We spent most of the day today skiing at Sugarloaf USA. It was my ideal conditions on the mountain. The trails were all groomed, packed powder from our recent storm that dropped over 16 inches of snow.
When we woke up at 7am the outdoor temp was one below zero but sunny. The air was crisp and there was no wind. We knew it would be a great day to get in a few runs.
Mid-week skiing is normally not crowded. We were a little worried that it might be more crowded than usual because it’s Local’s Week. (Residents of the local communities ski and ride for free. Rentals and lessons are free too. ) When we arrived in the parking lot at 8:30 there were only 35 or so cars. It was empty. The temps were up to 8 degrees and there was no wind.
We met our friends at the SuperQuad lift at 9am and got things started. Two of the guys in our group are Perfect Turn ski lesson instructors. I was thankful for the few pointers. I’m not that good of a downhill skier. (I’m no good at Nordic skiing either.) I need days like today to practice technique. Smooth, uncrowded runs where I can relax and have fun too.
I had to call it a day around noon. My left knee is arthritic and can get quite painful after while. I figured I’d better be safe than sorry and go sit in the base lodge with my Beginning ASP.NET book looking like a total geek.
Last year I didn’t even get my money’s worth of my season pass. This year will hopefully be different.