Joys of the Season

I love ski season - especially in great snow and conditions. The season in Northern Michigan has sure been off to a nice start, though I hear rumors of temps in the 50s arriving next week. Not a fan of that.

Had an epic ski day Saturday at Caberfae. Drove up through some nice little squalls on and off. Upon arrival in the parking lot it was coming down nicely. The mood was interrupted when I realized I'd left my outer shell jacket on the table in the basement - but no matter, I'm pretty cold-tolerant.

Being a Midwesterner, we don't get a lot of powder days. Especially those of us who don't live up near the northern ski resorts. Why I felt compelled to by my big fat Line Prophet 100's is a bit of a mystery, but I tell myself it's for Utah ski trips. But they got a workout on Saturday -- snow just kept coming down. Really picked up around 3pm. And not just the usual powder on the treeline, but all over. I do love those skis. Every time I get to use them in their element, I'm just floored. And I'm really surprised by how well they handle groomed snow.

Those who know me are aware that while I like to buy toys, I have a love of a deal that pervades. Ski area food is one of my sore spots. It's expensive, usually REALLY unhealthy, and sometimes downright questionable. Last year I started on a more aggressive BYO approach. This year's big addition? A THERMOS -- ah, now it's more than just a cold sandwich. That hot chili tasted GOOD on a cold day! I've also become an afficianado of the convenience store sandwich. It's no worse than anything you'd get at the ski area (and many are quite good) and it's half the price. My favorite is the 7-11 at the entrance to Little Cottonwood Canyon (home to Solitude and Brighton ski areas). Great sandwiches, I can stock up on Diet Dew, and they actually have really nice souvenirs - I got my Solitude t-shirt there for 7 bucks!!!

Unfortunately, around 4pm the 30+ mph winds rolled in. About this time that earlier issue of forgetting my jacket becomes more of a problem. Top of the hill was like being sandblasted. Great fun skiing the bumps that have formed from the traffic and the heavy snows. I had my fly rod and gear for steelhead fishing (yes, I forgot THAT jacket, too...) in the truck. But with that kind of wind, time to scurry back downstate.

-Sean-