The Powder Hunter

Yesterday I called in sick. I almost lost my job, but it was worth it.

It wasn’t clear to start the day that my gamble would pay off. Plattekill pulled the plug on a planned Powderdaize, when the sun rose on a disappointing three inches of frozen precipitation.

Scottski-Crossover

Fortunately NYSkiBlog HQ got me the information I needed and I traveled an exit farther north on the Thruway to Hunter Mountain where I met up with Lemmycaution and Scottski.

On my way in to grab a lift ticket, I ran into a Hunter employee and asked about the conditions. “They’re, um… interesting. Three inches of wind-effected sleet. I need to do some office stuff.”

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The Mountains Less Traveled: The San Juans

Success is mostly luck, but sometimes, you make your own luck. I recently returned from a destination trip that defied the odds. In the middle of a so-so season both here and in Southwest Colorado, I was still able to ski terrific conditions at four great mountains.

Skiing Southwest Colorado

Even better was the fact that everything else went down smoothly: no lines or white-knuckle drives, and a happy significant other. It’s now a month later, and I’m still convinced that it was the perfect trip.

Next time anyone tries to convince you to watch the weather, burn old ski gear, or sacrifice a chicken before booking a flight, don’t bother. It’s bound to be a good experience no matter what happens: strikes and gutter balls, powder or groomers. There’s always the chance that you’ll luck out, especially if you pick a cool destination like the San Juan Mountains.

This is not a tall tale from the mile-high state. I’ve got more than anecdotal evidence — I have the pictures to prove it. So take a look. It’s all good when you’re skiing southwest Colorado. Click on the link to read:

NY Ski Magazine’s
San Juan Mountain Diamonds

Heading to Plattekill for Shoulder Season

Spring was sure to make an appearance at some point this month, but it was hard to believe that hot on the heels of one of the biggest dumps of the season we’d be skiing without our shells.

Plattekill-Trail

After devouring the pow harvest from my desk on Friday, my brother and I were champing at the bit to ski. Our enthusiasm spread, and we ended up back at Plattekill with several others who came to the mountain for the first time.

I didn’t have to look in the rearview mirror to see the quizzical looks as we drove past Belleayre. I could feel the lasers bouncing off of my neck and quickly pointed out that when skiing, going the extra mile is often worth the effort.

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