Author: skiteam6

Skiing can be very different throughout the winter season. Skiing in November is a huge difference than catching a sunny day in March or even April. Going to the mountain on a freezing day in January can make you never want to ski again. My favorite time to ski is during the month of December. There is usually enough snow for ski resorts to really open up and best of all Christmas is right around the corner.

This is the best time to ski in my opinion, all my friends are home for the holidays. There isn’t a lot of time throughout the year that my friends are altogether at once. We take advantage of the occasion and go skiing as a group as much as we can. The conditions are usually pretty great this time of year. In march it may not seem worth skiing after a long tough season, but in December it still feels new and fresh making the ski trips even more exciting. The mood is always warm and everyone seems to be happy, with Christmas right around the corner there isn’t a worry in the world. Family and friends come together to ski and there isn’t anything more in the world I would want.

https://goo.gl/images/2gtK8B

https://goo.gl/images/U1ZjNQ

The day was November 30th, a warm Thursday with temperatures at what seemed to be perfect. There wasn’t a breath of wind in the air and the mood felt amazing. I had just got back from thanksgiving vacation and I was more than ready to get back to the mountains. On this day I skied for the first time of the year and it was brilliant. The day after I got back I made my move and headed to the mountain with a few friends. There was no class that day for any of us, making the thrill even more special. I check the snow report frequently and that day the conditions couldn’t have been any better. For skiing November there was more trails than expected, we got hit with a lot of snow just a few nights before making the skiing absolutely perfect for the weekend.

http://www.loonmtn.com/conditions

I got my pass without any problems and I was on the top of the highest peak by 10 O’clock. The first day back is always the most surreal. At first it seems as if you have completely forgotten how to ski but it comes back to you so quickly. It is almost like riding a bike, everything feels so natural when returning to the snow. There is nothing better than the feeling of getting off the first lift, the entire atmosphere is too die for.

(They also got new gondolas!)

We packed lunches and didn’t stop once all day. By the end of the day we all could barely walk straight. Living so close to the mountain is such a blessing in my opinion. Usually I am rushed to ski as much as I can while I still have the chance, normally only going for a few days or so. Now that I live 20 minutes away I can wake up and go whenever I feel. It is amazing skiing at my own leisure knowing I can come back any day i’d like and Ski for free. We enjoyed that first day so much that we decided to go again the following day. I hope to go about three times this week, its exciting just thinking about it!

 

There is nothing better than skiing with friends but what truly makes my winter special is the different ski excursions I go on from time to time. Yes, I live very close to a few mountains and I tend to go a few times a week during the winters but there is something in particular about planning a ski trip away from your usual surroundings. The feeling of spending a few days on a unfamiliar mountain is thrilling. Each winter I try to make a few long distance trips with friends or family across the east coast hitting different resorts all over. A few years ago we had 25 of us all in a few hotels across killington mountain in Vermont. We had planned the vacation for months and we were more than prepared. When the day finally arrived I couldn’t believe the excitement between my friends and I. The week had been filled with laughs and endless skiing, creating a very classic permanent memory of another great winter on the mountain. Skiing close to home is amazing but skiing away from home with great people and a nice hotel is even better.

Yes, it is finally November and the weather is cooperating perfectly this year. Every single year I keep track of the weather around this exact time. Finally the hot weather has disappeared and each day is becoming colder than the previous. What keeps me so excited for this time of year is simply the unknown question of how quickly the weather changes and how fast the mountains open throughout the years. Each year is so questionable, some years I haven’t been able to ski until December and even then there is only a few inches to work with. I remember when I was in middle school we had a storm so bad and so early into the winter my friends and I got to miss almost 3 weeks of class to enjoy the snowfall. Ever since that day of excitement, hearing about the up and coming legendary storm to start off the winter I’ve truly never been the same. Now every year around the beginning of November I get the same feeling I’ve had since a young kid. Last year I ended up skiing a few days before thanksgiving break. Those first few days on the mountain are the best, there is nothing like waiting all summer for something you truly love. Once I get onto that first chairlift my whole life stops and I think of nothing besides the beautiful mountain in front of my eyes and the two skis beneath my feet.

