Jonas: Know When To Hold Em

I was in denial last week. As always I followed the weather closely and I knew the storm was coming. But as late as Wednesday I was holding out hope that storm would track west and deliver the goods to the mountains. Heaven knows we need it.

fat-bike

But as the week wore on, the forecast pushed the storm track even farther south and east, and by Friday even the Catskills were getting skunked.

Still, foolishly I clung to my plan: I’d stay home Saturday, weather the storm and if the power stayed on, I get up even earlier than usual, shovel out, and daytrip Plattekill.

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In Defense of Early Season

As skiers we belong to a unique group of people, but not so special that we don’t feel the need to sub-divide our community further into even smaller fraternities.

early season at Gore

There’s the divide between skiers and snowboarders. There are gear sub-groups: telemarkers, AT skiers, mono-boarders and the almost defunct snow-blades. There is west vs east, terrain vs snow snobs and of course resort versus backcountry.

Debates between groups can be endless: dedicated, passionate skiers are naturally ardent. They want others to understand and validate, if not share their passion. I’m no different.

Dreaming of a long season

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Return to New York

It has been two weeks since I moved from Colorado back to New York. I had always wanted to live out west, and my time there was well-spent. However, the pull of home never escaped me.

Esopus-Creek

After quitting my job in August, and knowing my days in Colorado were numbered, I spent nearly every free moment fishing and camping in all the places I could dream up. It was unbelievable. Even on the drive back to New York, I was stopping at random rivers in the Midwest, trying to milk my journey to the last drop.

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