Why is skiing so much fun? It is an outdoor activity involving speed that is both challenging and social, performed in a clean environment with often breath-taking views. What more can one want?
White Wonderland
Colorado is a dream winter playground that has 26 ski resorts and the ski season that lasts from October until June. The resorts I visit most often these days are Copper, Winter Park, Mary Jane, Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, sometimes Steamboat.
For Experts Only
Sometimes you encounter signs like this one. You do what you want, but ignore the warning at your peril. Here it looks innocent enough at the start … but they put it for a reason. It gave us an occasion for a photo-op.
Skiing Powder
It must be the ultimate skiing experience! It’s a pity that it is so rare for those of us who don’t live next to the slopes. “There are no friends on the powder day”, as the saying goes. Here: skiing Twin Chutes in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Après Ski
It’s not all about exercise! Resting, socializing, and generally having fun with your friends is the big part of the experience. Kick back, relax and relive the day’s memories.
Snowcat Tours
Snowcat skiing is often called a poor man’s helicopter skiing, because of its lower cost. It also is less dependent on weather and can accommodate larger parties. There are few better ways of enjoying life than to take a snowcat trip and ski in untouched powder.
Equipment Corner: Avalanche Safety
Yes, Virginia, avalanches do happen, even within ski resort boundaries. Taking simple precautions makes sense, particularly if you often ski powder or untracked snow. The simplest precaution may be wearing a backpack (read here how that helps you in an avalanche). Myself, I use a RECCO reflector (shown in the picture). The reflector is a passive sticker permanently attached to my ski boot that makes me visible to RECCO detectors used by most ski patrols. You can also buy the reflectors sown into a piece of clothing.