Sommet Olympia Reloaded

In the now-maligned 1999 film, The Matrix, the main character (Neo) is given a choice to swallow a pill that can continue his journey down a rabbit hole or another to return to his former life. Sometimes I feel a certain affinity to the tale. I too continue down towards the (mostly) unknown, visiting small ski areas that were off my radar a few years ago, in a country that is not my own.

Big Air

In the movie there’s a phenomenon known as “A Glitch” that takes on a special importance. If you were to notice something happening in a repeated way, you should take special notice of it since it could be important.

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Catskill Double: Birthday Surprise

Each year I find a way to make my birthday fun. I get a few days off work and drive north to the mountains looking for adventure. When I pull it off, for the moment, I can forget I’m a year older. There’s really only one rule for the trek: it has to include skiing Plattekill.

driving at night
Required element

For me, being born in early January was a blessing.

When I was a kid, it stunk having a birthday right after Christmas. Nobody was the mood to party. But now, there’s something I really want, that I can give myself, every year without fail. My present to myself is a solution to a problem: how can I avoid pondering the relentless march of time on the annual reminder of my birth? It’s simple, go skiing.

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Mohawk Mountain: Late Start, Hot Laps, No Biggie

The Brownski household has gotten off to a sort of a slow start this ski season. Junior is leading the pack since he’s been working as a liftie again and made it to Plattekill twice. Dangerboy only has two days. I’ve gotten in a day at Greek, three at Plattekill, and now one at Mohawk Mountain in Connecticut.

Mohawk Mountain Ski Area sign

It’s not just lack of dedication. The industry I work in is very busy during the months of November and December. It’s always challenging for me to find the time for early season skiing. Junior was working on Monday so it was just me and Dangerboy, my 16 year old son.

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