Warren Miller: Face of Winter

Warren Miller. The name says it all. He’s a beloved figure that pulls together the modern era of skiing. The man spent his whole life making ski movies that brought skiers together into a big, goofy, welcoming community. The original ski bum was the sport’s greatest evangelist.

WME in Alaska

We lost Warren this year. He hasn’t controlled the company that bears his name for years but his spirit and legacy live on in Warren Miller Entertainment’s recent films and in the wider community of ski-filmmakers and snow sports enthusiasts. I’ve been a big fan of Warren Miller movies for a long time so I’m always viewing WME’s products with a critical eye, trying to decide if they’re living up to the standard set by Warren.

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Another Comeback Season

I remember the Valentines Day storm in 2007 — or more accurately — I remember skiing the snow when I got there, after it ended. The storm dumped 40 inches of snow in the southern Adirondacks and the skiing was excellent for quite a while afterward.

The event was magnified by the fact that the 2006-2007 season — up until that point — had been a mostly a bust in New York. Probably just as important was that the big storm was followed by a trio of good cold storms over the next several weeks, extending the good skiing into April. What started as a washout was remembered as a pretty good season. At least I remember it so.

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In Defense of Skiing Alone

When Harvey declared that he was done skiing alone, I felt a post of my own forming in my head. Skiing solo is one of life’s great pleasures. I wouldn’t consider giving up skiing by myself any more then I would give up skiing itself.

no one around

One time this spring I found myself driving up the Thruway, skis and boots in the truck, with literally no idea where I was going. I reached out to a couple skiing buddies to see where they were headed but I was pretty ambivalent about finding a ski partner. One guy was at Plattekill (not on my MAX Pass), one was at Whiteface and another at Killington (both too far). I think I was subconsciously looking for reasons not to meet up with anybody.

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