So I skied all around WW, starting out my day at Emily's Roost and doing over 10 runs down the little hill. No one had skied it yet so I was quite happy to find fresh powder, even if it is a short hill. It was good to get in some turns and start getting my "ski legs" back. Along the way I met a new four-legged friend who came over from one of the nearby houses. This guy hung out with me for quite awhile. He even happily ran down the hill after me on one run...you can see his tracks down the hill in one of the photos.
Eventually I started heading back; I didn't pack much food in my pack and I wanted some real sustenance. As it turned out, I pushed my hunger aside for a bit and skied another hour or so, getting quite familiar with the area trails. I went by the Sugar Shack a couple times (its a main landmark at a X-roads), wandered into some real backcountry trails, and found some little bear statue. I feel pretty confident I could navigate my way around the place now without incident. The cover is still thin in some places but that will be dealt with this evening and tomorrow.
By late morning the clouds started moving in. It was the first sign of the approaching weather system. Up until then it was a bluebird day. Now it's completely cloudy and you can almost feel that everyone is anticipating the upcoming storm. We should get a really good dump of snow, at least 12" and quite likely a good bit more. My plan tomorrow is fluid depending on how the weather starts to shake out. Ideally I'll skin up Mtn Road thru Smuggler's Notch and down the other side to Smugg's Resort. I'll ski all day there and then head back in the afternoon, making sure to leave enough daylight for the ski up and down. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to my sister's with my car...I have no doubt I can ski back but I'd rather drive!
Overall, it was a great feeling today. I was skiing alone all day and only saw a few people snowshoeing (which would be a lot of fun there as well). It was heaven...the quiet swish-swish of my skis through the snow, the fast-swooshing sound as I cruised down each run, and the thrilling feeling as each turn went smoothly and efficiently. To be sure, I took a fall on my first run. Definitely something to wake me up and give me a little ego check of sorts. I focused on technique the next few runs, remembering exactly how each tele turn should flow smoothly into the next one. I made a run down without using my poles (I held both together in one hand), which is a great method for working technique...downhill skiing (alpine or tele) should not rely on poles. It's about fluid body movement, balance, weight shifts, and really feeling your skis and edges...being in tune with snow and manipulating it with the skis. A few times today I got to the bottom and just laughed or gave a shout...I was just having a blast and that's what it's really all about. Doesn't matter how big or small the hill is. The best skier is the one having the most fun. :-)
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