My First Winter in a Ski Town
I've always wanted to live in a ski town. A real mountain town with white, snowy mountain tops visible all winter long. I grew up on the East Coast, in a suburban area. The annual ski trips I took with my Boy Scout troop were underwhelming in hindsight. Sure, we had fun getting to all hang out together and ski for a weekend. It was an ordeal, though. 3-4 hour drives brought us only to the tamest of mountains in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Appalachian Virginia. I loved skiing from the first time I ever went on. I wasn't really good, but something was so fun about the challenge of trying to get better every time.
Friends of mine whose families were more into skiing would come back from trips out west with stories and photographs that awed me. As I grew older, many of those same friends moved out west to some of the same ski towns they grew up visiting. As I got involved in the long-distance hiking community, I meant many folks who spent their winters as ski-bums. Working the lift, gear shop, ski patrol, spending their free time skiing all winter long. It always seemed so fun from the outside looking in.
Then, finally, last summer, I moved out west to an honest-to-god ski-town. Even though it was June, I got my ski pass as soon as possible. Still pretty inexperienced, I still did not hesitate at the opportunity to ski all winter long. Here are a few thoughts on my first winter in a ski-town.
Getting the Gear
The most common response I get from folks who are hesitant to get into winter sports is how expensive they can be. I have no rebuttal to this. It is costly to ski or snowboard for one day, much less an entire season. It's important to acknowledge the privilege behind my ability to enjoy such an exclusive sport with such an obvious paywall. It was vital for me to minimize the damage I took in gearing up with how expensive it is.
The ski pass itself already set me back a good amount. Just getting the weekday pass - M-F with plenty of blackout dates during the winter holidays - was a big chunk of money. On top of that, I had basically non of the gear I would need. Having skid so sparingly in my past, I rented skis, boots, poles, helmet, goggles every time. I did have a good ski jacket and snow pants, which I am pleased about in hindsight. Just looking at some prices for new winter sports outerwear makes me sweat.
So I had to find the cheapest way to gear up with an entire ski setup. I went to the oldest strategy in the books: ask a friend for help. Much to my luck, a friend of mine who has worked ski patrol for years had an extra set of skis and bindings he was willing to give me. Huge score! Though the skis were a bit long for my experience level, I still gladly took them, figuring my skills would eventually catch up to the skis. I was able to get a used helmet and goggles from a local shop for incredibly cheap, leaving the boots the only significant expense left.
Having saved so much on other gear, I allowed myself to break the bank for a brand new pair of boots. Don't get me wrong, my wallet was not happy for some time after the purchase, but I'm glad I made it. These boots will hopefully last me for many seasons to come, a worthy investment. Throw in a nice, new pair of waterproof gloves, and I was geared up. My pockets were indeed emptier than they would have been had I decided not to ski the winter. Still, I was excited, knowing I could now go skiing basically whenever I wanted.
Building Confidence
I jumped on the first opportunity to get on the mountain. The winter was terribly dry, to begin with, but the resort blew snow starting in late November, and I still went up anyways. I didn't have anyone to go with initially and felt a little nervous and sad about that, but I didn't let it hold me back. When I got up for the first time, I squeezed into my un-broken-in boots, stepped into my bindings, and skid up to the lift. I had planned on going over to the beginner slope to get the basics back under my legs, having not skid in five years. The excitement was too much! Seeing the mountain, slopes, and lift running up to the top, I couldn't resist. I hopped right on the main lift, ready to go.
That first run of the year was interesting. I couldn't remember how to turn left for about half of it. I managed to make it down without falling and making a few successful left turns along the way. That first day I skid for about two hours, doing six runs. Only one run on the whole mountain was open due to lack of snow, so I just did it all six times. Over the next month or so, a little bit more terrain opened as light snow came in, and they continued to blow more. I made sure to get up to the mountain once or twice a week as I continued to improve.
As the winter went on, I started going with friends on occasion. My roommate was a really experienced skier and worked as a courtesy patroller at the resort. We went together, and skiing with him really helped me improve. He forced me to go faster and even taught me how to go off jumps. I went with another friend of mine once loved to ski hard; it was a great workout to go with him.
The more I skid, the stronger I got. I could feel a difference in my legs' endurance to ski longer into the day. I could go faster on the stronger legs, especially with improved confidence. The feeling I always had saught was there; I was finally actually getting better at skiing. It's a fun sport to work on. You'll see a lot of improvements at first, followed by subtle but extraordinary improvements as you ski on.
After nearly two months of skiing, my patience with the weather was rewarded, and a massive snowstorm came in. I was finally going to really get to test my skills. We got up to the parking lot a good two hours before the lifts began to run, knowing how packed it would be. Three feet of powder laid peacefully on the slopes, just begging us to ski it. What a day it was.
Skiing in the East in my youth, I had never had a powder day like this before. The first thing I noticed was just how much more challenging skiing in powder was. It felt like I had to activate twice my legs' strength to brake, turn, adjust, and power myself. I loved it. It was so cold that morning, and I was shivering under all my layers on the first lift ride up. Halfway down the run, I was sweating, breathing heavy, with a massive smile on my face. We skid the whole day, and it was everything I had always hoped for. Living in a ski town, powder day, blue skies, friends, fun, and exercise.
Crowds
As I mentioned, that first actual powder day brought the crowds, but it wasn't the first thing to bring them. My house is right off the main highway that goes up to the resort. During the Christmas holidays, I was shocked at the traffic levels going up every morning and coming back into town every afternoon. Weekends saw massive amounts of people downtown, up in town for a ski weekend.
Living in town gave me a sense of better-than-thou that I tried to keep in check. Locals definitely feel entitled to their mountain. Seeing folks who obviously were from out of town bothered me. Standing in massive lines on a weekday morning made no sense to me. It is the nature of skiing, though - all outdoor sports, really. They are more popular than ever - everyone's doing them. In reality, I am no different from any of those other people standing in line, whether they live in town or not.
My Future in Skiing
It's been an excellent first winter here in town. I can't believe how much better at skiing I am than I've ever been before. I skid the whole mountain this winter - at least where the lifts take me. Next year I am definitely keen to hike up to higher ridges and ski more challenging terrain. I also may invest in a more inclusive pass - one that gives me more days of skiing and access to other resorts in the general vicinity. We'll see about that.
The significant change I hope to make in the future is to also get into backcountry skiing. I just couldn't afford to get my downhill setup and a backcountry setup going in the same season. Backcountry ski setups can be even more expensive, and I just couldn't fit the bill. Hopefully, if I can save efficiently through the summer, backcountry skiing will be in my future!
