next run. A 10-foot drop onto flat concrete covered with only a few inches of fresh. Surely, not your ideal riding conditions, but I quickly shrugged off those feelings and ascertained that this would most likely be as good as it gets. No need to yell "dropping." I was the only rider there.

Three, four runs were mine and I had more in mind. Unfortunately there were those who had other thoughts. "Son, what do you think you are doing?" The words emanated from somewhere, but I tried to block them out. "Son, you're going to have to get down...now." Capitol Police. My gig was up. There was nothing I wanted more than just 10 more minutes, but I was in no situation to argue. This man had a gun and knew how to use it. I did have a large wooden object with fairly sharp edges... Fortunately my delusions quickly faded. I was no match and this was no time to become a martyr.

I unstrapped from my bindings and headed home, board in hand, body and pride intact and free from incarceration. I left a different person than when I had arrived. I could "check off" one item from my "things I must do before I die list." And I had a few pictures from a disposable to prove it.