This picture is what I first saw from Loon Mountain website last year.. letting everyone know it was finally time.

Sources:

Loonmtn.com/snow

Soon as I wake up before the mountain my energy is through the roof. At the start of the day it’s very easy to stay alert and prepared for each trail. As the day slowly rolls along it becomes a lot harder. Around 2 o’clock I begin to feel a deep burning sensation in my legs and calf’s. This is every skiers worst nightmare, its that time of the day where falling becomes a lot more possible. A lot of people who ski tend to take long breaks throughout the day to save themselves until last chair. People like me ski all day without stopping just to make the best out of it. Without taking breaks it can be very dangerous on the mountain. The brain begins to shutdown making the person less alert, making every bump seem difficult. The adrenaline can only keep you going for so long.

Two of the greatest skiers alive once said.

“Gotta use your brain, it’s the most important part of your equipment.”
-Kevin Andrews and Warren Miller, Extreme Skiing

That is why its important to maintain physical fitness all throughout your life if you want to keep up on the mountain. It can seem easy being young on the slopes, seeming as if you could never get tired. Now that i’m getting older I’m realizing the importance of staying in shape, especially while skiing every winter. At the end of each trail I can always hear my out of shape friends breathing heavily trying to catch there breath after a double diamond. ( I’m not to much different). I’m working on staying in the gym throughout each week in preparation for the first snowfall. I couldn’t be more excited for this winter.

P.S It snowed today! (October 21).

Growing up I usually wouldn’t ski competitively. My friends and I will race to the bottom most of the time but I was never too good on the rails and boxes in the park. I am decent on rails now but I’m still very rusty. Competition in my opinion is what creates a perfect ski day. Whenever all of my friends get together to ski we end up trying to beat each other at every step. This could be in the park or on the trail. Spending the day trying to one up each other is what drives my motivation while I ski. Of course I spend days skiing alone taking my time down the mountain but it just isn’t the same feeling. My friends tend to push each other to go as big as we can on the mountain. The competition between us keeps skiing exciting and spontaneous. The best times Iv’e had on the mountain has been racing as fast as we can go my family and friends on each and every trail.

Each day is still just as hot as the previous and it seems like winter is still far away. I’m only 15 days into the month of September and i’m already looking for signs of colder weather. I’ve had fun this summer but going to class in 90 degree weather gets old quick. The only lingering problem about skiing every winter is the expense. This expense is like no other sport. The skis alone cost around $1,000 altogether at the least. Not to mention snow pants, jackets, goggles and a helmet add another few hundred dollars to the tab. After all of that is settled one has to find a season pass for mountains of there choosing. A season pass for an adult who isn’t attending school can range from $800-$1500, and that is just the price range on the east coast. Although there are many expenses I still believe it is completely worth it, the thrill behind skiing makes it worth the steep price. I have begun to look into season passes, I bought brand new skis and ski wear last year so I should be all set. The more I look into ski passes the more eager I become, slowly waiting for the first day of the season to truly begin.

My passion for skiing is different, I find something special about it that I couldn’t find with any other sports. This sport isn’t simple by any means. It takes dedication and effort to really find enjoyment. I like this sport because there are so many factors involved, and I love every second of it. Even at the very start of my day I am always eager to reach the mountain. Soon as I wake up I begin to think and plan out my day with my friends. I usually spend from sunup to sundown shredding the mountain. There are so many different ways to spend the day, constantly coming up with challenges to face before the days end. Most sports don’t last all day and there is only so much you can do. This is why I love skiing, its like no other sport I’ve ever tried, surprises around every corner. It always seems to keep me on my toes.

All of my life I’ve lived in the North East, and i’m certainly thankful for where I’ve grown up. A lot of people cant live here, they cant make with the harsh winters we experience year after year. I have many friends that only live here during the summer. Most people can’t wait for the summer to finally come around bringing warm weather and days by the pool. Sure, I enjoy the summers just as much as anybody else but the feelings I have for the summer don’t even begin to compare how I feel about the winter season. As October comes to an end and the weather beings to change I get that feeling that ski season is right around the corner.