October POW: A New Hope

The first turns of the season are always memorable. Deep all natural October turns may have the advantage of #humblebrag, but even riding the white ribbon during Christmas break is special.

seasons-first-snow-2016

They can also be an awkward equalizer. When you haven’t skied in months it doesn’t matter if you’re Pirmin Zurbriggen or a simple Nose Picker, you’re not going to be happy with every turn.

The comedy started early, sometime after misplacing my helmet and before I realized that my ski socks were on the kitchen counter as I booted up in the lot.

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Hickory: It’s On!

When you ski Hickory you are going in a different direction. For me it’s most noticeable when I’m driving south on Route 28 and the SUVs with roofboxes are all headed north: zoom, zoom, zoom.

Honey-Run-Skier

Thoughts of skiing Hickory are always there, lurking beneath the surface, rising to the top when there is a favorable storm track promising new snow.

All is possible when two things come together: snow and more snow. I use Facebook to say in the loop. When those stars align, Clarence will post: It’s on!

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The Beast in the Backyard

Every new snowstorm fires the imagination. Even though you can’t hit a new place each time, there’s the promise of redrawing a favorite canvas.

Snowboarder

East Coast skiers have an appreciation for new snow unmatched in other parts of the nation where altitude ensures precipitation-type if nothing else.

I’ve also been fortunate to take my wandering to a semi-professional level the past few years. Experiencing the new can give you an appreciation for what you’ve already enjoyed, and one place that’s always intrigued me is Berkshire East, The Beast.

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